Police in Chanthaburi province have arrested Li Jian, 38, a Chinese fraud suspect, who escaped from Pattaya police station by jumping out of a second-floor window earlier this week. The dramatic escape occurred on Wednesday while Li was being questioned. He was found and apprehended in a hotel in Muang district around 7:30 pm on Thursday, after more than 17 hours of police pursuit.
Li was initially detained at Pattaya police station in Chonburi province after being arrested by immigration police at Don Mueang airport for attempting to flee to Vietnam. He was wanted under an arrest warrant issued by the Pattaya provincial court, stemming from a complaint by a Chinese national.
While in custody, Li made a bold escape by leaping from a second-floor window. A police officer attempted to follow him but was injured, halting the pursuit. Subsequent CCTV footage showed Li had hired a taxi to travel towards Chanthaburi near the Cambodian border, leading police to coordinate with local authorities to track him down.
Following his recapture, Li was returned to Pattaya City for further questioning. Chanthaburi police charged him with escaping lawful custody while under judicial detention. Li also has a criminal record including an accusation of luxury watch theft in Bangkok’s Makkasan police jurisdiction.
The motive behind Li Jian’s escape remains unclear as investigations continue.
