Three foreign dine-and-dash cases reported across Phuket in one weekend

Three dine-and-dash cases involving foreign customers were reported across Phuket over the same weekend, with incidents surfacing on May 2 and May 3 and prompting calls for police action. The reports involved a disputed restaurant complaint, an alleged fake transfer slip and a street food payment refusal.

The first case occurred on Saturday, May 2, and was later shared on social media on May 3 by a restaurant owner. She said two foreign customers ordered stir-fried noodles and fried rice without meat, then complained near the end of the meal after claiming an insect was in one dish.

Restaurant owner disputes insect complaint after CCTV review

The owner said she apologized and offered the meal free of charge. After reviewing CCTV footage, she said she believed the customers had placed the insect on the food themselves.

She said the insect appeared intact and dried, which in her view suggested it had not been cooked with the meal. The owner also said she had run the restaurant for more than 20 years and had never faced a similar complaint.

Fake receipt claim and street stall confrontation

A second case on the same day involved a foreign couple accused of using a fake money transfer receipt to avoid paying for food. Business operators said the pair had allegedly repeated the same tactic at several food stalls across Phuket, including one restaurant in Patong, where they reportedly left quickly after showing the false payment.

A third case was posted on the Phuket Times Facebook page on the night of May 3. Video from a street food stall showed a foreign couple refusing to pay, with the man seen behaving aggressively toward vendors and spitting before leaving.

Witnesses said the woman with him made an offensive gesture toward stall operators before departing. People who commented on the cases said suspects in all three incidents were clearly captured on CCTV and by witnesses, and urged police to identify them and pursue legal action.

Source: https://thethaiger.com/news/phuket/phuket-hit-by-dine-and-dash-cases-linked-to-foreign-tourists