Trans Thai Women Stole Tourist’s $600,000 Watch Over $60 Dispute—They ‘Thought It Was Fake’

A Chinese tourist says two women took his diamond-covered Patek Philippe and passport from his Pattaya hotel room. He valued the watch at roughly $600,000. When they demanded about $600 to return his belongings, he paid but only got his passport back. Police recovered the watch and arrested two suspects early Sunday morning. The suspects told police they were owed 2,000 baht (~ $60) and thought the watch was fake. The tourist reported the theft November 7 from room 309 at the Z8 Hotel. He said two transgender women took the watch and passport, then demanded 20,000 baht to return them. After collecting the cash, they returned the passport and left with the watch. The silver-colored, diamond-set Patek Philippe PP5719G can actually list at $725,000. The two suspects were arrested early in the morning of November 8. They claimed they’d just taken the watch figuring it was worth what they were owed (what they were owed for you can leave to your imagination). I’ve written about a guest who arrived at a Marriott wearing a $24,000 Rolex but hadn’t booked the night of his arrival. He fell asleep in the lobby waiting for a room, and someone took it right off his wrist. And in the stranger hotel watch recovery, two Rolexes taken from guests at Encore Las Vegas were concealed inside the women who stole them. A reader’s response to that story evokes Pulp Fiction: I don’t think I would ever wear the watch again. There is not enough disinfectant in the world. Now I can’t get images of the thieves looking just like Christopher Walken out of my mind. Y’all be careful on your travels out there! Topics on this page