PATTAYA, THAILAND – Two parked cars in a central residential area of Pattaya had all four tyres apparently deliberately punctured, and police opened a property damage investigation while searching for a suspect.
Incident in central residential street
The suspected vandalism occurred on the evening of 26 February 2026 at around 9 p.m. in Soi Sukhumvit Pattaya 42, near the Pattaya Pad Condo complex in the central city area.
The street was described as a mixed residential and tourist zone where private motorists, local residents and drivers for ride-hailing apps shared limited parking space.
Two vehicles put out of action
At the scene, officers met Lisa, a Russian national, whose Ford sedan with Chonburi licence plate ขฉ 6824 was found on a parking area with all four tyres completely flat.
Next to it, a Mini Cooper with Bangkok licence plate 6 ขน 2021 was also affected; its Thai owner, identified as A, reported that his vehicle was no longer drivable because the tyres had lost all air.
Suspicion falls on app-based drivers
An anonymous witness told investigators that the suspected perpetrator looked like one of the drivers for ride-hailing apps who regularly waited on the street to pick up passengers arranged via mobile phone.
Officers then questioned a group of almost ten of these app drivers, but all denied any involvement and said they had not noticed the tyre sabotage.
Checks and seized motorbikes
As part of the checks, police examined the identification documents and vehicle papers of those present, as well as nearby parked vehicles, looking for any irregularities.
Two motorcycles were found without complete documentation, so officers seized them and took them to the station for further inspection.
Next steps for investigators
Officers advised the two victims to file formal complaints at Pattaya City Police Station so the incident would be officially recorded and pursued under criminal law.
In parallel, investigators planned, together with the interrogation unit, to review video footage from surrounding surveillance cameras in order to identify the person responsible and, if possible, hold them criminally liable.
Safety concerns in busy zone
According to police, the deliberate deflation of tyres in disputes over parking spaces or as minor acts of vandalism occurred repeatedly, causing major inconvenience and posing potential safety risks in dense urban traffic.
In a heavily frequented residential and tourist area such as central Pattaya, authorities considered solving such offences important and appealed to any potential witnesses to come forward with information.
Source: The Pattaya News