Debtor sought after redirecting collection calls to police
Pattaya police are searching for a debtor who redirected debt collection calls to the police station, resulting in more than 200 unwanted calls over three days.
The issue came to public attention after two officers from Mueang Pattaya Police Station shared a video on social media describing the disruption caused by the calls.
In the post, one officer explained that police had been dealing with a heavy workload, including nearly 20 traffic accidents and around 30 incidents involving intoxicated or mentally ill people during a single shift.
The officer wrote that the situation was made worse by repeated calls from loan sharks after a debtor redirected them to the police station. The officer stated…
“We told them that we are police, but they did not believe us.”
The video showed officers answering multiple calls and attempting to explain to callers that they had reached a police station. The conversations became heated at times as officers expressed frustration over the situation.
The clip quickly gained attention online, with many social media users sympathising with the officers. Others reacted with humour, with some joking about forwarding calls from their wives to the police instead.
One of the officers later told news agencies that many of the callers claimed to be contacting debtors through loan applications. According to the officer, the callers spoke Thai but appeared to have accents from neighbouring countries.
ThaiRath reported that officers received more than 200 calls from the loan sharks over three days.
Police attempted to block the numbers, but new numbers continued calling the station. Investigators are now working to identify the debtor responsible for redirecting the calls.
Mueang Pattaya Police Station superintendent Anek Srathongyu explained that the calls were directed to the station’s dedicated smartphone number, which is intended to provide residents with direct access to local police services.
The number operates separately from the national emergency hotline 191, which routes calls through a central command centre.
According to Anek, the debtor’s actions disrupted police operations and diverted resources from legitimate requests for assistance. Anek urged the public not to misuse police contact channels, noting that officers must remain available to assist residents and visitors.
The superintendent added that police intend to pursue legal action against the suspect responsible for forwarding the calls.
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