Brief burglary: Panty thief evades Phuket police pursuit

An underwear thief who managed to steal over 20 items of women’s underwear in one swoop is being pursued by the Patong Police in Phuket. The audacious theft, which was captured on CCTV, has been circulating widely across local social media channels since yesterday.

The victim of the theft, a 42 year old woman who requested to be referred to as Ms Ja for privacy, confirmed the incident occurred around 11.20pm on March 3. The thief spotted wearing a blue T-shirt and black shorts, swiped approximately seven bras valued at 800 baht (US$24) and around 15 pairs of panties worth 1,000 baht (US$30) from the drying area near her rented living quarters, said the victim. Ms Ja reported the incident to the Patong Police, reported Phuket News.

“This is very troubling. I don’t dare hang my underwear in front of the room again, fearing they will be stolen again.”

The news of the theft has prompted others in the area to come forward with similar experiences.

“We want the police to catch the culprit because this has created a lot of anxiety and annoyance for all the people living here.”

The Patong Police have confirmed they are reviewing CCTV footage from the vicinity in an attempt to trace the underwear thief.

A similar event was reported in Bangkok a month ago. In Bangkok Noi district, police arrested a 38 year old Thai man for a two-decade-long spree of women’s underwear theft.

The culprit, identified as Nuttawut, was caught on security footage stealing lingerie from balconies. Upon raiding his apartment, officers found 591 stolen items, including lingerie and women’s clothing.

Nuttawut confessed to the crime, stating he began stealing at 18 and continued after relocating to Bangkok. Facing charges of trespassing and theft, he pledged to cease his actions upon release. Victims were urged to come forward and reclaim their belongings.