Phuket –
Tourist Police in Phuket have showcased a new high-tech approach to law enforcement, successfully arresting a French national who had overstayed his visa by 42 days. The operation marks the first official use of mobile AI-powered facial recognition cameras in the province.
The Phuket Tourist Police told the Phuket Express that they conducted a sweep in Patong’s bustling Bangla Road area. The mobile surveillance unit, equipped with AI face recognition technology, scanned crowds and cross-referenced data against immigration records.
The system flagged a 27-year-old French man holding a Tourist Visa Type P.60, which had expired more than six weeks earlier. Officers, led by Pol. Lt. Col. Narapon Wattanakornthawee and Pol. Capt. Sarawut Kokklang, moved in swiftly to detain the suspect. He was charged with “being a foreigner staying in the Kingdom without valid permission” and handed over to Patong Police Station for legal proceedings and deportation.
Pol. Lt. Col. Narapon stated that the deployment of mobile AI cameras allows police to identify suspects in crowded tourist zones with speed and precision. “This technology enhances our ability to safeguard visitors and reassure the public that Phuket remains a safe destination,” he said.
The arrest shows Thailand’s broader push to integrate advanced surveillance tools into policing, particularly in tourist-heavy areas where overstayers and criminal activity can undermine public confidence. The Phuket Express notes that Pattaya has been using this technology successfully for months, especially on Beach Road and Walking Street, to identify criminals and overstayers.
