PATTAYA, THAILAND – A 23-year-old Australian tourist filed a complaint with the Pattaya City Police after losing 13,500 Baht – about 650 Australian dollars – in a suspected herbal product scam at Pattaya Beach.
Police report filed on 10 November 2025
According to statements recorded at the Pattaya City Police Station, the complaint was made during the night on 10 November 2025 after the tourist, identified as Muhammad, aged 23, described being lured by a foreign seller near Pattaya Beach Road. The man, believed to be from Pakistan or Afghanistan, spoke to him briefly before guiding him to a small herbal shop inside the Baywalk Project in South Pattaya.
Inside the store, the vendor presented him with what he described as a “miracle hair growth formula” that could purportedly address a number of medical conditions. Muhammad, persuaded by the salesman’s demeanor, purchased two bottles at a total price of 13,500 Baht, only later discovering that identical products were sold elsewhere for less than 100 Baht apiece.
Repeat offenders and ongoing investigations
Local police records reviewed in Pattaya province indicated that the same herbal outlet had faced complaints before. Officers had previously conducted raids following similar reports, yet the business reopened multiple times under new names at nearby locations, maintaining the same sales strategy.
Reports by local Pattaya media agencies confirmed that tourists, particularly single male visitors with hair loss or weight issues, were frequent targets. The repeated pattern consistently included the following steps:
- Approach initiated by foreigners on Beach Road or Second Road;
- Promotion of unlicensed “miracle” remedies for hair, weight, or pain;
- Sales pressure resulting in overpriced purchases lacking proven efficacy.
In previous cases documented by officers at the Tourist Police Division, visitors were allegedly coerced into paying for opened bottles or products claimed to be “non-refundable.” Others faced verbal threats when attempting to leave the premises.
Authorities under pressure to act
Public reaction among residents and business owners in Pattaya City has included demands for firm intervention against long-running scams. Calls have been made to the Tourist Police Bureau and Pattaya City Hall Administration for sustained, coordinated enforcement.
“These businesses disappear temporarily and then reappear,”
said Pattaya Police officials.
“It requires long-term, coordinated measures to protect tourists effectively.”
said Pattaya Police officials.
Tourism agencies emphasized that fraudulent enterprises directly affect visitor confidence in one of Thailand’s highest-revenue coastal destinations.
Risks and preventive measures
Authorities in Chonburi Province have reminded tourists to:
- Purchase only from licensed pharmacies or retailers with visible permits.
- Report suspicious sales activity immediately via the 1155 Tourist Police Hotline.
- Retain receipts and transaction details for official complaints.
Broader implications
With Pattaya annually attracting several million visitors from Australia, Europe, and Asia, scams such as this remain a persistent threat to the city’s reputation. Despite numerous police operations against unlicensed herbal vendors in 2024 and 2025, recurring fraudulent sales continue in smaller tourist zones near Beach Road intersections.
For Muhammad, the 13,500 Baht loss underscored how recurring networks in South Pattaya’s Baywalk area exploit visitor trust through familiar tactics already known to law enforcement.
The case file remains under review at the Pattaya City Police Station, pending further inspection of the shop’s registration documents and surveillance footage captured on 10 November 2025.