Police in Surin province detained a suspicious American man yesterday, December 16, after he was seen taking photographs near a military airport and refusing to allow officers to inspect his mobile phone.
Border Patrol Police Unit 21 (BPP 21), which was stationed near Chaloem Phra Kiat 80th Anniversary Park in Mueang district, alerted officers from Mueang Surin Police Station after noticing the foreign man’s unusual behaviour.
According to BPP 21 officers, they were monitoring the area when they spotted the foreign man walking along the roadside close to a military airport. He was seen using his mobile phone to take photographs, raising concerns among officers stationed nearby.
When the foreign man appeared to realise that police were observing him, he reportedly attempted to leave the area. He then entered a public bathroom inside the park and remained there for a period of time.
Police officers later arrived at the scene and knocked on the bathroom door, calling on the man to come out. After some time, he agreed to speak with officers. He was wearing a green military-style cap, a long-sleeved shirt, and black Ray-Ban sunglasses.
During the interaction, police requested to check the man’s mobile phone. However, he refused to comply and attempted to divert the conversation to other topics, preventing officers from inspecting the device. So, police decided to detain him and escort him to police station for further questioning.
Preliminary checks identified the man as a 46 year old American national from New Jersey. Police revealed that he had entered Thailand alone and was staying at a hotel in the city centre of Surin. Records showed that he had checked into the hotel just one day earlier, December 15.
Police said further information would be released if there were any significant developments in the case.
The operation was carried out amid tightened security measures following a tip-off about a suspected foreign spy allegedly hired by Cambodia. The concern spread after police in Nakhon Ratchasima province asked residents to help monitor and report suspicious foreigners in their areas.
Previously, Nakhon Ratchasima police accused Russian nationals of receiving money from Cambodia to spy on Thai armed forces during recent border tensions. However, the Russian Embassy in Thailand denied the accusation, stating that none of its citizens were involved in such activities.
The embassy also urged Thailand and Cambodia to cease hostilities and seek a peaceful resolution to the situation.
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