Australian tourist, 52, ‘refuses to pay massive bill despite spending 13 hours drinking at bar’

An Australian tourist allegedly refused to pay a large bill despite spending 13 hours drinking at a bar in Thailand.

Glenn William Thompson, 52, arrived at the Easy Bar in 'Sin City' Pattaya at 8 am local time - three hours before the establishment had opened.

Bar owner Meleeya, 46, said staff had to wake up early on Wednesday morning, August 12, but they agreed to accommodate the customer as he had a good payment record with other bars in the area.

The generous holidaymaker sat down and later invited waitresses to drink with him, ringing the bell to signal that he was buying rounds for the female staff.

Employees said he was 'pleasant and likeable' while treating them to free-flowing drinks all afternoon.

However, his mood soured at around 9 pm, when he allegedly invited a bar girl to go out with him, only to be turned down as he was too drunk.

Staff said he allegedly refused to pay the tab, which came to a staggering 32,540 baht (1,400 AUD).

He reportedly disputed the charges as Meleeya tried to explain that the bill covered not only his own drinks but also those he had bought for the staff.

Both parties went to Pattaya City Police Station at 11:30 pm for mediation, where Meleeya handed officers a thick stack of receipts allegedly documenting Glenn's orders over the 13-hour drinking spree.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Kanoknan Suksri of the Pattaya City Police Station said: ‘We summoned both parties to negotiate, with the bar confirming the bill total of 32,540 baht.

‘The Australian tourist claimed that the charges did not amount to that much and still refused to pay the sum requested by the shop.

‘We recorded the information in a daily log as evidence, while preparing to examine the bill details and facts from both sides before proceeding with the next steps.'

Some nightlife businesses in Thailand target unsuspecting tourists with inflated prices, handing bloated bills with services far higher than advertised.

Thai authorities claimed they were clamping down on the practice, but the scams remain prevalent in the country, which has a bustling tourism sector.