Foreign man caught on CCTV stealing liquor from Phuket restaurant
Thai netizens blame visa-free policy for surge of criminals
A CCTV camera captured a foreign man stealing a bottle of liquor from a restaurant in the Patong area of Phuket on Sunday, October 19.
Footage of the theft was shared by the Phuket Times Facebook page today, October 21. In the video, the foreign suspect is seen wearing black shorts and a red shirt covered with a black jacket. He is seen walking past a counter, grabbing the liquor bottle, and concealing it inside his jacket.
The man then quickly walked out of the restaurant. No staff or customers were present at the time of the incident. The value of the stolen item was not disclosed in the report.
The theft once again sparked criticism of the visa-free entry scheme. Thai netizens blamed the policy for attracting low-quality tourists and contributing to a rise in crimes committed by foreign nationals.
Comments included…
“We’re heading in the right direction. The visa-free scheme will drive away good tourists and bring in trashy ones. When they start randomly attacking locals in a few years, it’ll prove our success.”
“The visa-free policy is the root cause.”
“All the tourists have turned into thieves.”
“Thanks, free visa!”
“Patong makes headlines every day.”
The Facebook page did not clarify whether the restaurant owner had filed a complaint with the police, and local officers have not yet issued a statement regarding the case.
Several thefts involving foreign nationals have previously been reported in Phuket. On October 1, a foreign man was caught on CCTV stealing two laptops and a wallet from accommodation in the Bang Tao area. No updates regarding his arrest have been released.
Another restaurant in Phuket came forward in August to expose foreign thieves. The establishment accused a group of foreigners of stealing a Vivienne Westwood watch. However, while the footage revealed the suspects’ identities, it did not clearly show the act of theft.
In April, a foreign man was caught attempting to steal a car. CCTV footage showed him walking around the vehicle and trying to use a specific mobile signal jammer application to gain access.
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