Russian man arrested and charged with attempting to exchange a fake US Dollar note.

Patrolling officers from Pattaya Police Station were called to the Thai Danu Bank branch located in the front of the Royal Garden Plaza on Pattaya Beach to deal with a problem with a suspected counterfeit 100 US Dollar bank note presented to the Foreign Exchange Teller. The note was presented by Mr. Dmitri Bondor aged 31 from Russia.

The bank note and Russian man were taken to Pattaya Police Station where the case was taken up by Police Lieutenant Colonel Chaiwat who compared the note, a 2001 series US Dollar Note with another and confirmed that the note was indeed a fake. Mr. Bondor claimed the note was brought in from Russia and he was unaware of it being a fake. Police decided to charge the man who will now go to court to explain the case to a judge.

-Pattaya City News

Monday 6th February 2006

Russian man arrested and charged with attempting to exchange a fake US Dollar note.

Patrolling officers from Pattaya Police Station were called to the Thai Danu Bank branch located in the front of the Royal Garden Plaza on Pattaya Beach to deal with a problem with a suspected counterfeit 100 US Dollar bank note presented to the Foreign Exchange Teller. The note was presented by Mr. Dmitri Bondor aged 31 from Russia.

The bank note and Russian man were taken to Pattaya Police Station where the case was taken up by Police Lieutenant Colonel Chaiwat who compared the note, a 2001 series US Dollar Note with another and confirmed that the note was indeed a fake. Mr. Bondor claimed the note was brought in from Russia and he was unaware of it being a fake. Police decided to charge the man who will now go to court to explain the case to a judge.

-Pattaya City News

Monday 6th February 2006

I bet $100 real dollars that he won't go to court...I would also like to know if somebody could guess how much he will have to bribe the brownies...it would be funny to know

Last year I exchanged some 50s and 100s at a local bank. I was surprised to see that they didn't use electronic scanners to detect forgeries. The clerk had to examine each bill with a magnifying glass. I asked her why they didn't use a machine (like they do in almost every gas station in Canada now), and she said the bank was to cheap to buy the equipment.

In the meantime, she had examined and approved of the three 50s and two of the 100s, but the third hundred dollar bill was causing her concern. I told her that I had received those bills from my company (pay advance). While that was true, I didn't mention that the company was located in Afghanistan and that is where they got the cash to pay us.

After looking the bill over 3 times, she went to talk to someone else and came back a couple of minutes later. I told her that if there was a problem I'd take the bill back. She looked at it a 4th time and then accepted it.

I found out that if she accepted a fake bill by mistake, the bank would take the value out of her salary. 100 US (last year) was probably almost a month's salary for her, so I could understand her caution.

The thing that irritated me the most was, I had tried to exchange those same bills at one of the exchange kiosks that are scattered around Beach Raod and Walking street. They wouldn't even look at the 50s or 100s, even though they were fairly new bills, yet they took the 20s without even blinking.

The Russian Mafia has even taken over parts of Chicago. Capone is turning over in his grave. They are gradually and methodically taking over in Pattyland me thinks.

In the Uk the banks rarely check the notes which are paid in over the counter and the same ones are paid out over the counter.

I always check £20 notes myself before changing in Thailand as I would not want a trip to the nick.....but could very easily happen that the banks have provided fake ones.

The UK banks say that it is not cost effective to check all notes........I think that`s called Passing the Buck

The Russian Mafia has even taken over parts of Chicago. Capone is turning over in his grave. They are gradually and methodically taking over in Pattyland me thinks.

Slightly off topic folks....

The Talk in Hua Hin would have you believe that the Red Peril are awash in Patters with almost every bar paying protection money to the Ruskies! Well, I've spoken with several established bar and go - go bar owners and all confirm that it is smoke and mirrors about a 'Russian Mafia' presence in Pattaya.

None of the bar owners I know pay a satang to any Russian thugs. My best guess is that too many expats are speculating about them and adding to Rumour control, before long the talk will be the Russians have talken over BKK!

The Russian guys that are operating illegally are mere criminals from there home contry formed into loose 'gangs' of other Russkies.

The Thais will not allow the Russians to take a `hold`. The last time they tried they were soon sorted out.

The Thais will not allow the Russians to take a `hold`. The last time they tried they were soon sorted out.

Flat full of dead bodies....

Perhaps it was one of the fake notes stolen from a Pattaya bank last year??