The Chinese holidaymaker had taken the sex worker back to his room in Pattaya, Thailand, but was seen on CCTV 10 minutes later bolting down the hallway without his clothes
A Chinese tourist ran naked through a hotel corridor calling for help after allegedly being robbed by a Thai ladyboy. The holidaymaker had taken the sex worker back to his room in Pattaya, Thailand.
But just 10 minutes later, the terrified tourist was seen on CCTV bolting down the hallway without his clothes. With one hand covering his privates, he told the receptionist that two ladyboys attacked him and stole 10,000 baht and an iPhone 15 Pro Max from his room.
Police launched an investigation amid a crackdown on transgender thugs and thieves in the seaside resort. They tracked the suspect, Atikhun Mueangmungkhun, 20, to a squalid rented room she shared with four other ladyboys and arrested her on February 26.
Atikhun initially denied involvement, but later reportedly confessed when security footage was presented. She was charged with “robbery at night with a weapon, or by two or more persons acting together to facilitate the theft or escape with the property”.
Police Captain Assada Jarusombat of Tourist Police Division 1 said: “We presented evidence from security cameras and the phone taken from the Chinese tourist, which served as incriminating evidence that led to the issuance of the arrest warrant. The suspect surrendered due to the evidence against her, and was handed over to the inquiry officer along with the seized items for further legal proceedings.”
The arrest comes amid a spate of violent ladyboy attacks on tourists in the resort town. On February 24, male-to-female crossdresser Fuengfah allegedly stole 20,000 baht before attacking Korean holidaymaker Kim Sangyul, 46, when she was confronted.
The long-haired prostitute was also implicated in a street attack on German tourist Markus Santl, 55, just a day earlier. On February 17, a Chinese tourist was allegedly beaten and robbed by three ladyboys when he refused to pay the extra fees they demanded.
On February 11, a group of ladyboys had a mass street brawl with British tourists over alleged missing money in the same city. Locals said violent incidents involving ladyboys were common in the city, especially around the town’s Beach Road, the two-and-a-half-mile strip packed every night with street sex workers waiting for customers.
Despite regular crackdowns by police, prostitutes flee upon seeing approaching officers, only to later regroup when patrol units leave. Exasperated officers even admit privately that there is little they can do to solve the issue.
Pattaya has become the country’s flagship tourist destination, fuelled by the allure of bars, massage parlours, and cheap sex. It has been dubbed a ‘p*rno Disneyland’ by some “sexpats”, who can find relationships and experiences not easily available in their homeland.
However, the region is now often seen as tarnishing the wider image of Thailand as a family-friendly holiday destination with stunning beaches, food and a rich history.
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