A British tourist had her bag stolen by a pub security guard in Thailand.

Gabrielle Dawn Morgan, 23, was walking with her boyfriend along a footpath in Ao Nang district, Krabi province when a motorbike swooped beside them and snatched her chest bag on May 1.

The frantic tourist’s boyfriend tried to chase after the rider but without success so the couple sought help from local police instead.

After tracing the motorbike’s route, they found the rider identified as Phanuvit Phakamart, 39, who worked as a security guard in one of the pubs in the area where the tourists were robbed.

Krabi Provincial Police Station director Police Colonel Somsak Thongkliang said: ‘We searched a rented house in Nuea Khlong district where the motorbike was seen entering. We found out who the owner was as well as the same shirt he wore when he robbed the tourists.’

Aside from the thief’s shirt, the foreigner’s bag containing her phone, driver’s license, and watch were recovered from the apartment unit. He was arrested later that day on May 4.

Upon further investigation, it emerged that the thief was previously convicted for burglary in Champion province before he was released and worked in a club in Krabi.

Officers believed that it was not the first time that the security guard had stolen from tourists, as it emerged that the man mostly victimised female foreigners who go clubbing in the area alone.

The tourist had been contacted to come to the police station to identify her belongings and is expected to report within the week while the man would be remanded in custody during investigations.