Pictures courtesy of Khaosod 

 

Police on Koh Phangan have arrested a 72-year-old woman accused of spreading false information online alleging that foreign mercenaries were operating drones for Cambodian forces while staying on the island. Authorities said the claims were entirely untrue and had the potential to cause public alarm and damage confidence among residents and tourists.

 

The arrest followed the circulation of a widely shared social media post claiming that multinational mercenaries had been hired to fly drones for the Cambodian military and were living in large numbers on Koh Phangan, Surat Thani province. The post further alleged that more than 180 people had already been assisted by Thais to travel to Sihanoukville, with over 200 more still on the island and included images of foreigners with luggage outside a building displaying Cambodian-language signage.

 

After the posts gained traction online, Surat Thani Provincial Police Commander Pol Maj Gen Suwat Suksri ordered an urgent investigation. He instructed Pol Col Apichat Chansamret, chief of Koh Phangan Police Station, to identify the source of the information and summon the person responsible for questioning.

 

On 13 December, Koh Phangan police coordinated with the Special Branch, Surat Thani Immigration Police, and local administrative officials to inspect a house in Moo 1, Koh Phangan subdistrict. Officers identified the resident, a 72-year-old woman referred to only as Ms A, as the individual who had shared the false information online.

 

Prior to the arrest, police conducted in-depth checks with community leaders and local business operators to determine whether any groups of foreign nationals were staying on the island as claimed. Authorities said no evidence was found to support the allegations, prompting investigators to trace the origin of the online posts to Ms A.

 

During questioning, Ms A admitted sharing the information but said it had been forwarded to her by a friend in a Line messaging group. She told police she did not know whether the information was true before reposting it.

 

Police charged her with importing distorted or false computer data into a computer system in a manner likely to cause damage to the public. She was handed over to investigators at Koh Phangan Police Station for further legal proceedings.

 

Khoasod reported that Pol Maj Gen Suwat said he had instructed police to continue gathering evidence and to take firm legal action. He also urged the public to stop sharing unverified information online and to submit suspicious claims to authorities for verification before publication, warning that sharing fake news carries legal penalties and can cause unnecessary panic.

 

 

Key Takeaways

 

• A 72-year-old woman was arrested for sharing false claims about foreign drone mercenaries on Koh Phangan.

• Police confirmed there was no evidence supporting the allegations circulated online.

• Authorities warned the public against sharing unverified information due to legal consequences.

 

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 Adapted by Asean Now from Dailynews 2025-12-15

 

 

Good.  People spreading false info on social media need to be arrested. Many on AN should be worried.

Didn't it come from an official source the other day that the army had intercepted drone conversations in English leading them to believe foreigners could be aiding the Cambodians? 

To all you true believers of fakebook I was right with my comment when this story came out..keep reading fakebook with your fake brains it is the home of fake news'

21 hours ago, phil2407 said:

Didn't it come from an official source the other day that the army had intercepted drone conversations in English leading them to believe foreigners could be aiding the Cambodians? 

 

The English language is widely spoken in countries like Great Britain, United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and India.

I assume she is a Thai??  No other mention of country of origin, so I assume she is Local.