A Surin woman has been arrested for forcing her disabled 13-year-old niece to work as a beggar in South Pattaya.

Raporn Bunjanthuk, 34, was taken into custody by Children and Women Protection Center officers near Walking Street Feb. 8. Officers made the arrest after witnessing her repeatedly remove money from a beggar’s dish held by her niece, who had two malformed legs and a lump protruding from her chest.

An Iranian man was arrested after allegedly befriending three countrymen, taking them to Bangkok for sightseeing, then leaving them there to return to Pattaya to rob one of their hotel rooms.

Police are searching for two men who killed a motorcycle taxi driver in a cassava field in Banglamung.

The body of 30-year-old Vichien Wongprasert was found early Feb. 7 shot once in the face in a field off Nongketyai Soi 1, 500 meters from Highway 36. Robbery did not appear to be a motive, as the victim still had 80 baht cash and an Apple iPhone on him.

Thai and Chinese officials signed a cultural-exchange agreement that will see mainland martial arts performed and taught here, and Thai artists and musicians entertain there.

Jailed once already for pick-pocketing, a South Pattaya flower vendor is again behind bars for allegedly lifting 780 baht from the pocket of a Finnish tourist.

Two British nationals have been arrested for allegedly using counterfeit ATM cards to steal more than 2 million baht from Pattaya banks.

Narayanasamy Mohan, 39, and Thevarajah Gnanaraj, 36, were apprehended Feb. 8 outside the Siam Commercial Bank on Second Road. Police escorted them back to their rooms at the Mike Beach Resort where they recovered 134 fake credit and debits cards, 22,000 baht in cash, a card skimmer and notebook computer with account information on more than 1,000 European victims.

Banglamung police have arrested five family members accused of robbing conveniences stores around the Eastern Seaboard and Bangkok.

Sriracha residents Somjai Onsamran, 47; Worawat Kuttajomsri, 18; and Sayan Thaengthong, 32; Roi-et native Nittaya Wongsomsri, 18; and Chusak Phermsalika, 29, of Chaiyanat were apprehended in three separate arrests Feb. 5. Police recovered a meter-long knife, 22-caliber handgun, two purses and a Honda City compact car.

Two westerners and a Thai transvestite have been arrested in connection with the molestation of at least three young boys in Pattaya.

Region 2 Children and Women’s Protection Center officers arrested German Karl Josef Ruppel, 69, and Briton Andrew John Tracey, 60, Feb. 1 in separate arrests in Pattaya and Bang Saray. Police also apprehended Rachan Panpleng, 51, who was accused with pimping as 12-year-old boy to an unidentified third foreigner.

A Royal Thai Navy sailor has been arrested for allegedly molesting a 9-year-old neighbor girl.

Petty Officer 1st Class Anek Duangfoong, 40, was taken into custody at his Rattanakarn Village 3 home Jan. 26 after an acquaintance found videos of the assault on the Banglamung girl on his mobile phone. Police later discovered the telephone held photos and videos of molestations of a number of other young girls.

Nearly 400 counterfeit mobile phones were confiscated and 27 vendors arrested as regional intellectual-property police swept through South Pattaya’s Tukcom electronics mall.