Koh Phangan: two tourists steal beer after refund refusal

On the island of Koh Phangan, two young English-speaking tourists tried to get a refund on their purchases by claiming the products were fake, before walking off with two cans of beer without paying. The scene, filmed by the shopkeeper, illustrates, according to Thai comments, the problems faced by small traders with certain tourists taking advantage of the free visa.

In a viral video on X, the shop owner recounts how two foreign teenagers bought items, then demanded a refund claiming the goods were counterfeit. The shop, which states it has official tax stamps, refused.

The two youths then turned to the fridge, grabbed two cans of beer and declared “so I’ll take the beer”. The young employee, still a minor and not wanting an incident, let them leave without resistance.

The shopkeeper posted the video to alert other business owners on the island: “Tourists have many faces and certain practices are becoming more and more common.” The incident occurred recently in Koh Phangan.

Many comments on Thai social networks point the finger at the free visa as a factor facilitating the arrival of unscrupulous tourists. The video has garnered over 340,000 views in a few hours.