Image of Thai police officers ‘undercover wearing drag’ is fake - Full Fact

In May 2026, a viral image circulated online appearing to show Thai police officers who had conducted an undercover arrest while dressed in drag. The image was widely reported as authentic by various media outlets before being debunked as a digital fabrication.

What happened

The image, which featured four men and one woman in costume surrounding a handcuffed suspect, was originally posted on Facebook on May 21, 2026, by the Tha Luong police station in Lopburi, Thailand. While the station confirmed that the arrest itself was real, the photograph of the officers in drag was an AI-edited version of a genuine photo showing the officers in standard t-shirts and trousers.

The edited image included a SynthID watermark, indicating it had been processed using Google’s AI tools. In a subsequent post, the police station clarified the situation by sharing the original, unedited photo, accompanied by a caption explaining that the image was AI-generated. Rachata Mitrsuripong, the station's Facebook administrator, stated that the intention behind the edit was to project a friendlier and more humorous image of the police to make officers feel more approachable to the public. Despite the benign intent, the incident highlights how AI can be used to alter reality, leading to widespread misinformation when shared without context or verification.