Beach vendors and locals grab Phuket beach thief
Saroj Kueprasertkij


Thanawat Larpprasert was caught by the group after he was seen stealing a purse from a woman on Patong Beach.

PHUKET: -- A group of Patong beach vendors and locals captured a Thai man who had stolen a touristʼs purse from Patong Beach last Thursday (Sept 3).

Thanawat Larpprasert, 27, was caught by the group after he was seen stealing a purse from a woman in her mid-twenties and was handed over to police who took him to Patong police for questioning.

“This is not the first time we have arrested him. He did it before and the locals can remember him. The locals were very angry because this person is destroying the tourism industry. Most of the thiefs are not local people, they do not care about the tourists.” said Lt Col Sutthichai Thianpho from Patong police.

“The investigation team from Patong police has recently been trying to bring more locals to join our beachwatch campaign, and are trying to be as friendly with the locals and beach vendors as possible. “We have told locals and beach vendors that without their help the police alone are not enough to take care of the entire beach. We need their help,” he added.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/beach-vendors-and-locals-grab-phuket-beach-thief-54038.php


-- Phuket News 2015-09-10

Yup, doing it to not damage their tourist industry.

Couldn't give a flyin' hoot about the individual and crime.

How about keeping him locked up much longer instead of releasing him. Then, ankle bracelet once released.

Most of the thiefs are not local people, they do not care about the tourists.” said Lt Col Sutthichai Thianpho from Patong police.

i found this to be funny, read carefully, take your time

Most of the thiefs are not local people, they do not care about the tourists.” said Lt Col Sutthichai Thianpho from Patong police.

i found this to be funny, read carefully, take your time

Yeah, what do you expect.

Same old, same old.

Always the foreigners and not the nice friendly, honest, tourist loving Thais we all know.

“This is not the first time we have arrested him. He did it before and the locals can remember him. The locals were very angry because this person is destroying the tourism industry. Most of the thiefs are not local people, they do not care about the tourists.” said Lt Col Sutthichai Thianpho from Patong police.

Amazing what this guy is saying ... " ... this person is destroying the tourism ... " - sorry dude but that train left the station years ago, this is just another straw on the camels back ... Very few here care about the tourists but many care about the tourists Money - pure fact and not thai bashing even tho some of these apologists will say so ...

Most of the thiefs are not local people, they do not care about the tourists.” said Lt Col Sutthichai Thianpho from Patong police.

i found this to be funny, read carefully, take your time

Yeah, what do you expect.

Same old, same old.

Always the foreigners and not the nice friendly, honest, tourist loving Thais we all know.

To be fair all he said is the thieves are mostly not locals. i.e. not from the area, nowhere does he say he's a foreigner.

Probably true, it seems that the bulk of the scumbags in Pattaya have come from other provinces.

absolutely right locals don't do this sort of thing only thais and they do have an effect on tourism .

This will increase tourism by at least another 50%.

tourists come and go

local thieves have the pickens

if caught = 200 baht fine & a slap on the wrist

“This is not the first time we have arrested him. He did it before and the locals can remember him." - it would be interesting to know the result, or obvious lack there of, the previous arrest/s.