KOH SAMUI — Police on the resort island of Koh Samui arrested a 29-year-old French man for allegedly stealing valuables from his neighbor’s home, authorities reported Wednesday.
The suspect, identified as Mr. Arezi, was taken into custody at his residence on November 27 following a report by a 25-year-old man from Chiang Mai whose rented house in Bo Phut’s Moo 5 area had been burgled.
CCTV footage showed a foreign resident living next door entering the victim’s home. During a police visit to Arezi’s residence, the victim identified his missing suitcase and portable speaker in the living room. Officers then found 13 stolen items hidden in a brown suitcase, with an estimated value of 246,000 baht ($7,650). Recovered items included a diamond ring worth 150,000 baht ($4,665), a MacBook and Acer laptop, three watches, designer perfumes, a JBL speaker, and a pair of Nike Jordan sneakers.
Through a translator, Arezi admitted to the theft but refused to sign official documents. He was charged with theft from a dwelling and transferred to Bo Phut police for further questioning. Under Thai law, this offense carries a prison sentence of one to five years and a fine ranging from 20,000 to 100,000 baht ($620–$3,110).
