PATTAYA, THAILAND – Foreign tourists distributing fake US$100 bills in Pattaya were reported to police, prompting a public warning after some vendors faced legal trouble when they tried to exchange the notes.
Incident in Pattaya
On Thursday, 27 March, tourists in Pattaya were seen handing out counterfeit US$100 bills while filming social media content. A Facebook user raised the alarm after noticing well-dressed tourists giving money to passers-by, especially children.
Police were called to the Runway Market in the Nong Prue subdistrict to investigate the incident. The tourists were suspected of using fake US$100 bills, and the public was urged to collect evidence in the form of photos.
Vendors’ accounts
A local vendor using the pseudonym Ake reported an encounter with two men identified as Indian nationals. They offered a woman with a child 100 baht in exchange for filming her.
After recording, the tourists asked for the baht notes back and replaced them with what appeared to be US$100 bills, which they handed to the child’s mother and aunt. The recipients initially believed the bills were genuine.
Fake notes exposed
Vendors who later tried to exchange the received bills were turned away. The word “COPY” was clearly printed on the notes, exposing them as fakes.
The public was warned to remain cautious, as handling or attempting to exchange counterfeit currency could lead to legal consequences.
Similar cases in Thailand
In a separate incident on 11 October, two Israeli citizens, Matan (25) and Omer (27), were arrested on Koh Samui. They were accused of exchanging fake US$50 bills at a Government Savings Bank counter at Samui Airport.
The forged notes passed through an outdated detection machine, causing a loss of 21,840 baht. Both men faced charges of forging foreign currency and possessing it with intent to distribute.
Public reaction and concerns
The incidents on Pattaya and Koh Samui raised questions about the impact of such cases on tourist safety in Thailand. Readers were invited to share their views on whether these events could undermine confidence among visitors.
They were also encouraged to discuss what measures should be taken to prevent similar incidents in the future.