PATTAYA, THAILAND – A couple posing as event organizers allegedly collected more than 430,000 baht in artist fees in Pattaya and then disappeared, leaving several performers unpaid.
Open-air show ends with unpaid performers
The incident took place in the night leading up to 18 November at an open-air site near the entrance to Soi Khao Talo, where food and drink stalls had been set up. The show had been advertised with popular comedian Foy Thong Chuen Yim, his comedy troupe, young singer Paeng Fun and the band The Lamud from Phetchaburi.
According to those involved, a woman calling herself “Wa” appeared together with her husband as the supposed main organizers, seen in artists’ photos wearing a pink long-sleeved top and matching trousers. The pair reportedly told the actual venue owner they would act as intermediaries, hiring and paying all performers themselves.
Hundreds of thousands of baht paid in advance
The venue owner allegedly paid the couple more than 430,000 baht in advance, believing this would cover all performance fees. The supposed organizers, however, refused to make any advance payments to the artists.
Victims said the pair cited a supposed rule that performers had to “perform first and then be paid.” The group including Foy Thong, Paeng Fun and The Lamud therefore waited late into the night for their money.
Comedian describes night-long wait
Comedian Foy Thong described the sequence of events to reporters on Wednesday morning.
“We waited the whole night. They kept promising to pay after the show and then the next morning,”
said Foy Thong, comedian.
“By around noon the following day, their phones were switched off. Later we found out they had already received the money from the actual venue owner, with the promise to pay all the artists – and then simply disappeared,”
said Foy Thong, comedian.
According to the performers, they were left not only without their fees but also had to bear travel costs and lost an entire working day.
Suspected debts to loan sharks
Initial inquiries by those affected indicated the fraudulent couple had apparently borrowed larger sums from loan sharks and were paying daily interest. Police therefore assumed the misappropriated funds were likely used to settle private debts.
Some victims also knew the woman under the name “Nok To.” Foy Thong shared photos showing him with the alleged fraudster and called on the public to pass any information about the couple directly to the police.
Venue owner cleared of suspicion
The actual owner of the event site spoke out publicly to clear his name, saying he himself had fallen for the couple and believed they were legitimate organizers. He accompanied the affected artists to Banglamung police station, where a formal criminal complaint for fraud and breach of contract was filed on Tuesday evening.
Officers confirmed that the venue owner had been excluded from any suspicion and was being treated as a victim in the case.
Police launch investigation and issue warning
Police stated that the case had been entered into the daily log and was under active investigation, with a search under way for the alleged organizer couple. The officers used the case to highlight key precautions for future promoters and performers.
They urged parties to carefully verify the identities of all intermediaries and organizers, to sign written contracts with clear payment terms, and to agree payment modalities before any event to avoid similar frauds. According to the victims, the scam had immediate economic consequences for everyone involved, and investigators aimed to determine the couple’s whereabouts and whether more people in Pattaya or other regions of Thailand had been affected.