PATTAYA, Thailand – A German engineer has filed a police complaint after allegedly being deceived into purchasing expensive herbal products falsely claimed to restore hair growth, resulting in losses of more than 20,000 baht.
At around 12:30 a.m. on December 25, a German national and industrial engineer, 57, reported the incident to investigators at Pattaya City Police Station. He told police he was misled into buying herbal supplements that were claimed to have special properties capable of regrowing hair on bald areas.
The incident reportedly occurred along Pattaya Beach Road. The victim said he was persuaded to buy two containers of the product, described as a branded dietary supplement, at a price exceeding 22,000 baht.
Speaking through an interpreter, the tourist explained that while walking along the beachfront, he was approached by a foreign man who struck up a friendly conversation and offered to sell him hair-nourishing products. The seller claimed the supplements could stimulate new hair growth and later escorted him to a shop to complete the purchase.
After reviewing the product more closely, the victim discovered that it did not have the properties advertised and was priced far above its actual value. Believing he had been deceived, he decided to file a formal complaint with police.
Local reporters noted that authorities have received information suggesting similar scams have targeted foreign tourists in popular tourist areas, using herbal products or dietary supplements as bait. In some previous cases, refunds were reportedly issued after police intervention.
Police said they are reviewing the complaint and urged relevant agencies to increase inspections and enforcement to prevent tourists from falling victim to similar schemes in the future.
