Rubbed the wrong way: New hire turns thief at Phuket massage shop

An owner of a massage shop in the Patong area of Phuket offered a job to an unemployed woman, who later turned thief and stole money and valuables from the shop on her second day of work.

The owner took to social media to issue a warning to other shops and expose the thieving behaviour of her former employee. She shared security camera footage of the theft with the Phuket Times, which clearly showed the identity of the female thief.

In the video, the suspect is seen carrying a bag containing the stolen items and cash as she left the massage shop at night. She opened the front door of the shop very slowly and made her escape.

The shop owner revealed to the media that the female thief arrived at her shop seeking employment. She claimed to be from the southern province of Songkhla and said she had no personal documents with her but was desperate for a job.

The thief shared her difficult life story with the owner, explaining that she had the heavy burden of supporting her entire family in Songkhla. She added that she had experience in massage therapy and possessed a certificate, though she did not bring it with her on the day.

Feeling sorry for her, the owner eventually hired the woman as a masseuse. The woman promised to ask her family to send her ID card, house registration, and massage certificate later, after she began working.

Everything went well on her first day but the new employee quickly revealed her true colours on the second day. She stole cash and valuables from the shop at night and fled. The value of the stolen items was not disclosed.

A Thai woman, commenting on the post, identified herself as the daughter of the shop owner. She mentioned that she and her mother only knew the woman as someone who previously sold flowers outside Illuzion Bar in the Bangla area of Phuket. She also stated that this thief committed similar crimes in other shops before.