AYUTTHAYA — Police in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya swiftly arrested a tuk-tuk driver accused of stealing a bag containing cash and personal belongings from an Indian tourist at a historic temple site on Saturday.
Tourist police alerted local officers after a 43-year-old Indian visitor reported his bag missing while touring Wat Lokayasutharam with his wife. Shaken, he waited for police at the temple and told officers he had placed his brown shoulder bag near the foot of the temple’s giant reclining Buddha before walking behind the structure to take photos. He then rejoined his tour group and left, only to realize moments later that he had forgotten the bag and immediately notified his guide.
The victim said the bag contained about 8,000 baht ($250) in cash, credit cards, a phone charger, his hotel room key, and his Indian ID card.
Investigators reviewed security camera footage and spotted a tuk-tuk parked near where the bag had been left. The driver was seen getting out, picking up the bag, and driving off.
Police traced the vehicle to a 60-year-old driver, identified as Thitaphan, and found him at his home in Pak Kran, an area still partly flooded. He admitted taking the bag and removing the cash. He told officers he threw the credit cards and documents into a trash bin behind the nearby Phra Mongkhon Bophit temple.
When officers checked, the trash had already been collected. Only the bag, a phone charger, and more than 3,000 baht ($95) in cash were recovered.
Police said the driver had a record of similar behavior, including thefts from passengers and abandoning tourists mid-trip, though previous cases were settled privately. Officers said this incident harms the province’s tourism image and will be pursued without leniency.
The tour guide said he regularly warns tourists not to leave belongings on the ground but noted the victim simply forgot. He praised police for making an arrest in less than an hour.
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