An alleged thief broke into a Tesla car by targeting the vehicle's automatic locking process.

The suspect approached the electric vehicle unit moments after its owner left with his mother at a shopping centre in Nonthaburi, Thailand, on November 28.

Footage shows the driver Nuhker and her mum leaving the car as they headed into the establishment's entrance.

Seconds later, before the Tesla became automatically locked, a man wearing a face mask and a black cap, posing as a mall-goer, walked towards it and opened the back passenger door.

He climbed down and opened the driver's side door as he allegedly searched for valuables before leaving.

Nuhker said: 'I went to have lunch at a mall, and someone searched my Tesla. I parked the car as usual, and it was supposed to lock automatically.

'However, someone took advantage of the delay before the car locked and nudged the back door open. I was not cautious because I assumed it had locked like it always does.'

Nuhker said he found a water bottle inside the car, which was not his or his mum's, so he became suspicious and checked the recording.

He said: 'After finishing lunch, I returned to the car and found a water bottle inside that was not the brand I drink. I asked my mother if it was hers, and it turned out it was not.'

However, the alleged thief did not find any valuables and quickly left.

The driver added: 'Fortunately, Tesla recorded everything. Nothing was stolen. I had a MacBook inside, but it was in a sleeve, so they likely did not search thoroughly. I also did not leave any other valuables in the car.'

Nuhker believes the thief was not operating alone and was part of an organised crime group, which followed his car and pounced at the right moment.

The motorist said: 'I have reported the incident to shopping mall management and security. From now on, I will double-check to make sure the car is locked before I leave. I hope my experience serves as a warning to everyone.'

Tesla is an American multinational company run by eccentric billionaire Elon Musk. The firm designs and manufactures electric vehicles, energy storage systems, solar products, and other clean energy solutions.

Its EV's automatic locking feature, known as 'Walk-Away Door Lock,' includes a slight delay after the driver exits the vehicle.