The arrests were announced on Friday (May 8) as tourist police intensified operations targeting illegal foreign nationals in Phuket’s main tourism areas.
In one case, Tourist Police officers received an alert at 10:57am from an AI CCTV camera connected to the Crime Suppression Division’s database of wanted persons. The system identified a person matching an arrest warrant issued by the Phuket Provincial Court.
Police said officers investigated and confirmed the suspect’s identity before carrying out the arrest under the court warrant.
The suspect is accused of “assisting, supporting or participating” in business activities restricted under Thailand’s Foreign Business Act by allegedly acting as a nominee shareholder for foreign interests. The charges also include forgery and use of forged official documents.
The suspect was subsequently taken to Phuket Provincial Court for further legal proceedings.
In a separate operation, Tourist Police Bureau Division 2 officers used mobile AI facial-recognition cameras to screen suspicious individuals in Kathu.
The operation resulted in the arrest of two African nationals accused of overstaying their visas for more than two years.
Police identified the men as a 24-year-old Nigerian national accused of overstaying by 877 days and a 34-year-old Ivorian national accused of overstaying by 739 days.
According to Tourist Police, the AI system is connected to a central immigration database capable of identifying foreigners who have exceeded their permitted stay in Thailand in real time.
Both men were charged with remaining in the Kingdom after their permission to stay had expired before being handed over to investigators at Kathu Police Station for legal action and deportation proceedings.