A Thai woman and her foreign husband forgave a pickpocket suspect at a market in Khon Kaen and gave the thief 40 baht while local vendors demanded police and relevant government officials to address the matter.
The pickpocket incident took place on July 18 at Bang Phai Night Bazaar. CCTV footage was later shared on social media by a food vendor to warn both Thai and international visitors.
The video showed a woman removing a 100 baht banknote from the pocket of a Thai shopper while she and her foreign husband were choosing food at a sausage stall.
The victim noticed someone touching her pocket and quickly realised the cash was missing. She alerted her husband, who ran after the suspect.
The 48 year old sausage vendor, Nattapalin, told Channel 7 that the market regularly attracts foreign visitors, many of whom are married to residents. She said the couple in the video had travelled from Phuket and that the woman is originally from Khon Kaen.
According to Nattapalin, the thief was known around the market for asking vendors and visitors for food and money. She said she had not personally witnessed the woman committing theft before and could not confirm whether she had previously been involved in similar incidents.
Nattapalin also claimed the woman had experienced family problems and later lived alone. She alleged that officials from the Khon Kaen Provincial Social Development and Human Security Office had previously offered her employment, but she declined.
According to the vendor, the woman instead survived by asking for food and money, with much of the cash allegedly being spent on alcohol. These claims have not been independently verified.
Another vendor, 42 year old Thatsanee, told the media that the foreign husband recovered the stolen money. She said the couple then decided not to file a police complaint and instead gave the woman 40 baht before leaving the market.
Although the couple chose to forgive the suspect, Thatsanee said she wanted police and relevant government agencies to take action, claiming the woman’s behaviour had repeatedly disturbed people visiting the market. She also expressed concern that such incidents could affect the image of tourism in the province.
At the time of publication, police and local authorities had not issued a public statement regarding the incident or any possible investigation.
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