CHAIYAPHUM — 16 July 2026, Six male juveniles who escaped from the Nakhon Ratchasima Juvenile Observation and Protection Center and allegedly stole a school pickup truck in an attempt to return home have been arrested in neighboring Chaiyaphum province.
The escape occurred at 05:30 on 16 July 2026, when the six youths took advantage of officers opening a door in the early morning and ran out of the facility. Police said the group had planned the escape in advance by cutting through the bars of their detention room before fleeing.
At around 07:00, the group allegedly stole an Isuzu pickup truck belonging to Ratchasima Witthayalai School, which was parked about 800 metres from the detention center, and drove toward Chaiyaphum.
Police in several jurisdictions set up checkpoints and tracked the suspects’ route as they fled.
The abandoned pickup was later found in Noen Sa-nga district, Chaiyaphum. Maj Gen Sujarit Panlek, commander of Chaiyaphum Provincial Police, ordered investigators to work with officers from Noen Sa-nga Police Station to locate the escapees.
The six juveniles were eventually found and taken into custody without incident.
During initial questioning, one of the youths admitted that he missed his family and wanted to return home. He told investigators he persuaded the others to escape from the detention center and steal the pickup truck to travel back to their hometown.
The six juveniles have been returned to police custody and will be transferred back to the Nakhon Ratchasima Juvenile Observation and Protection Center for legal proceedings.