PATTAYA, THAILAND – Tourist police used AI-powered facial recognition during Wan Lai festivities on 19 April to arrest an Indian national for overstaying his visa, as part of a drive to deploy modern technology against crime in Thailand’s major tourist hubs.
Arrest during Wan Lai festival in Pattaya
Tourist police in Pattaya detained an Indian citizen on 19 April during the Wan Lai celebrations after discovering he had exceeded his permitted stay.
The arrest followed identification by an AI-supported facial recognition system that was deployed as part of a control and search operation.
Tourist police strategy: Technology against crime
The operation formed part of a policy led by Tourist Police Commissioner Pol. Lt. Gen. Saksira Pueak-am, who emphasized the use of modern technologies to prevent and combat crime.
The focus was placed in particular on large tourist destinations, as well as on tracking wanted individuals and foreign nationals who had overstayed their residence permits.
The 19 April operation: timing and command
At about 11:52 a.m., investigators from Tourist Police Station 4 (Division 2, Tourist Police Bureau 1) in Chonburi launched a crime suppression operation during the Pattaya Wan Lai festival.
The operation was led by Pol. Lt. Col. Prapda Suksuntree, the chief inspector of Tourist Police Station 4.
“Predator Eyes on Mobile”: AI cameras in patrol vehicle
Officers used a mobile operations vehicle (CCOC Mobile) equipped with AI facial recognition cameras, informally known as “Predator Eyes on Mobile.”
The vehicle patrolled along Pattaya Beach Road in Nongprue sub-district, Banglamung district, Chonburi province.
Identification as overstayer and arrest
During the patrol, the AI system identified a foreign man as a suspected overstayer.
Officers arrested a 35-year-old Indian after checks showed he had exceeded his permitted stay in Thailand by 43 days.
Charges and handover to city police
The man was charged with remaining in the Kingdom as a foreigner after the expiry of his lawful permission to stay.
He was then handed over to investigators at Pattaya City Police Station for further legal proceedings.
Security concept for major events like Songkran and Wan Lai
Tourist police stated that the use of AI technology in investigations was another important step in strengthening security measures.
They added that the goal was also to increase the confidence of Thai and foreign visitors, especially during major festivals such as Songkran and the Wan Lai celebrations in Pattaya.
Your view
The report raised the question of how the use of AI facial recognition at major events in Thailand should be assessed: more security, or an excessive intrusion into privacy.
Readers were also asked whether tourist police should use such systems permanently in hotspots like Pattaya, or whether stricter rules and controls are needed.