The woman, named by police only as ‘Ms Evgenia’, 22, was arrested at a pool villa in Moo 5, Kamala on Saturday evening (July 27).
Ms Evgenia’s arrest followed a formal complaint filed with police by a currency exchange booth in front of the Big C store in Kamala, which reported three of four US$50 bills given to them by Ms Evgenia were fake,
At the villa, police seized 32 more counterfeit US$50 banknotes.
Ms Evgenia and three fellow Russians staying at the villa with her were taken to Kamala Police Station for questioning, police reported.
Ms Evgenia explained that her father had given her 60 US$50 banknotes to travel to Phuket with friends.
The group flew to Shanghai, where they changed planes and arrived in Phuket last Monday (July 22).
Last Tuesday (July 23), Ms Evgenia exchanged four of the banknotes given to her by her father at the foreign currency exchange counter in front of the Big C department store in Kamala.
Police were notified by staff at the exchange counter after they had realised that three of the US banknotes given to them by Ms Evgenia were fake. Police were able to track her down by the photocopy of her passport, Kamala Police said.
Ms Evgenia said she had no idea that three of the four banknotes were fake, police said.
However, she currently faces a preliminary charge of importing into the Kingdom counterfeit or altered banknotes and distributing counterfeit banknotes in the country, police confirmed.
Meanwhile, police are continuing their investigation to determine whether Ms Evgenia (and her father) were victims of a larger operation by a criminal organisation, police said.