Turkish Tourist Recovers THB670,000 After Hotel Room Theft in Thailand
Turkish Tourist Recovers THB670,000 After Hotel Room Theft in Thailand
NAKHON RATCHASIMA, Sept. 25, 2026 — A Turkish tourist has recovered cash worth about 670,000 baht (US$21,000), along with his passport and other documents, after Thai police arrested a woman over an alleged theft from his hotel room in Nakhon Ratchasima.
The 49-year-old man, identified only as Umran, reported the incident to police in Pak Chong after discovering that his cash and belongings were missing. Police later arrested a 51-year-old Thai woman, identified as Pat, who they said admitted to the theft and returned the money and documents.
According to the police account, Umran met Pat at a bar in the province at around 3am on Sept. 20. He said the woman approached him and he invited her to join him at his table before the pair travelled to his hotel on her motorcycle.
Umran reportedly fell asleep after arriving at the hotel. When he woke up, he discovered that his belongings and cash were missing.
The missing property included his passport, boarding pass and credit cards, as well as US$20,000, 1,000 Turkish lira and €200. The total value was estimated at about 670,000 baht.
Police said hotel CCTV footage showed the woman leaving the accommodation at around 4am on Sept. 21 while carrying several items from the tourist’s room.
Investigators subsequently traced Pat to a residence in Nakhon Ratchasima. Although she was reportedly a Bangkok resident, police located her at the property and arrested her.
According to police, Pat admitted taking the belongings. She allegedly told investigators that she travelled from the hotel to a bus terminal, took a bus to Bangkok and exchanged the foreign currency at a money exchange shop in the Pratu Nam area.
She then allegedly deposited the proceeds into her bank account before returning to Nakhon Ratchasima by train, police said.
Authorities said Pat subsequently returned the full amount of the stolen cash along with Umran’s documents. Police contacted the Turkish tourist and arranged for him to collect his property at Pak Chong Police Station. He reportedly thanked officers for their swift response.
Pat was charged under Section 335 of Thailand’s Criminal Code in connection with theft at night and the use of a vehicle to facilitate the offence, according to reports. The reported penalty is one to five years’ imprisonment and a fine of 20,000 to 100,000 baht.
The case remains subject to the Thai legal process, and the allegations against the suspect have not been independently adjudicated.
