Authorities issue response over teenager facing years in Thai prison over ‘$100 crime’

Authorities in New Zealand have confirmed they are assisting the Tauranga teenager who was arrested at an airport in Thailand.

Loukas Rainger was wrapping up his month-long trip in the Southeast Asian country and intending to fly home when he was apprehended by immigration officials.

He spent almost a week behind bars before being granted bail - and he's now trapped in Thailand until he finds out his fate when he goes on trial in September.

Rainger has been charged with 'theft in an airport' - a crime considered more serious than simple theft - after picking up a woman's watch that he claims was left in a security tray at Surat Thani Airport.

The 18-year-old has alleged that he pocketed it while collecting his own belongings 'without even realising what he was doing' on 3 July.

Speaking to Stuff after spending six days in a Thai prison, he explained that he was 'pretty wiped out, feeling rough and wasn't thinking straight' following an overnight boat trip and must have picked it up in a daze.

Loukas' mum Natasha will remain in Thailand with him (GiveALittle)

"I picked it up and shoved it in my pocket," he said of the Swatch, which is reportedly worth $100 (£75). "By the time I noticed, I panicked.

"I knew I should’ve handed it straight to staff, but I made a stupid mistake. I guess to be totally honest - it didn’t register much - the watch.

"I didn’t even think of that watch for any time on the rest of the trip. It didn’t even come into my mind."

But he received a stark reminder that he'd swiped the watch when he arrived at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport on 16 July to catch a flight back to New Zealand.

Rainger said he was 'literally about to board' when he was pulled aside by officials, who informed him 'there was an arrest warrant for airport theft'.

'That's where the real nightmare kicked in'

"I wasn’t even worried at first because I simply thought, 'Oh, they must have got me mixed up with someone else'," Rainger continued. "But slowly it sunk in that, hang on, this is not right. Then I did start to think I would be delayed. "Before I knew it, I was detained overnight in Bangkok, then shipped on a 10-hour train ride all the way back down south to Surat Thani to be placed in a high-security provincial prison.

"That's where the real nightmare kicked in."

The New Zealand-native said his head was shaved and he was placed inside a cell with 20 'real criminals' - who he says 'laughed' when he told them what he was in for.

"There were no beds - just a single blanket on the hard floor - and I had to wash out of a bucket right in front of 20 other guys," Rainger went on. "The food was so terrible that I barely ate. When I came out I was down 10kg."

However, the teen did forge friendships with his fellow inmates and has been left with a newfound appreciation for the 'smallest things', such as 'being able to eat a simple meal, walk around, or talk to someone'.

The 18-year-old had been travelling for a month with his best mate (GiveALittle)

Rainger was bailed on Wednesday (22 July) and reunited with his mother Natasha. The pair now have to remain in Thailand until the legal proceedings come to a conclusion.

The 18-year-old lad is set to go on trial on 4 September. If convicted, he faces up to five years behind bars.

The teenager's aunt, Melissa Pronk, has launched an online fundraiser on GiveALittle to help the family afford the costs of staying in Thailand.

In a statement issued to LADbible, the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed that consular support is being provided to Rainger.

A spokesperson said: "Consular officials and the New Zealand Embassy in Thailand are providing consular support to a New Zealander who was detained in Thailand.

"Officials are also in contact with the individual’s family in Thailand and in New Zealand. Specific details about the support provided is personal information and cannot be shared."

New Zealanders can reach out to a consular officer if arrested outside of the country, according to the government's travel advisory.

Government advice

This official can then provide a list of local lawyers who can act as a legal representative, inform your loved ones of the circumstances and attend court hearings.

If imprisoned, a consular officer can then be the middle man between the person in custody and their family and friends.

They can help acquire funds for you, pass on your prison contact details, deal with complaints and attempt to organise visitation. However, a consular officer cannot hire a lawyer or provide legal advice, get involved in the judicial process, investigate the alleged offence, pay legal fees, or have you released or sentence reduced, among other things.

It adds: "New Zealand law does not allow for someone imprisoned overseas to return to New Zealand to serve their sentence. For this reason, New Zealand does not have any prisoner exchange agreements and cannot accept the transfer of New Zealanders from overseas prisons.

"The Government does not pay for New Zealanders to return home once they have served a custodial sentence and are released from an overseas prison."