Crime AI Surveillance Cameras Help Thai Tourist Police Arrest Nearly 300 Fugitives

[Georgealbert]

 

Picture courtesy of Matichon.

 

The Tourist Police Bureau has successfully apprehended nearly 300 individuals with outstanding arrest warrants in the last year, thanks to the deployment of artificial intelligence (AI)-equipped surveillance cameras at key tourist destinations across the country.

 

According to Pol Lt Gen Saksira Phuekaam, Commissioner of the Tourist Police, the system was launched in July 2024 in cooperation with the Central Investigation Bureau. The advanced camera technology cross-references live footage with a central criminal database, allowing for real-time alerts when wanted individuals or high-risk persons enter monitored areas.

 

The initiative is part of an ongoing campaign to improve safety and enhance tourist confidence, particularly in high-traffic destinations such as Pattaya, Chiang Mai, and Suvarnabhumi Airport.

 

One recent example of the system’s effectiveness came at 10:00 on 26 July in Nong Khai Province. Officers from Tourist Police Division 5, working alongside immigration officials, received an AI camera alert flagging a 32-year-old man named Chanachai, wanted under Nakhon Sawan Provincial Court warrant No. 102/2567 dated 8 March 2024. He was charged with jointly committing theft using a vehicle to facilitate the offence or escape capture or for receiving stolen property.

 

Upon identification he was detained by officers, the suspect attempted to flee, jumping over a barbed-wire fence and scaling a wall into a nearby residential property. He sustained a head injury in the process before being apprehended. He was later taken to Nong Khai Provincial Hospital for treatment before being transferred to Mae Wong Police Station in Nakhon Sawan for further legal proceedings.

 

Since its launch, the AI system has led to the arrest of 291 suspects across multiple provinces, including:

 

• Pattaya, Chonburi – 110 arrests

• Nakhon Ratchasima – 89 arrests

• Chiang Mai – 71 arrests

• Suvarnabhumi Airport, Samut Prakan – 4 arrests

• Khon Kaen – 9 arrests

• Udon Thani – 3 arrests

• Nong Khai – 2 arrests

• Tak – 2 arrests

• Nakhon Phanom – 1 arrest

 

Tourist Police officials say the technology has significantly enhanced security in popular destinations, reassuring both domestic and international visitors. Authorities are considering expanding the AI camera system to additional locations in the coming months.

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from Matichon 2025-07-28