ConfirmedA court, a regulator or the organization itself has stated the core facts, or the record cites a court or regulator source.
Thai woman deceived by AI-generated Facebook profile travels to Chiang Mai Airport
A 66-year-old Thai woman from Lampang was deceived by an AI-generated profile on Facebook portraying a man named Chai claiming to be a pilot. She travelled to Chiang Mai airport to meet him on 16 September 2026, only for authorities to identify the image as AI-generated and reunite her with her family.
16 September 2026 ยท Chiang Mai Tourist Police ยท Fraud, scams and manipulation
A 66-year-old woman from Lampang, identified as Ipo and a member of the Muser (Lahu) ethnic minority, became emotionally attached to a man named Chai whom she met online through Facebook and believed to be a pilot based at Chiang Mai airport.
On 16 September 2026, she travelled by bus to Chiang Mai and took a tuk-tuk to the airport to meet him, where airport security officers found her at about 8pm.
When she showed officers a picture of the man she was looking for, they concluded the image appeared to have been generated by AI. Tourist police and rescue workers contacted her son and arranged for her safe return home the following morning.
Reported impact
The woman's family said they had not known she had left her home area and communication with her was difficult because she mainly spoke her hill-tribe language and appeared confused.
Hallucination, Manipulation or dark pattern, Deepfake image
AI systems
AI-generated profile image
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.
The Pattaya News
66-year-old Thai Woman Travels Across Provinces to Meet Romantic Interest at Chiang Mai Airport, Believing He Was a Pilot, Only to Find He Was An AI Character on Facebook