A Turkish man has recovered cash worth about 670,000 baht, along with his passport and other documents, after police arrested a Thai woman over a theft from his hotel room in Nakhon Ratchasima.
The 49-year-old visitor, identified only as Umran, made a complaint at Pak Chong Police Station after the alleged theft on Monday, September 21. Police said the woman later returned the full amount of stolen cash and his documents.
Meeting at a bar
Umran told officers that he met the 51-year-old woman, identified as Pat, at a bar in the province at about 3am on September 20.
He said the short-haired woman approached him and he invited her to sit at his table. The pair then travelled to his hotel on her motorcycle.
After arriving at the hotel, Umran fell asleep. When he woke up, he found his belongings and money had gone.
The missing items included credit cards, a boarding pass, passport, US$20,000, 1,000 Turkish lira and 200 euros. The total loss was reported to be about 670,000 baht.
Hotel CCTV footage reportedly showed the woman leaving the accommodation at about 4am on September 21 while carrying several items from Umran's room.
Cash exchanged and deposited
Police tracked Pat to her home in Nakhon Ratchasima, although she was reportedly a Bangkok resident. Officers said they found the property filled with rubbish, including empty water bottles and food scraps.
Pat admitted stealing from Umran, police said. She told officers that she left the hotel for a bus terminal, took a coach to Bangkok and went to a currency exchange shop at Pratu Nam Market.
She said she exchanged the foreign cash and deposited the money in her bank account, before travelling back to her accommodation in Nakhon Ratchasima by train.
Police said Pat returned the stolen cash amount in full, along with Umran's documents. Officers contacted the Turkish man and arranged for him to collect his property at Pak Chong Police Station. Umran reportedly thanked the officers and praised their swift work.
Pat was charged under Section 335 of the Criminal Law for theft at night and using a vehicle to facilitate the offence. The charge carries a jail term of one to five years and a fine of 20,000 to 100,000 baht.
Pictures courtesy of Khao Pak Chong News
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25 September 2026
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