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Three Hong Kong tourists will be deported from Thailand for allegedly making a false robbery report in order to claim HK$60,000 in insurance money.
Cheuk Kai-hay, 26, Chui Tsz-kwan, 24, and Wu Ching-bor, 23, have also been slapped with two-year suspended prison terms and blacklisted from entering Thailand, South China Morning Post reported.
The trio reported the alleged “robbery” at Thung Mahamek police station on Saturday, claiming that a tuk-tuk driver made off with their belongings, namely three iPhone X units, two cameras, and THB45,000 (around US$1,400), as they were returning to their hotel.
However, CCTV recordings revealed that they did not ride a tuk-tuk. Instead, they took a car to their hotel. Footage from the hotel’s CCTV also showed them still holding their smartphones when they entered.
Police later conducted a search of their hotel room and found the phones they reported as stolen. The trio later admitted that they made up the robbery incident so they could make fraudulent insurance claims that would have netted them HK$60,000 (around US$7,600).
The Thai Tourist Police Bureau posted on its official Facebook page, saying that the tourists have been charged for making a false police report.
“A court has given them a THB10,000 fine each and a two-year suspended jail term… Thung Mahamek police have already handed them over to immigration police pending deportation,” the post said.
The offence has a maximum penalty of three years’ imprisonment and a THB60,000 fine.
