Pol. Col. Thotsaphon Ampaipipatkul, Chief of Pravet Police Station, clarified the viral claim about a police captain disguising himself, confirming the man is homeless. He was brought in for record registration and fingerprinting to help locate relatives and proceed with assistance.
On 20 Jan 2026, the Pravet Metropolitan Police Station Facebook page posted that “I am a police captain in disguise, not in a movie but in real life.” The previous day, while patrol officers were inspecting a community along the motorway parallel road, they found a homeless man with disheveled hair and no shirt. Upon searching and questioning his name, they found a police agency ID card with the rank "Police Captain." The man claimed to be a police officer gathering information in the community and nearby areas. His appearance and smell were so convincing that he seemed either like a police officer or a mentally ill person, scoring a full 100 points for authenticity, with many unbelievable stories each day.
After the post went viral, many commented, mostly believing he was a real police officer. One comment said, “What kind of mentally ill person has such a fit physique?” Others joked, “Pravet Police Station has revealed the disguise method of the captain; maybe it’s time to change tactics.” Another said, “The sun is hot; detectives aren’t robots who stay at the station all day.”
Recently, a reporter contacted Pol. Col. Thotsaphon Ampaipipatkul, Chief of Pravet Police Station, who disclosed that the man is homeless and had found an old police ID card from a police unit under the Metropolitan Police Bureau. Authorities have taken him for record registration and fingerprinting to help locate his relatives and proceed with assistance.