A 26-year-old man suspected of picking his handcuffs and escaping police custody while being taken from a transport vehicle at Koh Samui Court has been caught. He was found to have walked on foot through mountainous terrain for about 6 days, covering approximately 20 kilometers, until reaching his home, where he was ultimately arrested.
At 1:00 p.m. on 21 Sep 2026 GMT+7 in Surat Thani province, reporters reported that officers from Bo Phut Police Station, both uniformed and plainclothes, along with local administration officials from Koh Samui District and volunteers totaling over 50 personnel, spread out to search for the suspect who had picked his police handcuffs near the detention room at Koh Samui Provincial Court. Authorities had been tracking the suspect continuously since 16 Sep and searched mountainous areas and villagers’ houses based on tips throughout the 6 days.
Finally today, led by Police Lieutenant Colonel Booncherd Meechai, a patrol chief at Bo Phut Police Station, officers surrounded and searched Khao Phra in Bo Phut Subdistrict near the home of Warinthorn Kaewkamtai, also known as Tao, 26, the suspect accused of assault causing injury who had escaped by picking his handcuffs. Authorities acted on a tip that the suspect had been seen walking near the forest around his neighborhood the previous night. When police reached his home, only family members were present; Tao had likely fled into the mountains again after hearing dogs barking. This morning, officers intensified their search and surrounded Khao Phra near Isan Phatana Alley, close to Tao’s home, finding him hiding at the forest edge and successfully arresting him.
After the arrest, Warinthorn spoke confusedly, stating only that on the day he escaped, the handcuffs applied by police came loose. Taking advantage of the police opening the vehicle door, he ran away and walked through the mountains back to his home over the past 5 days.
Reviewing the suspect’s escape route, Police Lieutenant Colonel Booncherd Meechai of Bo Phut Police Station said that after the suspect fled custody, authorities launched a continuous search. They found he mostly hid in the mountains but would come down to steal clothes, food, and drinking water from villagers’ homes near the mountainous area before returning to the hills.
Villagers who spotted him reported sightings to the authorities, who conducted ongoing searches both in the mountains and around abandoned houses near the hills.
Additionally, Warinthorn’s mother, Mrs. Kaew, used a police vehicle’s loudspeaker to persuade him to come down from the mountain and surrender, but he refused. He continued to hide in the mountains, traveling on foot through forests and villagers’ paths across four mountain ridges, covering about 20 kilometers from his escape point back toward home. Authorities finally arrested him near his residence.