PATTAYA, THAILAND – Police searched intensively for a Chinese man suspected of robbing a compatriot real estate agent as new footage showed him moving around Jomtien in public.
Alleged attack on real estate agent
The victim, Yang Wang, a 35‑year‑old real estate agent, had been offered what appeared to be a lucrative deal by Chinese house‑hunter Gong Gaopeng (30) in Pattaya. After showing him a property, she offered to drive him home, where he allegedly revealed his true intentions in her car. According to the account, he threatened her with a pair of scissors, forced her to an isolated area behind a village and bound her with adhesive tape.
Money transfers and theft reported
The attacker then demanded the password for her WeChat account and, once he had access, transferred money from her account to his own. He also took cash and her mobile phone, causing total losses of more than 50,000 Baht (around 1,250 euros). A security guard heard her calls for help and freed her, but the suspect had already disappeared into the darkness.
Surveillance footage sparks outrage
New surveillance videos from a supermarket near Jomtien Beach later circulated online, shocking residents. The images reportedly showed Gong Gaopeng on 15 January casually buying food and drinks without attempting to hide his face.
“He moves around freely as if nothing had happened,”
said an outraged social media user.
Police focus search on Jomtien area
Investigators concentrated their search on the area between Soi Jomtien 1 and Soi Jomtien 7, where they believed the suspect might be hiding. Reports circulated of a possible 5,000 Baht reward for useful information, though authorities had not yet officially confirmed this. Police appealed to the public for assistance and asked anyone who saw the man to call the emergency number 191 immediately.
Growing criticism of investigation
On social networks, criticism of the investigation intensified as users questioned why an identified suspect had not been arrested more quickly.
“He uploads videos, goes shopping – and the police cannot find him?”
said another user, reflecting growing unease about Pattaya’s security. For the traumatised real estate agent and other foreigners in the city, the ongoing manhunt was seen as a worrying signal.