Shock at How Woman Finds Stolen Phone: ‘How Are You Not Panicking’ [Video]

A video documenting an unusual phone theft recovery in Thailand has gone viral on TikTok.

The clip posted by user @maiavalentinee has amassed more than 12.1 million views since it was shared on February 25. A note overlaid on the footage reads: “The time my phone got stolen in Thailand and this was how I found it again.”

The clip shows the traveler crouched in a wooded area, surrounded by crawling insects, as she peels away layers of leaves to reveal her missing phone. The caption accompanying the post reads: “A story I will never understand.”

While the circumstances in the video remain unclear, the incident highlights how opportunistic theft can happen in tourist hotspots worldwide.

A March 2023 study published by academic publisher Sage Journals examined tourist victimization in Barcelona, Spain, and found that theft was more likely to affect young female travelers, often occurring in restaurants and bars, particularly during the summer months.

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