Pattaya car scam swindles Indian owner, vehicle vanishes
Police hunt missing Toyota in suspected organised scam
A luxury rental car has vanished without a trace in Pattaya, leaving its owner—an Indian businessman—crying foul and calling it the work of professional scammers.
Yesterday, August 19 at 11.30pm, 54 year old Prem Kumar walked into Pattaya City Police Station to file a complaint. He reported that a white-and-black Toyota, bearing licence plate JPH 9160 Chon Buri, had been rented out weeks earlier—and never returned.
Through an interpreter, Kumar told Lieutenant Deputy Superintendent of Investigation Colonel Kamol Uppakarat that the vehicle had been rented by a Thai man on July 28 with a promise to return it by August 11. Instead, the renter vanished into thin air, switching off all contact and even disabling the car’s GPS tracking system.
The Indian man pointed to the deliberate disabling of the tracking system as proof of foul play.
“If the renter had honest intentions, they would have contacted me or returned the car by now.”
Kumar, who operates a rental business, stressed that the disappearance had dealt a major financial blow. He fears this was not a one-off crime but part of a wider network targeting car rental operators in Pattaya. Other local businesses, he noted, have faced suspiciously similar losses.
“This feels like an organised scam. They know how to disappear with vehicles and cover their tracks.”
The businessman urged police to step up action, saying both his livelihood and the confidence of Pattaya’s rental market were at stake. According to Kumar, the loss of a single vehicle not only drains capital but also damages trust among legitimate customers, reported The Pattaya News.
Police confirmed they have logged the complaint and are investigating. Officers are now working to track the missing Toyota and identify those behind the fraud.
Car rental scams are an ongoing problem in Pattaya, where the mix of tourists, locals, and short-term contracts creates fertile ground for fraudsters. Vehicles are often driven far outside the city, stripped for parts, or resold using forged documents.
Kumar hopes swift justice will deter future scams.
“I just want my car back and those responsible punished.”
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