A Nernst effect has been observed in a high temperature superconductor for the first time. Irradiating superconducting Tl–Ba–Ca–Cu–O thin films by short pulses of a TEA-CO2 laser, a photovoltaic signal is detected perpendicular to a magnetic field applied parallel to the film surface. The signal is attributed to magnetic flux line depinning and flux line transport driven by the laser induced temperature gradient. The results are described by thermal flux line activation leading to a calculated distribution of pinning energies from 100 K to 4000 K.