Police fire shots during Pattaya drug chase after pickup hits office

A drug chase in Pattaya concluded with the apprehension of a suspected dealer after his pickup truck collided with a petrol station office and the police engaged in gunfire. The incident unfolded late on October 13 during an undercover drug operation in the city of Pattaya, located in Chon Buri province. Following the pursuit, law enforcement recovered 20 grams of crystal methamphetamine, also known as ice.

The Chon Buri Provincial Police’s anti-narcotics unit had received intelligence that a man was allegedly distributing drugs to young individuals in the area and set up an undercover purchase at a petrol station. Officers confronted the suspect as he arrived in a white Isuzu D-Max pickup truck to refuel, but the driver spotted them and fled.

He reversed into the station's office, damaging its glass frontage and narrowly avoiding collisions with several motorists as he drove on towards North Pattaya with severely damaged tires. The suspect, identified as 41-year-old Ratchata, was eventually intercepted six kilometers from the petrol station on the Bangkok-bound side of Sukhumvit Road.

Police seized a small amount of crystal methamphetamine concealed in a cigarette packet near the gear lever, and Ratchata admitted the drugs were his. The suspect was taken into custody for further investigation, and Pattaya City Police were probing whether additional individuals were involved in the suspected drug operation.