Tourist Police have arrested a 36-year-old Indian man in Pattaya for allegedly working as a fortune teller without a permit and charging tourists for supposed bad-luck rituals.

Mr Singh was detained at a coffee shop in Pattaya on 16 July after officers said they found him reading palms, examining faces and predicting visitors' fortunes. He admitted that he had been working as a fortune teller, police said.

The operation followed complaints from residents and tourists about South Asian men, particularly Indians, approaching people at beaches, restaurants and coffee shops while dressed like religious figures or wearing religious head coverings.

Claims of bad luck and costly rituals

According to Tourist Police, the group would tell tourists they were facing misfortune or had poor luck, before offering fortune-telling services and ceremonies intended to remove the problem.

Officers said the suspected tactic included giving people red thread, sacred cloth or papers marked with lucky numbers to build trust. They would then demand a "teacher's fee" from 199 baht, followed by offers of additional karma-cleansing ceremonies costing thousands of baht.

Police said some people who refused were allegedly pressured or intimidated into paying.

At 1.20pm on 16 July, Tourist Police investigators entered the Pattaya coffee shop after observing and recording Mr Singh providing readings to tourists. They then checked his passport and work permit.

Police said he did not hold a work permit. Two tourists who had used his services told officers that he had approached them claiming they were facing bad luck, then charged each of them a 199-baht fee. Both transferred 200 baht each to him.

He then allegedly offered a further karma-removal ceremony for 1,900 baht, but the tourists declined because they did not have enough money.

Charges follow nationwide crackdown order

Mr Singh was charged with working as a foreigner without permission and working without a work permit. He was handed to investigators at Pattaya City Police Station for legal proceedings.

The arrest came after national police chief Pol Gen Kittirat Phanphet ordered police units nationwide to intensify an "examine, mobilise and sweep" operation targeting foreigners illegally employed in Thailand and transnational crime.

Tourist Police commissioner Pol Lt Gen Saksira Pheuk-um had instructed an investigation team led by Pol Col Man Rotthong and Pol Lt Col Piyapong Raksa to investigate complaints in Pattaya.

Pictures courtesy of Amarin

Advice for tourists and expats

For foreign visitors and residents, the case is a reminder to be cautious when strangers approach with unsolicited warnings about bad luck, karma or a need for cleansing rituals. Such approaches can occur in busy tourist areas, including beaches and cafes.

Tourist Police advised people not to hand over money or be persuaded into rituals, and to report suspicious approaches through the 24-hour Tourist Police hotline on 1155.

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17 July 2026

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Ok let me be the first

Bet he didn't see that coming ..