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SCMP’s Asia desk

A city in Thailand plans to deploy AI-powered police drones to hunt down criminals and visa overstayers amid growing concerns over public safety.
Authorities in Pattaya want to link the drones to a centralised AI database so they can scan faces in crowds and pick out individuals with outstanding arrest warrants or expired visas, according to local media outlet The Thaiger.
The drones will be used during large-scale local events and in tourist hotspots to monitor activities and respond to suspicious behaviour in real time.
Pattaya Mayor Poramese Ngampichet discussed the plan on Monday during a meeting with Police Lieutenant Colonel Torlap Tinamat, chief of the city’s tourist police.
Pattaya, a city about 150km (93 miles) southeast of the Thai capital of Bangkok, is a popular tourist destination.
“This initiative will boost Pattaya’s image as a safe and welcoming place for visitors and locals,” Poramese said.

The move comes a day after a Russian tourist was assaulted and robbed at night near a wooded area in the city. Two men were arrested on Monday after police reviewed CCTV footage and identified the suspects, the Khaosod newspaper reported.
The incident sparked public outcry on social media from both locals and regular visitors expressing concern at rising crime incidents. They were also frustrated at a lack of government action to calls for more street lights, security cameras and regular police patrols, according to English language newspaper Pattaya Mail.
Many residents claimed that Pattaya was no longer as safe as it once was, with some saying they avoided walking out at night.
In April, a transgender woman was brutally killed and mutilated by a Chinese tourist in the city. And last December, a Thai national was sentenced to death and two Germans were handed life sentences for the gruesome murder of a German property agent near Pattaya in 2023.
Alan French, a long-time foreign visitor to the city, blasted Poramese for his high-flying ideas. In an open letter titled “Dear Sir”, French accused the mayor of focusing too heavily on showbiz-like spectacles rather than practical needs.
“The city is losing its soul,” he warned, claiming Pattaya’s core needs, like infrastructure and public safety, were being overshadowed by firework festivals, themed parades and flashy concerts.


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The drones will be linked to a centralised AI database so they can scan faces in crowds and pick out criminals and visa overstayers


The drones will be linked to a centralised AI database so they can scan faces in crowds and pick out criminals and visa overstayers.


Thailand’s Pattaya deploys AI drones as cries grow to tackle crime in tourist hotspot

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The drones will be linked to a centralised AI database so they can scan faces in crowds and pick out criminals and visa overstayers

The drones will be linked to a centralised AI database so they can scan faces in crowds and pick out criminals and visa overstayers