A man claims to have captured the moment two young pickpockets slipped his girlfriend's watch from her wrist as she posed for a photograph with them at a Thai temple.

The man posted an image to Reddit of the two young girls wearing brightly coloured traditional Thai costumes holding his girlfriend's arm earlier this month outside Wat Phra That Doi Suthep in Chiang Mai, a province in Thailand's north, on Sunday night.

The woman, who has not been named, smiled as one of the girls appeared to unclasp her wrist watch while her partner captured a photograph, with the travelling couple only noticing once they reviewed their holiday snapshots.

A man has captured the moment two young pickpockets slipped his girlfriend's watch from her wrist as she posed for a photograph with them at a Thai temple

One of the young girls is seen (highlighted) holding the woman's hand - and also appearing to also hold her watch

'This pic solved the mystery of the missing watch,' he wrote, conceding the pair had a bit to drink before going to the temple.

Thousands of people commented on the thread, with some Reddit users sharing their own pictures of the two girls from their own trips.

'I've seen those little thieves before,' one man wrote.

'Adorable, adorable thieves. I didn't suspect a thing when I saw them,' said another.

'Adorable, adorable thieves. I didn't suspect a thing when I saw them,' one Reddit user wrote

Another observed there were around six girls in the same outfit and guessed they could be an 'organised gang'

Thousands of people commented on the thread, with some Reddit users sharing their own pictures of the two girls from their own trips

One Reddit user said the girls must be the 'two most popular child thieves in all of Asia', while another observed there were around six girls in the same outfit and guessed they could be an 'organised gang'.

One tourist said he must have dodged a bullet as he made a last minute decision not to have a photograph with the pair.

'Holy c**p! I was tempted to ask for a photo with them when we saw them at the temple but didn't want to be 'that tourist' and was also worried that their momager who was lingering around might scream at me for money if I went near them.'

One tourist said he must have dodged a bullet as he made a last minute decision not to have a photograph with the pair

The photographs were taken in front of the 300 steps up to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep in Chiang Mai

Some commented on what they called the girls' technique, noting they touched their target in several places 'so she didn't notice her watch being snatched'.

'Notice how the thief is touching her hand in several places? It's a pickpocket technique so that the mark gets accustomed to being touched by the thief and stops registering all of the touches.'

While others said the girls were likely poor and were possibly stealing to make a living for their family.

'A thousand plus people visit that site daily. I'm pretty sure those girls are dressed up to simply take pictures with tourists for tips. It's probably the family's income.'

The two young girl's parents hit back at claims they stole the watch after the image started to circulate online.

Thidaret Laojuang (left), ten and Kanlayanee Laojuang (right), seven, are the centre of the online furore when a picture of them posing with a woman went viral after a reddit user claimed it showed them stealing a watch

Kanlayanee Laojuang, 7, and her older sister Thidaret, 10, told MailOnline they had done nothing wrong and added that she would say to the woman: 'I want you to come visit me at Baan Doi Pui Village.

Their father said the girls visit the temple after school on weekdays and on weekends.

He clarified that they would not beg and instead rely on the generosity of visitors who wanted to take photos of them wearing traditional Thai costumes.

The Governor of Chiang Mai said: 'Chiang Mai is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. Chiang Mai takes seriously the safety and welfare of tourists in the city.

'Should any tourist be in trouble of any kind, the authorities of Chiang Mai City will do their best to solve the problem and provide a remedy as soon as possible. This case is a serious accusation. Once the Governor learnt of this matter, he instructed Chiang Mai provincial authorities to promptly launch a thorough investigation.

'All officials reported that the girls had a history of good behaviour and no prior record of offences. In addition, up to now, no one has filed an official complaint with the authorities. We have therefore concluded that there is no grounds to believe this false accusation.'