UPDATE: Police arrest Asoke gold necklace thief, trans woman wanted to pay gambling debt

Police have arrested a transgender woman who allegedly stole a gold necklace off the body of a farang in Bangkok's Asoke neighbourhood last week, after a video of the incident went viral. The thief reportedly said she stole the golden accessory because she'd lost her job and had to pay off a gambling debt.

CCTV footage of the incident shows the 30-year-old trans thief pretended to hug the unsuspecting Western man while he was walking on the sidewalk along Sukhumvit Road. He didn't notice her quick hands nimbly snatch the golden necklace from around his neck while he recorded a selfie video of the encounter. Later, when he realised his necklace had disappeared, he checked the video footage to find the thief. His self-filmed video titled "Sukhumvit road. Gold chain rip off. Be careful of the ladyboy gangsters" has gone viral on social media.

Thai media reported that after the transgender woman stole the necklace, she took a taxi to the suburban province of Samut Prakarn south of Bangkok, where she said she sold it to a gold shop in Soi Charoenkrung 28 for 26,000 baht. Police officers checked CCTV cameras around the area and where able to find out where she lives. They then arrested her at a dormitory in the province.

The suspect confessed that she did steal the necklace because she didn't have a stable job and had debt from playing gambling. The police also shared that she had committed other crimes before, having been charged for theft, assault and prostitution in Pattaya.

SOURCE: Khaosod