Kuwaiti Tourists Allege Extortion by Pattaya Police

CHONBURI — 15 July 2026, A group of Kuwaiti tourists has alleged that, during their month-long holiday in Pattaya, they were extorted by uniformed police officers after being apprehended for traffic violations, claiming they were forced to pay large cash fines at secluded locations, denied requests to pay at a police station, and issued what they later discovered were grocery receipts. They described the officers’ conduct as “scarier than criminals.” The Kuwaiti tourists, aged between 20 and 30, reported that they had travelled to Pattaya several times over the past month and acknowledged committing traffic infractions. They said they had no objection to being fined through proper legal procedures. However, they became suspicious of extortion after they showed a cash receipt previously issued to them by officers to prove they had already been fined. The police allegedly rejected it, claiming it was fake and not an official police station receipt. Despite this, they said they were subsequently apprehended multiple times and repeatedly issued the exact same type of unofficial receipt. Furthermore, the officers allegedly insisted that they pay in cash only. What was even more shocking, they said, was that they were taken to isolated locations to be fined, while the officers refused their requests to pay at a police station. Consequently, the group decided to expose the matter to reporters, providing journalists with videos secretly recorded during some of the encounters, along with the cash receipts as evidence. Speaking through an interpreter, the tourists said they had travelled to Pattaya several times before. For this year’s holiday, they travelled as usual, fully aware of the local traffic laws while riding motorcycles. They reiterated that if they were prosecuted properly according to the law, they would accept responsibility for breaking it. According to the group, the circumstances surrounding their repeated apprehensions were unclear, particularly regarding the formal offences they were alleged to have committed. They said they were fined between 3,500 and 5,000 baht per offence and were stopped between two and five times on some nights. After being stopped, they were taken to secluded areas. If they wished to avoid having their motorcycles impounded, an unidentified man collected the fines in cash while uniformed police officers stood nearby. They alleged that cash was the only accepted method of payment. What further raised their suspicions was that when they requested to pay the fine at a police station, they were refused. Instead, they were told they would have to pay at a vehicle impound facility in the Pattaya area—a location they could not later identify. They were allegedly told they would also have to pay towing and storage fees in cash, with bank transfers not accepted. If the tourists requested a receipt, they were allegedly charged an additional 500 baht to obtain one. They said they were issued receipts resembling those commonly used by small retail shops, detailing the alleged offence and fine amount. When they later showed the receipts to other police officers, they were reportedly told the documents were fake. One tourist said the group continued to be stopped and fined because they were uncertain how to challenge the process. In one incident following a minor motorcycle collision, they alleged the same officers again demanded payment under similar circumstances despite them not understanding what offence they had committed. The tourists said that, having visited Thailand—particularly Pattaya—many times before, they had always regarded the city as a safe destination with effective law enforcement. However, they claimed their experiences this year changed after encountering this group of police officers, who allegedly rotated shifts to stop and fine them every night after midnight, repeating the same pattern of behaviour each time. The tourists expressed deep sadness and disappointment, saying they had become more afraid of encountering police officers than criminals. “We don’t want this to damage the city’s image,” the group said, adding that they hoped Pattaya would remain the welcoming destination it once was. Following the incidents, the tourists decided to bring the matter to the media so it could be brought to the attention of local commanders and senior police officials. They said they hoped the allegations would be thoroughly investigated and that strict action would be taken if any misconduct was found, ensuring transparency for both the public and visiting tourists. In addition, the Kuwaiti tourists released video clips they secretly recorded during negotiations with an individual who claimed to process fines on behalf of the police officers and who allegedly demanded the additional fee in exchange for issuing the grocery-style receipt. The post Kuwaiti tourists allege extortion by Pattaya police appeared first on Khaosod English.