Report Phuket Con Artist Arrested for Scamming Local Eateries

[snoop1130]

Pictures courtesy of The Phuket News

 

In Phuket, a 29-year-old man known only by his nickname "Knot" has been arrested after weeks on the run for scamming local restaurant owners. Knot targeted small eateries by posing as a food delivery customer, leaving at least 10 victims financially out of pocket.

 

Knot's modus operandi involved riding around Phuket on a black M-Slash motorcycle. He would enter restaurants and order meals worth approximately 300 baht. After placing his order, he asked to charge his phone and then requested 700 baht in cash, promising that a friend would transfer 1,000 baht in return. Trusting this exchange, vendors handed over the cash, only to see him disappear without a trace.

 

One notable incident occurred in mid-April at a somtam shop on Damrong Road in Talat Yai, Phuket Town. This scam was not an isolated incident, with multiple reports surfacing across the area.

 

The Phuket City Police tracked Knot's movements over several weeks. He evaded capture by avoiding his usual residence and opting for daily room rentals. However, a breakthrough came on May 1, around 7.30pm, when an informant tipped off the police that Knot had checked into a love hotel on Komaraphat Road.

 

Officers from Phuket City Police Station, alongside the Phuket Provincial Police Investigation Division, orchestrated a raid. The informant knocked on Room 20's door, enabling the police to arrest Knot with a court-issued warrant dating April 25. The operation concluded smoothly, with Knot taken into custody without resistance.

 

During interrogation at Phuket City Police Station, Knot confessed to the scam and admitted using the illicitly obtained cash to purchase crystal meth. A urine test confirmed his drug use, resulting in an additional narcotics charge.

 

Police Colonel Chatree Chueakaew, Superintendent of Phuket City Police, confirmed that Knot was denied bail, with investigators strongly opposing his release due to concerns of potential reoffending. The police are urging other victims of Knot's scheme to come forward, suggesting that his criminal activities might be more extensive than initially revealed. The investigation remains ongoing, as authorities work to uncover the full extent of Knot's deceptive cons.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Thaiger 2025-05-02