Two motorbike taxi drivers in Pattaya were arrested on June 15 for producing and selling illegal homemade firearms, following an undercover operation led by Thai police targeting online weapons sales.
The arrests took place after a Facebook post offering converted blank guns for sale drew the attention of the Tourist Police Bureau. Acting on the information, officers arranged a sting operation to apprehend the suspects, who were found to be modifying and selling the weapons to offset personal financial difficulties.
Police identified the suspects as Worakan, 24, and Warasin, 21. Worakan, also known as Tae, was the first to be detained during a pre-arranged meeting on Pattaya Second Road. After initial denials, he admitted to being involved in the sale of firearms and directed police to Warasin, or Song, who was found nearby carrying a modified Colt MMK4 loaded with .380 calibre rounds. A second altered firearm, a Kimber .380, was discovered hidden on his motorcycle.
A subsequent raid led police to a nearby property used as a workshop, where equipment and materials used to convert blank guns into live weapons were recovered. Authorities reported that the two individuals admitted to manufacturing firearms for personal income, stating that the weapons were not intended for violent crime.
Worakan faces charges of illegal possession and public carrying of a firearm, while Warasin has been charged with manufacturing, modifying, and trafficking illegal firearms and ammunition. Both remain in custody at Pattaya City Police Station.
In a related case, police arrested a third suspect, 50-year-old Witoon, in Sriracha, Chon Buri. He was caught attempting to sell a .45 calibre handgun and ammunition online for 75,000 baht. He faces similar weapons charges and has been handed over to Sriracha Police Station.
All arrests were part of a broader enforcement effort supervised by National Police Chief Kittirat Phanphet and Tourist Police Bureau head Sakyasira Phueak-am. The operation was executed by the Tourist Police Investigation Division under the direction of senior officers from the Pattaya and Sriracha jurisdictions.
