Former S’pore beauty queen steals nearly S$4,000 worth of hotel items while on bail for same crime

Former beauty pageant winner sentenced to eight months’ jail after string of hotel thefts while on bail

A former Singapore beauty pageant winner has been sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment after repeatedly stealing from hotels across the island, including while she was under a Mandatory Treatment Order (MTO).

34-year-old Tania Tan Yi Rong, a former Miss Mermaid Singapore and Miss Grand Taiwan titleholder, pleaded guilty on 13 Jan to four counts of theft and one charge under the Vandalism Act.

Source: Miss Mermaid SG on Facebook

According to Shin Min Daily News, she faced 10 charges in total, with five charges taken into consideration during sentencing.

Stole repeatedly from hotels across Singapore

Between Nov 2024 and Feb 2025, Tan checked into various hotels and left with nearly S$4,000 worth of items ranging from curtains and table lamps to telephones, paintings, and beddings, all while she was on bail for similar offences.

At Four Points by Sheraton Singapore on 22 Nov 2024, Tan stole items worth S$1,281.60, including curtains, a clock and a telephone.

Just three days later, on 25 Nov 2024, she checked into Conrad Singapore Orchard, checked out the same day, and took items worth S$1,395, including an electric kettle, an umbrella, and a painting.

Source: Google Maps, for illustrative purposes only

She went on to steal S$280 worth of items from Novotel Singapore on Kitchener Road in Dec 2024, and another S$951.20 worth of items from The Robertson House in Feb 2025.

None of the stolen items were returned, and no restitution has been made to date.

Reoffended despite bail conditions and treatment order

According to Shin Min, Tan had earlier been sentenced to a 12-month MTO on 24 Nov 2024 instead of being jailed, for the same offence of stealing items from hotels, and was on bail.

While out on bail, she was explicitly prohibited from checking into hotels, a condition she blatantly ignored.

Her offending history dates back to 2020, when she was arrested for stealing restaurant cutlery, hospital documents and helmets from parking lots.

Not of unsound mind during offences: IMH

Tan claimed she was aware of her bail conditions but was unable to control herself due to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

An assessment by the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) found that Tan suffers from OCD and hoarding disorder, both of which were in relapse during the offences.

She told doctors she experienced intrusive thoughts and urges, claiming she only felt relief after removing items from hotel rooms.

However, IMH assessed that she was not of unsound mind at the time of the offences and concluded that her mental conditions did not substantially impair her judgment or contribute to the crimes.

Source: Miss Grand International on Facebook

IMH further assessed her risk of reoffending as moderate to high, citing factors such as her lack of stable employment.

Court rejects further treatment order

The prosecution argued that Tan was unsuitable for another treatment order, pointing out that she showed no deterrence despite receiving professional intervention.

They pointed out that she reoffended within a month of being placed under MTO.

Her lawyer pleaded for leniency, arguing that Tan’s mental health conditions affected her impulse control and that the stolen items were neither expensive nor taken for profit.

The court ultimately accepted the prosecution’s position and imposed a total sentence of eight months’ imprisonment.

Tan was crowned Miss Mermaid Singapore in 2017 and Miss Grand Taiwan in 2018, and represented Singapore in several international beauty pageants.

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