PATTAYA: Two tourists from Chiang Mai who went for swim in the early hours of Monday morning received the shock of the lives when they returned to the beach and found thieves had made off with their clothes, cash and mobile phones.
Computer programmer Polapat Saenglad, 45, and his apprentice Cheewin Janhom, 23, were left with only the underpants they wore into the water.
Kind residents lent the two shivering men towels, which they were wrapped in when police arrived in response to a call about 2am.
Mr Polapat said they left their clothes, cash and mobile phones on a beach rock and went swmming in their underpants.
The stayed in the water only a short time because it was too cold, but someone had already taken the opportunity to make off with their belongings.
Mr Polapat said he lost a 33,000-baht mobile phone, 4,000 baht in cash and documents, and Mr Cheewin reported losing a 20,000-baht phone and 2,000 baht in cash. They found only footprints and a dropped watch before calling police.
Police were examining surveillance camera footage in hope of catching the thief.