Chang Chompu, 42, was taken into custody Friday morning after he had allegedly stolen a purse from the tourist at a beer-bar on Pattaya beach on Thursday night.
The purse contained US$600 (Bt18,720) and Bt2,000 in cash.
Deputy Pattaya police chief Pol Lt-Colonel Somphan Suksamran said the suspect had been preying on foreign tourists on Pattaya beach by pretending to sell lollipops.
He had recently been released from jail on a drugs charge.