A foreign family allegedly stole items from a convenience store in Patong, Phuket, on May 6, and challenged the staff to pursue legal action.
The incident occurred at around 8pm, with video later posted by the Phuket Times Facebook page on May 7. The family’s nationality was reported as Israeli, but this has not been confirmed by police.
CCTV footage showed a family of five, including three women and two children, entering the store at approximately 7.45pm. Each person appeared to browse items separately inside the shop.
In the video, a foreign woman dressed in black, believed to be the children’s mother, handed a snack to a young boy. The child was seen concealing the item under his shirt before leaving the store.
Shortly afterwards, another woman, thought to be the children’s grandmother, was seen taking another product and passing it to a young girl. The group then exited the shop without making any payment.
Photo via Facebook/ Phuket Times ภูเก็ตไทม์
A store employee stopped the family at the entrance after noticing the stolen items and asked for them to be returned to avoid legal consequences. The group reportedly refused to return them.
According to the post, the employee warned that police would be called. The family allegedly dismissed the warning, with one member stating, “I don’t care.”
It remains unclear whether officers from Patong Police Station were called to the scene or how the situation was resolved. Police have not issued any official statement or confirmed whether an investigation is underway.
The incident prompted discussion on social media, with users criticising both the alleged actions of the family and enforcement measures. Some expressed concern about children being involved in such incidents.
Photo via Facebook/ Phuket Times ภูเก็ตไทม์
Others questioned whether perceived leniency in legal penalties may influence behaviour among some foreign visitors. These claims have not been addressed by officials.
In a similar case reported in Phuket in April, a foreign woman was captured on CCTV taking trainers valued at approximately 4,500 baht that had been left outside a home in Karon to dry. No update on an arrest was disclosed.
In the same month, two foreign men were recorded stealing a guitar from a Thai man in Karon. The owner stated he had left the instrument on a motorcycle for less than five minutes while meeting a friend.
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