Thailand’s border patrol police have issued a formal apology after publishing a digitally altered image depicting flood rescuers armed with automatic rifles and combat gear in the flood-ravaged city of Hat Yai. The incident occurred amid catastrophic flooding in southern Thailand that has claimed at least 145 lives according to official government reports.
The controversial image, shared on the 437th Border Patrol Police unit’s Facebook page, showed personnel in full tactical equipment with the caption “Border patrol ready to enter zone 8 today” accompanied by a laughing emoji. The post was shared over 12,000 times before being removed from social media platforms.
Fact-checkers from AFP identified digital watermarks in the image using Google’s AI identification tool SynthID, including a distinctive star-shaped Gemini watermark confirming the image was generated using Google’s AI software. This marks another instance of AI-generated imagery circulating in Thailand during the disaster response period.
Following exposure of the manipulation, the police unit published the original photograph showing unarmed officers in orange life vests operating a rescue boat with visible relief supplies. “This is a real image before it was made into an AI image,” the unit stated. “We apologize for any misunderstanding.”
An unnamed officer explained to AFP that the altered image was intended to “show the public our readiness to enter the area,” while clarifying that no personnel involved in flood relief operations actually carried firearms. No disciplinary actions have been taken regarding the incident.
The manipulation occurred despite warnings from Thailand’s government-run anti-fake news center, which had previously advised against sharing AI images that “mislead people and become obstacles to relief efforts.”
Public reaction revealed divided opinions, with some netizens condemning the digital deception during a humanitarian crisis while others expressed desire for such armed protection to be reality. Critics emphasized the importance of transparent communication during emergency operations, with one comment noting, “The first place in the world where flood relief officials must be armed.”