A female passenger seduced a bus driver then drugged him to steal his valuables in Thailand.

The woman, Rotsukon Meesomsak, 59, reportedly invited driver Sin Jindanet, 68, for drinks before slipping a sleeping pill into his beer at a restaurant in Sa Kaeo, Thailand, on April 28.

She was said to have stolen his belongings - including several pieces of gold jewellery, Buddhist amulets framed in gold, and 18,700 THB (406 GBP) in cash - from him while he was passed out inside his van.

A restaurant owner later found Sin lying unconscious inside the vehicle and rushed him to the Aranyaprathet Hospital, where doctors pumped out the drugs from his gut.

The bus driver filed a report with the Khlong Luek Police Station after his recovery.

Police Colonel Anothai Jindamanee, superintendent of the Khlong Luek Police Station, said police officers were dispatched to review CCTV footage at the scene.

He said: 'Currently, the investigation team has obtained CCTV images of the woman believed to be the suspect. She was seen boarding a van at the Saraburi Provincial Bus Terminal.'

Police Major General Omsin Boonyanuson, commander of the Sa Kaeo Provincial Police, said Rotsukon may have targetted the elderly driver after seeing the gold accessories he kept with him in the van.

He said: 'We believe that the perpetrator had been observing the victim, who was elderly and had assets such as a gold necklace, gold ring, and a gold plate. Because she wanted to steal them, she befriended him and planned to drug him. She may have been observing him for a while, and when the opportunity arose, set her plan into motion.'

Sin said the woman was the last passenger on his bus that day.

He said: 'The lady asked to stay in the front seat to chat with me. She said she was going to a casino in Poipet, Cambodia, but lost her passport, so she couldn't cross the border.

'She invited me to drink, and I agreed because she said she had no friends in Thailand.'

The suspect Rotsukon, who was described by local media as a 'good-looking woman', turned herself into the police on May 6, claiming she felt pressured and stressed with law enforcers constantly pursuing her.

She allegedly admitted to drugging Sin and stealing his valuables before riding a cab to Debaratna Road. From there, she travelled back to her home province of Samut Prakan.

She said she had already sold most of the stolen items, save for the amulets, to pay for her debts incurred from gambling in Cambodia.

Authorities learned that Rotsukan had been perpetrating the same modus operandi across various provinces in Thailand.

She was recently released from jail for a similar case in Lampang province.

Rotsukan said she often targeted public transport drivers - most of whom are men - 'because they were easier to approach' and 'easier to influence'.

Police said Rotsukan was detained in police custody pending prosecution.