Police officer "K" of Huay Yai Police Station confirms having pursued Ai Pong twice and denies ever employing him as an informant. He admits Ai Pong called him after release from prison, prompting him to promptly create a profile labeling Ai Pong as a “dangerous person” requiring close surveillance.
On 5 August 2026, reports emerged that police had thoroughly examined the mobile phone of Ai Pong, also known as Mr. Thana Kerdthong, age 43, one of the suspects. This followed allegations that Ai Pong acted as an informant for police, linked to a superior officer with the rank of Sergeant named “Sorn,” a former Huay Yai police officer who retired in 2014 (at retirement he held the rank of Police Lieutenant). Authorities are currently investigating any connection between him and Ai Pong.
Additionally, allegations have been made involving a currently serving officer at Huay Yai Police Station. A reporter spoke with this officer, identified only by the initial “K,” who revealed he was among the police who arrested Ai Pong twice since transferring to Huay Yai Police Station in 2013.
The first incident occurred in mid-2018 when police from Pattaya City Police Station alerted him to assist a young woman being held against her will at a house in the Nern Sai Soi area of Huay Yai. Upon arrival with his investigative team, they found Ai Pong inside the house but initially found nothing suspicious. However, as they prepared to leave, unusual noises caused him to re-enter the house where they found the woman hiding under a bed with a towel covering her face. She appeared to have been physically abused, her face swollen. Ai Pong was then taken to Huay Yai Police Station for processing. The next day, however, the officer learned Ai Pong had been released because the woman, claiming to be his girlfriend, did not press charges.
The second case involved attempted murder and firearms offenses occurring in October 2018. After Ai Pong committed the crime and fled, the officer led a team to track him and spoke with Ai Pong’s elderly father, who was still alive then and estimated to be around 70 to 80 years old. The officer asked the father to persuade Ai Pong to surrender and left his contact number, but the father, using an old phone without the ability to save numbers, was given the number written on paper.
A few days later, on 13 October 2018, Ai Pong was arrested by patrol officers at Nong Prue Police Station in a rented room in Pong Subdistrict, Bang Lamung District, Chonburi Province. Local residents had reported him for causing disturbances. Upon checking, officers found an arrest warrant issued by Pattaya Provincial Court for attempted murder and firearm offenses under Huay Yai Police Station jurisdiction. Coordination led to Ai Pong being transferred back to Huay Yai Police Station for prosecution.
During interrogation at the station, Ai Pong claimed he had thrown the .38 caliber revolver used in the crime into the sea behind Ban Amphoe Temple in Najomtien Subdistrict, Sattahip District, Chonburi Province. Officers searched underwater with scanning equipment but found no weapon. The officer bought food for Ai Pong and tried to gain his trust, encouraging him to cooperate by suggesting that doing so might result in a shorter prison term. Ai Pong alleged he was beaten by his rival first, and in anger, fired the gun, injuring the opponent. Nevertheless, Ai Pong refused to disclose the weapon’s location, leading police to suspect he hid it with someone or stashed it elsewhere. Police then formally recorded the arrest and sent Ai Pong for prosecution, resulting in his imprisonment from October 2018.
After eight years, in mid-June 2026, the officer received a call from an unknown number. At first, Ai Pong said, “Hello, brother, it’s Pong.” The officer didn’t immediately recognize him and asked, “Which Pong?” Ai Pong replied, “It’s me, Pong, the one you arrested for the shooting incident at Thung Lahan.” The officer immediately recalled and asked when Ai Pong was released and how long he had been imprisoned. He also advised, “Now that you’re out, behave yourself and don’t cause trouble.”
The officer further asked Ai Pong where he got his phone number. Ai Pong said the number was recorded in his father’s notebook.
After the call ended, the officer informed the investigative team that Ai Pong had been released and instructed them to promptly create a profile classifying him as a person under surveillance due to being dangerous, stating, “Because Ai Pong is unstable.”
Regarding the officer’s calls to Ai Pong, one occasion involved Ai Pong calling to report seeing police at a motorcycle repair shop. At the time, the officer did not know the team was conducting an arrest operation. The officer did not respond, but about ten minutes later, he called Ai Pong to ask if the suspect had been seen. Ai Pong said no, and he thought the suspect had fled. The officer then asked Ai Pong his location and told him to come to a nearby restaurant. About five minutes later, Ai Pong arrived on a motorcycle, embraced the officer’s waist, and they briefly talked about general well-being before parting, as the officer needed to take medication.
Most recently, the officer made calls to Ai Pong, who is suspected in the abduction of two Russian siblings. He acknowledged making calls as directed by the investigative team to aid in tracking Ai Pong. However, Ai Pong did not answer, as his phone was off despite three calls. The officer suspects Ai Pong was hiding and only occasionally switched on his phone during periods of evasion.
The officer also asserts his innocence and has reported the facts to his superiors, emphasizing he never employed Ai Pong or had a personal relationship with him. He highlighted his involvement in two cases against Ai Pong: the first involving unlawful confinement of a young woman in mid-2018, where the victim did not press charges allowing Ai Pong to avoid prison; and the second, the attempted murder and firearm case later that year, in which he helped arrest Ai Pong and served as a court witness.