Three Omani Nationals Drugged And Robbed On Bus From Bangkok

[Rimmer]

During a minibus ride from Bangkok to Pattaya a group of three Omani nationals have been drugged and subsequently robbed by 2 unknown men from Monaco.

Pattaya, the 20th of November 2009 [PDN]: In the early hours of Friday morning police Lieutenant General Phatsa Detphakkul (inspector with the Pattaya police) received a report that 3 Omani nationals were in need of assistance at the Maine Yensabai condominium complex, South Pattaya. A team of police officers and members from the Sawang Boriboon Foundation attended the scene.

When officers arrived at the scene they found the 3 foreign men asleep in their room. Upon further investigation one of the men, now known to be a Mr Zahran Saud Salim age 28 awoke in a somewhat dazed state. Mr Zahran explained to police that the other two men were his brothers, a Mr Bader Saud Salim age 40, and Mr Hamed Saud Salim age 32. He further informed police that he believed that they had been drugged by 2 men from Monaco with which they shared a minibus from Bangkok the previous night.

After a brief interview with the still dazed man, police were able to assertain that the trio had caught a minibus from the Nana Inn Hotel in Bangkok sharing the fair with a pair of men from Monaco who were unknown to the brothers. During the journey the bus made a stop at a food center on the motorway in order for the men to get something to eat. At this time the 2 men from Monaco allegedly went to purchase some burgers for them all to enjoy, which the Omani brothers assumed was just a kind gesture. After the meal was consumed the trip continued, at which time the 3 brothers fell asleep in the bus, only awakening when the bus stoped out the front of the Marine Yensabai Condo, which they had pre-booked from Bangkok. At the time the 3 men thought that nothing untoward had occurred and put their dazed states down to suffering from a dose of travel sickness.

Mr Zahran explained that when he and his brothers arrived in their room they decided to get some more sleep as they all were still feeling very tired. Mr Zahran was the first to awake at which time he started to unpack his bags, discovering that almost all their money, an amount nearing 63,000 baht and their 3 mobile phones had gone missing. Suspecting the 2 men that had accompanied them on the journey Mr Zahran went to talk with the driver of the minibus who explained that the 2 other men had been dropped off at the Central Pattaya intersection on Sukhumvit Road. The police were then called to the scene to investigate the situation further.

Police asked the officers from the Sawang Boriboon foundation that were at the scene to take the three men to the Banglamung Hospital were they could undergo a blood test and recover from their ordeal. Mr Zahran’s 2 brothers had still not awoken yet, which was also a cause for concern. It was later discovered that the 3 brothers had been drugged with sleeping pills possibly inserted into the burgers that they had consumed the night before.

Police will now wait for the three men to fully recover before further questioning them. They will also be asked to describe the appearance of the 2 men from Monaco so that police may get a sketch drawn up of their faces. In light of this recent criminal activity police are urging all tourists to be careful who they befriend and to watch over their possessions with extreme vigilance. Officers believe that this was not the first time that these men had performed such a trick and that they will most probably do it again.

http://pattayadailynews.com

[senshusband]

Gosh, if you can't trust a couple of guys from Monaco, who can ya trust? Geesh

[Dontdisturb]

^ Morocco, should be a typo here.

[Rimmer]

^ Morocco, should be a typo here.

I think you are right well spotted.

We can not of course alter the original text from the clipping even though they are often wrong.

[chickenslegs]

^ Morocco, should be a typo here.

I think you are right well spotted.

We can not of course alter the original text from the clipping even though they are often wrong.

Can someone explain why there is an assumption of a typo?

Is there a history of this type of crime being committed by Moroccans in Thailand?

I guess the thieves would not have given accurate information to their victims anyway. Or maybe it was a couple of F1 drivers down on their luck

Edited November 22, 2009 by chickenslegs

[oevna]

^ Morocco, should be a typo here.

I think you are right well spotted.

We can not of course alter the original text from the clipping even though they are often wrong.

Can someone explain why there is an assumption of a typo?

Is there a history of this type of crime being committed by Moroccans in Thailand?

I guess the thieves would not have given accurate information to their victims anyway. Or maybe it was a couple of F1 drivers down on their luck

I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume that it is because Oman and Morocco are both predominantly Arab countries, and there is somewhat of a stereotype of Arab tourists staying at the Nana Inn Hotel, where the two groups of tourists embarked on their trip to Pattaya together in a minivan. If in fact all were Arabs, it might be more plausible that the presumed Moroccans would have more easily gained the trust of the Omani men, due to the degree of common ground that they shared. That, plus the similarity between the names "Monaco" and "Morocco," and the precedent for inaccurate transcription demonstrated by some of the local news media.

On the other hand, the majority demographic of Monaco are French Catholics, so such "common ground" might be harder to find among them and the Omanis.

This is all conjecture on my part. I am not suggesting that this is the case, I am just trying to provide a guess as to why some might think that "Morocco" may have been mistyped "Monaco" in this article.

Cheers.