UDON THANI, Thailand — Police have arrested a Norwegian man after he was found naked and intoxicated in a city alley on New Year’s morning, authorities said.
The incident occurred at about 9:40 am on January 1st, 2026, when officers from Udon Thani City Police Station were alerted to reports of a drunken tourist walking naked outside an apartment building in Soi Phothong, off Wattananuwong Road, within Udon Thani municipality. Local police coordinated with tourist police to investigate.
At the scene, officers found Hansen, 28, Norwegian, heavily intoxicated, incoherent and standing naked in the street. Witnesses said he appeared unconcerned by passers-by and was performing push-ups in public. His clothes and shoes were later found discarded in a nearby canal.
Police escorted him into the apartment building to get dressed and checked his passport, which was valid. A pair of brown shorts recovered from the canal contained 3,500 baht (£80), which was returned to him.
During preliminary questioning, Christian told tourist police he had gone out to celebrate New Year’s Eve at a restaurant in the Samphanthamit area, not far from his accommodation, and had been drinking heavily. He said his friends left earlier and that by about 2 am he was so drunk he could not remember what happened next, including removing his clothes and walking naked through the alley.
Residents who saw the man in the street reported the incident to police after being alarmed by his behaviour.
A 13-year-old girl who witnessed the incident told officers she saw the foreign man earlier that morning sitting outside a restaurant near the entrance to the alley and attempting to force open a toilet door. She later encountered him walking naked in the alley while she was returning home from a New Year’s alms-giving, which frightened her. She said she had seen the man coming and going in the area for about a week.
An apartment caretaker, 70-year-old Prasit, said the man had been staying at the building for about a month. He added that the property owner intended to ask the foreign tenant to move out.
Police also said they discovered the man had earlier caused a disturbance at a shopping centre. He was taken into custody at Udon Thani City Police Station and charged with committing an indecent act. Investigators said legal proceedings would follow under Thai law.