Massage Therapist Escapes Attempted Rape After Claiming HIV Status
A massage therapist in Ko Lanta escaped an attempted sexual assault on July 20 after claiming to have HIV, prompting her to file a police report a week later with CCTV footage identifying the suspect.
A massage therapist identified as Khun B reported an attempted sexual assault to police on July 27, 2026. The incident occurred on July 20 at 10 p.m. when a man aged 30–35 booked a massage appointment through a mobile app. After the therapist showed him to her private massage room on the second floor, the man feigned a need to charge his dead phone battery. When she pointed to the charger near her vanity, she noticed the battery was at 74%, exposing his deception. As she turned to leave, the man suddenly drew a 7-inch kitchen knife from his waist, held it to her throat, and demanded she remove her clothes.
The therapist quickly invented a story, claiming she had HIV and had recently given birth to a child not yet one month old, demanding he use protection. While talking to distract him, she managed to escape when the attacker briefly lowered his guard. She ran from the room and locked the door behind her, then rushed downstairs and threw a red piggy bank at the fleeing attacker before calling for help from people below.
CCTV footage from 10:42 p.m. on July 20 shows a man in a white t-shirt and black shorts entering the building with the victim. A second clip at 10:49 p.m. shows the same man fleeing down the stairs while the victim chased behind him, shouting for help. The therapist reported the incident as a cautionary tale for others in her profession and requested police apprehend the suspect to prevent future attacks.
