Pattaya police working with tourist police arrested two teenage suspects on Tuesday after an Australian man was stabbed and robbed of A$6,000 (about 140,000 baht) at a guesthouse in south Pattaya.
The victim, Alikosh Ghulam, 45, told police he had invited two individuals he believed to be women to his room late on Monday. Upon realising they were transgender, an argument broke out. One of the pair pushed him into the bathroom and stabbed him in the right upper chest area with a sharp object before the two fled with his cash.
Ghulam sought medical treatment before filing a complaint with the Pattaya City police.
Officers traced the suspects to a condominium near the scene and arrested them shortly after. The two — identified as Phi, 17, and Priew, 16 — confessed to the attack. A pair of scissors and some cash were seized as evidence.
Police said incidents of this nature, largely involving transgender individuals targeting tourists, were damaging Pattaya's image as a tourist destination. While crimes occurring inside private rooms were difficult to prevent, officers said they would continue to pursue suspects as quickly as possible.
