Pattaya-On June 26, 2025, Mr. David, a 26-year-old Russian journalist, allegedly fled for his life from a hotel in Jomtien Soi 14. He was found with his hands cuffed, seeking help at a coffee shop in a gas station as we reported here previously.
He claimed that a group of fellow Russians had handcuffed him, covered his head with a black bag, assaulted him, and sent a threatening video to his girlfriend. They forced him to transfer Bitcoin and stole a luxury brand watch, with the total value exceeding 2 million baht. After the robbers took the valuables, the victim escaped and sought help. One suspect has been detained but refuses to cooperate with the police and says he is innocent, despite ample CCTV evidence, as previously reported.
Maj. Gen. Thawatchakiat Jindakhuansanong, Commander of Chonburi Provincial Police, revealed that after receiving the report, Pattaya City Police and the Chonburi Transnational Crime Suppression Center jointly investigated and gathered information from the victim.
They arrested Mr. Anton Lokotkov, a 26-year-old Russian and acquaintance of the victim, who allegedly lured the victim to Pattaya. A group of four Russians then robbed him of various valuables. Mr. Lokotkov denied all charges and provided no useful information for the case, and claims he isn’t the person seen in CCTV, refusing to answer even basic questions.
However, police discovered that he had overstayed his visa by 13 days and charged him with “being a foreigner entering and residing in Thailand without permission.” Additional charges are pending as police continue to gather evidence. His overstay charges also allow police to keep him in custody.
Based on the investigation and CCTV footage from the hotel in Jomtien Soi 14, it appears that the victim and the perpetrators knew each other. The victim stated that he and another Russian friend traveled from Bangkok to meet Mr. Anton Lokotkov a hotel in Jomtien. Upon arrival, two men dressed in black attacked him, handcuffed him, and forced him to transfer digital currency (Bitcoin). They also stole 40,000 baht in cash and a luxury Rolex watch, with a total value exceeding 2 million baht. The perpetrators then fled, while the victim escaped to seek police assistance.
Police believe the victim and the perpetrators were acquainted. CCTV footage shows that at approximately 2:57 a.m. on June 26, 2025, two men in black entered the room. The victim briefly left the room before returning, after which the incident occurred. Several discrepancies exist between the victim’s and the detained suspect’s statements, complicating the case, said police, and it is also unclear why they went to the room of the victim and traveled from Bangkok to do so. Police believe two suspects have fled Thailand already.
Police have identified all five suspects involved:
1. **Mr. Anton Lokotkov** (Russian, arrested in Jomtien Beach area, denies all charges).
2. **Mr. Evgenii Latyshev** (Russian, fled to Malaysia).
3. **Mr. Ioann Berdanov** (Russian, fled to Hong Kong, possibly en route to Turkey).
4. **Unidentified foreign male** (seen on CCTV wearing a long black coat, black pants, black sneakers, and a black face mask).
5. **Unidentified foreign male** (seen on CCTV wearing a long black coat, black pants, black sneakers, and a black knit cap).
Pattaya City Police are currently collecting evidence and preparing a report for the investigative officer to proceed legally and pursue the remaining suspects.
