SURAT THANI – A slow drive on Highway 41 doomed a Chinese fugitive. Police stopped the SUV and found a man with no papers, an illegal border crossing, and an open arrest warrant from Taiwan.
The Toyota Fortuner crawled on the Asian Highway on July 28, 2026, so slowly it blocked traffic. Officers from the Highway Police Division pulled it over in Tha Chang district.
Slow-moving SUV catches police eye
Behind the wheel sat 48-year-old Thai Chaiyut. In the passenger seat was Liao, a 34-year-old Chinese man without any travel document. An interpreter had to help because Liao could not show a residence permit.
Illegal border hop and a paid ride
Liao told police he first came to Thailand about two years ago and then worked in Cambodia. Four or five days before the stop, he returned – not through a border checkpoint, but over natural terrain.
Someone paid him to take him to a southern province. His goal was a third country where he could find work. Police seized the SUV and an iPhone.
Driver admits taking 18,000 baht bribe
Chaiyut made no secret of his job. A man named ‘Sia J’ offered him 18,000 baht to drive Liao from a market in a central province to the southern border.
He knew the passenger had no valid papers. By his own account, he had taken on a similar job before.
Two charges and a Taiwanese warrant
Liao faces a charge of illegal entry. Chaiyut is accused of helping a foreigner without legal status evade arrest.
Both men were handed over to investigators at the Tha Chang Police Station. During the check, Thai detectives contacted their Taiwanese colleagues.
The reply from Taiwan was clear: an arrest warrant is out against Liao, and he has prior convictions. Once the Thai proceedings are complete, authorities will arrange his transfer.
The 34-year-old will then be sent to Taiwan, where a criminal trial awaits. For the driver, the investigation in Thailand continues – and the question of who is hiding behind ‘Sia J’ remains.