Chonburi — A group of Kuwaiti tourists have complained to the media, claiming that Pattaya City Police fined them under traffic law violations in private, demanding cash only, and ultimately gave them mysterious receipts resembling restaurant bills, not official National Police receipts. They said the receipts were not from the Royal Thai Police office.
On 15 July 2026 in Chonburi, reporters reported that on the evening of 14 July 2026, a group of 6-7 Middle Eastern tourists from Kuwait, aged about 20-30, gathered to complain to reporters. Over the past month during their visit to Pattaya City, Bang Lamung District, Chonburi Province, they were repeatedly stopped by uniformed police for traffic violations. They personally admitted their wrongdoing and did not dispute breaking Thailand’s laws.
What raised their suspicion was that the police fines were issued as ordinary cash receipts. When they took these receipts to the police station for verification, they were told these were "fake receipts unrelated to the police station." Afterward, they were caught multiple times again and received the same kind of receipts repeatedly. They were also told fines must be paid in cash only, and shockingly were taken to secluded places to pay, being denied the option to pay at the police station. They disclosed these issues to the media, providing secretly recorded clips of the arrests and the cash receipts as evidence.
The Kuwaiti tourists explained through an interpreter that they often visit Pattaya. During this year’s holiday, they traveled as usual, fully aware of the laws, especially regarding motorcycle riding. They accept penalties if properly imposed. However, many arrests seemed unclear, with fines excessively high—3,500 to 5,000 baht each time—and they were detained 2-5 times each night. After arrest, they were asked to pay fines in secluded places. If they didn’t want their vehicles seized, an unidentified man collected the fine money under police supervision. Importantly, payments had to be cash only.
They said they were firmly refused when trying to pay fines at the police station. They were not allowed to pay at the Pattaya vehicle impound area (which they could not find), and had to pay vehicle storage fees in cash as well, with no transfers accepted. If they wanted a receipt, they had to pay an additional 500 baht. The receipt looked like one from a convenience store, but listed the offense and fine clearly. When shown to other officials, they were told it was a fake receipt. They ended up being repeatedly fined. In one case, after a minor motorcycle collision, the same group of 2-3 officers fined them repeatedly in the same manner, leaving a daily impression, even though they did not know what they had done wrong.
They stated that they have visited Thailand many times, especially Pattaya, and felt the city was safe with crime well controlled. But this year, they encountered this group of police officers who rotated arrests every night after midnight and behaved this way every time. They feel very disappointed and fearful.
The Kuwaiti tourists concluded that they came forward to the media only to ask Pattaya City Police commanders to investigate the facts. They accept any legal penalties for their offenses but request clear, official fines with receipts issued by the Royal Thai Police, not ordinary cash receipts.
Meanwhile, the Kuwaiti tourists also revealed a secretly recorded video showing negotiations with a person claiming to be a police officer issuing fines and charging extra for the cash receipt.