PATTAYA, Chon Buri: A city official had to dig into his own pocket to provide a receipt for an Iranian tourist who complained he was not given a receipt after earlier paying a 2,000 baht spot fine for discarding a cigarette butt in Walking Street.
The official paid an equivalent fine himself so he could issue a receipt after he could not find the "officials" who earlier fined the tourist.
Shahrokh Assadizadldleh complained that "men in state official uniforms" caught him dropping a cigarette butt while he was strolling along the tourist street in the early hours of Wednesday. He paid the spot fine of 2,000 baht they demanded.
Speaking through an interpreter, the 32-year-old traveller said he admitted to the offence, but questioned why the "officials" did not issue him a receipt when he requested one.
"I was afraid this was not right," Mr Assadizadldleh said. So he decided to file a complaint with police.
He later returned to the checkpoint in front of Siam Bayshore hotel in the Walking Street area where he had been fined. An official on duty there said he should, by law, have paid the fine only at Pattaya City Hall.
Unable to find the "officials" who earlier charged and fined Mr Assadizadldleh, the official decided to pay the fine again himself, in order to issue the Iranian a receipt.
