The Singaporean man arrested at Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok for allegedly stealing the belongings of a German man insists it was all a mix-up.

 

Teo Yu Xuan Kenny was trying to board a plane home when Immigration Bureau officers swooped to apprehend the Singaporean for the alleged theft of 100,000 baht in cash, a laptop, and a passport belonging to a German tourist staying in the same Pattaya hotel. Kenny said it was a mistake on behalf of the hotel. Staff had reportedly mixed up room numbers 614 and 416.

 

Kenny and his three friends had flown to Thailand on Thursday, July 6, and planned to return home on Monday, July 11. The mix-up occurred when Kenny’s friend, known as Chee, checked out of his room. While Chee and two other Singaporean friends left the hotel at 11am on Monday, Kenny decided to stay in his room a little longer.

 

“The hotel staff tried to contact Chee to collect items that he supposedly left behind in Room 614 but failed to reach him, so they asked me to collect them instead. I went down to the reception and collected a laptop and a small sling bag.”

 

Unbeknownst to Kenny, the bag contained 86,000 baht and 150 euros (6,000 baht) in cash, as well as a BMW car key. 

 

by Bob Scott

Photo courtesy of T Pattaya Hotel.

 

Full story: https://thethaiger.com/news/national/singaporean-mans-bangkok-airport-mix-up-leads-to-arresting-headlines

 

-- © Copyright Thaiger 2023-07-17

 

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I see 2 claims on the horizon.

 

One rightful from the Singaporean for compensations, and another defamation suit from the hotel against Thaiger for publishing the name and brochure of the hotel

"The Superintendent of the Chon Buri Provincial Immigration Office, Parinya Klinkaysorn, commended the effectiveness of the operation, emphasising that it took only 50 minutes from the time the complaint was filed to the arrest of the suspect."

 

"Afterwards, Kenny was taken back to Pattaya, a two-hour drive away, where he was kept in a holding cell until 1pm before giving his police statement. Two of his friends returned to Singapore first, while one of them stayed behind to post bail for him. Kenny’s passport was withheld during the ongoing police investigations, but it was returned to the Singaporean at noon on Thursday after the case was dropped. The police dismissed the case as a misunderstanding"

 

"Kenny revealed that he had spent approximately 70,000 baht in legal fees and an additional 17,000 baht for two extra nights of hotel accommodation and his flight home. He said"

 

A very expensive mistake, so who should pay for this misunderstanding?

Good job IOs 

Hotel staff aren't highly paid to not make simple numerical mistakes. Everyone needs to just negotiate this one out.