Police are hunting three tourists who were seen stealing phones from a hotel in Thailand.

Officers received a complaint from the owner Siriwan Sangarun, 43, who claimed that three foreigners ‘who looked like they're from the Middle East' planned the heist in Pattaya on November 5 evening.

Siriwan was working the night shift when two men entered the property to ask to view a room, leaving the front desk unattended.

Under a minute later, a third man wearing a mask and white shirt came and went straight to the counter and sat behind the desk. He appeared to be looking for something before fleeing with two phones.

CCTV footage shows the unidentified tourist rummaging through a purse where he found the electronics. Another clip showed the staff attending to the other two tourists before the thief was filmed.

Hotel boss Siriwan said: 'Two foreigners who looked like they're the Middle East came and asked me to check a room. I took them up to the third floor but they said they did not like it because the room was small.

‘They hurriedly left but I didn't think anything was wrong then. When we couldn't find the phones, we checked the CCTV and saw what happened. I believe they planned it.'

The tourists reportedly took a Samsung A71 smartphone worth 9,500 baht (225 GBP) and a Huawei Pro Mate 20 worth 15,000 baht (354 GBP).

Siriwan took the CCTV footage to Pattaya City Police Station. She added the she was worried they would do target other hotels.

She said: ‘The gang might do it again to other places so I want to alert everyone about it. The first two tourists came to distract me while an accomplice stole from us.'

Officers are now searching the area to find the identities of the tourists and file charges against them.

Police Major General Surachit Chingnawan said: 'CCTV from outside the hotel will help to us to find the suspects. They will be arrested and we will retrieve the evidence.'