A 38-year-old Chinese national, Li Jian, is currently the subject of an intense manhunt after escaping custody at the Pattaya City Police Station in the early hours of June 5, 2025. Li had been arrested the previous day at Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok while attempting to board a flight to Da Nang, Vietnam, following the issuance of an arrest warrant by the Pattaya Provincial Court on fraud charges.
During his interrogation on the second floor of the police station, Li exploited a momentary lapse in attention by the officers, opened a sliding glass window, and jumped out, landing on Soi 9 adjacent to the station. Despite efforts by a pursuing officer, who sustained injuries during the chase, Li managed to flee the scene.
The fraud charges against Li stem from an incident involving a former friend, who reported that Li had proposed an exchange of 178,000 Chinese yuan for 38,712.77 USDT (approximately 1.26 million baht) for investment purposes. After receiving the cryptocurrency, Li allegedly failed to transfer the agreed-upon yuan, prompting the victim to file a complaint.
Pattaya police have released surveillance footage capturing Li’s escape and are urging anyone with information on his whereabouts to come forward. Authorities are also reviewing security protocols to prevent similar incidents in the future.
