Jakarta –
A German tourist stole money and was caught red-handed. To avoid sanctions he whined, but failed.
Reporting from tigerSaturday (24/1/2025) the theft incident was carried out by German tourists at THAN Spa & Massage, which is located on Ranong Road in Talat Nuea sub-district, Phuket. According to reports, the theft occurred on Tuesday at around 17.00.
At that time, the German man visited the spa with two friends for a massage. CCTV footage shows the suspect waiting until the receptionist left the desk before slowly opening the cash drawer.
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He was then recorded taking two 1,000 baht notes or around Rp. 500 thousand. He then put the money in his trouser pocket.
When the employee returned to the desk, the man tried to distract him by asking about the spa products on display, while the drawer remained partially open. The theft was only discovered after staff realized the cash was missing.
After confirming the incident, the spa owner shared CCTV footage with local news media and social media, hoping to identify the suspect and locate him. The video went viral, sparking widespread criticism from netizens and increasing pressure on the foreign nationals involved.
After his face went viral, the suspect returned to the spa. He was later identified as a 25-year-old German citizen. His name is Laszlo Ruben Eschenlohr.
Upon his return, he reportedly apologized to the staff and tried to return the stolen money, hoping the matter would be resolved without further action.
However, the spa owner insisted on continuing the case and immediately contacted the police. Officers arrived at the spa and took the German man in for questioning.
During interrogation, police said the suspect cried and admitted to stealing. He admitted that he acted impulsively and deeply regretted his actions, apologizing to the spa owner and employees.
In his confession, he also handed over two pairs of sandals, telling officers that his friends had taken them after spa treatments.
Police charged the German tourist with theft and are continuing their investigation to identify and question two of his colleagues who were with him at the time of the incident.
(sym/fem)
