Diner refuses to pay VAT, causes scene at restaurant

A customer refusing to pay VAT points a finger at staff in a ramen restaurant at a petrol station on Bangkok. (Photo: @moveforwardlandslide)
A customer refusing to pay VAT points a finger at staff in a ramen restaurant at a petrol station on Bangkok. (Photo: @moveforwardlandslide)

A customer refused to pay the 21 baht VAT on the bill at a ramen restaurant in a Bangkok petrol station and tried to storm out without paying - only to be stopped by other diners.

The argument was recorded on video by one of the other customers, who posted it on TikTok. 

It happened on June 8 at a PTT station on Sukasawat Road, according to TikTok user @moveforwardlandslide. The customer, a woman, argued loudly with the staff, claiming she was being overcharged and refusing to pay the bill.

The argument was about the inclusion of 7% VAT in the price of her meal. The angry customer refused to acknowledge the VAT included in the price, insisting her bill should reflect the actual price of the food and drink she had. The bill for the food was 321 baht, a price that included the 21 baht in VAT on a 300 baht meal.

According to the TikTok user, the customer refused to listen to explanations by the restaurant staff, demanding they recalculate the bill as if it were a purchase at a 7-Eleven store, which she claimed does not charge VAT in the same way. 

There were only two women staff members working, and they appeared distressed by the situation, the TikTok post said.

As the angry customer attempted to leave without paying, the TikTok user and another patron blocked her exit, insisting she settle her bill. Eventually, the customer paid up, but continued to argue during the transaction.

Vocabulary

  • acknowledge: to accept or admit that something exists, is true or is real - ยอมรับ
  • cause a scene: to behave in a loud or disruptive manner in public -
  • distressed: upset and anxious - กังวลใจ, ไม่มีความสุข
  • explanation (noun): a description of how something happened or happens; giving the reasons why it happened - การอธิบาย, การชี้แจง, การขยายความ, คำอธิบาย
  • inclusion (noun): being included or part of something - การผนวก, การรวมเข้าไว้ด้วยกัน
  • overcharge (verb): to ask for too much money for the product or service you are selling - คิดเงินแพงเกินไป
  • patron: a customer; someone who uses a particular entertainment place, hotel, restaurant, etc. - ลูกค้า
  • transaction: a business dealing - การติดต่อทางธุรกิจ
  • VAT (noun): a tax that is added to the price of many goods and services - ภาษีมูลค่าเพิ่ม

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