Javad Amini points to the boy that picked his
pocket at Bali Hai pier.
Boonlua Chatree
Two transvestites questioned their arrest for allegedly
pick-pocketing an Iranian man because, they claim, they were only returning
money the tourist dropped.
Officers were called to Bali Hai Pier around 1 a.m. June
19 where Javad Amini and five others had detained Suriya Pudkiew, 21, and a
16-year-old Pattaya secondary school boy dressed as a woman. One suspect was
holding 3,600 baht belonging to the Iranian tourist.
Amini told police he was sitting with friends at Bali Hai
and had been pestered by prostitutes offering their services. While leaving,
he said the two katoeys grabbed him and use the distraction to pick his
pocket. Wise to the move, Amini and friends detained the two suspects.
The younger ladyboy told police he was innocent and that,
in fact, he was just returning cash to the tourist after the other
transvestite had pulled the money from his pocket. Skeptical police locked
up both the suspects.
