British Man Arrested For Allegedly Exchanging Counterfeit Money in Phuket

[webfact]

 

Phuket – A British man was arrested after he allegedly exchanged fake money at an exchange booth in Phuket.

On Tuesday (February 6th), the Sakoo Police in Thalang were notified by Ms. Jamjira, 50, an exchange booth staff member, that a foreign man had exchanged 1,000 Euro in cash for 37,850 Baht in cash at an exchange booth in Sakoo. She later found out that the foreign banknotes were counterfeit.

 

On Wednesday (February 7th) police arrested a suspect identified only as Mr. Tobias, 33, a British national. Seized from him were 17,800 Euros in counterfeit cash (682,585 Baht), £5,400 Pounds in genuine sterling cash (266,992 Baht) and some genuine Thai cash (199,000 Baht).

 

He was taken to the Sakoo Police Station to face charges of possession of counterfeit money. Mr. Tobias denied the charges and said he didn’t know the Euros were fake and had received the Euros from another man. Tobias told police that he entered Thailand in December of last year, 2023, and had extended his stay on January 31st of this year.

 

By Goongnang Suksawat

 

Full story: THE PHUKET EXPRESS 2024-02-09

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

 

[Nick Carter icp]

At least that he didn't say that he found them blowing down the street in Cambodia 

[Pique Dard]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Mr. Tobias denied the charges and said he didn’t know the Euros were fake and had received the Euros from another man.

..."from another man?"  come on! find a better excuse, man, if you don't want to share your bed with cockroaches in thai prisons.

[hellohello123]

At least the steroids he took werent fake

[SAFETY FIRST]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Mr. Tobias, 33, a British national. Seized from him were 17,800 Euros in counterfeit cash (682,585 Baht)

Gawd, that's a few party days. 

 

I bet he was a happy chappy after exchanging that first €1000. 😮

 

Another naughty Brit makes the headlines. 

 

[goldenbrwn1]

I have noticed a lot more of my younger countrymen venturing to Thailand over the last year or so with the usual clobber on with man bags strapped to them…..can’t think why 😂 

[spidermike007]

Anyone with that amount of fake money knows what they are carrying. My guess is that the courts will come down pretty hard on him. 

 

It is likely he had been leading a life of crime. Time to pay the piper? Wonder how they treat foreigners in Thai prisons? Fun times ahead. 

[ChipButty]

12 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Wonder how they treat foreigners in Thai prisons? Fun times ahead. 

Not very good I am told 

[Gecko123]

Might it be time for the RTP to launch Operation Robin (national bird of England)???

[dougieboy]

Hmm rather a lot of cash. 
Looked like he was in a hurry to get rid of the fake notes as he already had 200k in genuine TB. 
Must be quite good fakes to have fooled the operator at first. 
Time to pay for your crimes!

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

He was taken to the Sakoo Police Station to face charges of possession of counterfeit money. Mr. Tobias denied the charges and said he didn’t know the Euros were fake and had received the Euros from another man. Tobias told police that he entered Thailand in December of last year, 2023, and had extended his stay on January 31st of this year.

And that man is??? Ohhh can't remember never met him before or after... Idiot.

And extended his stay to Jan 31st, yet exchanged money on Feb 6th ?

 

 

[steven100]

maybe he'll try to bribe his way free ... using fake money again

[soalbundy]

He didn't know they were fake......but that was what I would have said as well. However, not knowing they were fake gets you up to 10 years prison, knowing they were fake gets you between 1 and 15 years and 2-3 million baht fine. I presume that European authorities would want to know where he got them as well. A whole new world of pain has just opened up for him.

[EVENKEEL]

You guys are at it again.

[Mike Lister]

Seized from him were 17,800 Euros in counterfeit cash (682,585 Baht), £5,400 Pounds in genuine sterling cash (266,992 Baht) and some genuine Thai cash (199,000 Baht).

 

And of course, if he brought the money into the country and didn't declare the money to Customs when he entered Thailand, he's in violation of Customs Law. So either he goes to jail for counterfeiting or he goes to jail for violating Customs Regs.

[Ben Zioner]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Mr. Tobias denied the charges and said he didn’t know the Euros were fake

What a lame excuse, Euros have always been considered as counterfeit by the brits.

[roo860]

As I've never changed Euros what's the procedure at exchange booths to check for forgeries? I personally wouldn't have a clue if someone gave me Euros if they were fake or not.

[EVENKEEL]

22 minutes ago, Mike Lister said:

Seized from him were 17,800 Euros in counterfeit cash (682,585 Baht), £5,400 Pounds in genuine sterling cash (266,992 Baht) and some genuine Thai cash (199,000 Baht).

 

And of course, if he brought the money into the country and didn't declare the money to Customs when he entered Thailand, he's in violation of Customs Law.

On behalf of us posters, I just want to apologize for the laughing emoji. Some folks have no manners. 

[RichardColeman]

he stayed with a man identified only as Mr. Ozeias, 46

 

Tobias & Ozeias ? Sounds like a couple of dodgy foreigners on even dodgier UK passports to me 

[IAMHERE]

A man 'gave' him fake Euros?  NO, there was some kind of exchange.

[ezzra]

Scammers with fake banknotes go to a far flung countries hoping no one is smart enough to find out the notes

are fakes, but with the proliferation of fake money everywhere nowadays, people are not so stupid anymore...

[Thonburi-tales]

Sounds like he was sent to Thailand with all this fake currency in December and it worked so well  he extended his visa and finally his luck ran out. Shouldnt of got greedy.

Alot of Srilankan Tamils live in London and theyre up to their neck in fake passports ,currency and cheques. Thailand is the main clearing house because its big and busy not just lazy cops.Laos and Cambodia are too small and quiet.

[roo860]

4 minutes ago, Thonburi-tales said:

Sounds like he was sent to Thailand with all this fake currency in December and it worked so well  he extended his visa and finally his luck ran out. Shouldnt of got greedy.

Alot of Srilankan Tamils live in London and theyre up to their neck in fake passports ,currency and cheques. Thailand is the main clearing house because its big and busy not just lazy cops.Laos and Cambodia are too small and quiet.

Case closed, you've got it cracked  Columbo.

[roo860]

29 minutes ago, ezzra said:

Scammers with fake banknotes go to a far flung countries hoping no one is smart enough to find out the notes

are fakes, but with the proliferation of fake money everywhere nowadays, people are not so stupid anymore...

Seems like the exchange booth staff weren't very bright.

[Skipalongcassidy]

Good news... at least he wasn't using the money to purchase underage girls.

[Jenkins9039]

There was a picture in another group, he exchanged USDT for EURO.

 

Basically was robbed during a P2P without being aware.

[CartagenaWarlock]

43 minutes ago, Mike Lister said:

violating Customs Regs.

I don't think violating customs regulations is the same as trying to use fake money. Even in the US, they just seize the money and gold (if any) unless the person is carrying a suitcase full of cash. 

[ChipButty]

It's the Iranians printing fake notes, 

[Expat68]

British man with Euros?

[1happykamper]

5555 brake failure. Idjiot