Phuket police arrest 4 foreign teens after lamp shade theft in Old Town

Police in Phuket arrested four foreign teenagers on May 17 after a lamp shade was stolen and damaged outside a home on Phang Nga Road in Phuket Old Town. CCTV footage shared by the Phuket Times showed one teen removing the hanging lamp shade before leaving with friends, and the broken item was later found near the house.

Suspects detained in Thalang and questioned

Mueang Phuket Police Station officers said the group was tracked to accommodation in Thalang district and then taken in for questioning.

Police identified the suspects as four foreign nationals aged 15 to 18. Officers said the teenagers admitted the act and told investigators they had acted recklessly.

The suspect seen in the footage was wearing a black T-shirt, white shorts and trainers. Police did not disclose what charges or penalties were imposed.

Online criticism focuses on penalties and enforcement

The lack of details on legal action drew criticism in the comment section of the Phuket Times report, where calls were made for stricter enforcement in property-damage cases involving foreign visitors.

One social media user said the offence could fall under Thailand’s law on night-time theft, which carries penalties of one to five years in prison, a fine of 20,000 to 100,000 baht, or both. Other users speculated the group might face only minor fines before release.

The report also cited two recent comparison cases. Last year, a foreign man was caught on CCTV taking a Thai national flag from outside an office in Phuket, and no public update on that case was released after the company sought legal action.

At Suvarnabhumi International Airport last week, a Chinese man who damaged automated immigration gates was ordered to pay 450,000 baht in compensation and faces a lifetime ban from entering Thailand.

Source: https://thethaiger.com/news/phuket/4-foreign-teenagers-caught-over-lamp-shade-damage-in-phuket