PATTAYA, Thailand – Pattaya police were alerted to an incident at a Thai massage shop in Soi 5, Pattaya Beach, in the early hours of October 17. Staff successfully apprehended a foreign tourist who attempted to steal a charity donation envelope. CCTV footage and evidence recovered from the suspect confirmed the theft.
According to staff, the suspect, a 36-year-old from Israel, visited the shop for a one-hour Thai massage. After paying 300 Baht for the service and as the shop was preparing to close, he became dissatisfied and demanded a refund. When the staff refused, the man allegedly became angry, grabbed a charity donation envelope from a table – containing contributions collected by the staff and associates for a local temple – and attempted to flee.
The shop employees immediately gave chase, shouting for assistance from nearby motorcycle taxi drivers, who joined in pursuing the suspect. The team managed to apprehend him within moments. Upon searching his pants, officers found several charity envelopes hidden inside. The shop then contacted Pattaya police to report the incident.
Pattaya City Police have taken the suspect into custody and are handling the matter according to Thai law. Authorities advised the shop to compile all CCTV footage and recovered envelopes to formally file a legal complaint against the suspect.
