A Malaysian tourist was arrested for allegedly luring Thai women into sex - which he secretly recorded to blackmail them.

Tak Sun Chong, 24, befriended the women through the WeChat messaging app before inviting them to his condominium in Pattaya.

However, he was said to have recorded the intimate encounters through an elaborate hidden camera rig in the room. He then threatened to publish the videos online unless the women paid him.

Police raided the condo in Soi Thepprasit 9 on Friday, August 8, after one of the women lodged a complaint against Tak with police.

Cops scoured the room and confiscated two miniature hidden cameras, two mobile phones, electronic devices, a flash drive, and memory cards. They allegedly found in the flash drive dozens of explicit videos secretly captured by Tak over four years.

Police said Tak had visited Thailand five times in the past, but he overstayed by more than 400 days on his latest trip.

The suspect has denied any wrongdoing and initially refused to cooperate during questioning. He later allegedly admitted to blackmailing the women for sums with several thousand US dollars and using a stolen keycard to access the condominium in the Jomtien district.

Police Colonel Napatpong Kositsuriyamanee, superintendent of Chonburi Immigration, said: 'We did not believe his statement and are investigating whether the videos were actually published on dark websites.

'He has been handed over to the inquiry officer of Pattaya City Police Station for further legal action.'

Tak Sun Chong was taken to Pattaya City Police Station for further legal proceedings.

Tourists are regularly caught up in crime, leading Pattaya to be dubbed 'Sin City'.

Embarrassed officials in the central government have launched tourism initiatives to attract families and rebrand Pattaya as a safe destination.
Authorities have also introduced safety measures, such as improved lighting and CCTV.

Despite some success in cleaning up the town's image, alcohol and sex remain its biggest draws, often leading to a high rate of crime and accidents.