Authorities are urgently searching for a suspect in an assault case who picked his handcuffs and escaped custody while being taken out of a prison transport vehicle at Koh Samui court. The suspect's mother is worried and has requested that her son surrender so his punishment might be reduced.
On 17 Sep 2026, it was reported that at 11:00 a.m. on 16 Sep, Warinthorn, accused of assaulting another person with a knife, picked his handcuffs and escaped custody during transportation by police to Koh Samui Provincial Court. The escape occurred when officers opened the prison transport vehicle door to transfer him into the court detention room.
The suspect is believed to have picked his handcuffs while still inside the vehicle. Seizing the opportunity, he ran away from the officers toward the side of the court building, which is covered with dense forest and features a steep rocky cliff, before hiding in the forest. Police, local administrative officials, and volunteers have mobilized to search the forest and nearby abandoned buildings where the suspect is believed to be hiding. The search continues on foot, and authorities plan to continue the operation overnight.
Local residents near the escape site are anxious and fearful, urging authorities to quickly capture the suspect out of concern for their safety.
The assault incident occurred on 14 Sep 2026. Deputy Superintendent Phumret Inkhong of Bo Phut Police Station was informed of the assault, which resulted in injuries, at Isan Phatthana Alley, Bo Phut Subdistrict, Koh Samui District, Surat Thani Province. He promptly reported to his superiors and went to investigate the scene.
Upon arrival, officers found Warinthorn Kaewkhamtai, the perpetrator, under police custody, while the injured party was taken by rescue workers to Koh Samui Hospital for treatment. The investigation proceeded under criminal case number 751/2569.
On 16 Sep 2026, Sub-Lieutenant Pientham Chucherd, deputy inspector and police driver of Bo Phut Police Station, transported Warinthorn to Koh Samui Provincial Court for detention, restraining him with handcuffs as per standard procedure.
Upon arriving in front of the court's detention room, Sub-Lieutenant Pientham opened the transport vehicle door to take the suspect inside, at which point Warinthorn ran out of the vehicle and escaped.
Reporters visited the crime scene home in Isan Phatthana Alley and spoke with the mother of Dechawat, the victim. She said that on the day of the incident, her son was at home when Warinthorn suddenly entered and attacked him with a knife, causing three wounds on his palm and arm. Her son is still hospitalized. She does not know the cause of the attack, as the two men had known each other well and were neighbors and childhood friends living opposite each other. Upon hearing about Warinthorn's escape, she expressed fear and urged the police to capture him quickly.
Meanwhile, Warinthorn's mother said she was very worried after learning about her son's escape. She urged him to surrender to the police so his sentence could be reduced and so he would not have to flee but instead accept responsibility for his actions.
She explained that her son used to work well but in the past four to five years had been unemployed and withdrawn, staying quietly at home without socializing. She had planned to take him to see a doctor, suspecting he might suffer from depression, but the incident happened before she could do so. She pleaded with her son not to run from the law but to surrender.
She expressed regret that her son assaulted a neighbor and stressed that she has taken the matter seriously, visiting the injured party and offering assistance as much as possible because the two families have been good friends for 30 years. Neither mother understands what caused the incident.