The department’s director-general, Thosapone Dansuputra, said his deputy was detained for alleged theft and that officials from the Thai Consular Office and Trade Office in Osaka as well as the Thai Embassy in Tokyo were talking to officials for a chance to visit and provide him with legal assistance.

Though Thosapone did not name the official, the only deputy director attending the January 20-25 meeting on intellectual property was Suphat Saquandeekul. He was also scheduled to deliver a lecture on the subject at a local university, Thosapone said.

“He was to return by Wednesday night, but now I don’t know how long he has to stay in Japan,” the director-general told reporters. Sankei.com reported that the suspect was arrested last Friday when hotel staff found three paintings missing and filed a report at the local police station at around 7.15am on the same day.

Recordings on security cameras showed a man taking three paintings from the corridors on the 9th and 10th floors, and the paintings were then found in the suspect’s baggage while the suspect was checking out, the website read. The online report also claimed that the suspect has admitted to his guilt and said he was “working for the Commerce Ministry”.

Suphat is reportedly familiar with Japan as he graduated from a Japanese university, is fluent in the language and previously worked in the Thai Trade Office in Japan and other countries. He has also translated a book entitled “Gates to Japan: Its People and Society”.

The 60-year-old official, who is set to retire in September, may end up losing his job if found guilty of theft, Thosapone said. The ministry has a clear policy about officials maintaining good discipline and complying with law and regulations, he said, noting that his deputy is a good official with a good working record.

His colleagues at the ministry said the news of his arrest was a shock, because the suspect is an honest and unassuming man who always teaches his subordinates to be honest.