'Israeli' man arrested for stealing temple donations in Thailand

An early morning attempt to take temple donations from a massage parlor turned into a dramatic chase through Thailand's Pattaya entertainment district on Friday.

The suspect, a 34-year-old 'Israeli' man identified as Bar, allegedly tried to steal envelopes containing funds for a local temple after being denied a refund for a massage, according to Thai news outlets.

The incident occurred around 2:00 AM near Soi 6 Pattaya Sai 2. Motorcycle taxi drivers and residents responded to calls for help, chasing the suspect toward Soi 5 on Pattaya Beach Road. The pursuit ended when Bar was caught and held until Pattaya Police arrived.

Authorities were surprised to find envelopes from Wat Tham Pha Thong in Phetchabun Province hidden in the man’s trousers. “It was shocking to see a foreigner involved in taking donations intended for a temple,” one official said.

- Massage refund dispute escalates -

The 49-year-old masseuse, known only as “Noi,” told police that Bar had completed a full one-hour traditional Thai massage before requesting a refund of 300 baht (USD 9.2).

“I asked him, ‘How can I refund it when the massage was completed for a full hour?’” she recounted. When she refused, Bar reportedly grabbed the stack of temple envelopes and walked out. Noi immediately gave chase, alerting neighbors and passersby. Motorcycle taxi drivers joined the pursuit and helped restrain the suspect before handing him over to police.

Suspect claims he did not know the envelopes contained money

During questioning, Bar claimed he acted impulsively out of frustration and did not realize the envelopes contained donations. Police, however, remain skeptical of his explanation.

Bar is being held for further investigation and is expected to face formal charges before being sent to prosecutors for legal proceedings.