Thread: Two Nepalese Men Arrested in Pattaya for Counterfeit Money Scam Targeting Tourists an

Two Nepalese nationals were arrested in Pattaya for allegedly scamming locals and tourists with counterfeit U.S. dollars.


The arrest was made today, January 14th, 2025. According to Pol Maj Gen Natthakorn Prapaiyon, Commander of Immigration Bureau Division 3, the police received complaints from locals about what they called a “Black Money gang” deceiving people in Pattaya with fake money. The gang had been deceiving both locals and foreign tourists.


After receiving the report, police began an investigation and discovered two Nepalese suspects, who had disguised themselves as tourists. Pol Maj Gen Natthakorn said they were scamming people by claiming that they could produce what they call the “Black Money.” The suspects claimed that they could produce these banknotes and deceived people into investing in chemical solutions to produce the money. The suspects were hiding out in a rental room in Pattaya.

In the early hours today, police raided the room and found two foreign men along with large quantities of counterfeit dollar-sized black paper and photocopied paper that resembled U.S. dollars. The suspects were identified only as Mr. Som and Mr. Ghanendra. Both were Nepalese nationals who had also entered Thailand illegally via the natural border from Cambodia, Pol Maj Gen Natthakorn said.

The authorities confiscated the fake U.S. dollars. Police suspected that the suspects had already scammed several victims. The two foreign men were arrested and taken to Pattaya Police Station. They were initially charged with violating the Immigration Act.

Two Nepalese Men Arrested in Pattaya for Counterfeit Money Scam Targeting Tourists and Locals - The Pattaya News

How long has the black money scam been around? And presumably still catches people.

At a guess, that scam could be over 100 years old.

It goes on everywhere. Was walking out of a bank in Guangzhou China years ago and a dude came up frantically asking me to exchange some 100 dollar US bills as they could not stay parked where he was. It was a "yeah, right" moment!