Apiradi said Suphat had |also called his superior to admit that he had committed the theft while on official |business in Kyoto.

“He said he was sorry for what happened and apologised to his superior, fellow officials and all Thais for what he had done,” Apiradi said.

Suphat, 60, was arrested by Japanese police last week after he stole three paintings worth 15,000 yen (Bt4,684) from the Kyoto hotel. He was later released by prosecutors after paying compensation to the hotel.

Probe ‘will take week’

The official returned to Bangkok on Saturday night but avoided a large group of reporters by leaving through the airport’s VIP channel.

Apiradi said the investigation into Suphat would involve representatives from all sides, including the Office of the Civil Service Commission (OCSC), the Prime Minister’s |Office and the Commerce Ministry.

She said the inquiry would be completed in a week and the results would be submitted to Suphat’s superior for action in accordance with civil service rules.

Apiradi said the investigating panel could invite specialists to provide opinions relevant to Suphat’s case, adding: “We want to ensure that any finding will be accurate and straightforward.”

The commerce minister also thanked the Foreign Affairs Ministry, the Thai Embassy in Tokyo and the Thai consulate in Osaka for helping to coordinate with Japanese authorities over Suphat’s release and return to Thailand.