PHUKET: A BURGLAR broke in and stole from the home of the French honorary consul on Phuket early today, taking a wallet, two mobile phones, a camera disc and four bottles of wine.

But by the time that consul and lawyer Lucien Rodriguez awoke and police were contacted police to report the raid, officers were able to say: ''Don't worry. We have your stuff, and the thief.''

Six more victims of the same burglar were not quite so fortunate.

The consul's wife, Treeranut Koontawesub, said today that she and her husband did not discover the theft from their house, near Chalong temple in southern Phuket, until this morning.

Police at Chalong said that the confessed burglar, Adun Boonam, 31, had been pulled over at a Phuket City police checkpoint in Chaofa Road about 3am.

Officers asked him to give a urine sample, found the sample positive for drugs, then discovered the wine and other items stolen from the consul's house in the bags he was carrying.

Back at Khun Adun's place in Kathu, police found three laptops and a pawn shop stub for a fourth, together with two cameras, a watch, hard drives, luggage, credit and ATM cards.

He was also in possession of a pair of gloves and a collection of screwdrivers.

Khun Adun said that after being sacked from his job as a resort kitchen hand, he embarked on a career as a burglar and targetted large homes in the Chalong and Rawai district.

He spent whatever he gained from the thefts on his methamphetamine addiction.

Phuket City police handed over Khun Adun to Chalong police where his haul of stolen items is being held.

Mr Rodriguez is due to join Phuket's other honorary consuls tomorrow at a meeting with Governor Tri Augkaradacha - discussing crime on Phuket, among other issues.