KOH SAMUI, THAILAND – Two British fugitives wanted by Interpol for robbery and fraud have been arrested on Koh Samui, the southern Thai island recently thrust into the spotlight by the hit series The White Lotus.
Kieren Daniel Farrer Thornton, 38, and Ashton Kevin Saunders, 37—believed to be cousins from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire—were captured in separate raids on May 24. Thai authorities confirmed the arrests were the result of coordinated efforts with the UK’s National Crime Agency.
Both men had reportedly been hiding in Thailand for more than a decade to avoid serving sentences handed down in the UK.
Kieren had fled the country after being arrested for robbery at a pier and will now face extradition to England. Ashton, also known by the alias “Ben Ash,” had previously been convicted of fraud and received a suspended sentence before disappearing.
Authorities discovered that Ashton had entered Thailand on a tourist visa and went on to open seven bars along Koh Samui’s bustling Chaweng Beach. The businesses were allegedly registered under Thai nominees—an apparent attempt to bypass the Foreign Business Act of 1999, which limits foreign ownership to 49%.
Police Major General Songprod Sirisukha, commander of Immigration Division 6, confirmed both men had their residency permits revoked and would be extradited. “The arrests align with our policy to suppress transnational crimes and prevent foreign offenders from hiding in Thailand’s tourist hubs,” he said.
Thai officials are now investigating potential legal violations involving the suspects’ business ventures and nominee structures.
The pair were also connected to a fake loan website scam created in 2014, in which they cloned The Guardian’s branding to promote a sham firm called Business Grants & Loans. Victims reportedly paid for loans they never received.
In a separate case, Ashton had previously received an 18-month suspended sentence in the UK in 2015 for operating Blue Tech Media, a fraudulent digital marketing firm that deceived small businesses with fake grant offers and poor-quality services.
Judge Jameson, during Ashton’s sentencing, described his scheme as “an internet version of advanced fee fraud” and added, “If I had not been able to impose unpaid work, the sentence would have been immediate custody.”
The arrests came amid a tourism boom in Koh Samui, driven by the global success of The White Lotus Season 3. The island’s luxury Four Seasons Resort, used as the show’s fictional setting, has reported a tenfold increase in bookings.
Authorities emphasized their continued efforts to monitor foreign nationals and ensure the island does not become a haven for international criminals.
