Phuket hotel security chief arrested after master key room entry attempt

Police in Phuket arrested a hotel security chief after he allegedly used a master key to try to enter a female DJ’s room in Cherng Talay, police said. The complaint was filed on Jan. 17, 2026, and officers arrested the suspect a day later after recovering CCTV evidence that police said he tried to delete before fleeing.

The woman told police the door was opened with a key card but the intruder could not get inside because she had engaged a double lock from within. Phuket Provincial Police chief Maj. Gen. Sinlert Sukhum said the suspect was the hotel’s head of security.

CCTV recovery and hotel response

Investigators said CCTV showed the man had gone off duty at 4pm on the day of the incident but did not go home. Police said he instead took the opportunity to use a master key at the guest room.

Afterward, the suspect allegedly tried to erase CCTV files to destroy evidence, but officers were able to restore the footage and track him down on Jan. 18, 2026. Police also said a background check found he had a prior case involving borrowed money that was not repaid.

Cherng Talay police described the case as an individual act and said it did not reflect the province’s wider security system. The hotel issued a statement apologizing deeply, saying it had reported the case to police, opened an internal investigation, and was reviewing and tightening its security measures.

Source: https://www.sanook.com/news/9868914/