Fugitive Contractor Caught at Nakhon Phanom Border Checkpoint

Pictures courtesy of Naewna

A 42-year-old contractor was arrested at the Third Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge border checkpoint in Nakhon Phanom after immigration officers discovered he was wanted on a five-year-old fraud charge. The arrest occurred on October 21, 2025, when officers at the Nakhon Phanom Immigration Division flagged a “red notice” alert as his passport was scanned.

The suspect, identified as Mr. Khwanchai, was preparing to cross into Laos with seven relatives when immigration officials detained him. Upon further verification, officers confirmed that he was the subject of an arrest warrant issued by the Kalasin Provincial Court on 22 May 2020 for fraud. He was immediately taken into custody and handed over to the investigating officers from Kuchinarai Police Station in Kalasin province.

Police said the arrest was made as part of heightened screening measures ordered by Pol. Maj. Gen. Phairat Phukcharoen, Commander of Immigration Division 4. Nakhon Phanom Immigration Chief, Pol. Col. Phattharaphong Inwan-na, led the operation that detected the suspect’s outstanding warrant during a routine passport scan at the border. The system automatically displayed the alert, allowing officers to intervene before the suspect could leave the country.

According to the investigation, Mr. Khwanchai was accused of deceiving an 85-year-old former contractor, identified only as “Yai Kam,” into lending him a backhoe on the promise of repairing it and sharing profits from future construction work. The victim later reported the case to police after losing contact with him for several years, suspecting she had been defrauded. Investigators said the accused had been evading capture for five years.

In his statement, Mr. Khwanchai claimed he had no knowledge of the arrest warrant and insisted that he had merely borrowed the old backhoe for repairs and maintenance. He also stated that he had already paid money to the elderly woman for the equipment. However, police said the evidence supported the fraud charges and that he would face legal proceedings in Kalasin.

Authorities confirmed that the suspect was transferred to Kuchinarai Police Station for further questioning and prosecution. The Immigration Bureau reiterated its commitment to tightening border checks to prevent fugitives and criminal suspects from escaping overseas.

Key Takeaways

• A 42-year-old man was arrested at the Nakhon Phanom–Laos border after a red notice appeared during a passport scan.

• He was wanted on a 2020 Kalasin Provincial Court warrant for allegedly defrauding an elderly contractor of a backhoe.

• Immigration authorities said the arrest followed orders to strengthen border security and screening.

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  Adapted by Asean Now from Naewna 2025-10-22