CHIANG MAI, THAILAND – Thai police arrested a 47-year-old British man in Chiang Mai on a theft warrant and for allegedly overstaying his visa.
Arrested on provincial court warrant
Authorities said the suspect, identified as Mr. James, was apprehended at a property on Kamphaeng Din Road in the Hai Ya area of Mueang Chiang Mai district. Officers detained him under an arrest warrant issued by the Chiang Mai Provincial Court on 10 February 2026, according to police.
Investigators stated that the warrant was linked to an alleged case of joint theft involving the use of a vehicle. In addition, the man was accused of remaining in Thailand after his permitted stay had expired, which officials treated as an immigration offence.
International lead through chat account
Police said the investigation operated not only at local level but in cooperation with Subdivision 4 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division (ATPD) and the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA), together with NGOs under the Scientia Program. At the centre of the case was the monitoring of a Kik user suspected of distributing illegal sexual content involving children.
Information from this monitoring indicated that the user’s location was likely in Thailand, investigators said. This prompted closer coordination between Thai and British authorities to track the suspect’s whereabouts.
Search at Kamphaeng Din Road property
Officers ultimately located the suspect in a building on Kamphaeng Din Road and obtained a search warrant from the Chiang Mai Provincial Court. When the police team arrived, the door was initially not opened.
A woman later opened the door, confirmed that the wanted foreigner lived there and led officers to a room on the third floor. Inside, police confronted the man they believed matched the person named in the warrant.
Arrest and seized digital material
The man identified himself to the officers as Mr. James, after which they presented the search and arrest warrants and placed him under arrest. During the search, investigators seized several items.
Among them was a mobile phone that allegedly contained obscene files, according to authorities. Additional digital obscene material was also reported to have been found on the premises.
Ongoing investigation and possible further charges
Mr. James and the seized evidence were handed over to investigators at Mueang Chiang Mai Police Station for further processing. The case remained under investigation.
Officials said they expected that the analysis of the digital traces would determine whether charges beyond theft and overstay would follow. Investigators did not provide further details on potential additional offences.