The incident was first reported around 9am today (June 3) by members of the ‘Patong Crime-Free Community Project’ LINE group, who alerted authorities that a foreign man had parked a sedan opposite the entrance to an elephant camp on the road to Paradise Beach, on Muen Ngern Road, south of Patong.
Pol Lt Wichyut Dampuek, Deputy Chief of Investigation at Patong Police, received the tip-off. Officers including Pol Lt Col Phongsaphan Techawit and members of the traffic unit responded to the scene.
A local witness, Mr Pairoj, told police he had seen a male tourist arrive at around 4am in the parked sedan before being picked up by another white sedan, which quickly left the area. The parked vehicle, a black Toyota Yaris Ativ, had its front and rear license plates covered, raising suspicion.
Upon inspection, officers found the car unlocked but unoccupied. The visible license plate, registered in Nakhon Sawan province, did not match initial observations of the car’s concealed tags.
Given the unusual circumstances and the attempt to obscure the vehicle’s identity, police requested the investigation team to trace the car’s ownership and determine the intent behind abandoning the vehicle.
Police are continuing to investigate the incident and have not ruled out the possibility of illegal activity. The parked vehicle remains under police observation as the investigation continues.