Russian couple accused of dining and dashing at many Phuket restaurants
A Russian couple reportedly dined and dashed at multiple restaurants in Phuket, sparking an online debate over the visa-free scheme, which some online users claim attracts low-quality foreign visitors.
A restaurant owner in Patong, Phuket, shared his experience with the foreign couple, believed to be Russian nationals, via the news Facebook page Phuket Times ภูเก็ตไทม์ today, January 28. He warned other restaurant owners to be cautious of their behaviour. The page reported…
“Awful! A Russian couple has been dining and dashing at restaurants in Phuket. Sometimes they evade the bills, while at other times they beg for free food, claiming they have no money.”
The restaurant owner told the media that the foreign couple showed him a message on their mobile phone. The message read…
“We are foreigners and have no money. Could you give us money, food, or necessary items?”
The owner decided not to offer them anything, as he did not trust their story. He said he could not verify whether they were genuinely in trouble or simply looking to live an easy life without working. He apologised to the couple and informed them that he could not assist them.
The restaurant owner also questioned the Thai officials’ lack of action, pointing out that begging for food and money is illegal under Thai law.
A Thai woman commented on the incident, saying she also encountered the couple walking along Nanai Road yesterday, January 27.
Some Thai netizens criticised the couple for exploiting the generosity of Thai people. The others blamed the visa-free scheme for allowing foreign visitors to enter the country too easily, leading to an influx of what they described as low-quality foreigners in tourist areas.
Another Thai woman shared a similar incident in a different industry, revealing that she worked in a massage parlour where three Israeli clients refused to pay for their services, claiming the massage was not satisfactory.
In a related story from April last year, a Russian couple attempted to dine and dash at a restaurant in Phuket. They claimed they had already paid the bill by placing the money in the payment folder and accused the waitress of stealing it.
However, CCTV footage captured their actions, proving their claim to be false and forcing them to apologise and settle the bill.
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