KOH SAMUI — Immigration police from Region 6 Surat Thani and Crime Suppression Division officers jointly arrested two British men in separate cases on Saturday.
Pol. Lt. Gen. Songhprod Sirisukha, Commander of Immigration Region 6, led officers in arresting Mr. Kieren Thornton, 38, at a pier in Moo 4, Bo Phut Subdistrict, Koh Samui District, Surat Thani Province. He was wanted as a transnational criminal for armed robbery charges.
Officers tracked Thornton to his residence on Koh Samui, where he had been living with his Ukrainian girlfriend. After obtaining a search warrant from Koh Samui Provincial Court on May 19, 2025, the arrest team moved in but found the couple had fled on motorcycle. They were subsequently apprehended at a local pier.
Throughout questioning, Thornton maintained his innocence, denying all allegations against him. Thai authorities have now coordinated with the Foreign Affairs Prosecutor’s Office, the Office of the Attorney General, and the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) to proceed with transnational criminal extradition.
In the second case, Immigration investigators from Surat Thani Province arrested Mr. Ben Ashton, 37, who had been permitted to stay in the Kingdom as a tourist. It was later discovered that he had been posing as a major businessman in the Chaweng Beach tourist area of Koh Samui.
Investigation and verification with the NCA revealed that he had previously been charged with fraud and sentenced to prison by a British court, but had fled to reside in Thailand while secretly operating businesses with his family.
Following Ashton’s arrest, the Immigration Region 6 Commander revoked his permission to stay in the Kingdom, as he is an individual who has committed offenses and been found guilty by a foreign court. Since British authorities want him returned to serve his sentence, he is considered a prohibited person banned from entering the Kingdom and will be extradited back to the UK to serve his sentence.
Officers also discovered that Ashton’s business group and family likely operated businesses through nominee or proxy companies, which constitutes illegal activity. Authorities have gathered evidence to request search warrants from Koh Samui Provincial Court and conducted searches of seven companies, with investigations ongoing. If violations are found, legal action will be taken strictly according to all applicable laws.
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