Foreign fortune-teller harasses Thai women for money

A foreign fortune-teller has been making a nuisance of himself, persistently approaching Thai women to offer dubious fortune-telling services in exchange for money. The incidents have been reported around Wat Chaloem Phra Kiat in Bang Si Mueang, Nonthaburi.

Panjarat Limthongcharoen, the 30 year old owner of the Kumati smoothie shop, shared her unsettling experience. Yesterday, August 3, while she was at her shop with her younger brother, a tall man of foreign descent, resembling an Indian national, walked in around 1.40pm.

He approached Panjarat, handed her an envelope requesting 199 baht (US$5.6), and claimed he would tell her fortune. He incorrectly predicted that she would have two lovers simultaneously, mistaking her brother for one of them. This inaccurate and intrusive fortune-telling left Panjarat feeling deeply uncomfortable.

“I have a boyfriend and have never been unfaithful. To suggest otherwise, especially by mistaking my brother for a lover, was very upsetting,” Panjarat said, recounting her irritation. She refused the fortune-telling service, prompting the man to insist she give him her hand for a palm reading.

When she declined again, he began accusing her of being dishonest and a bad person. Feeling increasingly threatened, Panjarat eventually gave him 20 baht to leave, but he reacted with visible displeasure, continuing to berate her until she forced him out of the shop.

Following this incident, Panjarat observed the man entering a nearby shop selling religious items, as well as approaching people parking their motorcycles on the street. He persistently offered his services, only to be repeatedly turned down. Panjarat took to social media to share her experience, and several others came forward, recounting similar encounters where they had been pressured into paying significant amounts for his services, reported KhaoSod.

One concerned individual remarked, “I was duped into paying thousands for a ritual to ward off bad luck. Fortunately, Panjarat realised something was off when he mistook her brother for a lover.

Panjarat expressed relief that her brother was present during the incident, fearing what might have happened had she been alone. She firmly believes that the fortune-teller harbours malicious intentions.