Police Chase Drug Suspect After Sting, Arrest 6km Later
Police in Chonburi set up a sting to buy ice from a drug dealer at a gas station in Pattaya. The suspect fled in reverse, crashed into the station, and drove on ripped tyres for about six kilometres before being stopped and arrested. Approximately 20 grams of methamphetamine were recovered from his vehicle.
On the night of October 13, 2026, at 23:36, Pol. Lt. Col. Srasak Pintong and Pol. Lt. Col. Prasit Boonprasit led a team from the Chonburi Provincial Police Narcotics Suppression Unit in a sting operation to purchase ice from a dealer. Acting on a tip that a drug trafficker was supplying teenagers in Chonburi, they set up the operation at a petrol station on Pattaya South Road. When the suspect’s white Isuzu D‑max pickup pulled in to refuel, an undercover officer signalled that it was the target vehicle. As police moved in to arrest him, the driver, identified only as Ratchata, 41, realised he had been spotted, accelerated in reverse and crashed into the station office and a police vehicle. Officers ordered him to stop and blocked his escape route, but he continued to rev the engine. Police then fired at his tyres, yet he managed to drive away on the rims, nearly hitting other traffic on Sukhumvit Road. After travelling approximately six kilometres, the pickup, now riding only on its metal wheels, was finally blocked and the suspect apprehended amid shocked onlookers. A search revealed approximately 20 grams of ice hidden in a cigarette packet beside the gear shift, which Ratchata admitted was his. He said he fled because he feared arrest, but was ultimately subdued. Station staff reported that, while filling the truck, they saw police surround the vehicle, the suspect ram the office, and officers shoot the tyres; the suspect kept driving despite the damage, and no civilians were present at the station during the incident. Pol. Lt. Col. Chinwach Thitzala of Pattaya City Police Station, Dongtale Branch, arrived at the scene to collect CCTV footage as evidence. Ratchata was taken into custody by the narcotics suppression team for further investigation and will be handed over to the Pattaya City Police for legal proceedings.
