Bag-snatch woman bites back

Authorities in Phang Nga are revamping registration of Burmese migrant workers while closely monitoring their activities after a worker attempted to rob a foreign dive instructor on Sunday. Provincal governor Yiamsuriya Phalusuk said measures to be taken include more police patrols and possibly stricter regulations on workers travelling at night. Any Thais or employers found to provide shelter for workers would also face arrest.

Thawat Niranartwarodom, an adviser to the provincial tourism group, said he would ask for help from police and a local naval unit to provide joint security teams to patrol local tourist sites. The time and cost of patrols would be decided later.

At 7pm on Sunday, Takua Pa police received a complaint lodged by Czech national Miloslava Shimanova, who works as a dive instructor in Khao Lak. She said she had almost been robbed by a man. Police later apprehended a Burmese migrant worker identified as Khao.

The suspect denied that he attempted to rob Shimanova, but his thumb had a bite wound, which was consistent with the victim's report that she bite the attempted robber during a five-minute struggle. She said the man tried to snatch her purse and pushed her down to the ground.