New Zealanders freed after paying outstanding Phuket restaurant bill

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New Zealanders freed after paying outstanding Phuket restaurant bill
Supatra Sutham


The New Zealand father and son were arrested at Phuket International Airport on an arrest warrant issued in 2013 for cheating on a B15,000 food and beverage bill. Photo: Kathu Police

PHUKET: -- The New Zealand father and son who were arrested at Phuket International Airport on Monday (Sept 14) on an arrest warrant issued in 2013 for cheating on a B15,000 food and beverage bill were freed by police on Tuesday (Sept 15) after settling the bill.

Brian Russell Finn, 54, and his son Luke, 24, were arrested at Phuket Airport on Moday on an arrest warrant issued on November 27, 2013 for failing to pay a food and beverage bill at The Blue Marine Resort and Spa on Phra Baramee Road, in Patong on September 5, 2013. (See story here)

Pol Lt Songwut Khunjan from Kathu police told The Phuket News today (Sept 17), “The duo paid the B15,000 food and beverge bill and the Blue Marine Resort and Spa representative dropped the charge against them.”

“After the bill was settled, the pair were released and resumed their 10-day holiday in Phuket,” he said.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/new-zealanders-freed-after-paying-outstanding-phuket-restaurant-bill-54142.php


-- Phuket News 2015-09-17

[steven100]

Dinner at the Blue Marine resort tonight .... ? I didn't think so ...

Phuket restaurants will be watching these cheats like a hawk .... !! It will be pay as you eat fellas .... !! no check bin for you !

[amerasianex]

If anyone's cheating anyone its that Puket restaurant. Guarantee you that. I think they would have never made it put of the restaurant without paying. And 15000thb is an unrealistic number for two guys food and drinks. Even for a way overpriced zPuket restaurant. The Island of 100.000 scams..hate that place.

[AlexRRR]

If I knew there was an arrest warrant out on me no way would I return, as for the 15,000 bill who's to say it's not legit the guys might have taken a couple of girls with them, I once ran up a 3000 dinner bill in BKK in a nowhere place taking 2 women out, none of us had more than 2 drinks but you know Thais they order several dishes.

[tolsti]

They probably stole the mint sauce to use as aftershave as well.... Sad to see that NZ suffers with bogans as well. BTW it just says a 15,000thb bill.... That doesn't mean one meal... They were probably staying there a few days in which 15.000 for two adults including alcohol is by no means excessive. It is often all to easy to just imbibe and feed and sign the check to the room. Each bill includes ++ don't forget. The hotel would have (should have) blocked an amounting their cc at checkin and monitored their expenditure. Some don't but I bet you they do now!

[Andrew Rathbone]

If anyone's cheating anyone its that Puket restaurant. Guarantee you that. I think they would have never made it put of the restaurant without paying. And 15000thb is an unrealistic number for two guys food and drinks. Even for a way overpriced zPuket restaurant. The Island of 100.000 scams..hate that place.

I think this is quite easily done by two people.

I had 3 beers in a hotel in Bangkok and it cost me 1500 Bht.

They dont tell you about the services charges.

So yeah... It can be done

[grumpyoldman]

As another poster posted, I'm guessing that this was the F&B bill for a few nights stay and when they didn't see it on the bill upon checkout, thought they were getting away with one.

[speedtripler]

must of been one hell of a meal-the all you can eat world championships lol

maybe as usual in thai resorts ,the bill was so padded they decided to bail

amazing anyone remembered though.......

[CMguy]

I have stayed at a few Centara hotels, including the Blue Marine. Good food and service, but always 4 or 5 stars with prices that reflect that rating. I tended to find better value dining options outside the hotel, as the clearly marked pricing in the hotel restaurants was not a bargain. Personally I would typically only dine in with the included breakfast.......not hard to see a 15k dining bill if drinks are flowing. Caveat Emptor

[jalansanitwong]

Obviously they paid their bill otherwise they would of been sent off to prison for a few months.

The absurd bills people pay in restaurants cannot be justified because staff earn peanuts here. Virtually all 4 and 5 star hotel staff are uni graduates and they make about 15 dollars a day plus the service charge.

I had a bottle of Australian wine at a BKK 5 star hotel recently and it cost 100 dollars (cheapest on list). It was a garden variety bottle of plonk that you find on the lower shelf in discount bottle shops back in OZ....maybe 10 dollars.

Tourists are sitting ducks regardless of the destination. Phuket is no exception.

[realenglish1]

The restaurateur did the right thing by dropping the charges after being paid

[tolsti]

I have stayed at a few Centara hotels, including the Blue Marine. Good food and service, but always 4 or 5 stars with prices that reflect that rating. I tended to find better value dining options outside the hotel, as the clearly marked pricing in the hotel restaurants was not a bargain. Personally I would typically only dine in with the included breakfast.......not hard to see a 15k dining bill if drinks are flowing. Caveat Emptor

I believe that this charge refers to the hotel before it became part of the Centara group.

[mikebell]

Do tourists still go to Phuket? Amazing Thailand!

[peterb17]

Obviously they paid their bill otherwise they would of been sent off to prison for a few months.

The absurd bills people pay in restaurants cannot be justified because staff earn peanuts here. Virtually all 4 and 5 star hotel staff are uni graduates and they make about 15 dollars a day plus the service charge.

I had a bottle of Australian wine at a BKK 5 star hotel recently and it cost 100 dollars (cheapest on list). It was a garden variety bottle of plonk that you find on the lower shelf in discount bottle shops back in OZ....maybe 10 dollars.

Tourists are sitting ducks regardless of the destination. Phuket is no exception.

The reality is that young people across the world in the hospitality industry are on minimum wage. Thailand is no exception .

The bf works in a hotel -on not a huge salary- but it is a decent job- pleasant work colleagues and safe.

He makes a fair bit from tips- so always tip well- leave something for the staff that clean your room etc. it makes a difference.

Would agree wine is expensive in hotels , again it is all over the world, but the price is on the wine list.

These guys could very easily run up that bill- just raiding the mini-bar!

PS a request- many of us have no idea about the value of Australian dollars- baht please.

[schlog]

Would be good to hear their side of the story....

[chickenrunCM]

If anyone's cheating anyone its that Puket restaurant. Guarantee you that. I think they would have never made it put of the restaurant without paying. And 15000thb is an unrealistic number for two guys food and drinks. Even for a way overpriced zPuket restaurant. The Island of 100.000 scams..hate that place.

I think this is quite easily done by two people.

I had 3 beers in a hotel in Bangkok and it cost me 1500 Bht.

They dont tell you about the services charges.

So yeah... It can be done

Bullsh**t maximum service charge is 10% in Thailand

[tolsti]

If anyone's cheating anyone its that Puket restaurant. Guarantee you that. I think they would have never made it put of the restaurant without paying. And 15000thb is an unrealistic number for two guys food and drinks. Even for a way overpriced zPuket restaurant. The Island of 100.000 scams..hate that place.

I think this is quite easily done by two people.

I had 3 beers in a hotel in Bangkok and it cost me 1500 Bht.

They dont tell you about the services charges.

So yeah... It can be done

Bullsh**t maximum service charge is 10% in Thailand

You are correct. However if you go to an extremely high bar in BKK with wonderful views 3 drinks (inc ++) will easily cost 1500thb.

[NoshowJones]

If anyone's cheating anyone its that Puket restaurant. Guarantee you that. I think they would have never made it put of the restaurant without paying. And 15000thb is an unrealistic number for two guys food and drinks. Even for a way overpriced zPuket restaurant. The Island of 100.000 scams..hate that place.

I think this is quite easily done by two people.

I had 3 beers in a hotel in Bangkok and it cost me 1500 Bht.

They dont tell you about the services charges.

So yeah... It can be done

What is so hard about checking a menu, drinks prices and any service charges before ordering any meal?

[NoshowJones]

If anyone's cheating anyone its that Puket restaurant. Guarantee you that. I think they would have never made it put of the restaurant without paying. And 15000thb is an unrealistic number for two guys food and drinks. Even for a way overpriced zPuket restaurant. The Island of 100.000 scams..hate that place.

I think this is quite easily done by two people.

I had 3 beers in a hotel in Bangkok and it cost me 1500 Bht.

They dont tell you about the services charges.

So yeah... It can be done

Bullsh**t maximum service charge is 10% in Thailand

I am not referring to service charges here, but book a hotel room with Agoda and you will find 17% added taxes to the price quoted in the small print.

and we all know why it is in the small print.

Edited September 18, 2015 by possum1931

[Brer Fox]

You can be certain that to have the charges dropped paying the 15,000THB bill would have been the first requirement. The second requirement would have involved paying tea money to the arresting police.

[Jonmarleesco]

Dinner at the Blue Marine resort tonight .... ? I didn't think so ...

Phuket restaurants will be watching these cheats like a hawk .... !! It will be pay as you eat fellas .... !! no check bin for you !

Considering we are talking Thailand, more specifically Phuket, and a claim laid by a business that might well have its own agenda, with a police force not famed for its competence, you seem to be presuming an awful lot.

[benbear]

'' You eat and drink what?"

" Som tam, sticky rice and a beer and he had the same."

" oooooo, the same is expensive"

Smile

'' That's 15000 baht you"

Frown

[farangmick]

If anyone's cheating anyone its that Puket restaurant. Guarantee you that. I think they would have never made it put of the restaurant without paying. And 15000thb is an unrealistic number for two guys food and drinks. Even for a way overpriced zPuket restaurant. The Island of 100.000 scams..hate that place.

I think this is quite easily done by two people.

I had 3 beers in a hotel in Bangkok and it cost me 1500 Bht.

They dont tell you about the services charges.

So yeah... It can be done

Your hotel obviously had a lot more stars than the ones we stay in.

[saakura]

A couple of hours drinking fine wines at a high end restaurant like the Lebua (State Tower) or Vertigo (Banyan Tree), Skywalk (Marriott Sukhumvit 59) all in Bangkok can easily cost upwards of 15k. I have stayed at the Blue Marine in Dec 2004 and it has a magnificient view of the ocean from every room, the restaurants in the hotel were very expensive. Many of these places have expensive wines costing 5-10k a bottle.

[Trouble]

As usual totally inadequate reporting by the news media. Do any reporters in Thailand every cover a story completely? Assuming it was around a $500 bill back in 2013, was this for one dinner with a few drinks for the two of them, were they overcharged, was it for a party of 10, etc? We will never know because we never get the whole story. Why bother reporting this on TV if the story is not complete? Just a non story and a non issue that we are teased into reading because of the headline.