Phuket:- A 33-year-old South African man was arrested Saturday for having filed false complain with police that he had been robbed of his valuables. He later admitted he hoped to use the complaint form to claim for insurance compensation in his country.

Laurie Viljoen Botha was arrested by tourist police at his hotel room at the Sino Imperial Hotel in Phuket’s Mueang district not long after he filed the false complaint with the tourist police.

Pol Captain Ekkachai Siri, deputy investigation inspector of Phuket Tourist Police, said Botha filed the complaint at 12:55 pm that he had been robbed and the robber made off with several items of valuables.

Police then rushed to the scene to check feeds from all security cameras in the area but they did not see anyone robbing Botha as claimed.

Police also found that there were several discrepancies in Botha story. As a result, he was taken for interrogation and he eventually admitted that he made up the story, hoping to claim for insurance in South Africa.

He was handed over to the Mueang Phuket police station for taking legal action for having violated Article 137 of the Criminal Code.

It was not the first case of a foreign tourist trying to file false compliant with police to get a complaint form to claim for insurance compensation.

In February, a 19-year-old Australian man filed complaint with police in Phuket that he was robbed at knife point of Bt389,500 valuables while walking alone on the Kata Beach. But police checked security camera feeds in Karon and found out that he was riding motorcycle around Karon area at the time he claimed he was robbed.

Another criminal genius foiled by the keen eyed BiB in Phuket.

We really need a pointing picture though, to confirm actual guilt.

I suggest a pose where the S.A dude is pointing at himself?

Years ago certain Medical Clinics would issue false paperwork and bills for a fee from the Farang who would be scamming his insurance company back in his own country.

What a complete wally

Section 137 Whoever, giving any false information to any official, and is likely to cause injury to any person or the public, shall be punished with imprisonment not exceeding six months or fine not exceeding one thousand Baht, or both.

And yet the BIB make false claims all the time, and we're expected to believe the rubbish they spout.