A Hungarian tourist was arrested while sunbathing at a hotel pool - after allegedly swiping 34,000 GBP in cash from a businessman's car in a daring daylight heist in Thailand.

Altal Balla, 57, reportedly smashed the window of the Thai businessman's car and made off with 1.5 million Baht (34,000 GBP) in a brown envelope from a mall car park in Nonthaburi province, on March 3.

He fled with the money to the party hotspot of Pattaya - dubbed 'Sin City' for its raucous nightlife - but was arrested on March 8 following police investigations into the alleged robbery.

Footage shows officers detaining Altal while he was lounging under the sun by the hotel poolside. He claimed ignorance about the case as the cops rattled off the list of charges against him.

Police said the arrest stemmed from a report filed by the businessman named Kittirat Kham-in, 38, on March 3.

He said: 'I had just finished withdrawing 1.5 million Baht from the bank to deposit into another bank. However, because the queue was so long, I placed the money in a brown paper envelope and left it in my car to run errands in the mall. When I returned, I found the window smashed and my cash missing.'

He then informed the local police station of the daylight burglary.

Investigators reviewed security footage and identified Balla as the alleged thief, spotting him parking his motorcycle before breaking into the vehicle and fleeing.

Police Lieutenant Chaiyong Uanmahong of the Mueang Nonthaburi Police Station, said: 'He fled back to his Thai wife's house in the Sai Mai District of Bangkok. He changed the license plate on his motorcycle and escaped to Pattaya, Chonburi Province, where he stayed until his arrest.

'From checking the suspect's travel history, it was found that he entered Thailand legally on September 3, 2019, via the Suvarnabhumi International Airport, and departed on December 1, 2019 through a natural channel in Mukdahan province.'

Altal has denied the charges. He was detained at the Nonthaburi City Police Station for further legal action.