CHON BURI: A photograph appearing to show a crocodile lurking in floodwater at a school in Sattahip district sparked a frantic search on Thursday involving rescue workers, police and local officials, only for a student to later admit he had created the image using artificial intelligence.
The incident unfolded after a teacher reported that a photo of a crocodile floating near the library of Singsamut high school had been widely shared on social media and in the school’s Line chat group.
The image appeared convincing because the area had been flooded by heavy rain the night before, raising fears that a crocodile might have entered the campus and pose a danger to students and nearby residents.
Rescue workers from the Sawang Rojanathammasathan Sattahip Foundation, joined by police and municipal officials, cordoned off the area and launched a search. More than 10 personnel spent about 30 minutes combing through standing water and inspecting potential hiding spots, but found no sign of the reptile.
The mystery was solved after teachers contacted a Matthayom 5 (Year 11) student, who was traced as the source of the image.
Arriving at the scene, the student apologised and admitted he had used AI to add a crocodile to a real photograph taken at the school. He said he had shared the edited image with friends as a joke and did not expect it to spread across social media or be mistaken for a genuine sighting.
The student said he had acted without thinking and never intended to cause disruption or concern.
The false alarm also drew the attention of Thanatharn Pramoonpong, a People's Party MP for Sattahip, who travelled to the school after hearing reports of a crocodile sighting.
He said he appreciated the student's willingness to admit what he had done and thanked all agencies involved in responding to the incident.
Sattahip officials and rescue workers urged the public to verify the source and credibility of images and information before sharing, especially AI-generated content, to avoid causing public panic and wasting resources on investigations triggered by false reports.
