American, Vietnamese murder suspects arrested in Bangkok
2026-02-05 - 10:36
Thai immigration police have arrested three Vietnamese nationals wanted for murder who had fled to Thailand, as part of a nationwide crackdown on transnational crime, authorities said on Wednesday. At a press briefing on 5 February, the Immigration Bureau said the operation followed a policy to track down foreign fugitives who enter Thailand to evade serious criminal charges or use the country as a base for illegal activities. Authorities said more than 125 foreign suspects wanted overseas had been arrested in 2025–26, covering crimes including murder, drugs, money laundering and organised crime. Among the high-profile cases was the arrest of a 23-year-old American man wanted under a Georgia state warrant for premeditated murder and firearms offences. He was found living in Bangkok, had his permission to stay revoked and is being held pending extradition to the United States. Police also detained a 38-year-old Maldivian national wanted under an Interpol red notice over money laundering and corruption linked to the Maldives Football Association, with damages estimated at more than 50 million baht. In a separate case, officers arrested three Vietnamese men wanted by Da Nang police for intentional murder. The suspects were found overstaying their visas while hiding in Chon Buri and Bangkok. They were taken into custody without resistance and charged with immigration offences before being prepared for deportation to Vietnam to face prosecution. Separately, immigration officers intercepted a modified pickup truck in Kanchanaburi province carrying 51 undocumented Myanmar migrants. The driver admitted transporting them from the border for delivery to several provinces and onward to Malaysia, charging fees ranging from tens of thousands to more than 60,000 baht per person. The Immigration Bureau said Thailand would continue to work closely with international security agencies to prevent the country from becoming a safe haven for transnational criminals.