Phuket man says cash-display scam outside bank cost him 58,000 baht

A Thai man reported losing 58,000 baht in a cash-display scam outside a bank in central Phuket on the night of May 4, after a foreign woman asked to see Thai banknotes. He told the Phuket Times Facebook page the loss was discovered only after he returned home following a cash withdrawal.

He said he arrived at the bank at about 6pm and left around 10pm after completing his transaction.

Victim describes contact with woman and parked group

As he walked down the stairs outside the bank, he saw four foreigners sitting in a parked car, according to his account. A woman he believed was from the Middle East then approached and started a conversation.

The woman asked to exchange foreign currency and requested to see Thai cash, he said. When he took money from his bag, she allegedly pressed a hand into his back, took hold of stacks of banknotes and kept talking while appearing excited as she handled the cash.

Police collect evidence as similar cases surface elsewhere

After realising 58,000 baht was missing, the man returned to the scene and filed a report with police. Officers went to the bank to gather evidence and said they would examine CCTV footage to identify the suspect.

The case follows similar reports in Pattaya. Last month, a Chinese tourist there lost cash and a gold ring after showing money to two foreign men during a conversation.

Police have also previously received complaints from another Chinese tourist and a Russian couple in November last year after they displayed cash to foreign suspects in Pattaya. In a separate Pattaya case, a man from the United Arab Emirates lost about 14,500 baht when CCTV captured a suspect approaching him, starting a conversation and slipping a hand into his trouser pocket.

Source: https://thethaiger.com/news/phuket/phuket-man-loses-58000-baht-after-showing-cash-to-foreigner