The arrest followed a report filed at 3am by Xhayrdonion Zafarugu Khanotion, a 21-year-old Uzbek national, who stated that his belongings had been stolen while he was at Patong Beach early this morning.
According to the victim, he had placed his waist bag ‒ containing his phone, passport, credit cards, motorcycle keys and US$1,000 in cash ‒ on a beach chair while he sat nearby. Upon checking later, he discovered that his bag was missing.
Police, led by Pol Lt Col Sinchai Sukkhi, Deputy Inspector of Investigation at Patong Police, launched an investigation and in just over one hour had tracked down the suspects and arrested them outside a 7-Eleven convenience store on Ratchapathanusorn Rd.
The three arrested were named as Anlus Chankaew, 24, from Krabi; Anuwat Damrongrat, 23, from Phuket; and ‘Aung’, a 21-year-Myanmar national.
The trio was found in possession of various foreign currencies, electronic devices and other personal items belonging to the victim.
Among the recovered items were an iPhone 16 Pro Max, an iPhone 14 Pro, multiple credit cards, a black shoulder bag, and a red Honda PCX motorcycle used to flee the scene.
They were taken to Patong Police Station for further legal proceedings.During questioning, the three admitted to committing the theft, which took place around 4:20am. They allegedly used a vehicle to facilitate the crime and escape the scene.
The suspects have been charged with “jointly stealing property at night using a vehicle to facilitate the crime or evade arrest”, Patong Police confirmed.
Patong Police reminded tourists to stay vigilant and safeguard their belongings, especially in crowded or public areas.