A family eagerly anticipating their holiday in Hua Hin were tricked into booking a non-existent luxury rental through Facebook.
The incident, which has caught the attention of Thai news outlets including Ejan, highlights a worrying trend of fraudulent schemes that prey on unsuspecting tourists.
The family, led by a person identified only as Kukkai, were about to begin their annual vacation, searching for a pet-friendly accommodation that could host 8 to 10 people.
A property, under the name of ‘Siam Sea View Pool Villa’ was found on Facebook, promising a lavish stay at a reasonable price. Drawn by the luxurious appearance and the ability to accommodate their needs, the family proceeded to book three rooms for two nights at a total cost of 19,000 baht, which included a 4,000 baht security deposit.
The Thailand Consumers Council (TCC) has also issued a warning regarding the Siam Sea View Pool Villa page.
However, the dream vacation quickly unraveled as they approached their destination. Despite maintaining communication with the property’s admin up to the moment of their arrival, the family was met with a desolate plot of land instead of the promised accommodation.
Their attempts to seek guidance from the admin on their arrival were abruptly cut short when they were blocked, leaving them stranded and realizing they had been scammed.
In response to their ordeal, Kukkai recorded a video to warn others about their experience, highlighting the deceptive practices of the scammer, who had managed to maintain an active presence on Facebook despite the complaint filed by the family at the Phaya Thai police station.
The Thailand Consumers Council (TCC) has also issued a warning regarding the Siam Sea View Pool Villa page, involved in similar scams, where consumers were duped into transferring money to a bank account under the name Piratchai Srimachai for bookings that would never materialize. The page, initially named Thet Tant Sann before rebranding, utilized images from another accommodation’s page for misleading advertisements, a tactic that has become increasingly common among scammers seeking to exploit the booming online marketplace for holiday rentals.
Victims of such scams are advised to collect all possible evidence and report the incident to local authorities or through the online portal at www.thaipoliceonline.com. With the long holiday and Songkran festival approaching, the public is urged to exercise caution and verify information thoroughly before making any payments online.