PHUKET, THAILAND – An Australian tourist allegedly left a Patong tattoo studio with an expensive cover-up tattoo and flew home without paying the remaining bill.
Cover-up tattoo ends in unpaid bill
The incident took place on 18 November at the Dragon Ink Patong Phuket tattoo studio, where an Australian customer requested a cover-up of an old tattoo on his right shoulder and arm. The agreed price was 25,000 baht (about 625 euros), of which the man initially paid a 10,000-baht deposit. After several hours of work, he claimed he did not have enough cash to settle the remaining 15,000 baht.
Excuse at ATM and flight home
“He apologized and said he was going to get money from a nearby ATM,”
said the tattoo artist. However, the customer never returned to the studio. Instead, the alleged fraudster reportedly went straight to the airport and flew back to Australia the same day, leaving the artist shocked.
Artist plans police complaint
To warn others, the artist posted photos of the man in several Facebook groups with the message: “Beware of this foreign man.” He also announced plans to file a complaint at the police station on 19 November.
“I am worried that he could repeat this somewhere else,”
said the victim, who used the hashtag #Australian to alert other businesses.
Online calls for stricter payment rules
Thai social media users sharply criticized the Australian and urged the artist to pursue the case.
“Business owners in the province now have to be more careful,”
said one commenter. A Thai woman suggested stricter terms:
“The artist should have demanded full payment before providing the service.”
Reports of other foreign customers fleeing bills
Commenters noted that some foreigners had even run off over massage bills of only 300 to 400 baht. The discussion added to concerns among local operators about non-paying tourists. Many urged small businesses in Phuket to tighten their payment policies when dealing with short-term visitors.
Separate theft case at leather goods shop
On 17 November, a leather goods store in Phuket reported a theft involving a group of foreigners. CCTV footage showed a man distracting a staff member while two women stole merchandise, leaving the operators alarmed. According to the report, Thailand’s tourism sector increasingly faced criminal activity by foreign visitors, raising fears of lasting damage to the country’s image.