A popular page shared an incident where a foreign tourist complained after finding a hair in tom yum soup. The vendor expressed suspicion that the hair might have been pulled from the customer's own head because it had a root attached. She admitted feeling disheartened to face such a situation amid the economic and tourism downturn.
A widespread discussion arose online after the Phuket Times page published a story about a foreign tourist who dined at a made-to-order restaurant in Rawai subdistrict, Mueang district, Phuket. The tourist claimed to have found a hair in the tom yum soup and refused to pay for the meal.
The page stated, “Phuket – Attempting to eat for free, caught red-handed! Foreign tourist pulls own hair into tom yum bowl, then complains and threatens to skip payment.” The story included the cook-owner’s account, saying she has run the restaurant for over 10 years without such incidents before. She noted that the hair the customer claimed to find appeared freshly pulled due to the presence of a hair root.
After the post was shared, many social media users commented, suggesting police investigate the evidence to press charges, installing CCTV to gather proof, stating such tricks no longer work, and other opinions criticizing the behavior if the owner’s claims are true.
When interviewed, the cook-owner explained that a male foreign customer, believed to be Russian, ordered several dishes including rice, tom yum goong, and others. Initially, there was no issue, but after finishing the meal, he called her over claiming he found a hair in the tom yum soup bowl.
The owner said she was shocked because she always wears a hairnet while cooking and checks every dish before serving. Having run the business for over 10 years, this was the first such incident. Upon inspecting the hair the customer showed her, she noticed a white spot resembling a hair root attached. She asked the customer about this, which caused him to hesitate, but he still refused to pay, blaming the restaurant.
The cook also said the incident left her feeling discouraged, especially since the economy and tourism are already slow and business is poor. She urged other food vendors to be extra cautious, as she did not expect to face such a situation herself.
However, this incident is based on the owner’s account and a clip shared on social media. There is currently no information about any police report or statements from the foreign tourist involved.