Five Indian tourists 'lose holiday spending money to Thai sex workers' in Pattaya

Five Indian tourists were left in tears after allegedly losing their spending money to Thai sex workers in Pattaya.

The group reportedly picked up the prostitutes from the beach as they enjoyed their last few days at the depraved holiday resort on September 13.

They returned to their luxury five-star hotel, then paired off into their rooms to have sex.

But after the encounters, the tourists found the sex workers missing and their wallets emptied of cash totalling 24,000 baht.

Footage shows the Indians - later identified as Sham Lal, 52, Ram Nayak, 34, Gautam, 44, Rajiv Sharma, 35, and Anil Kumar, 31 - confronting the Thai women who were still in the hotel lobby.

They claimed the hookers assaulted them and demanded more money before hotel staff later intervened and the women left the premises.

Indian tour guide Bom, 37, said he found the five distraught men the next day 'weeping in each other's arms' as they had no more money to buy food or souvenirs in Pattaya. The group were due to fly back to India on September 15.

Fellow members of the tour group took pity on them and gave them food and drinks.

They were then taken to the Pattaya Police Station to file a formal report.

Police said they have launched a manhunt for the sex workers who were still at large.

Police Lieutenant Nachat Chantrakran of Pattaya City Police Station said: ‘Their Indian friend managed to capture footage of the Thai women who came to the hotel on the night of the incident.

‘It was handed over to us as evidence, serving as investigative leads.'

One victim said he met a Thai sex worker at Pattaya Beach and agreed to pay for sex.

When his friends showed interest, she called over her friends, with each woman pairing off with an Indian tourist before the group were robbed.

Pattaya has become one of the most popular tourist destinations in Asia due to its round-the-clock sex industry, which attracts men from all parts of the world.

Thousands of young girls and women can be found every night along the city's notorious Beach Road, where they can be bought for as little as 1,000 baht.

But disputes commonly arise between the sex workers and holidaymakers, who find themselves lured by the temptation of ubiquitous sexual experiences in the languid country.

The conflicts often stem from conflict over payment or expected services, made worse by language barriers and alcohol.