CHIANG MAI — 14 July 2026, A karaoke bar in Chiang Mai has agreed to fully refund nearly 150,000 baht (4470.94 USD) to two British tourists following a dispute over a bill that the visitors claimed was excessive, while the business maintained the charges reflected the actual services provided and that they had been billed according to the establishment’s standard rates.
The dispute came after the British tourists, accompanied by a lawyer, filed a complaint alleging they had been charged almost 150,000 baht 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 as scheduled. Police summoned representatives of both the tourists and the karaoke bar for further questioning on the night of 13 July and encouraged them to negotiate a mutual resolution.
The case stems from an incident on 28 June, when the British man, who lives with his wife in Hang Dong district, and a British friend went for food and drinks in the Nimmanhemin area before travelling to a karaoke venue inside Chiang Mai’s old city.
According to the tourist’s wife, the two men were heavily intoxicated. After initially paying less than 1,000 baht for their first visit, they attempted to leave but were allegedly persuaded by staff to remain. She said her husband eventually threatened to call the police before they were allowed to leave.
She said the pair later took a tuk-tuk to drop the man’s friend at his hotel before asking the driver to take her husband home to Hang Dong district. Instead, she alleged the driver returned him to the same karaoke bar while he was too intoxicated to make decisions for himself.
The following day, the couple discovered charges exceeding 120,000 baht on the husband’s credit card and a further 26,000 baht on his wife’s card, bringing the total to nearly 150,000 baht. They subsequently filed a police complaint requesting an investigation.
The victim said that after coordinating with financial institutions, they found their bank records showed multiple transactions completed within a short period, including payments allegedly transferred to an individual’s PromptPay account rather than an account registered to the business, raising concerns about the transactions.
During the investigation, the karaoke bar explained that the customers had indeed used its services and requested numerous female hostesses to join their table. The business said hostess charges were billed at 700 baht per person per hour over approximately four to five hours before the final bill was calculated the following morning.
The tourists disputed the amount, arguing the charges were disproportionately high. They also pointed to the suspicious nature of multiple transactions of varying amounts being processed, questioning why several payments had been made instead of a single transaction, and claimed one credit card had been charged well beyond its 50,000-baht spending limit. They further questioned how the wife’s credit card, which the husband had been carrying, had also been used.
The complainants also asked police to investigate the role of the tuk-tuk driver after mobile phone location data allegedly showed the vehicle circling several locations before returning to the same karaoke venue. They asked investigators to determine whether anyone else had been involved.
Police said they are continuing to gather evidence, including statements from both parties, financial records and other relevant information as part of their legal assessment of the case. At the time, negotiations between the two parties had yet to reach a resolution.
However, the karaoke bar has since refunded the tourists the full amount, saying it could no longer withstand the backlash on social media.
Nevertheless, the case has also prompted public calls for relevant authorities—including police and local administrative officials—to examine whether the venue was operating with the required licences. Some social media users argued that similar businesses have previously damaged Chiang Mai’s tourism reputation through alleged overcharging and unauthorised operations.