Brit swindled of 12,000 baht by fake police

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A Banglamung civil defense volunteer and two others are wanted for allegedly robbing a British tourist of more than 12,000 baht after pretending to be police officers.

Paul Denaam, 59, and his girlfriend, 40-year-old Prakai Janphot, appealed to the media after claiming Pattaya police had buried their June 19 crime report.

According to the couple, they had been having one of their frequent drunken arguments on Second Road when a Thai woman approached them to offer assistance. She then led them back to their hotel where they were joined by an unidentified man and registered district volunteer Wattanachai Sreekhumnoi, 22.

Claiming to be police, the two men searched Denaam’s Diana Dragon Hotel room and attempted to mediate the dispute between the couple, which had reached the point of Denaam telling Prakai to leave. The female accomplice then demanded 10,000 baht as a parting gift for his paramour and 2,000 baht for the officers. He complied.

Prakai didn’t leave, however, and when the two reunited, they discovered the supposed police had absconded with all the cash, as well as a mobile phone and passport taken during their search of their room.

Police have security camera footage of the three suspects and the name of one. Despite promising to query Wattanachai, Denaam said, police have not given them any updates or resolution.