Bangkok: BTS fans gathered at the Parliament building to petition MPs after being scammed out of over 1.2 million baht in concert ticket payments. Mr. Kantapong Prayursak, MP from the People's Party, and his team received a complaint from Ms. Rin Kunarak, a representative of the victims, regarding losses incurred from booking concert tickets through a service offered to purchase tickets on their behalf. Between June 9-11, 2026, tickets for the BTS Arirang in Bangkok concert went on sale, attracting a large number of people. This led to various businesses and individuals offering online ticket-purchasing services, charging upfront fees for tickets or processing. Following the ticket sales, numerous consumers reported not receiving tickets as agreed, not receiving refunds, or being unable to contact the ticket-purchasing service providers. As a result, victims have begun to organize, gather evidence, and pursue legal action.
According to Thai News Agency, an Open Chat group with over 700 members has been established to collect information from victims. Based on collected forms from the group, at least 120 victims are linked to a single bank account receiving transfers, with an estimated total loss of over 1,230,000 baht. This figure may increase as more victims are in the process of gathering information and submitting additional documents. The victims are currently gathering all necessary evidence, including online conversation records, money transfer slips, purchase orders, and related documents. Some sample evidence is attached to this letter for consideration. Furthermore, many victims have already reported the incident to the ADC 1441 center and are following up with the relevant agencies regarding the progress of the investigation. This case involves a large number of victims, affects a wide range of consumers, and involves significant financial damages. Additionally, a number of victims are students and young people.
Mr. Kantapong stated after receiving complaints that the service fee for booking concert tickets requires advance payment, indicating a scamming environment. The problem stems from three issues: difficulty booking directly, forcing victims to book through others, and this method creates avenues for problems, leading to disappointment, frustration, and sadness at being scammed instead of getting to see their favorite concert. He will bring this matter to the Consumer Protection Committee to develop a three-pronged approach. This includes limiting ticket purchases, implementing stricter KYC processes for digital IDs, ensuring clearer ID disclosure, and involving relevant booking agencies to manage and neutralize bots. Other measures include scanning to prevent computer programs from interfering with ticket bookings.
The 3J approach - restricting booking rights, clearly requiring IDs, and preventing bots from interfering with ticket bookings - will allow the committee to establish long-term guidelines for concert ticket sales to ensure the highest level of safety for Thai people, and to prevent these incidents from happening again.
Mr. Karunpol Thiansuwan added that, as a member of the Committee on Telecommunications and Digital Economy and Society, the committee is well aware of this issue. This isn't just about online scams; it's also about the difficulty in booking concert tickets and the inflated prices at the venue. The difficulty in booking leads to ticket scalping, as well as instances where legitimate tickets are purchased but cannot be obtained due to resale. The committee will be responsible for discussions with representatives of ticket sales channels and the proposed solutions, such as identity verification, limiting purchases to a maximum of three tickets per person. It must be acknowledged that foreign tourists also purchase tickets for international concerts held in Thailand. Therefore, there needs to be an equal opportunity for foreign attendees. It shouldn't be the case that only Thais get to see concerts held in Thailand; fairness must be ensured for tourists, Thai citizens, concert organizers, and ticket companies. Th e committee must find ways to make ticket purchasing easier, safer, and more transparent.