Police arrested a French national at a luxury villa on Koh Samui in Surat Thani province on Thursday, November 27, after he allegedly stole assets worth more than 240,000 baht from a Thai resident.
The victim, whose identity was not released, reported the theft to Bor Phut Police Station after discovering several valuables missing from his villa. Officers reviewed CCTV footage and saw a foreign man from a neighboring villa entering the victim’s room and removing items.
The suspect was identified as 29-year-old French citizen Arezxi Gaya. Police raided his villa and recovered all stolen property, including two suitcases, two laptops, three watches, a diamond ring, sneakers, four bottles of perfume, and a Bluetooth speaker.
According to MGR Online, Gaya appeared remarkably calm during the theft. CCTV footage captured him walking out of the victim’s villa with the stolen items, showing no concern about being recorded.
All belongings were returned to the victim. Gaya was taken into custody for questioning, where he confessed after being confronted with the evidence. His motive was not disclosed.
He was charged under Section 335(8) of the Criminal Code, which covers theft committed in a residence or building used for public service. The offence is punishable by one to five years in prison and a fine of 20,000 to 100,000 baht.
The Surat Thani Provincial Immigration Office later revealed that Gaya had entered Thailand five times. On this visit, he arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport on November 6 and initially registered an address in Bangkok. He was scheduled to leave Thailand on January 4, 2026. Immigration authorities plan to request his visa revocation and deportation.
In a related incident, another French national was arrested at Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok in November after CCTV footage captured him pretending to claim unattended belongings before fleeing the terminal via train.
