PATTAYA, Thailand – An Indian tourist filed a police complaint early Wednesday morning after being scammed by a group of foreign men who sold him herbal products falsely claimed to promote hair growth and restore thick, black hair.
At approximately 1:20 a.m. on August 27th, 2026, the victim reported the incident to Police Lieutenant Colonel Thanya Udtong, an investigation officer at Muang Pattaya Police Station.
According to the victim’s statement, the scam began around 9:02 p.m. the previous evening while he was walking along Pattaya Second Road. About three unidentified foreign men approached him, struck up a conversation, and persuaded him to buy what they described as a herbal medicine or remedy for hair regrowth. They claimed the product would make hair grow back thicker and darker.
Trusting their pitch, the tourist was taken to a nearby shop where he agreed to purchase the product for 43,000 Indian rupees, equivalent to roughly 14,799 Thai baht. A friend later intervened and raised doubts about the cost and the product which appeared to be inexpensive honey or coconut oil mixed with basic herbs, prompting the victim to realize he had likely been deceived. He then decided to report the matter to police so authorities could investigate and take legal action.
Similar complaints about foreign groups targeting tourists with this type of scam as well as a similar miracle weight loss scam have surfaced multiple times over the past several years and drawn regular media attention, including at The Pattaya News. There have also been several incidents where tourists claimed to have been assaulted by the suspects when they refused to pay for what appeared to be overpriced “snake oil”. Officials have conducted periodic checks, arrests, deportations, and closed shops, yet the sellers continue to operate in the same basic way, engaging male foreign tourists on Second Road and Pattaya Beach who appear to be overweight or balding and regularly move shops and locations, sometimes even reportedly going to Bangkok or Phuket when attention from law enforcement is high, but overall seem to show little fear of the law.
The victim has urged relevant agencies to step up investigations and take decisive action to prevent other tourists from falling victim and to protect Pattaya’s image as a tourist destination.
