Thai lifeguards nab American phone thief at Kata Beach (video)

Thai lifeguards helped a foreign woman catch an American man who stole her mobile phone while she was swimming at Kata Beach in Phuket.

The theft took place at Kata Beach on Saturday, June 1. The foreign woman reportedly left her mobile phone on the beach while she was swimming, giving the American man a chance to steal the phone.

A video of the American man and the foreign victim, in a pink swimsuit engaged in an argument, was shared on Thai social media platforms. The foreign woman was seen trying to get her mobile phone back, while the American thief walked away from her and denied the theft.

The woman noticed the American thief put her phone in his shorts pocket. She pulled at his shorts in an attempt to retrieve her belongings and kept shouting at him for his indiscretion.

“He stole from me! You stole my telephone!”

The American man remained silent until Thai lifeguards approached him and pulled the phone out of his shorts pocket. The Thai lifeguards asked the foreign thief to sit and wait for the police at the scene, and the suspect did not make any attempt to escape.

The news Facebook page, Phuket Hotnews, reported that the American man was taken to the Karon Police Station for questioning, and police reported that he appeared to be drunk.

Police charged him under Section 378 of the Criminal Law: putting himself in a state of drunkenness by consuming alcoholic beverages or other intoxicant substances and causing trouble in public places. The penalty is a fine of up to 5,000 baht.

Officers reported that they did not press any charges related to the theft because the victim had already got her phone back.

Another theft committed by a foreigner was reported in Pattaya on June 2 when a Swedish man was caught stealing two motorcycles from a motorcycle taxi rider and a local in the Na Jomtien neighbourhood. However, police did not reveal details of the charge.