Police were alerted to the incident and called to a currency exchange near a main hotel in the area on Saturday (Mar 22).
Police were told that two foreign women had submitted six fake US$50 bills in exchange for B9,750.
Officers later searched the tourists’ hotel rooms, where additional banknotes were seized. To verify their authenticity, the seized currency was taken to a bank branch at Central Phuket shopping mall for an initial inspection using an automatic money counting and checking machine, police reported.
During the examination, some of the US dollar bills failed to pass through the machine consistently, raising concerns about their authenticity.
Bank officers attempted the verification process multiple times but were unable to confirm whether the notes were genuine or counterfeit.
Due to the inconsistencies, officials advised that the bills be sent to the head office of Siam Commercial Bank for further analysis.
The bank staff also noted that the 2017 series of US dollar bills have frequently posed challenges in verification, leading to their removal from exchange services.
Given these complications, Wichit Police recorded the seizure of all questionable banknotes and forwarded them to the Forensic Science Division and the US Embassy for further investigation.
In the meantime, police have placed the foreign tourists on a watchlist through the Immigration Bureau while awaiting the investigation results. If the banknotes are confirmed to be counterfeit, legal action will be taken promptly, Wichit Police confirmed.
Local currency exchange businesses and shop owners in Phuket are advised to exercise caution when accepting US dollar bills, particularly the 2017 series, due to ongoing difficulties in distinguishing genuine notes from fraudulent ones.
The investigation is ongoing.