Authorities detained a suspicious foreign man for questioning at Mueang Surin Police Station after he was seen using his mobile phone to photograph a military airport used as an operational base. The man tried to evade and deflect from allowing officials to handle his phone. The police commander personally conducted an interrogation lasting over three hours.
In a related matter, Police Major General Siriwat Deepor, Deputy Police Spokesperson, explained that the alert for the public to watch for foreign mercenaries in Nakhon Ratchasima Province is part of coordinated efforts among security agencies. Police are intensifying operations and urge the public to help monitor individuals, vehicles, and drones, reporting anything suspicious. Immigration authorities are strictly screening all entry points, including natural borders, to prevent hostile foreigners from entering Thailand.
Regarding this case, at midday on 16 Dec 2025 GMT+7, reporters went to the area behind the 80th Birthday Park in Mueang Surin District with investigators from Mueang Surin Police. They found a suspicious foreign man wearing a green military-style cap, long-sleeved shirt, and black Ray-Ban sunglasses acting suspiciously. Border Patrol Police Unit 21 nearby had been monitoring his behavior. Witnesses playing sports said the man walked along the road beside the military airport and used his phone to take photos, prompting an immediate report to emergency number 191.
When the man realized he was noticed, he tried to flee and then hid in the park’s restroom. Officials knocked on the door, and shortly after, detectives arrived and attempted to check his phone. The man refused, deflecting and refusing to let officials handle his phone. He was then taken to the Mueang Surin Police investigation room and brought for questioning at the Operations Center.
Police Major General Sukon Sriarun, Surin Provincial Police Commander, together with the Deputy Commander, Mueang Surin Police Chief, immigration officers, military intelligence, and Border Patrol Police Unit 21, conducted a strict interrogation. The man was later identified as Mr. Joshua Brian, 46, from New Jersey, USA. He claimed to be traveling alone in Thailand, but police and related agencies remain skeptical. Records show he checked into a hotel in Surin city just the day before.
As of approximately 18:00 on the same day, Police Major General Sukon Sriarun was personally conducting the interrogation, which had lasted more than three hours amid a tense atmosphere.
Further updates will be provided as the situation develops.