KOH SAMUI — Immigration officers in Surat Thani have arrested a 36-year-old French national wanted in France on drug trafficking charges after he fled to Thailand to evade prosecution.
The arrest of Jordan (surname withheld) came following official coordination between the Immigration Bureau and the French Embassy, which requested assistance in tracking down the fugitive who had escaped to Thailand.
Immigration investigators in Surat Thani Province began checking accommodation records as required under Thailand’s Immigration Act, which mandates that landlords, property owners, or hotel managers must report foreign guests to immigration authorities within 24 hours of their arrival. The search led them to a rental room in Ban Lamai, Maret subdistrict, Koh Samui district.
During surveillance, officers observed that Jordan remained extremely cautious and had fled his accommodation. The arrest team then conducted a multi-day stakeout until the suspect secretly returned to his room, at which point they moved in to make the arrest on August 6.
Jordan was found to have no passport in his possession. When officers checked his status through the biometric system, they discovered his permission to stay in Thailand had expired on August 5, 2024, meaning he had overstayed his visa by 365 days.
The suspect was transferred to Bo Phut Police Station for legal proceedings. After the domestic case is completed, he will be blacklisted from entering Thailand and extradited to France to face drug trafficking charges.
Police Lieutenant General Phanumas Boonlaksa, Commander of the Immigration Bureau, stated that the office has intensified monitoring of foreign nationals residing in Thailand who exhibit undesirable behavior.
The bureau now coordinates with origin countries to track information on foreign criminals who use Thailand as a hiding place or to launder their activities, or who come to commit crimes here, enabling rapid apprehension of suspects.
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