A woman has been arrested for allegedly stealing a gold necklace from a Belgian tourist who inadvertently filmed the entire thing while walking on Sukhumvit Road.
Manasnan Pengwichai, 30, was arrested Saturday by Lumphini police in Samut Prakan province after she was caught on camera unclasping the necklace from the neck of Frederik de Vreese, 25. Manasnan, who is transgender, was charged with robbery, according to Lt. Col. Naruewat Puttawiro of the Lumphini Police Station.
De Vreese was filming himself at the time as he walked near Asoke intersection, a common hangout for sex workers, at around 11pm on Tuesday. Manasnan can be seen wrapping her arms around his neck and then getting busy removing his necklace, which she allegedly walked away with.
De Vreese did not know that he had been robbed until later. He said the necklace belonged to his grandfather and is worth around EUR800 (THB30,000).
He posted the footage to Instagram account and asked for help.
“If anybody recognizes her tattoo, please let me know. Please share the video, or share with your friends! This happened at the intersection at Sukhumvit soi 21.”
Manasnan has prior arrests for prostitution and theft in Pattaya in 2013 and 2015, respectively, Naruewat said. She was also arrested on suspicion of assault in the Lumphini area earlier this year.
