Short Change Artist Scams

reader · July 26

NOTE -- On recent trip I was approached by a foreign male on Surawong Road (near Soi Thaniya), asking if I knew where he could find a hospital. After I directed him to nearby Bangkok Christian Hospital, he followed up and asked if I could change some money for him. I knew instinctively this was a scam attempt. If you're new to LOS, never agree to change money for a stranger.

From Pattaya News

Two Pakistani nationals were apprehended in Kamala after a series of thefts involving a clever 1,000 baht banknote trick. The suspects targeted businesses across Phuket,

Pattaya, and other provinces.

On Wednesday (July 24th) at 9:00 P.M., a foreign suspect entered a Kamala pharmacy posing as a customer. He engaged the pharmacist in conversation, using a 1,000 baht banknote to confuse them. The ruse involved pretending to buy small items, then claiming he didn’t want them, resulting in the pharmacist returning the banknote. The suspect would then change his mind and speak quickly, confusing the cashier, receiving both the items and the change, effectively leaving with the original 1,000 baht note.

In the west, this sort of scam is called short changing, or a short change artist.

The second suspect waited on a motorbike outside the pharmacy, ready to flee. This same tactic was employed at a mini mart in Kamala and three other businesses in Patong. In June, the duo executed similar scams in Pattaya, and earlier in March, they targeted shops in central Thailand, including Ayutthaya, Ang Thong, and Singburi according to Thai police.

Authorities from multiple provinces had been pursuing the suspects until their arrest in Kamala on Thursday (July 25th). The thieves claimed they were intoxicated when committing the crimes and that they hadn’t meant to con anyone.

Phuket Police have urged other businesses in the region to come forward if they fell victim to this scam. However, the names and ages of the arrested suspects remain undisclosed.

Phuket police have also warned that these men may be part of a larger network and also could be involved in scams involving short changing tourists in areas like Phuket and

Pattaya, confusing them by asking to help them exchange money and then short changing the victim instead.