Family accused of using children to steal from Patong convenience store

A foreign family was accused of using children to steal from a convenience store in Patong, Phuket, on May 6, according to CCTV footage and a social media post published the next day. The alleged theft happened at about 8pm, and store staff said the group refused to return the items when confronted at the entrance.

CCTV shows five people entering store separately

Footage shared by the Phuket Times Facebook page on May 7 showed a family of five — three women and two children — entering the shop at about 7.45pm. Each person appeared to browse separately inside the store.

In the video, a woman dressed in black, believed to be the children’s mother, was seen handing a snack to a young boy, who then concealed it under his shirt before leaving. Soon after, another woman, described as the children’s grandmother, appeared to take another product and pass it to a young girl.

Staff confrontation and police response remain unclear

The group then left without making any payment, the post said. A store employee stopped them at the entrance after noticing the items and asked for them to be returned to avoid legal action.

According to the post, the family refused, and one member replied, “I don’t care,” after the employee warned that police would be called. The family’s nationality was reported as Israeli, but police have not confirmed that detail.

It remains unclear whether officers from Patong Police Station were called or how the incident was resolved. Police have not issued an official statement or confirmed whether an investigation is underway.

The case drew criticism on social media, including concern over children being involved. In a similar April case in Karon, a foreign woman was recorded taking trainers worth about 4,500 baht that had been left outside a home to dry.

Source: https://thethaiger.com/news/phuket/foreign-family-caught-stealing-from-phuket-convenience-store