I am in the privileged position of having sufficient funds to put food on the table, maintain a roof over my head and have some left over for little luxuries (but not enough for that new Leica DSLR; bugger).
But there are many in Pattaya that are not in such a fortunate position. People for whom the next meal is a constant financial challenge, who share a room in a meagre hovel and who only have enough cash for the latest mobile phone and a furry carrying case. I genuinely feel sorry for such people and understand that sometimes they have to resort to theft to maintain their humble existence.
Take Khun Witawat, down on his luck and out of cash, he rightly targeted a French-owned supermarket to obtain some fundamentals of life to take home to his desperate family. Sadly, he was caught in the act and his haul of goods were put on display by the police: some household tools, a pair of shoes, facial cream, and a bumper sticker; all the basics of a civilised life brought together in a single shopping basket. Perhaps they will let him keep the bumper sticker, he can use it in prison.