PATTAYA, THAILAND – Police launched an investigation after a 52‑year‑old German tourist reported being charged €4,000 instead of 4,000 Baht for a claimed ‘miracle hair oil’ in Pattaya’s tourist district.
Incident reported at Pattaya City Police Station
On 12 November 2025, Nadir Altaf, aged 52, arrived at Pattaya City Police Station at 22:06 to file a complaint about a suspected fraud committed earlier that evening on a central Pattaya street. According to the police record, Altaf said he encountered a foreign vendor he believed to be “possibly from the Middle East”, who promoted a so‑called herbal hair‑growth oil and persuaded him to follow him into a nearby store for a demonstration.
At the location, Altaf agreed to purchase five bottles of the product, expecting a total of 4,000 Baht. However, after authorising the transaction on his credit card, the system processed 4,000 euros, roughly 140,000 Baht, a charge nearly 35 times higher than expected.
Statement from victim and police response
“I felt cheated when I saw the amount. That is unfair, and I want justice.”
said Nadir Altaf, Tourist
The on‑duty officer, Lt. Phu Pha Hongyakun, confirmed that the victim’s statement was recorded and that an investigative team had been assigned to identify the shop and the alleged seller involved in the transaction. The officer added that the police would treat the matter without prejudice and pursue the case based on available evidence.
Pattern of recurring scams in the resort city
Reports compiled by the Pattaya City Police Department and summarized by The Pattaya News indicated that similar cases occur almost daily within Pattaya’s high‑traffic tourist zones. Over the past year, authorities documented more than a dozen comparable incidents targeting foreign visitors, often involving inflated pricing and misleading sales.
Officers stated that while several suspects had already been detained in earlier operations, many victims declined to pursue formal complaints, complicating the recovery of their financial losses.
Impact on Pattaya’s tourism reputation
Tourism authorities in Chonburi Province have expressed concern that these repeated scams threaten the credibility of Pattaya, which attracts millions of international visitors per year. The city has already recorded two formal complaints of this nature within the same week, intensifying public scrutiny of local consumer protection enforcement.
Police warning and safety measures for visitors
The Pattaya Police Division issued a reminder urging travellers to check payment details carefully and confirm prices in Thai Baht before completing transactions.
• All purchase prices must be agreed in Baht prior to payment.
• Credit card slips should be checked immediately after the swipe.
• Any suspicious offers or coercive sales should be reported to the Tourist Police hotline 1155.
Authorities stated that continued public awareness and immediate reporting will support investigators in deterring ongoing tourist fraud schemes and restoring visitor confidence in Thailand’s eastern coastal resort.