A man and woman drove a pickup truck to a gas station in Hat Yai and filled a barrel with 100 liters of diesel. Claiming that a vehicle behind them would pay, they calmly drove away, only for the attendant to realize he had been tricked.
According to Thai media reports, the incident occurred on March 20 at a PTT gas station in Hat Yai, Thailand.
The station manager, Ms. Ai, told the media that at the time, a man and woman arrived in a white pickup truck carrying a large 200-liter plastic barrel in the truck bed.
A woman wearing a yellow shirt and a denim jacket got out and asked the attendant to fill the barrel with 100 liters of diesel. The woman appeared calm, pointed to a sedan behind them in line, and told the attendant to collect payment from that driver before walking away from the station.
After the barrel was filled, the male driver of the pickup truck again told the attendant to collect payment from the car behind, then drove away. When the attendant approached the driver of the sedan to ask for payment, he was visibly confused and insisted he did not know the pair at all—only then did the attendant realize he had been scammed.
Closed-circuit TV footage showed that after leaving the gas station area, the woman in yellow waited nearby. When the pickup truck pulled out of the station, she immediately got in and they drove off together.
The 100 liters of diesel stolen are valued at 3,081 Thai baht (about 375 ringgit).
Ms. Ai said company policy required the attending shift employee to personally cover losses from such scams. For those already struggling financially, this is a significant burden. They hope that media exposure will pressure the scammers into coming forward.
Gas station operator Jirapong stated that he understands the reporting and prosecution process is lengthy and complicated, so he is willing to give the culprits some time to return and settle the bill. If there is no news after a week, they will report the matter to the police for an investigation.
The station manager, Ms. Ai, told the media that at the time, a man and woman arrived in a white pickup truck carrying a large 200-liter plastic barrel in the truck bed.
A woman wearing a yellow shirt and a denim jacket got out and asked the attendant to fill the barrel with 100 liters of diesel. The woman appeared calm, pointed to a sedan behind them in line, and told the attendant to collect payment from that driver before walking away from the station.
After the barrel was filled, the male driver of the pickup truck again told the attendant to collect payment from the car behind, then drove away. When the attendant approached the driver of the sedan to ask for payment, he was visibly confused and insisted he did not know the pair at all—only then did the attendant realize he had been scammed.
Closed-circuit TV footage showed that after leaving the gas station area, the woman in yellow waited nearby. When the pickup truck pulled out of the station, she immediately got in and they drove off together.
The 100 liters of diesel stolen are valued at 3,081 Thai baht (about 375 ringgit).
Ms. Ai said company policy required the attending shift employee to personally cover losses from such scams. For those already struggling financially, this is a significant burden. They hope that media exposure will pressure the scammers into coming forward.
Gas station operator Jirapong stated that he understands the reporting and prosecution process is lengthy and complicated, so he is willing to give the culprits some time to return and settle the bill. If there is no news after a week, they will report the matter to the police for an investigation.