BANGKOK – Police in Bangkok have arrested two Vietnamese nationals linked to a pickpocketing gang and who had illegally entered Thailand.
Officers from Phra Ratchawang Police Station apprehended 56-year-old Duong Thi Ngoc Thao and 31-year-old Huynh Hoa Loc on December 6 in Soi Prachasongkroh, an area with a large Vietnamese population.
The investigation began after security guards at Wat Pho reported suspicious activity by a group of Vietnamese tourists. Their behavior matched that of a pickpocketing gang previously arrested in 2024. Police launched an operation and located two suspects whose appearance matched prior records.
During questioning near an apartment in Ratchadapisek, the suspects claimed they had entered Thailand legally. After contacting the Immigration Bureau, authorities confirmed that Duong was actually 59-year-old Vo Thi Anh Tuyet, previously convicted of theft at a public worship site. She had re-entered Thailand using a fake passport with a new name and altered age.
Huynh was also identified as a member of the same gang arrested in 2024. Both admitted to traveling with a third accomplice, 53-year-old Nguyen Huu Van, who has an outstanding arrest warrant. The trio entered Thailand illegally on the night of December 5 via the Mekong River, paying 11,500 baht each and being transported to Bangkok by a Thai national.
The suspects confessed that they intended to steal from tourists during the 2026 New Year period. Authorities confirmed they bypassed official immigration checkpoints, violating Thailand’s Immigration Act of 1979. Both Duong and Huynh were charged with illegal entry and transferred to Phra Ratchawang Metropolitan Police Station for further legal proceedings.
In a related operation, police also arrested 17 South Korean and Chinese nationals in Bangkok and Pattaya for running a major call centre scam targeting residents and tourists.
