Police officers have surprised a thief who broke into a home to rob after waking him up from his slumber.

It was gathered that the thief had broken into the home without knowing that the house belongs to a police officer.

After breaking into the house, he fell asleep on the bed.

The incident took place on March 22 in the Nam Rorn sub-district of Wichianburi in Petchabun province in northeastern Thailand.

Police sergeant Sakda Jiamprasert woke in the night at around 2am and heard the air-conditioner running in his daughter’s room.

Remembering that his daughter had gone away for a few days, the police went outside and peeked into her bedroom window.

There, Sakda saw the burglar, Athip Kinkhunthot, curled up in his daughter’s bed, with his housebreaking tools next to him.

Sakda immediately called for backup.

Kinkhunthot, 22, had been fast asleep and was still drowsy when the police officers woke him up.

According to Thai news site, The Nation, the burglar told police that he had been prowling the neighbourhood for quite some time looking for a suitable target and had become very tired.

He broke into Officer Jiamprasert’s house but then decided to take a short break before ransacking the property.

Kinkhunthot turned on the aircon and settled down for a five-minute nap but the next thing he knew it was hours later and he was being ”rudely” woken by the police.

Although Kinkhunthot hadn’t actually stolen anything, he was still arrested for criminal damage, as well as breaking and entering.