CCTV footage from Phuket has shown a foreign man removing food and drink offerings from a spirit house outside a home in the Kata area of Karon subdistrict.

The footage was posted on Facebook by user Bank Marlboro on the night of August 5. He said the incident happened outside a friend's home, and shared the clip under the description of a Phuket spirit house theft.

Footage shows man taking offerings

The man is seen walking along the street before changing direction and heading towards the spirit house. He appeared to look around to check whether anyone was watching before approaching the shrine and taking several items.

He removed a small plastic tray containing food and what appeared to be a bottled drink. He then walked to a second spirit house nearby but left after finding that it contained no offerings.

Picture courtesy of Facebook/ Bank Marlboro

In the footage, the foreigner is wearing a long-sleeved shirt with its sleeves rolled up, dark shorts, glasses and trainers. He was carrying two plastic bags.

Spirit houses are common outside Thai homes, businesses and other premises. Food, drinks and other items are often placed there as offerings, and are regarded by many Thais as a gesture of respect towards guardian spirits.

Online reactions range from anger to humour

The video prompted divided reactions from Thai social media users. Some said the act should be regarded as theft regardless of the small value of the food and drink taken.

Others took a more charitable view, suggesting that giving food to a person in need could itself be considered an act of merit.

Many commenters responded with jokes, saying the spirits would follow the man home to reclaim their offerings.

A reminder on local customs

For foreign residents and visitors, the episode is a reminder that spirit houses are not simply decorative garden features. Even where food or drinks appear to have been left unattended, they may have religious or cultural significance to the household or business that placed them there.

Visitors who are unsure about an item left at a shrine should avoid touching or removing it without permission. The same applies to offerings at temples, roadside shrines and other places of worship, where local customs can differ but respect for the site is expected.

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7 August 2026

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Is that so bad? it would seem a better result than protecting it until it rots or the birds and rodents get to it!

Did you palm the occasional fiver from the plate at sunday church too!! 🤣

Edited August 6Aug 6 by Olmate

What a total plonker. I wish morons like him wouldn't come to Thailand and ruin it for the rest of us. How could anyone in their right mind (??) do something so obviously wrong? One has to assume he was not in his right mind, and may be in great need of psychiatric therapy. As Olmate rightly says, it seems that some on this forum might like to palm the occasional five from the offering plate - most people know that is senseless after their fifth birthday.

Edited August 7Aug 7 by b17

Most likely a “I can live in Thailand on 30k Thai baht” type.

Disgusting behavior for a foreigner.

1 minute ago, HolmesEquivelant said:

Most likely a “I can live in Thailand on 30k Thai baht” type.

Disgusting behavior for a foreigner.

Would it be okay for a local?

Jail time and deportation is waiting for this scumbag.

7 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Would it be okay for a local?

A Thai local. While not appropriate, somewhat acceptable.

The foreigner should of been financially secure BEFORE arriving in Thailand.

Countries worldwide need to get a firm grip on immigration/border controls.

1 minute ago, HolmesEquivelant said:

A Thai local. While not appropriate, somewhat acceptable.

The foreigner should of been financially secure BEFORE arriving in Thailand.

??

I would not begrudge any nationality in need, but a Thai would have more appreciation of what the spirit house is about. A foreigner likely not.

The foreigner may well have fallen on bad times or have mental issues.

6 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

??

I would not begrudge any nationality in need, but a Thai would have more appreciation of what the spirit house is about. A foreigner likely not.

The foreigner may well have fallen on bad times or have mental issues.

Then it’s time for the foreigner to go back home.

Sneaky Pete.

It looks like the offerings went directly into his bag.

It's probably not the first time he has done it.

Farang bah... they spoil the scene for all of us.

Clearly he had to know what he was doing is not cool. That said, when my wife puts out an offering to the spirit house it is presented to the spirit house in the morning with some incense and a few wishes and then given to the household staff that same evening … after the spirits have eaten their full of course.

I’m sorry how can you tell from that video he’s a foreigner? It’s not acceptable either way, but I honestly can’t see who it was or where he is from. Definitely not an old person.

I'm not Christian, but... what would Jesus do?
If a man needs to steal old, perhaps rotten food to survive, who really has the problem? Is it society that lets things get this bad for the guy?
Is it us, because we don't offer a hand to these people?

Or do we just say, 'Screw him. It's his problem. Let's lock him up!'

Privileged Ruskie, same as many relocated in Phuket. Rich enough to not fight Putin's "operation", gonna steal when it benefits me.

That wasn't done out of need or poverty. That was a farang who had no respect for another people's culture or religion.

He knew it was wrong.

4 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

giving food to a person in need could itself be considered an act of merit.

That's the one I roll with

Time to put some laxatives in the offering 😒

42 minutes ago, FolkGuitar said:

I'm not Christian, but... what would Jesus do?
If a man needs to steal old, perhaps rotten food to survive, who really has the problem? Is it society that lets things get this bad for the guy?
Is it us, because we don't offer a hand to these people?

Or do we just say, 'Screw him. It's his problem. Let's lock him up!'

looks like a foreigner to me - send him home.

Must be tough times if foreigners in Thailand have to steal food offerings

Looks like the quality of tourists to Thailand has dropped

If he could see himself on this CCTV would stop him or others doing it

The Embarrassment 😱

You'd have to be desperately hungry (or mentally ill) to eat the food off a spirit house offering plate. Unless it's been recently served, you'd likely end up with a bad case of the trots!

...Well What Should Be Said... (?)

...Aside From The 'Hi-Sos' In This Group That Attack & Deride Victims Otherwise... (?)

...Do You Know Him... (?)

...Do You Know His Story... (?)

...How He Ended Up In This Predicament... (?)

...As With Other Victims Of Crimes...Theft...Fraud...Scams...

...'All Plonkers & Their Own Fault'... (?)

(Convenient, Simplistic Delusion) (?)

...With Some Underlying Fear & Insecurity Added In Perhaps... (?)

1 hour ago, MisterTee said:

Sneaky Pete.

It looks like the offerings went directly into his bag.

It's probably not the first time he has done it.

Farang bah... they spoil the scene for all of us.

Good observation. Random act of taking food that might otherwise go to waste is one thing but premeditated habitual theft is another. Not a good look for us law-abiding foreigners.

I agree- all of us who are foreigners and respectful of Thai laws and culture get tarred with the same brush as this individual

"Many commenters responded with jokes, saying the spirits would follow the man home to reclaim their offerings."

Yup, those spirits are going to follow him home to reclaim that prized can of "Fanta Grape Soda". Drink enough of that and you will be joining the spirits in the afterworld in no time flat.

1 hour ago, FolkGuitar said:

I'm not Christian, but... what would Jesus do?
If a man needs to steal old, perhaps rotten food to survive, who really has the problem? Is it society that lets things get this bad for the guy?
Is it us, because we don't offer a hand to these people?

Or do we just say, 'Screw him. It's his problem. Let's lock him up!'

30 minutes ago, Presnock said:

looks like a foreigner to me - send him home.

That seems to be at odds with almost all the World's various philosophies and religions, including Thailand, where making merit apparently only seems to work when we give food to monks.
We don't need to be religious to show compassion.

24 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

24 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

57 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

26 minutes ago, SOTIRIOS said:

...Well What Should Be Said... (?)

...Aside From The 'Hi-Sos' In This Group That Attack & Deride Victims Otherwise... (?)

...Do You Know Him... (?)

...Do You Know His Story... (?)

...How He Ended Up In This Predicament... (?)

...As With Other Victims Of Crimes...Theft...Fraud...Scams...

...'All Plonkers & Their Own Fault'... (?)

(Convenient, Simplistic Delusion) (?)

...With Some Underlying Fear & Insecurity Added In Perhaps... (?)

Are you answering Q, s or Q answers,?

Niethher or neither, none of the above

as usual for you. Fence Sitting!

aka NFI💯

Edited August 7Aug 7 by Olmate

2 hours ago, HolmesEquivelant said:

Most likely a “I can live in Thailand on 30k Thai baht” type.

Disgusting behavior for a foreigner.

well, you actually can perfectly (and quite easily) live with 30k month in Thailand, no problem. Just don't expect foreign standard luxury.

555 . When I first went to Malaysia in the first week all the expat children were eating apples and bananas when asked where they got them they said from that little house in the street behind.😇