A restaurant owner in Phuket alleged that a foreign customer deliberately placed a strand of hair in his tom yum soup before complaining about food hygiene in an attempt to avoid paying for his meal.
The owner of the restaurant in Rawai subdistrict shared her account with the Phuket Times Facebook page and urged other business operators to remain cautious when dealing with customers following the incident.
According to the owner, the foreign customer, whom she believed to be a Russian national, dined alone and ordered several items, including rice and a bowl of tom yum kung.
The owner said the man called her to his table after finishing the meal and pointed to a strand of hair in the soup, claiming the restaurant’s hygiene standards were poor.
She said she was surprised by the complaint because kitchen staff always wear hair coverings and every dish is checked before being served. The owner added that she has operated the restaurant for more than 10 years and had never received a similar complaint.
After examining the strand of hair, the owner said she became suspicious because it appeared to include the root, leading her to believe it may have been pulled out and placed in the bowl after the food was served. She said she questioned the customer about it, and he appeared surprised by her response.
According to the owner, the customer then requested that the meal be provided free of charge because of the alleged hygiene issue. She said she eventually waived the bill despite believing the hair had been intentionally placed in the soup.
The owner said the incident left her discouraged, particularly as businesses continue to face economic and tourism challenges. She urged other restaurant operators to remain vigilant.
According to ThaiRath, the owner did not say whether she intended to pursue legal action. The customer has not publicly responded to the allegation.
The incident follows other complaints by Phuket restaurant operators involving foreign customers. In one case, a restaurant owner alleged that two foreign diners placed a dried insect in a dish in an attempt to obtain a free meal.
In another, a foreign customer reportedly refused to pay for a smoothie, claiming it did not meet expectations, while staff maintained it had been prepared according to the customer’s instructions.
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