The fall of Dr Anchulee: From police ‘angel’ to drug suspect

Once a rising star in the police force, Pol Colonel Dr Anchulee Theerawongpaisal has suffered a spectacular fall from grace – engulfed in a scandal that may have shattered countless lives.

The 47-year-old Anchulee, better known as Dr Air, was arrested on June 10 for allegedly heading a network illegally supplying alprazolam, zolpidem, and clonazepam – so-called “knock-out” drugs associated with date rape.

Anchulee’s network allegedly operated via fake and unsuspecting clinics, bogus prescriptions for deceased patients, parcel delivery, and links to Chinese crime syndicates.

Following her arrest on June 10, she was immediately dismissed by the Police General Hospital, where she worked as a psychiatrist.

Investigators say they have uncovered a money trail showing that over 400 million baht circulated through her illegal drug distribution network.

Although known for her strong communication skills as a police spokesperson, Anchulee opted to stay silent following her arrest.

She also declined to seek bail and was remanded in custody after the court ruled the charges too serious to permit her release.

Anchulee’s two young children are now being cared for by her mother.

Fallen angel?

Born in 1978, Anchulee is the daughter of two politicians from the Northeast province of Surin.

Her father is a former kamnan, while her mother is a former mayor. Her family also owns several businesses.

Anchulee earned a medical degree at Khon Kaen University before going on to study child and adolescent psychiatry at Mahidol University’s Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok.

The young doctor stepped into the public spotlight during her tenure as deputy police spokesperson, when she was known for her smiling, “angelic” face at press conferences.

Her media connections helped her land jobs as a TV presenter and actress. She also served briefly as a visiting lecturer at institutions including Ubon Ratchathani University and Siam University.

Her achievements were recognised with a 2012 Culture Ministry award for outstanding use of the Thai language, and an outstanding alumnus award from the Sirindhorn School in Surin.

However, she also suffered setbacks in both her professional and personal life.

She lost her job as police spokesperson in 2014, and two years later faced a disciplinary investigation for allegedly tending to personal matters during work hours.

Anchulee also hit the headlines in 2015, when celebrity Vitchuda Leetanuphong accused her of stealing her boyfriend, who was also a police officer.

Anchulee and Vitchuda’s boyfriend denied any romantic link, and Anchulee went on to win a defamation lawsuit against the celeb.

However, Vitchuda’s vitriolic attack against Anchulee went viral on social media. “Don’t act naïve! People can see through you,” Vitchuda declares in the video clip.

Fall from grace

Despite the turmoil and scandal, Anchulee managed to maintain a positive public image – until recently.

Her fall from grace began in May 2019, when she posted a photo of herself pregnant on Facebook with a caption that read, “Mom, can I get Miami as my birthplace?”.

She was married to businessman Atithan Petcharat at the time and had been promoting “birth tourism” to the United States via Facebook.

The scheme helped pregnant women fly to the US and give birth there to gain US citizenship for their child.

However, birth tourism was becoming increasingly controversial, criticised by many as unethical, unfair to US taxpayers and a breach of public-service values.

Anchulee’s Facebook page – which had 310,000 followers – drew scrutiny for exploiting this legal loophole.

In 2022, she was also accused of demanding bribes in exchange for helping shady Chinese business figures gain Thai visas. The case is currently with the Appeals Court.