A 77-year-old Norwegian man reported losing more than 5,000 baht after offering money to a stranger in Pattaya.
The incident allegedly occurred shortly after midnight on 24 August on Pratumnak Road, near Soi 10.
The Norwegian, identified by Thai media as Ingar Opseph, was walking home after exercising. He has reportedly lived in Thailand for more than 15 years.
According to his Thai girlfriend, a man wearing a vest resembling that of a motorcycle taxi rider approached him while riding against the flow of traffic.
The rider first offered to take the Norwegian home. When he declined, the man reportedly said that he had no money for food and asked for help.
Opseph opened his wallet to give him 20 baht. His girlfriend said the man then reached into the wallet, took more than 5,000 baht and rode away towards the Pratumnak intersection.
The incident happened too quickly for Opseph to record the motorcycle’s registration number or identify a number on the rider’s vest.
The couple subsequently filed a complaint at Pattaya City Police Station. They have asked officers to review CCTV footage from the area and identify the alleged thief.
No arrest had been reported at the time of publication.
Sources: TNews and The Thaiger
