The somewhat dramatic shoplifting occurred on Monday, when the elephant dared to venture out of the nearby national park Khao Yai to make a visit to the store.
The elephant, which has been given the name Plai Biang Lek, managed to pick up – and eat – a total of one sandwich, nine bags of rice cakes and an unknown number of dried bananas. After that, it left the store chewing on the stolen goods.
The store owner states that most of the store's interior survived without damage, except for the floor and ceiling which became muddy.
Plai Biang Lek has repeatedly visited various buildings in the area in search of food, but never before a store.
According to Thai authorities, it has become increasingly common for elephants to seek out communities in search of food, due to decreasing habitat.
