A sudden call from a Thai woman’s child triggers a Pattaya police operation and the arrest of a South Korean man. Officers find a 274-day overstay, but announce no assault charge. Two more foreigners are arrested as immigration inspections intensify.
A desperate plea from a Thai woman’s child sent police racing to a Pattaya room where a South Korean man was accused of assaulting and holding her captive. Officers arrested the 40-year-old and uncovered a staggering 274-day immigration overstay. Yet despite the violence complaint, no assault or unlawful confinement charges were reported. The arrest came amid a major Pattaya crackdown that netted three illegal foreign residents in five days. Among them was a Russian who had overstayed for 568 days and an Uzbek woman illegally staying for 148 days. Immigration chiefs have ordered tougher inspections across the resort city.
A 40-year-old South Korean man was arrested in Pattaya after a Thai woman’s child reported their mother was being assaulted and held captive. The desperate call for help sent immigration officers and Pattaya police to a room near Soi Pattaya 13/1.
There, investigators arrested the foreign national and discovered he had overstayed his immigration permission by 274 days. However, despite the original complaint involving violence and unlawful confinement, police reported only an immigration charge.
The arrest came amid a wider crackdown on illegal foreign residents in Pattaya. Three foreigners were arrested within five days, including a Russian man who had overstayed for 568 days.
Police rush to Pattaya room after child reports mother assaulted and held captive by South Korean man
The incident unfolded at approximately 10 pm on Saturday, October 10, 2026. Chonburi Immigration Police received an urgent telephone call from the child of a 44-year-old Thai woman.
The caller reported that their mother was being physically assaulted and held against her will. According to the complaint, a South Korean national was responsible for the woman’s ordeal. She was reportedly being confined inside a room near Soi Pattaya 13/1 in central Pattaya.
The premises were located in Nong Prue subdistrict, Bang Lamung district, Chonburi province. In response, immigration investigators immediately coordinated with Pattaya City Police.
Officers then travelled to the location identified by the caller and entered the room. Inside, they arrested a 40-year-old South Korean man identified by the pseudonym Youjin. The arrest followed the report concerning the alleged assault and confinement of the Thai woman.
However, a subsequent immigration check uncovered a separate offence. The South Korean’s permission to remain in Thailand had expired 274 days earlier. Consequently, officers charged him with remaining in the Kingdom beyond his authorised period of stay. He was then transferred to Pattaya City Police Station for further investigation and legal proceedings.
South Korean faces 274-day overstay charge as police give no details of reported assault on Thai woman
Notably, the published police report did not identify any criminal charge relating to the reported assault. Neither did it confirm that the South Korean had been charged with unlawfully confining the woman.
The original complaint had specifically concerned physical violence and preventing the 44-year-old from leaving the room. Indeed, those accusations triggered the police operation that led to his arrest.
Yet the confirmed legal proceedings concerned only the man’s expired immigration permission. Investigators did not disclose whether the Thai woman suffered injuries or required hospital treatment. Furthermore, police released no information about how long she had reportedly been held inside the premises. The relationship between the suspect and the woman was also not established.
Similarly, officers did not confirm whether the woman subsequently lodged a formal complaint concerning the reported violence. No account of her statement to investigators was included in the published information. Nor was there confirmation of any separate prosecution involving assault or unlawful confinement. The police account therefore established the immigration arrest without explaining the outcome of the original complaint.
Pattaya immigration crackdown expands as officers arrest Uzbek woman after South Korean suspect is held
Meanwhile, Chonburi Immigration Police were conducting a wider crackdown on foreigners staying illegally in Pattaya. The South Korean’s arrest was the first of three cases recorded between October 10 and October 14.
Officers subsequently arrested an Uzbek woman and a Russian man during separate immigration inspections. All three suspects had remained in Thailand after their permission to stay expired.
The operation targeted foreign nationals living illegally within Pattaya and surrounding areas of Bang Lamung district. Investigators inspected residential premises, condominium buildings and locations identified for immigration enforcement.
In addition, officers followed information concerning suspected criminal activities involving foreign nationals. The campaign involved cooperation between provincial immigration investigators and Pattaya City Police.
On another front, officers conducted checks near Soi Thap Phraya 7 on Tuesday, October 13. At approximately 5 pm, investigators inspected a condominium in Nong Prue subdistrict. During the operation, they encountered a 24-year-old woman from Uzbekistan outside the building. She was identified in the police report by the pseudonym Mekhribon.
Uzbek woman faces 148-day overstay charge before police arrest Russian man staying illegally for 568 days
A subsequent examination of her immigration records revealed that her authorised stay had expired 148 days earlier. Accordingly, officers arrested the Uzbek national for remaining in Thailand without valid immigration permission.
She was then transferred to Pattaya City Police Station for legal proceedings. Police did not report any additional criminal allegations against the woman.
Unlike the South Korean case, the Uzbek woman’s arrest did not follow a reported incident involving another person. Instead, immigration investigators encountered her during checks conducted as part of the wider enforcement campaign. The operation continued the following afternoon, with officers moving to another location in Nong Prue.
On Wednesday, October 14, investigators inspected the roadside near Soi Thap Phraya 12, Moo 12. The operation began at approximately 1 pm and targeted foreigners suspected of immigration violations. There, officers encountered a 32-year-old Russian man identified by the pseudonym Dmitrii. Immigration records subsequently revealed that his permission to remain in Thailand had expired 568 days earlier.
The Russian had therefore remained in the country without valid permission for more than one year and six months. His overstay was considerably longer than those recorded against the other two suspects. By comparison, the South Korean had overstayed for 274 days, while the Uzbek woman’s overstay totalled 148 days.
Three foreigners arrested in Pattaya with combined overstays of 990 days as immigration checks intensify
Following the discovery, officers arrested the Russian national for remaining in Thailand after his authorised stay expired. He was subsequently transferred to Pattaya City Police Station for further legal proceedings. As with the Uzbek woman, the published report did not identify any additional criminal charges.
By October 14, Chonburi immigration investigators had arrested three foreigners from three different countries. Together, their recorded overstays totalled 990 days beyond their respective periods of authorised residence. Each suspect faced proceedings concerning immigration violations, with all three cases referred to Pattaya City Police Station.
The arrests were subsequently publicised as part of an intensified Immigration Bureau enforcement campaign. The operation followed instructions from senior immigration officers to strengthen checks on foreigners residing illegally in Thailand. In parallel, investigators were directed to pursue information concerning foreign nationals suspected of involvement in criminal activities.
Police Lieutenant General Nophasin Phoolsawat, commander of the Immigration Bureau, was identified among the senior officers directing the operation. The instructions called for stronger enforcement against immigration violations and criminal activity involving foreign nationals. They also required subordinate units to accelerate investigations within their areas of responsibility.
Immigration commanders order tougher Pattaya inspections to target illegal stays and suspected crime
The bureau’s stated objectives included maintaining public order and strengthening security for residents and tourists. Accordingly, immigration personnel were deployed to inspect locations considered at higher risk of illegal activity. Investigators also pursued information concerning suspicious individuals and possible immigration offences.
The operation was supervised by several senior Immigration Bureau officers. They included Police Major General Thanit Thaiwatcharamas and Police Major General Katha Kesoramala, both deputy commanders of the bureau. Police Major General Songprot Sirisukha, commander of Immigration Division 3, also participated in directing the campaign.
In addition, Police Colonel Prinya Klinakesorn and Police Colonel Chinawut Tangwonglert were involved as deputy commanders of Immigration Division 3. At provincial level, the operation was supervised by Police Colonel Naphasphong Khositsuriyamanee, superintendent of Chonburi Immigration Office.
Other officers included Police Lieutenant Colonel Kawinwat Arayasuriwong, deputy superintendent of Chonburi Immigration Office. Police Lieutenant Colonel Kittipat Hongchuvech, an inspector attached to the provincial office, was also involved. Under their direction, immigration investigators conducted inspections and followed information concerning suspected offences.
Pattaya police pursue immigration checks after three arrests involving three nationalities and complaints
As part of the campaign, officers concentrated on areas within Pattaya where immigration violations were suspected. These included condominium buildings, residential premises and roadside locations in Nong Prue. Investigators also coordinated with territorial police when operations required joint action.
The three arrests arose from different circumstances. In the South Korean case, police responded to an urgent complaint about the reported assault of a Thai woman. By contrast, the Uzbek and Russian suspects were encountered during immigration inspections at separate locations.
Nevertheless, all three investigations resulted in charges concerning expired immigration permission. The South Korean’s case also involved accusations of physical violence and unlawful confinement. Those accusations were central to the original call for police assistance.
The woman’s child had contacted immigration officers seeking help for their 44-year-old mother. According to the report, she was being assaulted and prevented from leaving a room by the South Korean national. Officers subsequently attended the premises and arrested the 40-year-old suspect.
South Korean faces immigration prosecution as police leave original assault complaint without charges
The immigration check then established that he had remained in Thailand for 274 days beyond his authorised stay. However, the published account did not explain what officers established about the reported violence. Police also provided no details concerning the woman’s condition when investigators reached the room.
There was no confirmation of whether she had sustained injuries or received medical assistance. Equally, investigators did not disclose whether the woman was interviewed or subsequently filed a formal criminal complaint. The information released did not establish whether separate criminal proceedings were being pursued.
Crucially, the only confirmed charge against the South Korean concerned his immigration overstay. The published police account did not establish that he had been prosecuted for assault or unlawful confinement. Nor did it provide any subsequent findings concerning the accusations made in the emergency call.
Separately, Chonburi Immigration Police confirmed that enforcement operations would continue across Pattaya. Investigators were instructed to maintain proactive patrols and inspect areas associated with suspected immigration violations. Officers would also continue following information concerning foreigners suspected of criminal activities.
Chonburi immigration officers pledge continued Pattaya checks and urge public to report suspected offences
Further cooperation was planned between immigration investigators and police stations responsible for Pattaya and surrounding districts. The bureau said the campaign aimed to prevent foreigners from remaining illegally or using Thailand for criminal activities. It also identified public safety and tourist security among the objectives of the operation.
The enforcement programme included checks on foreign nationals whose permission to remain in Thailand had expired. Additionally, immigration investigators were directed to pursue information concerning suspected criminal conduct. The bureau emphasised that inspections would continue beyond the three arrests announced during the five-day operation.
Members of the public were encouraged to report suspected immigration violations and criminal activity involving foreign nationals. Information can be submitted through the Immigration Bureau hotline on 1178. Reports would then be examined by immigration investigators for possible enforcement action.
South Korean arrested after assault report as Pattaya police pursue crackdown on immigration overstays
Meanwhile, the South Korean’s arrest remained the only case in the operation originating from a complaint involving reported violence. The initial emergency call concerned a 44-year-old Thai woman allegedly assaulted and confined inside a room in central Pattaya.
Police arrested the 40-year-old South Korean and discovered his 274-day immigration overstay. However, no assault or unlawful confinement charge was confirmed in the published account. The other two suspects faced immigration proceedings following separate checks in Nong Prue.
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All three were transferred to Pattaya City Police Station. Chonburi Immigration Police subsequently confirmed that their wider crackdown on foreigners remaining illegally in Thailand would continue.
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