Thai maid steals valuables worth 500k THB from American tourist, buys car with the proceeds

[rooster59]

 

Thai maid steals valuables worth 500k THB from American tourist, buys car with the proceeds

 

Image: Manager

 

A Thai woman has confessed to stealing valuables worth almost 500,000 baht from an American tourist in Pattaya.

 

Pimsiri Boonchu, 26, was working as a maid at the Vogue Hotel in Pattaya Klang when she committed the theft earlier this month.

 

American Tracy Nguyen, 48, told police how she had put the ‘do not disturb’ sign before leaving her room at the hotel on 4 August.

 

But when she returned she found that her valuables were missing, including $3,500 in cash, diamond earrings worth $6,000, a gold bracelet worth $2,000, a platinum necklace and bracelet worth $2,100 and a designer handbag worth $700. Also missing was Ms Nguyen’s passport, credit card and driving license.

 

Police say that in total 464,000 baht worth of valuables were stolen from Ms Nguyen, who has now returned to the United States.

 

After the theft Pimsiri, who suddenly quit her job as a maid, sold the stolen items and bought a Honda Civic car with the proceeds.

 

Police finally tracked down Pimsiri to an address in the Nong Prue area of the city on Saturday where she was arrested.

 

Pattaya police chief Pol Col Apichai Krobpetch said the theft damaged the reputation of Pattaya and urged hotels to be more thorough when vetting staff.

 

However, the Pol Col added that Ms Nguyen said the incident hadn’t put her off Pattaya and that she said she intended to return to the resort again in the future.

 

The report from Manager didn’t mention if any of the items were returned to Ms Nguyen.

 

Source: Manager

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2018-08-26

[ezzra]

This tourist is living in la-la land thinking that she can leave such valuable items laying around and that they will be ok if she put the do not disturb sign, is she that dumb of is that the first time she's traveling, and what with all the expensive jewelry and handbag coming to Thailand, wouldn't put it past this woman to be an insurance con job even though the maid has confessed...

[sammieuk1]

Damaging the reputation of Pattaya is the real crime however unlikely this could be ?

[colinneil]

So Tracy you came here for a holiday and left your brains and common sense in the States..... Doh.

[BestB]

So safe to assume car would be sold and money wired to the American ?

 

By the way, not too sure what the amount must be but I had a thieving staff who was eventually caught she got 12 years sentence.

 

Her total from a number of places was around 250 000 nothing was recovered and she was jailed for 12 years, true story

[Thaiwrath]

30 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

Pattaya police chief Pol Col Apichai Krobpetch said the theft damaged the reputation of Pattaya

A couple of "honest taxi driver stories, of returning money and valuables" this week will get the 'reputation' back. 

[faraday]

At 48 years old, Tracy must be completely stupid to leave all of her valuables in her room.

 

I'm more than a little suspicious that she left all her i.d. in the room.

 

Ok, a lapse of judgement to maybe leave cash, maybe. But passport etc....no, I think not.

 

[anon789561]

24 minutes ago, faraday said:

At 48 years old, Tracy must be completely stupid to leave all of her valuables in her room.

 

I'm more than a little suspicious that she left all her i.d. in the room.

 

Ok, a lapse of judgement to maybe leave cash, maybe. But passport etc....no, I think not.

 

Why, i've left my passport in hotels my whole life. never had it stolen and wouldn't expect it to be. i imagine all her stuff was in one bag and the maid took that

[mok199]

The pawn shop or dealers, who bought these stolen items need to be investigated too..

[marko kok prong]

Something dodgy here,use the room safe[not 100% but better than nothing],or check the stuff in at reception and get a receipt.

[lanista]

I wonder why a well off  Vietnamese woman was floating around Pattaya? Married to a wealthy yank?

Why was she there in Pattaya of all places.

Would make an interesting story.

[LomSak27]

Just now, lanista said:

I wonder why a well off  Vietnamese woman was floating around Pattaya? Married to a wealthy yank?

Why was she there in Pattaya of all places.

Would make an interesting story.

Get on it Sherlock

 

[NCC1701A]

 For a moment when I saw 500k baht I thought this might be my ex wife.

 

God bless America.

[klauskunkel]

2 hours ago, rooster59 said:

However, the Pol Col added that Ms Nguyen said the incident hadn’t put her off Pattaya and that she said she intended to return to the resort again in the future

..., when she will be bringing with her an Audemars Piguet lady's watch, a Cartier diamond tennis bracelet and another $20,000 in cash.

[kannot]

2 hours ago, BestB said:

So safe to assume car would be sold and money wired to the American ?

 

By the way, not too sure what the amount must be but I had a thieving staff who was eventually caught she got 12 years sentence.

 

Her total from a number of places was around 250 000 nothing was recovered and she was jailed for 12 years, true story

hmmmm wonder what my fish stealer would get, personally  a  good  kicking from me would be satisfaction enough

[atyclb]

27 minutes ago, lanista said:

I wonder why a well off  Vietnamese woman was floating around Pattaya? Married to a wealthy yank?

Why was she there in Pattaya of all places.

Would make an interesting story.

fyi; theres lots of successful vietnam immigrants and or us born in america. lots have money and can and do travel. tailand is a popular travel destination and pattaya is marketed as a destination also. i know vietnamese "boat people" that became lawyers, doctors, engineers and computer programmers and they didnt need to marry a yank. got friends in vietnam doing similar things and have no need to marry a yank.

[atyclb]

10 minutes ago, Kieran00001 said:

 

You posted that to me, however I believe you intended it to be for the poster to whom I also replied.

 

correct. i deleted content in that post

[BestB]

25 minutes ago, kannot said:

hmmmm wonder what my fish stealer would get, personally  a  good  kicking from me would be satisfaction enough

I was happy she was caught and charged but when I heard the verdict I actually felt sorry for her. People do less for murder 

[connda]

Was this the first time Ms. Nguyen traveled outside of the US or possibly the first time she stayed in a hotel?
Who in their right mind leaves cash and jewelry in a hotel room?  Even keeping it in a hotel's safe isn't 'safe' given that here in Thailand the hotel's liability is some fraction of the amount stolen.  You keep your valuables on you. You don't leave them in a room or in a hotel safe unless you have your own insurance that will cover you in case of theft.

[anon789561]

8 minutes ago, connda said:

Was this the first time Ms. Nguyen traveled outside of the US or possibly the first time she stayed in a hotel?
Who in their right mind leaves cash and jewelry in a hotel room?  Even keeping it in a hotel's safe isn't 'safe' given that here in Thailand the hotel's liability is some fraction of the amount stolen.  You keep your valuables on you. You don't leave them in a room or in a hotel safe unless you have your own insurance that will cover you in case of theft.

maybe she did . . .

[Rimmer]

Baiting troll post and replies removed

[Scouse123]

With that kind of cash and valuables, why does she choose to stay in an 800 baht a night hotel in Pattaya Klang?

 

She could have chosen something far more secure and upscale where they really take care and look after their customers.

[Dararasmi]

1 hour ago, lanista said:

I wonder why a well off  Vietnamese woman was floating around Pattaya? Married to a wealthy yank?

Why was she there in Pattaya of all places.

Would make an interesting story.

She's American, not Vietnamese. Or can't you read? And, believe it or not, some women can make very successful lives for themselves without the help of a big strong man.

[wgdanson]

1 minute ago, Dararasmi said:

She's American, not Vietnamese. Or can't you read? And, believe it or not, some women can make very successful lives for themselves without the help of a big strong man.

I guess she is American (Tracy) married to a Vietnamese man.

[chrisandsu]

If you think for one moment that Tracey lost that much then you are in cuckoo land . I’m sure the insurance claim was bumped up to the max .

[connda]

1 hour ago, Happy enough said:

maybe she did . . .

It's a possibility but one that wasn't reported on if indeed she did.

[connda]

58 minutes ago, Scouse123 said:

With that kind of cash and valuables, why does she choose to stay in an 800 baht a night hotel in Pattaya Klang?

 

Perhaps for the same reason as I stay in 800 to 1000 THB hotels - it's a place to sleep when I'm not out sight seeing.  Unless you're hanging out in your room, why shell out that sort of jack for a place to sleep?
Oh well, as my mom would say - "Must be the Scottish in me."  <laugh>

[hobobo]

4 hours ago, ezzra said:

This tourist is living in la-la land thinking that she can leave such valuable items laying around and that they will be ok if she put the do not disturb sign, is she that dumb of is that the first time she's traveling, and what with all the expensive jewelry and handbag coming to Thailand, wouldn't put it past this woman to be an insurance con job even though the maid has confessed...

Highly speculative and presumptuous. Not everyone thinks like you.

[Henrik Andersen]

it is funny almost every post blaming the tourist

but not blaming the maid or hotel 

she just trusted that her room was safe to leave her value in 

can't really not blame her 

some even posted insurance scam 

come on this is a bad Thai lady there stealing from tourist 

[PETERTHEEATER]

Police say that in total 464,000 baht worth of valuables were stolen from Ms Nguyen, who has now returned to the United States.

 

How fortunate that she had a second passport available with an entry stamp to enable her to depart legally........