Pattaya, Thailand — A local food vendor was left heartbroken after being deceived by a customer who ordered multiple meals, including “special” dishes, only to disappear without paying, leaving her with a loss of nearly 500 baht.
On the evening of July 15th, 2025, at around 7:30 p.m., Ms. Aranya (last name withheld), a 28-year-old food stall owner in Soi Nern Plub Wan, shared her frustration on social media. In her post, she lamented, “The economy is already bad, business is slow, and now I’ve been tricked into making food for free.”
Following the post, reporters visited the stall to verify the incident. Ms. Aranya explained to The Pattaya News team that a Thai man, estimated to be 30–35 years old, arrived at her stall on a bronze-colored Honda Wave motorcycle. He inquired about the prices of regular and “special” dishes before ordering two large boxes of pork basil fried rice topped with fried eggs, claiming they were for himself and a friend who worked as a mechanic. Ms. Aranya began preparing the order as the customer engaged her in casual conversation, seemingly to build rapport.
As she neared completion of the rice boxes, the man requested three additional “special” side dishes to be prepared for him and three friends who would supposedly join him later. The dishes included stir-fried basil with canned fish, crispy pork with kale, and an omelette. Trusting his assurances that he would return with his friends to eat, Ms. Aranya agreed and handed over the completed rice boxes without collecting payment, expecting to settle the bill altogether later.
However, after the man left with the rice boxes, promising to return soon, he never came back. Ms. Aranya waited for over two hours, preparing the side dishes as requested, but the customer did not return. Realizing she had been scammed, she contacted her business partner to share the incident, estimating her loss at approximately 500 baht. Devastated, she noted that her business was already struggling due to the poor economy, and this incident added to her woes. She noted that with an average price of 50-60 Baht per dish for smaller dishes this was a major loss for her although the amount lost may seem small to some people.
CCTV footage from the stall captured clear images of the man. Notably, upon realizing the stall had security cameras, he attempted to cover his face with a cloth while continuing to chat with Ms. Aranya as she cooked. Once the rice boxes were ready, he took them and left, never returning for the additional dishes.
Ms. Aranya plans to file a police report with the CCTV evidence and hopes the customer, if he sees her post, will return to settle the bill.
