A bungling robber was caught after wearing a unconvincing women's wig to raid a gold shop.

Tomy Kayapad, 22, wore the fake hair, blazer, and trousers while trying to pose as a wealthy female customer treating herself to jewellery at a shop in Kalasin province, Thailand on February 24.

He asked to see three bracelets reportedly worth a total of 380,000 baht (8,600 GBP) and tried them on his wrists before swiftly running out of the door as frantic attendants tried catching up with him.

The robber was caught when a police patrol officer roaming near the mall was alerted and stopped him in a nearby car park.

Kalasin province deputy commander Police Colonel Kovit Charoenwattanasak said: 'There were officers patrolling the area when it happened. They were alerted and caught the suspect in the parking lot.

'He was still wearing the wig when he was outside but police removed it to reveal his true identity.

Officers took the man to the police station for questioning where he admitted to have visited the gold shop a day before. During that trip, he planned his ultimately-failed robbery.

Tomy said: 'I came from Bangkok on a bus, dressed as a woman that day. It had been my third time visiting the shop. I have been there twice before.'

It was not the first time that Tomy had been in conflict with the law as he was previously convicted for stealing from his employers. He was jailed for five months and then released.

He has now been remanded in custody while police process the case for him to appear at court later this month.