Chinese man held in Bangkok over gun, drugs & 586 day overstay

A 50-year-old Chinese man has been arrested outside a hotel in Bangkok's Lat Phrao area after police found a revolver, crystal methamphetamine and evidence of a 586-day visa overstay.

Wang Thonglang police and Immigration Bureau Division 1 officers detained the man on September 24 outside a hotel in Soi Lat Phrao 122 Yaek 15, Phlapphla, Wang Thonglang district. He now faces five charges, including firearms, drugs and immigration offences.

Tip-off led police to hotel

Wang Thonglang police chief Pol Colonel Jessada Yangnok said officers acted after the district radio centre received a tip from a member of the public.

The caller reported seeing a man believed to be Chinese sitting outside the hotel and suspected that he may have been carrying a firearm. The informant said the man had previously been seen with a gun in the area, raising concerns for public safety.

The operation was led by Pol Lieutenant Colonel Pawee Manmuang, deputy superintendent of Wang Thonglang Police Station's crime suppression division, and Pol Lieutenant Colonel Thianphat Klajai, an inspector at the station. They were joined by Immigration Bureau Division 1 officers led by Pol Lieutenant Colonel Phonchai Sukcharoen and Pol Lieutenant Colonel Jet Yutthayothin.

When officers approached, the man was unable to produce a passport. A search of his black shoulder bag found one revolver.

He was then taken to Wang Thonglang Police Station for a more detailed search. Police said they found 4.8 grams of crystal meth, including the packaging, concealed in a metal box inside his suitcase, along with drug-use equipment.

Five charges and overstay

A urine test confirmed the presence of narcotics in his body, police said.

Questioned through an interpreter, the suspect allegedly admitted buying the crystal meth from a Chinese male friend for 5,000 baht. He told police the revolver had been given to him by another Chinese friend before that friend returned to China.

Immigration records showed he had remained in Thailand for 586 days beyond his permitted stay, according to police.

He has been charged with illegal possession of a firearm, carrying a firearm in a public place without reasonable cause, illegal possession of a Category 1 narcotic - methamphetamine or crystal meth - use of a Category 1 narcotic, and remaining in Thailand after permission to stay had expired.

The suspect and seized items were handed to investigators at Wang Thonglang Police Station for legal action. Police said they would continue investigating to identify any Chinese network linked to the case.

Pictures courtesy of Daily News

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25 September 2026

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