Kiwi teen Loukas Rainger released on bail in Thailand, reunited with mum

A teenager from Tauranga who was jailed after picking up someone else’s watch in an airport in Thailand has been reunited with his mother after being granted bail.

Loukas Rainger, 18, was on his first overseas trip when he allegedly took a watch that had been left in his luggage tray at security in a Surat Thani airport.

Two weeks later, as he attempted to return home through Bangkok Airport on Thursday, he was stopped by immigration and arrested.

He had been in jail at the high-security Surat Thani Prison, but last night was granted bail with a payment of 100,000 Thai baht ($5000), his mother, Natasha Rainger, told Stuff.

A Givealittle page has been set up by Loukas’ aunt Melissa Pronk to help the family with flight costs, accommodation, and living costs while they supported him in Thailand through the ordeal.

The page read that Loukas had so far been detained for six days and would need to live in Thailand while he awaits “drawn out court proceedings and sentencing, and hopefully deportation as the best case scenario”.

Natasha Rainger - who was also in Bangkok having undergone surgery - told the Herald yesterday that he was awaiting bail, “fingers crossed”.

Stuff reported that Loukas had been granted bail early this morning (NZT) and reunited with his mum.

Natasha Rainger said it had been “like torture waiting” and she had never been so happy in her life to see her son, who had been in solitary confinement and lost 10kg.

“Finally, he just walked into my arms and his first words were ‘oh mum, mum what are you doing here?’“

A hearing date has been set for September, with the pair living near the prison and required to check in every two weeks.

A spokesperson at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade yesterday told the Herald, “we are providing assistance to the family of a New Zealander in Thailand”.

“For privacy reasons no further details will be provided.”

Stuff reported that Loukas told his mother he has been left “completely confused” by the turn of events.

He told his mum the watch was on the airport tray he had his bags on in security, so he “just picked it up too”.

Natasha Rainger claimed police took Loukas into custody, retrieved his checked bag before it reached the plane and detained him overnight at the Bangkok police station.

He was then handcuffed to a train for several hours while he was taken back to Surat Thani and questioned by officers, where he has remained since.

Bail was earlier denied because Loukas didn’t have the right visa, with the court asking for proof of a three-month accommodation booking in Thailand.

Managing partner at Phuket’s Lawyer Republic, Werabhat Hemthansarp, who represented Loukas, said the 18-year-old had been charged with “theft at an airport”.

This charge could carry a maximum prison sentence of five years.

It was initially reported that a compensation payment of $1000 was agreed upon by Loukas and the watch owner.