PATTAYA, Thailand – Pattaya Tourist Police used an AI-powered surveillance camera system to identify and arrest a Thai man wanted on serious human trafficking charges while he was walking along Walking Street Pattaya. The arrest took place at approximately 9:15 a.m. on May 15, when investigators from Tourist Police Station 4, Division 2, Tourist Police Bureau 1, acting under the direction of senior tourist police commanders, moved in to detain 38-year-old Somchai Saelee.
Authorities said the suspect was identified through an AI smart camera system that matched his face with an active Criminal Court arrest warrant issued on April 29. The system reportedly detected the suspect moving through the Walking Street area before officers tracked and apprehended him. Police said the suspect faces multiple serious charges, including human trafficking conspiracy, exploitation of minors, unlawful detention, illegal cross-border transport of individuals, coercion, and entering false information into a computer system. The allegations are linked to organized exploitation involving vulnerable persons and youths.
Following the arrest, the suspect was transferred to investigators from the Anti-Human Trafficking Division for further legal proceedings. Authorities described the operation as a major demonstration of how AI surveillance technology is increasingly being used to strengthen security and track serious criminal suspects in key tourism zones such as Pattaya.
