An American tourist was arrested for alleged phone theft on a beach in Phuket, Thailand.

The suspect was detained by lifeguards when a female tourist accused him of stealing the gadget at Kata Beach on June 1.

Footage shows the foreign woman in a pink swimsuit blocking the American as he walks away from her.

She can be heard shouting: 'He stole from me! You stole my telephone.'

The female beachgoer then began tugging at the American's shorts where the phone was allegedly hidden.

The woman's outburst caught the attention of the lifeguards, who then intervened and fished out the phone from the man's shorts pocket.

The alleged thief was taken to the Karon Police Station and was reportedly found to be drunk.

The phone owner said she would not be pressing charges against him as her phone had already been returned.

Meanwhile, officers said they fined the American for disorderly conduct in public while intoxicated. The maximum penalty is a fine of up to 5,000 baht according to Section 378 of the Thai Criminal Code.