PATTAYA, THAILAND – An Indian tourist in Pattaya filed a police complaint after paying more than 43,000 baht for alleged miracle hair-loss remedies he believed were vastly overpriced.
Tourist reported costly purchase to Pattaya police
The 45-year-old visitor, identified as Jitendra Sahu, went to the Pattaya City Police Station shortly after 3:09 a.m. on Friday to report the incident. According to his statement, he had been walking on Pattaya Second Road near Soi Marine Plaza at around 8:30 p.m. on Thursday when about four foreign men approached him.
Sahu said the group, whom he believed could be from regions along the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, first engaged him in a friendly conversation. They then promoted what they described as herbal treatments against hair loss.
Visit to “Thai Natural Herbal” shop and 43,400-baht bill
The men eventually persuaded the tourist to enter a shop called Thai Natural Herbal. There, Sahu said he bought two 200-millilitre bottles of an unspecified coconut-oil-based herbal mixture and one 100-millilitre bottle of pure coconut oil.
For the three products, he paid a total of 43,400 baht, roughly 1,250 US dollars. Only shortly after the purchase did he realize that the price was extremely high and the goods were likely heavily overpriced.
He then decided to report the incident as evidence and to consider legal action, according to the police report.
Series of similar complaints in Pattaya tourist zones
Investigators from Pattaya police recorded Sahu’s complaint and began examining the details he provided. At the same time, they sought to identify and question the men allegedly involved.
According to police, this case was part of a series of similar complaints. Tourists in Pattaya had repeatedly reported aggressive salespeople, often also said to be from areas near the Afghanistan–Pakistan border, selling so‑called “miracle” herbal products at sharply inflated prices.
Range of alleged “miracle” herbal products
Reports mentioned a recurring pattern involving different product categories. These included remedies for hair loss, supposed weight‑reduction preparations, and items marketed for skin care and other ailments.
Local media outlet The Pattaya News had documented such incidents for more than a year in numerous reports. Among the known cases were several European travelers, including a German engineer and another German tourist who reportedly lost more than 140,000 baht to suspected herbal sellers in November, as well as a young Australian who came forward after a similar incident that month.
Past raids but ongoing complaints
Authorities had carried out multiple raids in recent years targeting such sales operations in popular tourist areas. Despite these actions, the businesses reportedly continued to operate, particularly in heavily frequented parts of Pattaya.
The persistence of complaints raised questions in the community about the effectiveness of enforcement efforts. Observers noted that the same sales methods had been reported for years without disappearing entirely.
Police urged tourists to be vigilant
Police in Pattaya issued a strong warning to visitors about such offers. They advised travelers to be especially cautious when approached by unfamiliar, unusually friendly foreigners who offered healing or beauty products without being asked.
“Tourists should be extremely careful with alleged miracle remedies for weight loss, skin care and hair loss, and examine such offers very critically.”
said Pattaya police, according to their guidance to travelers.