Woman Arrested for Snatching Lottery Tickets from Blind Vendor; Police Say She Targets Disabled Victims
A middle-aged woman snatched lottery tickets from a blind vendor outside Haad Yai Hospital in Songkhla on May 23 after a failed attempt to trade durians; police say she targets disabled vendors in similar scams.
Police are intensifying their manhunt for a middle-aged woman who snatched lottery tickets from a blind street vendor outside a convenience store inside Haad Yai Hospital in Songkhla province on May 23. The victim, 41-year-old Ajchara Kangratana, a visually impaired lottery vendor, reported that the suspect initially tried to trade durians for lottery tickets, but when refused, employed a distraction tactic to steal the tickets and flee. The exact number of stolen lottery tickets remains unclear, though the victim claims she experiences similar incidents regularly due to her disability.
According to Ajchara's account, the incident occurred around 2 p.m. on May 23 when a middle-aged woman carrying a box of durians approached her. The woman first attempted to sell the durians at a discounted price of 180 baht instead of 230 baht, claiming she needed money for car repairs. When the vendor declined, the suspect proposed trading durians for lottery tickets, starting with a full set before negotiating down to just one or two tickets. Ajchara repeatedly refused, explaining she needed to save the money for her children's education and living expenses.
The suspect then asked if the vendor had a mobile payment system. Upon learning that she did, the woman claimed to have 200-300 baht on her phone and wanted to buy 2-3 tickets. As Ajchara quoted the price for the first ticket at 100 baht, the suspect pretended to call her boyfriend to help with the payment while simultaneously grabbing a second lottery ticket. When Ajchara tried to inform her the total was 200 baht for two tickets, she noticed the suspect moving away and demanded payment or return of the tickets. The suspect claimed she was only taking one ticket before quickly fleeing the scene.
Ajchara appealed to passersby for help and acknowledged this was not an isolated incident. She revealed she falls victim to similar scams repeatedly because of her visual impairment. Police Lieutenant Colonel Matha Gaew Thong, superintendent of Haad Yai Police Station, was notified and initiated a manhunt. Investigators collected CCTV footage from the area and are interviewing the victim further. The suspect is described as a middle-aged woman with a pattern of targeting blind lottery vendors in similar schemes. Police are processing the case according to legal procedures.
