Phuket restaurant owner disputes tourist’s claim of hair in tom yum after payment refusal

A restaurant owner in Rawai, Phuket, said a foreign male customer refused to pay for his meal after claiming he found a hair in a bowl of tom yum, according to the owner’s account and a social media post shared by Phuket Times.

The incident, which drew wide comment online, was reported to have taken place at a made-to-order restaurant in Rawai, in Mueang district. The Facebook page said the customer complained after finishing his food and then threatened not to pay.

The owner, who works as the cook, said the man, believed to be Russian, ordered several items including rice, tom yum goong and other dishes. She said there was no problem at first, but after he had eaten, he called her to the table and claimed there was a strand of hair in the soup.

The owner said she was shocked because she wears a hair covering while cooking and checks dishes before serving them. She said she has operated the restaurant for more than 10 years and had never encountered a similar incident.

She also questioned whether the hair had come from the customer himself, saying the strand appeared to have a white point resembling a hair root attached to it. She said that when she asked him about it, he appeared to hesitate, but still insisted on not paying and blamed the restaurant.

The case prompted many online comments, including calls for police to examine evidence and suggestions that restaurants install CCTV cameras to document such disputes.

The owner said the incident had left her discouraged at a time when the economy and tourism were already slow and business was weak. She said she wanted to warn other restaurant operators to be more cautious.

The report said the account currently rests on the restaurant owner’s statement and a clip circulated on social media. There was no information on whether a police complaint had been filed, and no response from the tourist accused in the incident was reported.