Fake News Claim: Senior Police Officer Bowing to Politician — Alleged AI Image, Verified as Real from 2018
However, Thai PBS Verify investigated and confirmed that the photo was, in fact, authentic. It was taken in 2018 when Newin Chidchob visited the City Pillar Shrine in Nakhon Si Thammarat.
Thai PBS Verify found the source of the false claim on: Facebook.
Thai PBS Verify found a Facebook account named Anti‑Fake News Center Thailand of DE posting an image and text stating:
“Checked and ready to share
A senior police officer bowing to a prominent politician
Fake news, confirmed by: Royal Thai Police
In the case of a widely shared photo showing ‘a man dressed like a senior police officer bowing respectfully to a well‑known politician,’ the investigation found it was created using AI technology.
On closer examination, the text on the football shirt appeared abnormal, not written in Thai or any recognizable language. In addition, the insignia on the police uniform lacked clear detail—typical of AI‑generated images.
Stay alert, spot the difference.
#FakeNews #AntiFakeNewsCenter #AFNCThailand #News #Police #AI #Politician”
The post was published on August 3, 2026, and received 22 reactions.
Was the Photo of Police Bowing to “Newin” Real?
Thai PBS Verify conducted a reverse image search using Google Lens and found a Facebook post by user Jim Bandon, who shared the photo of a police officer bowing to Newin Chidchob. The post included the caption:
“An expensive uniform with honor and dignity … but a heart labeled ‘VIP Only’.”
This post was shared on August 2, 2026.
Facebook post showing a police officer bowing to Newin Chidchob.
Thai PBS Verify examined the image in the post using AI‑image detection tools such as Hive Moderation and Deepfakecheck. The analysis found no indication that the photo had been generated by AI.
Verification result from the Hive Moderation website.
Verification result from the Deepfakecheck website.
Subsequently, Thai PBS Verify used Google Lens to search the image and found that it matched a news report titled “Newin rides a big bike with a major businessman to pay respect at the City Pillar Shrine in Nakhon Si Thammarat, urging biodiesel production to address falling palm oil prices”, published on the Matichon news website on October 30, 2018.
News photo of “Newin rides with a major businessman on a big bike to pay respect at the City Pillar Shrine in Nakhon Si Thammarat, urging biodiesel production to address falling palm oil prices.”
When comparing the images, the logos on the shirt, the posture, and the stance are identical. The police officer’s gesture of raising his hands in greeting also matches.
Comparison of Newin’s photo from the post (left) and from the Matichon website (right).
Who Is the Police Officer in the Photo?
At the same time, Thai PBS Verify examined the individual in the image and found that his appearance closely resembles the person shown in the same Matichon news report.
Comparison of the seated police officer (left) and the officer bowing (right).
Subsequently, the image was searched with Google Lens, which identified the individual as Police Major General Thakoon Netphukkana.
At that time, he was serving as Commander of the Nakhon Si Thammarat Provincial Police, a position he assumed in late 2018. He retired at the end of the 2020 fiscal year, with his final post being Commander of the Surat Thani Provincial Police.
Comparison image of Police Maj. Gen. Thakoon Netphukkana, Commander of Nakhon Si Thammarat Provincial Police.
According to the Anti‑Fake News Center Thailand page, the Royal Thai Police had raised doubts about “the lettering on the football shirt, noting it appeared abnormal and not written in Thai or any recognizable language.” However, when Thai PBS Verify searched using the keyword “Buriram United shirt,” it was found that the shirt shown in the post matched the official Buriram United 2018 design, which was available for sale on online platforms.
Comparison of the shirt in the post (left) and the Buriram United 2018 shirt shown on online platforms (right).
What’s the Truth?
The photo that was claimed to show “a senior police officer bowing to a politician” and labeled as AI‑generated is, in fact, a real event from 2018, when Newin Chidchob visited the City Pillar Shrine in Nakhon Si Thammarat. Verification by Thai PBS Verify, using both AI‑detection tools and reverse image searches, found no evidence that the photo was fake. Moreover, the police officer in the image was identified as Police Maj. Gen. Thakoon Netphukkana, who held the position at that time. Consequently, this is an old photo re‑circulated with misleading information, which led to the false impression that it was AI‑generated fake news.
Verification Process
- Google Lens reverse image search: The image was traced to a Facebook post by user Jim Bandon, showing a police officer bowing to Newin Chidchob. The post was shared on August 2, 2026
- AI‑image detection tools: When tested with Hive Moderation and Deepfakecheck, the photo did not show any indication of being AI‑generated.
- Google Lens reverse image search: When searching the image with Google Lens, the image matched a news report published on October 30, 2018, titled “Newin rides a big bike with a major businessman to pay respect at the City Pillar Shrine in Nakhon Si Thammarat, urging biodiesel production to address falling palm oil prices.”
- Google Lens person search: Using Google Lens to identify a person in the photo, a person was identified as Police Maj. Gen. Thakoon Netphukkana, the Commander of the Nakhon Si Thammarat Provincial Police at that time.
- Keyword search: Conducting a keyword search for “Buriram United shirt”, the shirt in the post was found to be the same design as the Buriram United 2018, which was sold on online platforms.
Impact of False Information
- Misleads the public about the relationship between government officials and politicians.
- Undermines the credibility of state agencies unnecessarily.
- Damages the reputation of individuals in the photo through misinterpretation.
- Distorts and spreads news content widely.
- Increases confusion in distinguishing between “real images” and “false information.”
- Heightens the risk of the public being easily deceived by fake news in the future.
What to do with this misinformation?
- Do not believe or share immediately when seeing posts that seem suspicious or emotionally provocative.
- Check the source to see whether it comes from a credible page or an official agency.
- Use verification tools, such as reverse image search (Google Lens), to trace where the image originated.
- Compare information across multiple media outlets before concluding it is true.
- Be cautious of genuine images reused with false captions, which can easily mislead.
- If uncertain, refrain from sharing to reduce the spread of false information.
