CHIANG RAI – Police report they’ve stopped drug smuggling meth at the Chiang Rai Bus Terminal 2 three times in just a few days. The latest case involved two men from Trang who allegedly tried to ship more than 1.2 million methamphetamine pills south by coach bus.
Police officers from Muang Chiang Rai Police Station detained two men, Mr Sutheenan, 22, from Kantang District, Trang, and Mr Wiwat, 24, from Mueang Trang District. Police said the arrests followed tighter checks ordered across key locations to block drugs moving from the North into inner provinces.
Investigators said they received information that drugs would be moved on a passenger bus from Chiang Rai to the South. Police were assigned to monitor Chiang Rai Bus Terminal 2 in San Sai, Mueang Chiang Rai.
At about 6:00 p.m. on January 30, officers spotted a Chiang Rai to Nakhon Si Thammarat bus arriving to pick up more passengers. Police boarded and noticed two men sitting together who appeared uneasy.
They were dressed in clothing resembling military wear, including camouflage-style shirts with patches. When asked, they initially claimed to be soldiers, but officers said their answers didn’t add up.
Four large bags allegedly packed with meth pills
Police then asked to check their luggage, described as four large suitcases stored in the undercarriage compartment. Officers said all four bags felt unusually heavy. After opening them, police reported finding packages of methamphetamine pills inside each suitcase.
Police estimated about 300,000 pills per bag, for a total of roughly 1,200,000 pills. Both men were taken into custody, along with the seized drugs, for legal action.
Police said the suspects admitted they traveled from the South to Chiang Rai on January 16, 2026. On January 30, they claimed someone left the drug-filled suitcases near a hotel close to the old airport area in Mueang Chiang Rai.
They said they picked up the bags and used a Grab car to get to a pickup point near Mae Fah Luang University in Tha Sut, Mueang Chiang Rai, in an attempt to avoid checks at the main terminal.
Police said the destination was Nakhon Si Thammarat, where the drugs were allegedly meant for a network there. The suspects and evidence were handed to investigators at Muang Chiang Rai Police Station for prosecution.
Recent seizures at the Chiang Rai Bus Terminal 2
Police also said that during December and January, officers at Chiang Rai Bus Terminal 2 made multiple interceptions involving drugs hidden in travel bags. They reported:
- December 22, 2025: one suspect arrested with 101,000 meth pills
- December 26, 2025: three suspects arrested with more than 1,000,000 meth pills and about 1 kilogram of ice (crystal meth)
