Foreign gold snatcher in Pattaya

Urban Myth No More

In recent times the blogosphere has been home to reports of a twist in the usual tale of Thais snatching gold necklaces from unwitting persons on the Pattaya streets. These reports claimed there are a couple of foreigners stealing gold necklaces by way of the usual Thai-style snatch and grab from a motorbike. Initially dismissed as urban myths, some witnesses have now come forward to give veracity to these reports.

Pattaya One has been in contact with two people who were present when separate robberies occurred at the hands of these mystery foreign thieves. Based on these witness accounts it is possible there is more than one couple engaged in the snatch and grab caper. In both cases, except for the colour of the robber’s skin, it cannot be conclusively determined they were the same people.

A robbery was witnessed in early December by Gary Albert, a British resident in Pattaya on holiday. He told Pattaya One: “I had just crossed Second Road near Central at 9:00pm one evening, and passed a group of Russian men and women standing on the road looking like they were waiting for a break in the traffic to cross, in the opposite direction to me, or maybe they were waiting for a taxi.”

Albert continued, “Suddenly I heard a shout. I turned round and saw one of the women holding her neck, and a motorbike speeding away, with a white foreigner as the passenger. He had a helmet on, but his arms were white. He had jeans and a white T shirt on, and looked smart, not like a junkie. I didn’t get a look at the rider, but he wore dark clothing. They almost lost control of the bike as they sped off up Second Road, and by the time everyone had reacted to it, they were out of sight. I was really shocked.”

“The Russian guys were going crazy, shouting and running up the road a little way, but the robbers had disappeared. The women in the group were very upset, and nobody could believe it,” he added. “I hung around for a few minutes to see if anything would happen [more…]

Read and download the full #7 issue in PDF format here: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/files/file/664-pattaya-one-issue-7/

-- Pattaya One 2011-01-01

Thai or Foreigner, we are all human beings...and we all know there is no shortage of human beings who will cheat, lie, and steal.

Thai or Foreigner, we are all human beings...and we all know there is no shortage of human beings who will cheat, lie, and steal.

Yep - and especially in Pattaya! I am not sure which is worse, that or Phuket. I avoid them both...

no one clear are you all moo or what

sorry i figured it out this is the new pattaya time to move on.

No way this is true, all foreign people in Thailand are honest. This is the evil Thais putting good farangs down - LOL

"Keep your hands on your family jewels"

OK- but won't that look a bit strange in the street?

Wearing a helmet and white arms? Please!!! I know plenty of Thais, men and women, who are whiter than raw milk.

The witness is really out to lunch and can only think on a very superficial level.

That is not a positive identification of the alleged snatch and grand robber.

There are bad apples everywhere, some are yellow, some are white, some are brown and some are black.

Positive proof of identification is needed in a court of law.

Pattaya One is not doing itself a favor by publishing a "news item" that is based on hearsay and unreliable accounts without hard evidence. Rumors, comments and opinions are not hard evidence.

Rags and tabloids publish those stories, not serious responsible publications.

It must have been a very slow day for Pattaya One.

Pattaya One is not doing itself a favor by publishing a "news item" that is based on hearsay and unreliable accounts without hard evidence. Rumors, comments and opinions are not hard evidence.

Rags and tabloids publish those stories, not serious responsible publications.

It must have been a very slow day for Pattaya One.

If there is no smoke, there is no fire.....

Wearing a helmet and white arms? Please!!! I know plenty of Thais, men and women, who are whiter than raw milk.

The witness is really out to lunch and can only think on a very superficial level.

That is not a positive identification of the alleged snatch and grand robber.

There are bad apples everywhere, some are yellow, some are white, some are brown and some are black.

Positive proof of identification is needed in a court of law.

Pattaya One is not doing itself a favor by publishing a "news item" that is based on hearsay and unreliable accounts without hard evidence. Rumors, comments and opinions are not hard evidence.

Rags and tabloids publish those stories, not serious responsible publications.

It must have been a very slow day for Pattaya One.

I was wondering where the Thai bashers were. If it had been a brown arm and they said Thai you would not have responded.

Or maybe you would in such a way as to make Thai's look bad. Most assuredly not about all your White friends with tan arms.

It is more likely that a Thai would be "white" than a "foreigner". The white people go take the sun and are tanned right? It is the Thais that covet whiteness and cover up so as to not become dark. A white foreigner desperate to snatch would have been here for some time and most likely would have turned golden brown like the turd that is this article.

Whether it's a farang or not, the deal is that as the money in the west get's tighter, currencies get weaker (in the west) and farang want to stay in Thailand will do increasingly more bolder things to extend their stay. This includes criminal acts.

round up the Thai Albinos it was one of them for sure.

Based on these witness accounts it is possible there is more than one couple engaged in the snatch and grab caper. In both cases, except for the colour of the robber’s skin, it cannot be conclusively determined they were the same people.

From the article ----- Brilliant reporting! exceptional writing!! except for? that makes them the same conclusively or not?

Cleanly written : "The suspects appear to have the same skin tone and may or may not be the same person." But hey .... there's always an "except for"

The easiest way to apprenhend these criminal masterminds is to arrest every body riding and motorcycle and wearinga helmet in Pattaya

The Police would have no more than a dozen suspects at most. After all, who wears a helmet in Thailand let alone Pattaya?

As for blue jeans and a white T shirt. Hardly fashion officionados.

Should stand out like sore dicks on Soi 6.

The easiest way to apprenhend these criminal masterminds is to arrest every body riding and motorcycle and wearinga helmet in Pattaya

The Police would have no more than a dozen suspects at most. After all, who wears a helmet in Thailand let alone Pattaya?

As for blue jeans and a white T shirt. Hardly fashion officionados.

Should stand out like sore dicks on Soi 6.

Ha Ha 55555555. the Tai albino was funny---how unusual for someone to have a white T shirt/jeans--the best bit was --like they sped away at full speed and out of sight quickly-up second road--55555555555 its a road formula one could learn from, Everyone does it-or seems to do. A Russian once told me he wasn,t paying for a deck chair 25bht-when you can lay on you towel for free--on holiday--55555555555. was the gold stolen from a Russian. !!!!!!

It seems that scumbag foreigners of the world and the very worst kind of Thais are claiming the streets of Pattaya as their own, similar to the West Indian communities of Brixton in south London, England.

Sooner or later these areas will become no go areas for the police and law abiding folk.

The place has become a cesspit and as some posters have mentioned, it is best to stay away.

Wearing a helmet and white arms? Please!!! I know plenty of Thais, men and women, who are whiter than raw milk.

There are plenty of dirt-bag Westerners around, but I have to agree with pisico.

I often see Thais that look white from a short distance, but who I realize are Thai when I get a good look up close.

The fact that this creep was wearing a motorcycle helmet means that it is impossible to determine his race.

I don't believe any Court of Law in the World would even contemplate a conviction, or indeed an initial charge on the flimsy evidence, of the colour of one's arms,

absolutely ridiculous assumption!

If your going to wear gold be prepared for the worse.I mean over $1400 an ounce ,or near 20000 baht for 1 baht of gold.I mean if your wearing A 5 baht gold chain look out,it's just A matter of time before someone takes it.As far as the color of their skin,theres no significance.

It is more likely that a Thai would be "white" than a "foreigner". The white people go take the sun and are tanned right? It is the Thais that covet whiteness and cover up so as to not become dark. A white foreigner desperate to snatch would have been here for some time and most likely would have turned golden brown like the turd that is this article.

Good one

Wearing a helmet and white arms? Please!!! I know plenty of Thais, men and women, who are whiter than raw milk.

There are plenty of dirt-bag Westerners around, but I have to agree with pisico.

I often see Thais that look white from a short distance, but who I realize are Thai when I get a good look up close.

The fact that this creep was wearing a motorcycle helmet means that it is impossible to determine his race.

And of course race is a different thing, from nationality, so this could have been a farang-looking Thai national.

But it's still a nice 'man bites dog' story.

"Keep your hands on your family jewels"

OK- but won't that look a bit strange in the street?

You've apparently never visited Pattaya.

and now you can enjoy all the fun 24 /7

Stopped reading about 'Pattaya One...'

These guys make up more stories than National Enquirer.

Stopped reading about 'Pattaya One...'

These guys make up more stories than National Enquirer.

Great...I await the "Alien kidnapped my Thai bargirl" story then.

It is more likely that a Thai would be "white" than a "foreigner". The white people go take the sun and are tanned right? It is the Thais that covet whiteness and cover up so as to not become dark. A white foreigner desperate to snatch would have been here for some time and most likely would have turned golden brown like the turd that is this article.

Did the offender have a llama with him? Perhaps the story about one M. Jackson being alive and living in Pattaya is true after all.

One thing is for sure - foreigners give away gold free to Thais in Pattaya with far greater frequency than they steal gold.

Maybe the Russians, being the nouveau riche / noveau travelers of the world have not yet absorbed the basics of street-wise foreign travel. Lonely Planet is obviously not big in Russia.

Don't forget he not only had white arms, but he looked smart. And since he only really seen his arms, I wonder what smart arms look like...

At the weekend I saw a comment on here from Andrew Drummond, normally a reliable chap, about Pattaya One having put the photograph and name of a 12 year old girl involved in a sex crime in the paper, which sounded outrageous, but I didn't see it in the PDF download.

When I came up to Pattaya yesterday I bought a copy of the paper, thinking it might be in the hard copy, and discovered they didn't name and photograph her there either, just her mother, and now I can' see Mr Drummond's comment. Can anyone shed any light on this. Was he simply mistaken?

If so, how could he post that inflammatory comment and not have checked or read the item properly? Maybe just having a go at the competition - or hungover?

Not very responsible journalism or fact checking by Mr Drummond anyway.

Anyhow, another good front page story and edition Pattaya One. Thank you.