Kunnika Patkhong, owner of the “M and P” money exchange on Patak Rd called Chalong Police at 1:45pm to report that a foreigner was attempting to exchange counterfeit bills at her shop.
Officers soon arrived and placed 27-year-old Boboyeb G’olijon Obidovivh under arrest.
Ms Kunnika told police that Mr Boboyeb wanted to exchange nine US$100 bills.
“I found abnormalities on the notes and after examination I realised that they were fake, so I asked my daughter to stall for time whilst I called the police,” she said.
Police found Mr Boboyeb in possession of 17 US$100 bills and two currency exchange receipts from Bangkok Bank Cherng Talay branch.
The receipts showed that Mr Boboyeb had made two exchanges – one of US$1,500 to B51,315 and the other of RM1,620 (Malaysian Ringgit) to B12,247 – earlier in the day.
Police officers requested a money exchange staffer from Bangkok Bank check the 17 bills and it was verified that nine of the US$100 bills were fake and the other eight US$100 bills were genuine.
Mr Boboyeb, answering officers’ questions through an interpretor, stated that he had arrived in Phuket from Malaysia for a 15-day holiday on Sunday (July 2) at 8:30am.
He told officers that after landing, he travelled to Cherng Talay. At the Cherng Talay branch of Bangkok Bank, he exchanged some of the US$100 notes and RM1,620 he was carrying to baht.
However, according to Mr Boboyeb, he could not exchange the remainder of his notes as Bangkok Bank staff informed him that they had “run out of bills”, and the bank staffer returned nine US$100 bills, leading him to the exchange shop.
Police have yet to confirm whether Mr Boboyeb will be charged with passing the counterfeit notes.