Cheap Thai trip turns into horror, 3 Indians kidnapped by Indians in Pattaya

What was meant to be a dream vacation in Thailand turned into a nightmare for three Indian nationals, who were allegedly held captive for more than a week by a gang comprising Indian and Pakistani nationals in Pattaya before being rescued on Monday.

The survivors had reportedly been lured to the country with a low-cost tour package before being kidnapped. According to Thailand-based daily Bangkok Post, the gang repeatedly tortured the survivors and forced them to seek ransom from their families. Five kidnappers were arrested on Tuesday while reportedly waiting to board a flight out of Thailand. All those arrested have been identified as Indian nationals, while the Pakistani suspects involved in the crime are yet to be apprehended.

Those arrested were identified as Avtar Singh, Jagjit Singh, Rambalak Kumar, Sukhbir Singh, and Kulra Singh. They were apprehended at a hotel in Bangkok's Khlong Tan area.

According to the Bangkok Post report, the three survivors, aged between 23 and 26, were rescued by Thai Police on July 27 (Monday), from a two-storey house in Pattaya's Bang Lamung district after investigators tracked the kidnappers to the location. The gang had allegedly lured the men to Thailand by offering a low-cost seven-day tour package before abducting them, and demanding a combined ransom worth 2.4 million baht (or around Rs 70 lakh).

Police told Bangkok Post that the three men had each paid about 70,000 baht (around 2 lakh rupees) for the package before landing in Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport on July 21. They then took a cab to Pattaya before reaching a pre-determined meeting spot at a fast-food restaurant along the Sukhumvit Highway.

From there, an Indian man allegedly transported them one at a time on a motorcycle to a rented house, where they were overpowered by four Pakistani nationals and another Indian accomplice, according to the survivors' statements to police.

SURVIVORS TORTURED DAILY, HUNG FACE DOWN FOR RANSOM

When police raided the house being used by the kidnappers in Pattaya on Monday, they found three men confined in two bedrooms with their hands, mouths and legs tied. The officers also observed bruises on their ankles which were consistent with repeated beatings using hard objects.

According to the Bangkok Post report, survivors told investigators that they were subjected to daily torture during their week-long captivity. They alleged they were hung face down, beaten on their ankles, deprived of food and access to toilets, and forced to telephone their families in India to demand the ransom.

Photographs later released to the Bangkok Post by the Thai police showed one of the rescued survivors covered in red paint, which investigators said was used by the kidnappers to simulate severe bleeding during video calls made to relatives demanding ransom.

KIDNAPPERS USED TELEPHONE NUMBER REGISTERED IN THE UAE

The rescue operation by police in Thailand was launched after family members in India reached out seeking assistance.

According to Police Colonel Napatpong Kositsuriyamanee, Immigration Chief of Chon Buri province, investigators discovered that the gang had used a telephone number registered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in an apparent attempt to mask their location. Despite that, investigators were able to trace the hideout.

"The victims' relatives phoned Thai police to seek help," Napatpong was quoted as saying by the Bangkok Post.

However, the suspected kidnappers managed to escape on motorcycles shortly before police arrived at the house. Authorities have launched a manhunt to trace and arrest the suspects.

Police Colonel Napatpong told the Bangkok Post that the case exposed a growing tactic used by transnational criminal networks to target foreign travellers. "The case showed scammers lured victims with 'cheap tour packages' and then held them for ransom after arrival," he said.

The incident comes just days after Thailand reinstated visa-free entry for Indian passport holders, a move aimed at reviving tourist arrivals from India following a recent decline. While authorities have not linked the policy change to the case, the kidnapping has raised concerns over scams targeting international visitors using fraudulent travel offers.

FIVE INDIANS ARRESTED FOR ROLE IN KIDNAPPING

The Bangkok Post later reported that Thai police on Tuesday arrested five Indian nationals in Bangkok in connection with the kidnapping of the three Indians in Pattaya.

According to police sources cited by the Bangkok Post, the five arrested men told investigators they had been instructed by a Pakistani national, whom they had met through a chat application about a month ago, to kidnap the three Indian men.

Investigators believe the alleged mastermind was operating from Dubai and planned to receive the ransom through cryptocurrency transfers. Police said the Indian suspects were allegedly promised valuables, cash taken from the abductees and flight tickets to flee Thailand after carrying out the kidnapping.

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