ศาลาชุมนุม

[Naga]

How would you express the idea of taking something that does not belong to you but not use the word for "steal."

Example.
Bob took my phone from my desk without asking (permission).
Someone took my belonging.

[Tgeezer]

Still no joy, I guess that few people visit this forum now.
I have a question, why wouldn't a Thai person think exactly as you appear to have done, avoid the word steal?
I can say he borrowed it, when the understanding is that you don't have it anymore but am not sure that it works in Thai, ยืม would probably would be taken literally.
The word ลัก came to mind because I remember เด็กลักสูบบุหรี่ doing something secretly when ไม่มีสิทธิ์หรือไม่ได้รับอนุญาด the definition applies but I can't be sure that บบลับเอามือถือผมไป would work, but I would try that.
Otherwise I would simply tell the story in the simplest way that I could which would entail using only words of which I am sure.
บบเอามือถือผมไปแล้วยังไมได้ส่งคืน
I ting tu mut, so it appears to me that คืน might remove the implication that he had taken it without permission.
My experience is that people say as little as possible unless the relationship is very close, especially when it might besmirch someones good name.
บบมีมือถือผม and leave it to the interlocutor to tease out why and how you feel about it if they are interested.
Do you feel that way?
NB. I have corrected the verb, it is ลัก not ลับ