Pattaya —
Tourists expressed skepticism about what they considered to be an excessive fine for littering by throwing tobacco butts on the ground, which was imposed by an alleged Pattaya official.
On Wednesday, August 9th, a Thai tourist, Ms. Sirikanya Kerdsamrong, 26, filed a complaint with the Pattaya police after she and her foreign friends were allegedly scammed by an alleged Pattaya official.
Sirikanya said that she and her Chinese and Japanese friends were heading back to their accommodation on Wednesday evening after dining on a boat at Bali Hai Pier in South Pattaya when they were approached by a Thai man aged around 30-40 years old who claimed to be a city official.
The man, dressed similarly to a Pattaya city officer, demanded a fine of 2,000 baht per person for littering cigarette butts, which would have totaled 6,000 baht for all three of the victims. He then directed them to pay the fine directly at a poorly-lit area at the pier.
Sirikanya became suspicious of the man’s demeanor and the high cost of the fine, so she attempted to negotiate. The man eventually agreed to reduce the fine to 4,000 baht, but Sirikanya and her friends still felt uncomfortable with the situation. They eventually agreed to pay 3,000 baht and were let go.
After returning to their accommodation, Sirikanya contacted the police to inquire whether such an incident was legitimate. The police advised her to file a complaint, which she did.
Sirikanya said that her foreign friends were very uncomfortable with the unusual behavior of the alleged official. They questioned whether this was an attempt to scam money from them or not.
TPN Media reminds readers that any official fines would always have a receipt and should be paid at the Pattaya Police Station in person. When in doubt, one can always politely request a law enforcement officer to accompany them to the police station for an official review of the fine process.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=–=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Google News, Instagram, Tiktok, Youtube, Pinterest, Flipboard, or Tumblr
Join us on LINE for breaking alerts!
Or, join us on Telegram for breaking alerts!
