Benjawan Narkmaraka runs B.N. Massage in Patong, where renting motorcycles to tourists is a sideline, as it is for so many small businesses all over the Thai holiday island of Phuket.
Local police from the regional west coast station in Patong went to the massage shop this afternoon in the wake of international concern at the ease with which passports can be stolen and sold on Phuket.
Today Khun Benjawan's recollection was different. ''Luigi was a regular customer,'' she said. ''One day, when a relative was looking after the shop, a Russian man came and said he needed the passport back so his friend Luigi could make a cash exchange.
''The Russian man said he was prepared to leave the passport of Luigi's Russian girlfriend as a swap for Luigi's passport.''
So Mr Maraldi's passport was swapped for the Russian woman's passport, Khun Benjawan said. When Mr Maraldi returned looking for his passport, he was told ''Your girlfriend has been to the shop.''
But the Russian woman who owned the passport had reported it stolen to Patong police just one day earlier.
http://phuketwan.com/tourism/phuket...lls-gave-italian-mans-passport-russian-19878/