Community Coffee Shop Seeks Cyclists After Accidental THB 22,150 Payment for THB 221 Coffee

[Georgealbert]

UPDATE
Café Refunds Foreign Cyclists After Coffee Payment Error

 

Picture courtesy of CH7.

 

A local café in Nakhon Ratchasima has returned a significant overpayment to two foreign cyclists who mistakenly transferred more than 22,000 baht for just two cups of coffee.

 

The incident occurred on the morning of 31 May at Mount Wind Tree Café, a small establishment popular with locals and travellers alike. According to the café’s owner, 31-year-old Ms Pim, two foreign customers arrived on cycles and ordered two coffees, priced at 221.50 baht. However, due to what appears to have been a typing input error during the digital payment process, the pair accidentally transferred 22,150 baht, more than 100 times the correct amount.

 

Staff at the café, still preparing to open for the day, did not immediately notice the discrepancy. “Our staff member was a bit nervous and not confident in English,” Ms Pim explained. “When the customer showed the transfer slip on their phone, no one looked closely enough to spot the error.”

 

The tourists, seemingly unaware of the mistake, left the café shortly after paying. It wasn’t until midday, when staff reviewed the transaction records, that the unusually high amount came to light. After confirming what had happened, Ms Pim reviewed the café’s CCTV footage and posted a message on Facebook in an effort to trace the two customers and return their money.

 

The Facebook post quickly went viral, attracting widespread attention and numerous shares across Thai social media platforms. Thanks to the online community’s efforts, the café was able to locate the two foreigners by the following morning, 1 June.

 

The café then coordinated with the bank to process a full refund to the rightful payers.

 

“I’m so grateful for the power of social media,” Ms Pim said. “Without all the shares and support, we might never have found them. It was just a genuine mistake, and we’re happy we could resolve it honestly.”

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from Khaosod 2025-06-01.

 

 

 

The heartwarming incident has drawn praise online, with many applauding the café’s honesty and commitment to doing the right thing.

[still kicking]

3 hours ago, KannikaP said:

Not if you scan a QR code.

Not a good idea if you haven't got a smartphone.

[KannikaP]

2 minutes ago, still kicking said:

Not a good idea if you haven't got a smartphone.

Can you use anything else to scan a QR code?

[Nick Carter icp]

4 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

The café has asked the customers to return in person to collect the refund and has declined to return the funds through third parties or digital channels for verification and security reasons.

 

   Shouldn't give cash .

The guy could take the cash and then make a charge back through the bank and get the money back again and then the cafe would lose 22 000 Baht

[Denim]

3 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Because when out cycling you carry as little as possible.

Mobile phone is needed for mapping, so might as well use it as your wallet.

 

Would you really want me to pay you with a wet sweaty 100bht note I pulled out of my cycling shorts?

 

Yes I would.  2 one hundred baht notes are almost weightless . A phone is not.  I cycled all my life and never used an app or got lost. And where do you keep your notes . Secured to your member with an elastic band ?  There is this high tech thing out there called a wallet. Google it.

[Denim]

2 hours ago, roo860 said:

Exactly, no pockets in lycra shorts. 

 

But somewhere to put an expensive mobile phone. Too much hassle to slip a couple of notes in the phone case ?

[richard_smith237]

10 minutes ago, Denim said:

Yes I would.  2 one hundred baht notes are almost weightless . A phone is not.  I cycled all my life and never used an app or got lost. And where do you keep your notes . Secured to your member with an elastic band ?  There is this high tech thing out there called a wallet. Google it.

 

Phones can be easily attached to the bike (i.e. QuadLock)... as most cyclists do these days and its very unlikely they'll cycle anywhere without their phone...   Its hardly adding a lot of weight.

 

... Backup bank-notes can be kept in the phone case if someone wants....     

 

 

You may have provided an example of 'different generations' attitudes towards phones.

 

Younger people travel everywhere with their phones which are now, 'multi-use' tools, payment, comms, mapping, data (fitness) recoding etc (think Strava)...  listening to music etc 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[GanDoonToonPet]

5 hours ago, hotsun said:

Is this how mobile banking works here? You put in the amount manually?

 

Similar to China I guess. There are 2 methods of payment:

 

1. Customer scans vendors QR code and enters the amount manually. We have one of these, simply printed on a piece of A4, at the counter in our shop.

 

2. Customer shows their QR code and the vendor scans it. The amount in the vendor's system for that transaction is automatically deducted. This requires the vendor to have something akin to 'credit merchant status' for debit / credit cards so primarily used by corporations like supermarkets etc.

[JaxxBKK]

Why can't they just refund to the card???

🙄

 

 

[JaxxBKK]

Didn't have cash for a cup of coffee.

 

Cash is king. Everything else is bs

 

 

**I couldn't edit the above post. It's a forum bug.

 

 

[richard_smith237]

Just now, JaxxBKK said:

Why can't they just refund to the card???

 

🙄

 

 

It wasn't a card payment.

 

The Payment was made via Transfer - which in many cases in Thailand involves scanning a QR code, then the customer inputting the amount.. 

 

Additionally - when a QR payment is made, the complete 'account details' are not kept in the payment receipt, so to refund, they may have had to jump through more hoops at a bank...   Appealing so social medial is good PR and it appears it worked quickly.

 

 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

8 minutes ago, JaxxBKK said:

Didn't have cash for a cup of coffee.

 

Cash is king. Everything else is bs

 

 

**I couldn't edit the above post. It's a forum bug.

 

 

Yawn - the 'Cash is King' debate has been hashed out to death on this forum and elsewhere scores of times over recent years... 

 

Your comment is flawed, cash is no longer king, not by a long shot...    having access to varied options is king... 

 

 

 

 

[roo860]

1 hour ago, Denim said:

 

But somewhere to put an expensive mobile phone. Too much hassle to slip a couple of notes in the phone case ?

Don't know, I don't ride pushbikes 

[JaxxBKK]

1 minute ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Yawn - the 'Cash is King' debate has been going on on this forum and elsewhere scores of time over the past years... 

 

Your comment is flawed, cash is no longer king, not by a long shot...    having access to varied options is king... 

 

 

 

 

 

Yeah, that varied option worked so well...

 

Transactions always take twice as long. At a food stall or big C. Stuck waiting behind some hapless woman for the charge to clear.

 

Single men, cash, no chit chat - Simpsons 👍

[amexpat]

6 hours ago, Upnotover said:

Seems in this case the merchant "overlooked" the error.

Are you implying that the merchant trying to find the customers to refund are "dishonest"? 

[richard_smith237]

23 minutes ago, JaxxBKK said:

Yeah, that varied option worked so well...

 

You never read stories of ppl losing their wallet in a taxi then ?

 

23 minutes ago, JaxxBKK said:

Transactions always take twice as long. At a food stall or big C. Stuck waiting behind some hapless woman for the charge to clear.

 

Single men, cash, no chit chat - Simpsons 👍

 

As pointed out - having varied options is best - paying with QR Code, Apple/GooglePay / Tap-n-Go / Cash are all good payment options..   the "Cash is King" comment is now well out of date....

 

I find making payment with QR payment much faster than paying with cash and getting change - most younger people will find the same.

 

You were stuck behind a hapless slow woman, she'd have been slow with cash as well...    some people are just slower than doesn't make one system slower or faster for the average user.

[Lucky Bones]

8 hours ago, impulse said:

 

More than Amazon, less than Starbucks...

 

Wow! Lucky my Bones enjoy the 7/11 fifteen baht sachet thingies.🙃😘

[Lucky Bones]

6 hours ago, roo860 said:

Exactly, no pockets in lycra shorts. 

Sometimes looks like no anything in lycra pants.🙃🙃

[richard_smith237]

11 minutes ago, Lucky Bones said:

6 hours ago, roo860 said:

Exactly, no pockets in lycra shorts. 

Sometimes looks like no anything in lycra pants.🙃🙃

 

All rather moot...   totally moot actually...

 

Cycling tops have Pockets. 

There are Seat and Frame Bags that are light and can carry kit (and a wallet)

There are phone mounts.

 

All of this discussion about 'could have carried 200 baht' is rather irrelevant, the guy was probably aslo carrying his wallet with some cash...  but he chose to pay with a direct transaction (QR Code) because thats just what most people do these days because it most convenient - thats all.... 

 

 

 

[Dan O]

8 hours ago, hotsun said:

Is this how mobile banking works here? You put in the amount manually?

Some system just have a separate qr code that just has routing info to the shop bank acct.. Others have a POS system that generates both the QR code for routing and the price of the sale embedded.

[Bday Prang]

3 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

but he chose to pay with a direct transaction (QR Code) because thats just what most people do these days

I might be wrong but I can't believe its got to "most" people yet,  I don't doubt that it will.  But cash should remain an option as long as people want it

[richard_smith237]

52 minutes ago, Bday Prang said:

I might be wrong but I can't believe its got to "most" people yet,  I don't doubt that it will.  But cash should remain an option as long as people want it

 

It might vary around the nation - but in BKK... I think 'most' is a fair claim...   

 

Certainly in Bangkok I'm 99% cashless...    I can't think of a place in BKK that doesn't accept QR payment as the norm...  though I'm sure there are some...   but I see QR signs in wetmarkets etc..  so its common enough for there.

... The only time I do use cash is for a flagfall taxi... 

 

I agree with you and anyone else who states cash should remain an option - it always should be an option. I've been critical of businesses which have gone 'Digital Payment Only' as they should as many payment options as possible. 

 

I'm all for versatility and convenience - people should be 100% free to chose whatever payment option they prefer.

And thats what a lot of these debates come down to...  a simple preference, but I do see some silly justifications and arguments against cashless that can readily be countered with a simple basic common sense reply...   Still, its everyones right to just 'prefer something'... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Captain Flack]

Flame post removed

 

@JaxxBKK rule 9. You will not post disruptive or inflammatory messages. You will respect other members and post in a civil manner. Personal attacks, insults or hate speech posted on the forum or sent by private message are not allowed.

[ChrisY1]

14 hours ago, Denim said:

 

Yes I would.  2 one hundred baht notes are almost weightless . A phone is not.  I cycled all my life and never used an app or got lost. And where do you keep your notes . Secured to your member with an elastic band ?  There is this high tech thing out there called a wallet. Google it.

How old are you? Never used an app? Well....as mentioned, a phone is very convenient...whether cycling or whatever. 

[thesetat]

19 hours ago, Baht Simpson said:

There are good people around. Plenty of merit earned too.

perhaps. But one has to ask themselves why the customers were not told of the overpayment when showing their transfer to the shop cashier? 

Every time I have had to make a payment using transfers with QR code and entering the amount the shops always insist on seeing the transfer approval. As well as checking their own banking for a message of the payment amount being received. 

 

[KhunBENQ]

20 hours ago, Gsxrnz said:

And that's what happens when Europeans or South Americans learn the importance of a decimal point, viz a viz a comma when separating whole numbers.  

Good point.

Stupidly Germans still cling to their comma "," as a decimal separator in commerce. Don't know how many others.

Of course decimal point in all engineering/scientific.

Even worse in Switzerland where it depends on the Canton (province).

I have Thai and German online banking and always have to check twice.

[KhunBENQ]

14 hours ago, GanDoonToonPet said:

. Customer shows their QR code and the vendor scans it.

Friendship market Pattaya (and elsewhere).

There is device that creates an individual QR with the amount and >I< scan with mobile banking app.

Exceptional case for me.

Cash is king up to lower 4 digits.

Don't know how much time I wasted at registers waiting for some dumbnut fiddling on his phone once, twice, trice...

[Denim]

55 minutes ago, ChrisY1 said:

How old are you? Never used an app? Well....as mentioned, a phone is very convenient...whether cycling or whatever. 

 

If you want to go cashless then using a swipe card is faster and more convenient than an app and a lot lighter.

 

I use technology that works best. I often get held up in queus waiting for someone to use a phone app who is making a pigs ear of it . Never had to wait for someone using a contactless card. Touch and go.

[Denim]

14 hours ago, roo860 said:

Don't know, I don't ride pushbikes 

 

I do but I'm not a front wheeler. Ride for excercise not speed.

 

 

[Quentin Zen]

20 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

Mount Wind Tree Café,

great marketing.   Back in the 90's, the company I worked for used to do similar things to get attention.  Of course, we did it on purpose, I'm sure this was just accidental.   I also think 99% of TikTok stuff is fake, so that's just me.   

 

I've probably paid over 879072480274324234 baht in bad coffee here, so I wouldn't mind spending 100+ for a real taste.   

 

Now, if this was America. After the mandatory 7800000 percent tip this wouldn't even be a story.