» Canadian man held captive by three women in fake Thai bar

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A Canadian retiree in Thailand had a warning for others after he was lured to a fake bar by three local women, held captive and assaulted.

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The 64-year-old man, only known as Douglas, was staying in the east coast town of Jomtien, in Bang Lamung District in the Chonburi province, about 165 km from Bangkok.

He went out alone and visited three bars on March 10 before he was approached by a woman inviting him to another establishment, he told local outlet the Thaiger.

They then left together while two other women went off in a different direction, he recounted.

“They split up,” he told the outlet. “There’s camera footage of them leaving and returning to the original bar. One lady I know a little was watching me from across the road.”

Douglas said he began to feel uneasy when they left the area, but his companion insisted they were near the venue.

“When we got to the second floor, it wasn’t a real bar,” he recalled. “I told her I wanted to go home, but that’s when things started to go wrong.”

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Douglas ended up restrained by the woman, before they were joined by a man who assaulted the Canadian, giving him a black eye.

“I just wanted to go home but they had a motorbike waiting to take me back to one of the bars we were in earlier,” he detailed.

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Douglas, who later discovered around 15,000 baht ($630) was missing from his wallet, reported the incident to police but was told “there was little they could do.”

Despite security footage showing Douglas and his alleged captor leaving the bar and cops uncovering CCTV footage of Douglas on a motorbike and the woman who had taken him to the fake bar, the Canadian was accused of lying.

“I don’t know whether I have been drugged because drink spiking and subsequent robberies of foreigners have become more prevalent in the area,” he told the outlet.

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“This is the worst thing that has ever happened to me,” the man continued. “I’m fully aware of the scams here in Thailand, but this one was organized and the people involved weren’t easy to identify. They weren’t regular employees [of the bar].”

Douglas is now fighting to get copies of the surveillance videos.

“Despite the lack of assistance from staff, who refused to provide their names, and police slowly responding, and the conflicting stories, I know for a fact I was robbed by one or two of the people I was with and encountered from the time after leaving this bar and to my home.”

He added: “I am determined to pursue justice but concerned for my well-being. Even though I was a victim, I knew already how this would play out but reported it anyway.”

Douglas is now warning others not to go out alone to Thai bars.

“You will be emboldened to drink and spend, which can make you the perfect target.”

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