Pramuk Muenpho, owner of the Reggae Shop, called Kathu police at 2 am, after setting a trap for thieves who had already stolen items from the shop three times before.
He explained that he and some friends left the shop, opposite Loma Park, wide open and then hid in the back.
When the boy arrived and took a waist pouch from the shop, they grabbed him and held him until police arrived.
The boy admitted the theft. He told police that he had come to Patong with two friends on a motorbike. When he was caught, they rode away.
The boy was taken to Kathu Police Station so that his parents could be contacted while Mr Pramuk made a written statement about the theft.