A 48-year-old transsexual, Uthai Nanthakhan, was arrested in Bangkok on Saturday night for allegedly swindling a 36-year-old Japanese man, marking the latest in a series of similar crimes spanning a decade. The fraud, which has involved numerous victims, has amounted to a staggering 26 million baht.
The arrest followed a complaint filed by the victim at the Thong Lor police station. He stated that he had met Uthai in January, when she introduced herself as a visitor from Hong Kong. After meeting a few times, Uthai manipulated him into making several payments for various supposed needs.
Police investigations revealed that Uthai typically told her victims, mostly Japanese men, that she had lost her wallet and passport while traveling. She would then claim to need money for purposes such as obtaining a new passport, paying for medical treatment, buying medications, or covering insurance costs.
Uthai’s fraudulent activities date back to 2011, with 73 victims defrauded of approximately 26 million baht. This year alone, police have received complaints from three victims who reported losses totaling 4 million baht. Notably, Uthai had been jailed for a similar crime in 2015 but was released in 2018.
The authorities are continuing to investigate the case, as they suspect there may be more victims yet to come forward.
