According to a statement posted on the official Facebook page of Lumphini Police Station, a 36-year-old Cambodian transwoman named Kinkon was arrested by the police for stealing a gold necklace worth approximately 30,000 baht from a Singaporean man named Koh Kuan Yong Andy.
A free hug to crime
The incident occurred near Asok BTS Station in Bangkok on 8 March 2023 around 0030 HRS, where Kinkon approached Andy and his Thai friend Yutthana Inthachai, pretended to greet and hug Andy, and snatched his necklace before running away.
After chasing her down, 52-year-old Andy and his friend were able to recover the stolen necklace and report the incident to the Lumphini Police Station.
Kinkon was charged under Section 336 of the Criminal Law for theft by snatching, which carries a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment and a fine of up to 100,000 baht.
Upon searching Kinkon, the officers discovered that she had entered Thailand illegally and did not possess any personal identification documents. However, no other illegal items were found on her.
This case bears similarities to a previous incident in which a Thai transwoman was caught stealing a gold necklace from a foreign man by using a similar tactic.
The thief was later arrested and admitted to selling the necklace to a gold shop for 26,000 baht, which she used to pay off her gambling debts and daily expenses.