Pattaya, Thailand– A 57-year-old German industrial engineer has filed a police report after being duped into purchasing overpriced herbal supplements falsely claimed to regrow hair on bald heads, losing more than 22,000 baht (approximately €600) in the process.
The incident occurred on Beach Road in Pattaya Soi 13/2. At around 00:30 on December 25th, 2025, Mr. Yilmaz Yuezbazi, a German national, reported the scam to Police Lieutenant Colonel Sutheepan Thapsri at Pattaya City Police Station.
Speaking through an interpreter, Mr. Yuezbazi told the police that while strolling along the beachfront promenade, he was approached by a foreign man who struck up a friendly conversation and offered hair nourishment products. The seller boasted that the supplements, packaged in jars and marketed as a branded dietary supplement, possessed miraculous properties capable of regrowing hair on completely bald scalps.
Enticed by the claims, the victim agreed to buy two jars for a total exceeding 22,000 baht. The perpetrator then escorted him to a nearby herbal shop where the transaction took place. Only later, upon closer inspection, did Mr. Yuezbazi realise the products lacked the advertised efficacy and were vastly overpriced, leading him to conclude he had been scammed and prompting him to seek legal action.
The Pattaya News notes that such frauds are commonplace in Pattaya’s tourist hotspots. Groups, often comprising of foreign nationals, routinely target foreign visitors by touting various herbal remedies and supplements. Once a potential victim shows interest, they are led to a shop for the sale. Previous cases have seen multiple victims fall prey, with some shops refunding money after police intervention during investigations, such as this one here.
Authorities and concerned parties have called for intensified crackdowns by relevant agencies and police to address the persistent issue, aiming to protect tourists and prevent further incidents that tarnish the resort city’s reputation.
