Lt Prasan Ketsaro of the Cherng Talay Police reported that the tourist, Massimo Gallo, arrived at the police station at around 3:30pm on Tuesday (Feb 11) to report that his bag had been stolen.
Mr Gallo explained that he had left his Fila waist bag on the beach while he went for a swim.
The bag contained Mr Gallo’s passport, four credit cards and €30 and B1,240 in cash, he said.
Police checked CCTV nearby and were able to see the man who stole the bag, Lt Prasan explained.
Then, at around 2:30pm on Wednesday, a national park officer reported that a man matching the description of the thief was back at Layan Beach.
Police went to the beach and found the man, Thaksin Chokmeesee, 21, originally from Nakhon Phanom, at around 3pm.
At the time he was taken in for questioning, Thaksin had €30 in banknotes on him, Lt Prasan noted.
However, after being taken to Cherng Talay Police Station and shown the CCTV footage, Thaksin confessed to stealing the bag and dumping the bag along with the passport and credit cards in a wheelie bin in front of the PTT petrol station on Ban Don-Cherng Talay Rd, Lt Prasan said.
Thaksin was charged with theft by using a vehicle to flee, which is a specified charge of theft in Thailand, Lt Prasan confirmed.
Officers also seized Thaksin’s Honda Click motorbike as evidence, he added.
Lt Prasan did not report whether Thaksin had confessed to, or was suspected of, stealing any other belongings from the beach.