Chiang Mai Karaoke Bar Refunds British Tourists Over 150,000-Baht Bill
A Chiang Mai karaoke bar has agreed to refund nearly 150,000 baht to two British tourists after police intervention, following allegations the men were overcharged while heavily intoxicated on June 28.
CHIANG MAI — A karaoke bar in Chiang Mai has agreed to fully refund nearly 150,000 baht (approximately $4,471 USD) to two British tourists following a dispute over charges the visitors claimed were excessive. The business initially maintained that the charges reflected actual services provided and their standard rates.
The dispute arose after the British tourists, accompanied by a lawyer, filed a complaint alleging they had been overcharged during a visit to a karaoke venue in the city. The Thai wife of one of the tourists, along with their lawyer, met with investigators at Chiang Mai City Police Station. Police summoned representatives from both the tourists and the karaoke bar for questioning on the night of 13 July and encouraged them to reach a mutual settlement.
The incident occurred on 28 June when a British man living in Hang Dong district and a British friend went for food and drinks in the Nimmanhemin area before heading to a karaoke bar in Chiang Mai's old city. According to the tourist's wife, both men were heavily intoxicated. After initially paying less than 1,000 baht for their first visit, staff allegedly persuaded them to stay. The husband eventually threatened to call police before they were allowed to leave.
Later, a tuk-tuk driver took the friend to his hotel, but instead of taking the husband home to Hang Dong, allegedly returned him to the same karaoke bar while he was too intoxicated to make sound decisions. The following day, the couple discovered charges exceeding 120,000 baht on the husband's credit card and an additional 26,000 baht on his wife's card, totaling nearly 150,000 baht. They subsequently filed a police complaint.
After coordinating with their banks, the couple discovered multiple transactions processed in quick succession, with some payments transferred to an individual's PromptPay account rather than a business account. They also noted that one credit card had been charged beyond its 50,000-baht spending limit. The karaoke bar explained that the customers had requested numerous female hostesses at 700 baht per person per hour over approximately four to five hours. However, the tourists disputed the amount, arguing the charges were disproportionately high and questioning why multiple payments of varying amounts had been processed instead of a single transaction.
