Staffer pays the price for dine-and-dash at Phuket cafe

A staffer at the Cafe Dim Sum Phuket took to social media to warn fellow service workers about a crafty scam that left her out of pocket. The alarming incident occurred on May 23 at the bustling eatery near the iconic Clocktower Circle in Phuket Town.

Nong Lin, an employee at the popular restaurant, recounted her experience with a group of diners who executed a clever ruse to evade payment. The group arrived around 11am, enjoyed a swift meal for about 20 minutes, and then made a hasty exit, leaving one woman behind to settle the bill.

The woman, appearing flustered and preoccupied with a phone call, requested to pay the bill via a QR code. She scanned the code but, in her rush, failed to confirm the transaction before leaving the premises. By the time the staff realised the payment had not gone through, the group had already vanished.

Speaking to reporters on May 27, Nong Lin shared that this was her first encounter with such a scam. Shockingly, she was held responsible for the 285 baht shortfall, deducted from her day’s wages. Her online post about the incident quickly went viral, attracting significant attention and sparking heated discussions among locals.

The management of Cafe Dim Sum Phuket is now reviewing its payment procedures to prevent similar occurrences in the future, reported Phuket News.

Meanwhile, Nong Lin’s cautionary tale serves as a stark reminder to all service staff to double-check mobile payments before allowing customers to leave.

In related news, a shameless cheating Russian couple insisted they had settled their bill at a Phuket restaurant after being accused of attempting to dine and dash. They later falsely incriminated a Thai waitress of theft but their deception was exposed by CCTV footage, forcing them to apologise and settle the bill.

In other news, a Thai rescue foundation issued a scam warning to restaurants and bars in Bangkok, urging them to remain vigilant for a Thai man who has been repeatedly feigning seizures after meals to avoid paying his bills.