Bangkok  - Thai police have arrested a suspected thief who left his toes at the scene of the crime, media reports said Tuesday.

Atthapol Maenkrathok, 42, was arrested over the weekend at a hospital in Uttaradit province where he was being treated for a severed foot.

Police said Atthapol was charged with robbing a woman of her cash and a 1,000-dollar gold necklace on the overnight train from Chiang Mai to Bangkok on April 7, the Bangkok Post reported.

Investigators linked Atthapol to the theft after finding his bag of tools on the train, including an identification card, and five of his severed toes on the train track in Uttaradit, 380 kilometres north of Bangkok.

Atthapol told police he had snagged his foot under the wheels while jumping off the train in Uttaradit. He sought treatment at a nearby hospital, where the police tracked him down after finding his telltale toes.

Atthapol is under investigation for involvement in 18 other reported thefts on overnight trains after police found 20 mobile phones, eight cameras, nine watches and 52 amulets at his home. (dpa)