A 55-year-old tourist was beaten by a gang of six transgender women in Pattaya, Thailand, after confronting one of them about missing cash. The man, identified as Markus Santl, had taken a sex worker to his hotel room. Following their encounter, he noticed 35,000 baht (£835) and 1,200 euros (£1,048) missing from his safe.
Santl went to search for the worker and found her near a beach. When he attempted to confront her, a group of transgender women appeared, pinned him against a wall, and shouted “get his wallet”. They fled when police arrived. An onlooker who returned Santl’s fallen wallet said the group “ganged up on a single man” and insulted him after he helped.
Firefighters later retrieved Santl’s mobile phone, which had fallen through a drain. Locals noted that violent incidents involving transgender sex workers are common in Pattaya, especially along Beach Road, a two-and-a-half-mile strip frequented by street sex workers.
A police spokesman confirmed officers were deployed to investigate and pursue legal action. The incident follows similar attacks: on 17 February, a Chinese tourist was beaten and robbed by three transgender women after refusing to pay extra fees, and on 11 February, a group of transgender women brawled with British tourists over missing money.
Pattaya, often called ‘Sin City’ and a major tourist destination, has faced criticism for tarnishing Thailand’s image as a family-friendly holiday spot.
