AI Facial Recognition System Helps Phuket Police Arrest Two Visa Overstayers

Tourist police in Phuket arrested two foreign nationals accused of overstaying their visas by more than two years after they were identified through an AI-powered facial recognition system in Kathu district.

The arrests took place on May 8 during an operation targeting foreigners suspected of immigration violations and other illegal activities in key tourist areas across Phuket.

According to tourist police, the operation was launched following directives to intensify inspections of overstayers and suspicious individuals on the island. Officers deployed a Mobile AI Camera system installed in a smart patrol vehicle to scan people in public areas around Kathu.

The technology is linked to a central immigration database containing records of foreign nationals whose legal permission to remain in Thailand has expired.

Police said the system automatically flagged two men wanted for overstaying offences.

The first suspect was identified as 24-year-old Clinton Ubasinachi Ekechukwu, a Nigerian national. Authorities said he entered Thailand under the 60-day visa exemption programme and allegedly remained in the country illegally for 877 days beyond his permitted stay.

The second suspect, identified as 34-year-old Ousmane Kone from Côte d’Ivoire, also reportedly entered Thailand under the same visa exemption scheme and allegedly overstayed by 739 days.

Tourist police stated that the AI facial recognition technology allows officers to identify immigration offenders in real time, improving monitoring capabilities in crowded tourist destinations.

Both men were charged with remaining in Thailand after the expiration of their legal stay permits. They were transferred to Kathu Police Station for legal proceedings and deportation procedures.

The arrests are part of broader efforts by Thai authorities to tighten immigration enforcement in Phuket and other major tourist destinations.

Last year, immigration officers in Phuket also conducted a large-scale operation targeting visa overstayers, including the arrest of three Nigerian nationals accused of remaining in the country illegally.