PHUKET: An American man who escaped from a police truck on Monday after being arrested for overstaying his visa was captured on Thursday.
Dolcide Shilon, 28, was caught in a grove in tambon Rawai of Muang district about noon after police were tipped off to his presence by a local resident.
On Monday, Mr Shilon fled from a police truck delivering him to immigration police at Chalong police station in Muang district for deportation.
He had been arrested in tambon Rawai for overstaying his visa. A local court ordered his imprisonment for six days instead of fining him.
Late last month he was arrested for possession of cannabis.
On Monday, the man had pretended to have a limp. When police opened the truck's door at Chalong station, he ran off at top speed and disappeared into some nearby trees.
Police used a water canon mounted on a fire engine to try and flush him out and flew a drone overhead, but there was no sign of him.
On Thursday, resident Naris Rodnakaret informed police he believed a wanted American man was hiding in some trees at Moo 2 village of tambon Rawai.