A German woman and an Austrian man were arrested for allegedly stealing slippers from a spa in Thailand.

Pia Laura Legler, 23, and Florian Bardosch, 33, were seen on CCTV allegedly taking the footwear from the shop's entrance in Phuket, on January 20.

They were required to take off their shoes before entering the establishment, but reportedly stole an extra pair as they were leaving.

CCTV footage shows the tourists and their German friend, Laszlo Ruben Eschenlohr, 24, paying at the counter after having massages at around 6:35pm local time.

As they were packing up outside, Laszlo was then seen stuffing slippers into Florian's backpack.

Police launched a search for the trio later that evening, when staff found that Laszlo had plucked 2,000 baht (47.13 GBP) from the cash register while the cashier was away.

They had all signed the consent forms with their names and phone numbers, except Laszlo, making them easier for police to trace.

Officers detained Pia and Florian on January 22, following a two-day search on the island. The pair allegedly admitted to stealing the slippers.

A Phuket City Police Station spokesman said: 'Both confessed to stealing footwear from a spa. They were taken into custody and handed over to the Phuket City Police Station investigators for further legal proceedings.'

Their arrest came a day after Laszlo was caught while apologising to the spa owner on January 21.

He became visibly distraught with his tears welling in his eyes when officers detained him and hauled him to the station. Footage showed the sniffling suspect crying as officers explained the possible sanctions he would face.

A cashier at the THAN Spa & Massage had said: 'Officers from Mueang Phuket Police Station tracked down the suspect very quickly. Today, the suspect came to the shop and appeared to want to apologise.

‘We prefer to let the police handle it since we have already filed a report and want them to take action.'

The once-pristine island of Phuket has been marred by over-tourism as the Thai government implements a visa-free scheme to boost revenue following the barren pandemic years.

It has become one of Asia's most popular destinations, with an estimated 14 million visitors in 2025 - almost half of the total number visiting the country.

However, angry locals claim the push for tourist dollars has attracted crowds of 'low-quality' visitors from Russia, India, Australia and Britain. There are also fears that the island has become an enclave of criminal activity, with police unable to control street fights and more organised ruffians setting up rackets among local businesses.

Phuket officials said they are implementing tighter immigration controls and screening processes amid a wave of drug-related crimes and illegal activities on the island.