Three Foreigners Caught in Five Days in Pattaya With 990 Days of Combined Overstay; Korean Man Found After Child Reported Mother Being Assaulted
This article organizes publicly available information into a single account. Where it describes an arrest or an ongoing investigation, that reflects only one stage of criminal procedure and does not mean guilt has been established (the presumption of innocence applies). We will update this article as new information becomes available, including the outcome of prosecution, non-prosecution, or trial. This article is not intended to unfairly disparage any individual, group, nationality, ethnicity, or belief, and aims to provide objective, fact-based information.
Chonburi Immigration Police in Thailand conducted an operation against foreign nationals living illegally in Pattaya and Bang Lamung district, Chonburi province, between October 10 and 14, 2026, catching three people. According to the Thai Examiner, their overstays totaled 990 days.
The first arrest came at around 10 p.m. on October 10. From a room near Soi Pattaya 13/1 in the Nong Prue subdistrict of Bang Lamung, the child of a 44-year-old Thai woman called immigration police to report that the mother was being physically assaulted and held against her will by a South Korean man. Officers who responded arrested a 40-year-old South Korean national at the room and found that his permission to stay in Thailand had expired 274 days earlier. The only reported charge was remaining in the kingdom beyond his authorized stay; no assault or unlawful confinement charge was confirmed, and police did not disclose the woman's condition or whether she filed a complaint. Separately, a 24-year-old Uzbek woman with a 148-day overstay was caught on October 13, and a 32-year-old Russian man with a 568-day overstay on October 14. All three were handed over to Pattaya City Police Station for immigration proceedings. Senior Immigration Bureau officers reportedly ordered tougher inspections across the city along with investigations into suspected criminal activity by foreigners.
Current status: Whether assault or confinement charges will be pursued against the South Korean man, and the progress of deportation proceedings for the three, remain unclear as of this writing. This article will be updated as further details emerge.
Also in Thailand, a Chinese man hiding deep in the hills of Phuket was arrested in October 2026 over a 1,793-day overstay. Related article
Editorial Perspective
No decision on indictment has been made at this stage, so this article reflects information from the investigative phase. An arrest is only one step in criminal procedure and does not establish guilt (the presumption of innocence). According to National Police Agency and Ministry of Justice statistics, the number of Penal Code cases involving foreign nationals visiting Japan has risen for two consecutive years since 2023, but remains below its mid-2000s peak (related article). A single case does not necessarily reflect the broader statistical trend; further developments are worth watching.