Pattaya police have arrested eight foreign nationals who were selling snacks to tourists in a predawn raid on Pattaya Beach.
Some of the suspects ran into the sea to try to escape.
The operation began at 4.36am. It followed complaints from residents about illegal foreign vendors targeting tourists along the beach.
As police moved along the beach area, some suspects panicked and tried to avoid arrest, running into the water and swimming out to sea. Police called out for them to return ashore but they refused.
Eventually, the cold proved too much and they swam back to the beach and were taken into custody.
Police said seven of the detainees were Vietnamese and the other was Cambodian. The snacks they were selling to tourists were impounded as evidence.
