Thai/Indian honesty: Brit tourist gets 255,000 baht back from overpaid curry bill

[webfact]

Thai/Indian honesty: Brit tourist gets 255,000 baht back from overpaid curry bill

 

Picture: Daily News

 

A group of British tourists said they would definitely be coming back to Krabi again after 255,000 baht was repaid to them following a mix-up at an Indian restaurant.

 

Mr Simon, 48, and ten friends from the UK went to the Punjab Palace for dinner on Tuesday. The restaurant is situated on Nopparat Thara beach.

 

After their curries Simon paid the 2,857 baht bill on his credit card and pressed OK. In reality he had pressed 257,857.12 by mistake and thus overpaid the restaurant by 255,000 and a few satang.

 

Caption: Overpaid by 100s of thousands 

 

The party of tourists left and the manageress Aporn, 32, only noticed the error when she was doing the takings at closing time. Her Indian husband was alerted and he took off on his Vespa to try and find the tourists but to no avail. 

 

So Aporn went to the police. The tourist police and Krabi immigration managed to track down the party to a hotel in nearby Ao Nang but the tourists had gone out for the day. 

 

They were clearly unaware that they were in the "vindaloo". 

 

A message was left and soon Mr Simon and several friends turned up to receive back the overpaid portion of the bill. A ceremony was held with police to celebrate the honesty of all concerned.

 

Picture: Daily News

 

Sanook reported that the tourists were all overjoyed and thoroughly impressed with the Thais and the Indian owner and would definitely be coming back to Krabi again. 

 

Sanook used the term "Amazing Thailand" in their headline. 

 

Thaivisa would like to point out that we translated this story with no intent to curry favor with anyone.

 

Sources: Daily News | Sanook

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2019-04-12

[toenail]

Sometimes we forget the majority of people catering to tourists are honest people. Good to have articles like this to remind us “negative thinking” farangs.

[Lucius verus]

Its just a simple case of credit card error .Obviously the restaurant isn't going to process a bill for quarter of a million baht. 

No big deal. Contact the card holder and adjust the bill.

Why do the Thai cops have to turn it into a three ring  circus?

All that's missing in the photo op is a good Samaritan taxi driver who found 200,000 b in the  cab left by the Indian who was out looking for the farang.

[from the home of CC]

9 minutes ago, toenail said:

Sometimes we forget the majority of people catering to tourists are honest people. Good to have articles like this to remind us “negative thinking” farangs.

 

Lots of people complain on these expat sites because it makes them feel that they matter still. Many have failed miserably in relationships or finances in their own country and somehow they feel that gives them the right to put down everything that doesn't fit with their ideal of how it should be here. Quite pathetic actually. 

[mok199]

Simply a knee jerk reaction to the beating the indian man received from the Thai bullies last week, while his wife and child watched...

[bluesofa]

51 minutes ago, webfact said:

After their curries Simon paid the 2,857 baht bill on his credit card and pressed OK. In reality he had pressed 257,857.12 by mistake and thus overpaid the restaurant by 255,000 and a few satang.

That's around 6,000 UKP.

He must have a very good credit limit for that amount to be approved? Or more than likely, am I completely out of touch with the UK cost of living?

[RotBenz8888]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

 

The fact that this story is published in such a pompous way only demonstrates what usually happens when your money "disappears" there. 

[newatthis]

1 hour ago, from the home of CC said:

 

Lots of people complain on these expat sites because it makes them feel that they matter still. Many have failed miserably in relationships or finances in their own country and somehow they feel that gives them the right to put down everything that doesn't fit with their ideal of how it should be here. Quite pathetic actually. 

Evaluating the behaviour of others is really being judgmental unless, of course, you are trying to help them improve their lifestyle.

[happy chappie]

Nothing like my story.i once landed back in the uk and the very next day while going through my mail/bills I found someone had used my card details and withdrew £2499.99.i was straight on the phone to the company and they said my details were used in a fraud.i was told not to worry and was reimbursed within a couple of days.i was actually on my long haul flight to London when the transaction took place.

[hansnl]

3 hours ago, from the home of CC said:

 

Lots of people complain on these expat sites because it makes them feel that they matter still. Many have failed miserably in relationships or finances in their own country and somehow they feel that gives them the right to put down everything that doesn't fit with their ideal of how it should be here. Quite pathetic actually. 

Maybe this is all valid for you.

Definitely not for me.

But I presume you are a member of the "away with me" crowd.

How sad.

[cardinalblue]

My bank would have red flagged it, not paid it and get in touch with me....

 

the Indian owner did the right thing as it could have ended in a sticky situation....it was a correction to a business error...

 

you want honesty w/o repercussions...how about when a lady in front of me on a BTS platform dropped a 500b note out of her pocket...I picked it up and gave it back as she did know she had lost it...

 

the restaurant owner would not have gotten away with if he would have viewed it as an opportunity to take advantage of an honest mistake 

 

 

[dotpoom]

Not wishing to put a damper on this great story ...but, when the mistake would have been discovered further down the food chain the money would have had to be returned anyway.

[connda]

But he paid the equivalent to over 6000 British Pounds - and didn't blink?  Didn't notice?  Didn't question?
 

[user343434]

The owner did a lot of effort to track the family.

That's a professional who knows how to run a business. 

Here the "OOPS" turns into a positive promotion for his restaurant, two thumbs up.. 

[roo860]

Nothing like my story.i once landed back in the uk and the very next day while going through my mail/bills I found someone had used my card details and withdrew £2499.99.i was straight on the phone to the company and they said my details were used in a fraud.i was told not to worry and was reimbursed within a couple of days.i was actually on my long haul flight to London when the transaction took place.

How were they able to withdraw that amount?

 

Sent from my SM-G920F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

 

 

[Pattaya28]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

A ceremony was held with police to celebrate the honesty of all concerned

[malibukid]

a restaurant in Thailand that takes a credit card.  thats amazing

[ttrd]

5 hours ago, Lucius verus said:

Its just a simple case of credit card error .Obviously the restaurant isn't going to process a bill for quarter of a million baht. 

No big deal. Contact the card holder and adjust the bill.

Why do the Thai cops have to turn it into a three ring  circus?

All that's missing in the photo op is a good Samaritan taxi driver who found 200,000 b in the  cab left by the Indian who was out looking for the farang.

The risk is high to overcharge yourself in a combination of drunken state and missing glasses - well done ...

[losworld]

How could this not be noticed at processing time?  Anyone attempting to fully process this with the credit card company would likely be subject to removal.  Not a valor act just a good business decision with some free publicity attached.

[zib]

So instead of just cancelling the transaction and refunding they took out 255k thb in cash and gave him. And most likely he or the restaurant lost a minimum of 2% in bank fees not counting the loss at the fx. All for a photoop with cash i bet. Dumbest shit ive seen this month.

[malibukid]

1 hour ago, cardinalblue said:

My bank would have red flagged it, not paid it and get in touch with me....

 

the Indian owner did the right thing as it could have ended in a sticky situation....it was a correction to a business error...

 

you want honesty w/o repercussions...how about when a lady in front of me on a BTS platform dropped a 500b note out of her pocket...I picked it up and gave it back as she did know she had lost it...

 

the restaurant owner would not have gotten away with if he would have viewed it as an opportunity to take advantage of an honest mistake 

 

 

$7K, my bank would have paid it thinking it was just another night at the Rainbow.

[wombat]

"he took off on his Vespa to try and find the tourists"

priceless.

[losworld]

5 minutes ago, zib said:

So instead of just cancelling the transaction and refunding they took out 255k thb in cash and gave him. And most likely he or the restaurant lost a minimum of 2% in bank fees not counting the loss at the fx. All for a photoop with cash i bet. Dumbest shit ive seen this month.

Very odd indeed.  Why would it be cashed out?

[ttrd]

1 minute ago, malibukid said:

$7K, my bank would have paid it thinking it was just another night at the Rainbow.

... or a higher rank of tea money ...

[beautifulthailand99]

Credit card in cash out why do I uncharitably think money laundering. 

[ttrd]

4 minutes ago, losworld said:

Very odd indeed.  Why would it be cashed out?

The bank may have believed he bought the premises ...

[losworld]

1 minute ago, ttrd said:

Maybe the bank believed he bought the premises ...

I mean why was it not reversed instead of cash taken out by the restaurant owners.

[RobMuir]

1 hour ago, connda said:

But he paid the equivalent to over 6000 British Pounds - and didn't blink?  Didn't notice?  Didn't question?
 

The wife looks like a big eater.

[sahibji]

5 hours ago, Lucius verus said:

Its just a simple case of credit card error .Obviously the restaurant isn't going to process a bill for quarter of a million baht. 

No big deal. Contact the card holder and adjust the bill.

Why do the Thai cops have to turn it into a three ring  circus?

All that's missing in the photo op is a good Samaritan taxi driver who found 200,000 b in the  cab left by the Indian who was out looking for the farang.

we call it "wayang" - theatrics

[ThaiBunny]

1 minute ago, RobMuir said:

The wife looks like a big eater.

The word "heifer" springs to mind