French tourists allegedly fabricate bad boat trip experience in Phuket for refund
French tourists allegedly used artificial intelligence (AI) to edit photos from a boat trip in Phuket in an attempt to claim refunds by portraying their experience as poor.
The accusation was reported today, December 18, by the Facebook page Phuket Times. According to the page, a group of French tourists joined a boat tour in Phuket and took photographs of both the interior and exterior of the vessel during the trip.
The page claimed that the tourists later edited the images using AI technology to make the boat appear old, dirty, and poorly maintained. These edited images were then allegedly used to support a request for a refund from the travel agency.
The Phuket Times page shared the alleged edited images in the comment section of the post. One image showed an inflatable slide appearing worn out and damaged. Another image depicted a bathroom with a dirty toilet and rubbish scattered across the floor. A third image showed a rotten banana covered with mould.
However, the page also shared another photo from the same trip showing three Frenchmen enjoying on the boat. This image appeared to contradict the claims of dissatisfaction and poor service.
The report did not specify how much the tourists paid for the boat trip, nor did it provide details on how the boat operator or the travel agency handled the refund request. No official statement from the company involved has been released.
The incident sparked strong reactions among Thai netizens. Many urged the relevant agencies to take legal action against the French tourists, saying such behaviour damages the reputation and image of Phuket’s tourism industry.
Several Thai business owners also shared similar experiences in the comment section. One Thai woman said French guests had booked her hotel through an online platform and paid by credit card. After their stay, they filed complaints to seek a refund, despite the hotel’s services meeting standards and contradicting the claims made.
Another Thai hotel operator said her French guests left without paying 3,000 baht and later posted a negative review, even though they had stayed for more than 10 days.
A Thai restaurant owner also commented that some foreign customers claimed dissatisfaction with her food and demanded refunds.
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