January 19, 2026
SINGAPORE – In an era where views and follower numbers give social media creators clout, police in Thailand have unexpectedly joined the game by turning themselves into movie characters after nabbing law offenders, with the aid of generative AI.
Officers from Samchuk in Suphan Buri, central Thailand, caught the public’s attention on Jan 15 when they announced on Facebook that a group of Disney princesses had successfully arrested suspects of an unspecified crime.
A day later, police said it was Straw Hat Pirates from the long-running Japanese manga One Piece who paused their search for treasure to nab a theft suspect, who was also arrested for drug use and driving under the influence.
The artificial intelligence-generated images of the police officers dressed in the unmistakable gowns of characters like Snow White and Cinderella drew many a chuckle from Thai netizens, with many praising their “beauty” and others remarking that the princesses appeared unusually “muscular”.
Thai police appearing as Straw Hat Pirates, with the aid of Gen AI, after nabbing a criminal suspect. PHOTO: POLICESAMCHUK/FACEBOOK/THE STRAITS TIMES
The Samchuk police investigation team came up with the idea of using costumes to make routine arrests more engaging, Thai media Khaosod cited station superintendent Kietchai Koetcho as saying.
The cartoon outfits were digitally added after the arrests, with the officers wearing their regular uniforms during the operations, the Bangkok Post reported.
The goal of increasing engagement was largely achieved, with the posts also widely circulated. An image of the police as One Piece characters – Luffy, Zoro, Sanji and others – standing behind a suspect was shared more than 18,000 times and picked up by local news broadcasters and websites.
The artificial intelligence-aided cosplay seems to be sparking a trend, with officers from Bangkok’s Phlapphla Chai police station channeling the Peaky Blinders in the three-piece suits worn by the Shelby brothers in the Birmingham-set crime drama – posing in front of another suspect.
The Samchuk police stressed, however, that amid the digital fun and games, maintaining public safety and peace in the community remained their main objective.
Thai police have previously dressed up for arrest photo shoots.
In March 2025, Liverpool-supporting police in Krabi wore the football team’s red shirts when arresting a drug suspect, who was seen in Newcastle’s black-and-white kit. That stunt appeared to be a vengeful one made in jest, referencing Liverpool’s defeat by Newcastle in the League Cup final just days before the arrest.