A Thai court has allowed New Zealand teenager Loukas Rainger to return home after he was accused of taking a woman's wristwatch from an airport security tray in July.
Rainger, 18, of Tauranga, appeared at Surat Thani Provincial Court in southern Thailand on Friday 4 September 2026. His lawyer, Werabhat Hemthansarp, said that Rainger had been given clearance to return to New Zealand and would have his passport returned.
The court imposed a two-year suspended sentence. This means Rainger must not break any laws in Thailand during the next two years.
Airport watch allegation
The case concerned an $80 Swatch wristwatch which police said was left behind by a woman at the domestic passenger screening checkpoint at Surat Thani International Airport.
According to Thai police documents, the woman passed through screening, forgot to collect her watch and boarded her flight. After discovering it was missing, she made a formal complaint.
Police said CCTV footage showed a man later identified as Rainger taking the watch from the tray and leaving with it. Rainger denied stealing it during his initial police questioning.
He had spent a month travelling around Thailand with his best friend and was due to fly to New Zealand when he was arrested at Bangkok airport in July. Authorities held his passport following his arrest.
Rainger previously said he had been ill and dehydrated after a long boat trip, and was delirious and struggling to stand at the airport.
"I felt faint, could hardly stand. I scooped up my stuff and stuck the watch in a pocket so I could repack my bag, not even registering what I was doing," he said.
The theft charge carried a possible maximum prison term of five years and a substantial fine. Theft at an airport is also treated more seriously under Thai law than a standard theft.
Court hearing
New Zealand barrister Craig Tuck of LawAid International said the outcome was achieved by an experienced Thai lawyer. He said hearings of this kind are commonly known in Thai practice as an examination of the defendant, rather than a full trial examining all evidence.
Rainger attended Friday's hearing without his mother Natasha, who had been supporting him since his detention but had fallen ill and was receiving hospital treatment. She had previously travelled to Surat Thani to arrange bail after learning of his arrest while recovering from major surgery in Bangkok.
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5 September 2026
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