- This guy really took his fortune into his own hands.
If you need something done right, you have to do it yourself. This wisdom, usually handed down by an irate parent, is applicable in many situations.
This Thai fortune teller showed that it even works for predictions of luck.
Udomsap Mueangkaew works as a fortune teller on the streets of Pattaya. He was recently arrested after ensuring his predictions of future events came true.
After giving a reading of bad luck to a local girl, Udomsap stole her phone. While that certainly made the fortune accurate, Udomsap apparently didn’t account for the fact that people usually remember the last time they had their important belongings.
He refused to return the smartphone, claiming that its disappearance was proof of his supernatural abilities. The police, who were called to the scene, however, used their mystical powers to summon the girl’s phone out of Udomsap’s bag.
His methods are questionable, but you can’t say the guy isn’t dedicated to his bit.
A True Prediction
The strange incident happened on January 1 in Pattaya, southern Thailand. On the day, the 38-year-old Udomsap was prowling the streets on the lookout for people who wanted to know what their fortune for the new year would be like.
He found a customer in a young woman identified only as Ms. Pim. According to news reports, Ms. Pim felt sorry for the “shabby-looking” fortune teller and decided to see what fate had in store for her.
Well, it wasn’t good. Udomsap used cards to peer into the future and predicted that Ms. Pim would face bad luck and the loss of a valuable item.
The good news was that Udomsap could use his powers to prevent the event from coming to pass, if Ms. Pim paid him for it. She didn’t feel like parting with her money and left.
Moments later, she realized her iPhone was missing. Ms. Pim clearly recalled she had placed it down during the fortune-telling session — right by the mystic who had said she’d lose something valuable.
The events smelled fishy to Ms. Pim, and she marched right back. Lucky for her, Udomsap was still around and she confronted him.
He, however, claimed that the phone’s disappearance only proved the accuracy of his prophetic visions. Udomsap even went so far as to describe the looks of the supposed thief.
Ms. Pim didn’t buy the story and caused a scene, which prompted bystanders to call the police. Upon searching Udomsap’s bag, they discovered the missing phone hidden in a box of face masks.
Udomsap allegedly pleaded for Ms. Pim to not press charges, as he was a first-time offender and had fallen victim to temptation. She, however, is reportedly adamant on suing the thief to prevent the same thing from happening to others.
Large-scale Scams
This case isn’t that unusual in Thailand, where fortune telling is big business. According to the Thai Chamber of Commerce, the services and goods sold by the country’s various psychics are worth between $304 and $456 million annually.
It’s no wonder, then, that the fortune-telling market in Thailand is prone to cases of fraud. After all, it’s easy sell a sparkly crystal to somebody and claim it prevents bad luck. Who’s to argue otherwise?
Some scams, however, are much more blatant in their criminal intent. One such incident, taking place in 2024, involved the prominent fortune teller Thanawan “Odd” Jiracharoenwet.
The 43-year-old would read people’s fortunes, which often weren’t good. Fortunately, he also sold a wide variety of sacred objects and trinkets that could prevent the misfortune.
We don’t know whether the thingamajigs were hoaxes or the real deal. That’s because, after taking people’s money, Odd never actually delivered any of the items he sold.
According to local news, Odd scammed 67 people. His magical items must’ve been pricey, because his victims’ losses totaled a whopping $3.2 million.
Eventually, the outcry about his shady business practices went public and Odd said he’d return all the money people had paid him. Thailand’s financial authorities, however, figured he presented a flight risk and arrested him.
At his house, the cops discovered a bunch of fancy good, including a luxury Lamborghini. The real irony, though, is that the car wasn’t really Odd’s — he admitted he’d rented it to appear successful and more credible to his victims.
So, where did the money go? Well, Odd lost it all on gambling.
We suppose that proves he couldn’t see the future. Surely he would’ve won in the games otherwise.