The first case was reported to Patong Police on Dec 27 by Ahmad Alasadi, a Swedish national. The man stated that USD700 (around B24,500) disappeared from his room at The Gret Hotel* on Sirirat Rd, Patong Police reported in a publication on Facebook.
On Jan 6, Konstantnos Marinou and Michajis Marionou reported two more cases. The two brothers from Cyprus told officers that both lost B55,000 each in suspected thefts from their rooms at The Gret Hotel.*
During crime scene inspections, Patong Police officers noticed that a hotel maid – Ms Hla Hla Win, 27, from Myanmar – behaved suspiciously. The woman tried to hide upon seeing officials, as reported by Patong Police Station on Facebook.
On Thursday (Jan 11), Ms Hla Hla Win was arrested at a rental accommodation on Soi Nanai 1 in Patong. Confronted by officials, the woman admitted to stealing the money, reported by Patong Police as B140,000 in total.
Ms Hla Hla Win explained that she had spent the cash to buy jewelry from different shops. Police seized from the suspect two golden necklaces, two golden bracelets, and two golden rings – all with “warranty cards” from the shops. The weight of the gold totaled 106.4 grams.
The suspect was taken to Patong Police Station and charged accordingly, officials reported without revealing the exact charges.
*Patong Police reported the name of the hotel as “The Gret Hotel” using Latin letters. The address of the venue was given in the report as “5-1 Sirirat Rd, Patong Subdistrict, Kathu District, Phuket Province.” Located at this exact address is The Great Hotel.