Thai police have arrested a woman in Phuket accused of taking advance payments for villa rentals that did not exist. The suspect, Thanaporn, also known as Yu, was arrested on August 26 after complaints from two Russian tourists.
The tourists told police they had transferred 1.5 million baht and 500,000 baht respectively to secure villa accommodation before travelling to Phuket. On arrival, they reportedly found that no reservations had been made and were unable to contact the woman.
Police say Thanaporn was already wanted under three arrest warrants linked to similar alleged fraud offences. The total amount she may have obtained is estimated at about 5 million baht.
Russian tourists reported missing bookings
The case began with reports by the two Russian visitors, who had arranged and paid for high-value villa stays before reaching the island.
According to police, both tourists believed their accommodation had been booked in advance. However, there were no villa reservations in place when they arrived in Phuket, and the agent could no longer be reached.
Police cite three outstanding warrants
Police said Thanaporn was wanted on three warrants over similar fraud allegations before her arrest. They believe the alleged scheme may have generated around 5 million baht in total.
No further details were given about the other cases or the number of people who may have been affected.
Possible victims have been urged to contact Thalang Police Station and make a report. Anyone who believes they may have dealt with the same agent should retain payment records, booking messages and any advertised villa details when approaching police.
Picture courtesy of Phuketinsta
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28 August 2026
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