PATTAYA – A Thai-Australian couple has come forward with allegations of extortion by a man they believe was a police officer in Pattaya. The incident, which they claim occurred on October 13, involved a demand for 20,000 baht to secure the release of the Australian husband from custody at the Mueang Pattaya Police Station, local media reported.

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According to the wife, a 25-year-old Thai national identified only as Mint, she was informed that her husband was being detained over an alleged unpaid bar bill of 6,464 baht from an establishment on Soi Buakhao. Upon arriving at the police station, she was approached by a man dressed in police-style clothing who offered to resolve the situation in exchange for 20,000 baht. After negotiation, the amount was reduced to 15,000 baht, which Mint withdrew from a nearby ATM. The man accepted the cash without providing any receipt or official documentation, after which her husband was released without any formal record of charges.

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Mint revealed that this was the second such incident in recent weeks, citing a similar encounter two weeks earlier when a man in a police vest demanded 20,000 baht over another alleged unpaid bill. The couple now fears they may have been targeted by individuals impersonating officers and have sought media assistance due to the lack of an official response from the Mueang Pattaya Police Station regarding their allegations.

-Thailand News (TN)