Counterfeit 1,000-baht notes are back in circulation after a Chumphon shop owner foiled a scam to swap fake cash for a bank transfer. She seized four forged notes for police as two suspects fled on a motorbike.
Counterfeit 1,000-baht banknotes are circulating in local communities, a Chumphon shop owner has warned after narrowly thwarting an audacious scam to exchange fake cash for a genuine bank transfer. Four forged notes were uncovered only moments before the transaction was completed, prompting the quick-thinking businesswoman to seize them as evidence for police. At the same time, two young suspects fled on a motorcycle. The case has renewed concerns about counterfeit currency after earlier incidents in the area and follows other major fake-banknote investigations elsewhere in Thailand.
Counterfeit 1,000-baht banknotes are circulating again after two young men tried to swap fake cash for a genuine bank transfer at a Chumphon mobile phone shop. However, the plan collapsed within minutes when the shop owner closely examined the money.
Instead, the pair abandoned the transaction and roared away on a motorcycle after their deception was exposed.
The attempted scam unfolded at about 3 pm on July 27 at Sapli Mobile on the Chumphon-Sapli Road in Pathio district. The following day, reporters visited the business after learning it had narrowly escaped becoming another counterfeit currency victim.
Shop owners Ms Orawan, 36, and Mr Prinyakorn, 46, described how the encounter unfolded from the moment the suspects arrived.
Shop owner grows suspicious after young men seek bank transfer using cash later found to be counterfeit
According to Ms Orawan, two young men rode up on a Honda Wave motorcycle displaying an unidentified registration plate. They asked her to transfer money into a bank account on their behalf. At first glance, the request appeared completely ordinary. As part of the transaction, she requested the recipient’s account number before processing the transfer.
Notably, the account was registered in a woman’s name rather than the man standing before her. Even so, the discrepancy did not immediately trigger suspicion. Instead, she simply requested cash before making the electronic transfer. One of the men then handed over five 1,000-baht banknotes.
Before completing the transfer, Ms Orawan decided to inspect the money. She carefully checked the watermark before using a banknote verification pen. Almost immediately, several warning signs emerged.
Most significantly, the notes lacked the expected image of His Majesty the King within the watermark. In addition, the paper felt noticeably thicker than genuine currency. The verification pen raised further concerns. Consequently, she determined that four of the five banknotes were counterfeit. Only one note proved genuine.
Four fake notes exposed as shop owner refuses transfer and keeps counterfeit cash for police evidence
In response, she immediately confronted the two men. One suspect denied knowing the money was counterfeit. Instead, he claimed he had received the notes from his brother. Nevertheless, Ms Orawan stood her ground.
She told the pair the genuine banknote would be returned. However, she refused to hand back the remaining four notes. Instead, she said they would be retained as evidence for a police complaint.
That decision instantly changed the mood inside the shop. According to Ms Orawan, both young men appeared shocked after hearing the counterfeit notes would not be returned. Seconds later, they abandoned any attempt to complete the transaction. They hurried outside, climbed onto the motorcycle and accelerated away before police could be called. As a result, both suspects escaped and remain unidentified.
Although the motorcycle carried no identifiable registration, Ms Orawan remembered another detail. She said both men spoke with an accent suggesting they came from Tha Sae district. That observation could now form part of the police investigation.
Earlier counterfeit cases raised fears as suspects flee and police pursue a fresh investigation in Chumphon
Separately, Ms Orawan said she had previously heard of criminals targeting other businesses in the market with counterfeit 1,000-baht banknotes. Those earlier cases reportedly involved fake notes being used to purchase goods. However, she believes a different group was responsible. Even so, she never imagined her own business would become a target.
This attempt followed a different pattern. Rather than buying merchandise, the suspects allegedly tried converting counterfeit cash directly into legitimate funds through an electronic transfer.
Had the transaction succeeded, the fake notes would have been exchanged for genuine money within minutes. Instead, careful checks stopped the scheme before any transfer was made.
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Importantly, the counterfeit notes failed several security tests. The missing watermark immediately raised suspicion. Likewise, the unusually thick paper differed from authentic banknotes. The verification pen then reinforced those findings. Together, the checks confirmed that only one of the five notes was genuine.
On another front, Ms Orawan is preparing to hand all four counterfeit banknotes to Pathiu Police Station. The notes will be submitted as evidence in a formal complaint. Meanwhile, she has urged investigators to move quickly to identify those responsible.
Police are expected to examine the counterfeit currency as part of their investigation. For now, the two young men remain at large after their attempted scam ended in a hurried escape.
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