Manit Simathamthan confessed to slicing off the penises of a 14-year-old boy and his 15-year-old friend with a shaving razor on Thursday in punishment for allegedly stealing 1 000 baht in cash from his home and 50 000 baht from a cash machine using his card.

Manit, who faces up to 10 years jail, told police he handcuffed the boys at his Bangkok home, mutilated them and threw their penises into a nearby canal before one of the victims managed to escape and contact police. The 15-year-old boy also had his left ear cut.

Usually reserved for quarrels between lovers, penis cutting is unusually common in Thailand where health officials lead the world in re-attachment surgery.