A Canadian man, believed to be about 40 years old, was arrested after allegedly stealing an emergency from Krabi Hospital and driving it through Krabi town before being tracked down in the early hours of 8 July.
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Police from Mueang Krabi Police Station were alerted at about 2.00am after hospital staff reported that a foreign man had driven away in one of the hospital’s emergency vehicles. Officers joined hospital personnel in searching for the vehicle while staff used the vehicle’s GPS tracking system to monitor its location.
The GPS signal showed the vehicle travelling along Naphacharat Road within Krabi municipality. Police and hospital staff followed the signal and eventually found the van abandoned in a side street off Naphacharat Road.
The driver’s door had been damaged after the suspect reportedly kicked it before abandoning the vehicle. Officers then spotted the man running towards a hotel in the same area and pursued him on foot before taking him into custody.
Witnesses and officials said the suspect continued shouting and behaving erratically after being detained. Authorities said he appeared to be either intoxicated or suffering from a mental health condition, although this had not been confirmed.
While officers waited for a patrol vehicle to transport him, the man allegedly tried to escape again. Local residents and officials chased after him through the street before members of the public restrained him, reportedly assaulting him before police regained control of the situation.
A patrol vehicle later transported the suspect to investigators at Mueang Krabi Police Station, where legal proceedings are under way. Hospital officials said they were initially unsure why the man had entered Krabi Hospital before the theft. They later learned from emergency department staff that he had driven away in the emergency vehicle.
Pictures courtesy of Amarin
The hospital explained that emergency vehicle keys are routinely left in the ignition so ambulances are ready for immediate deployment when urgent medical calls are received. After confirming the vehicle’s location through the GPS system, staff coordinated with police to recover it.
Amarin reported that authorities have not released the man’s identity or confirmed what charges he will face. Police are expected to continue their investigation into the circumstances surrounding the theft and the suspect’s condition at the time of the incident.
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8 July 2026
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