Booking.com Scam: Family's Thailand Vacation Turns into a Nightmare

A British family was horrified to discover that their expensive villa booked through Booking.com in Phuket did not exist.

After a long 30-hour journey, Judy and Richard Loader arrived in Phuket with their children and grandchildren, looking forward to a festive Christmas holiday with their family.

But upon arriving at the address of the villa they had booked for more than 4,763 euros (about 176,000 baht), they were shocked to discover that the property simply did not exist.

The family's excitement quickly turned to despair.

“Our distress was immense.

The children were in tears, there were no toilets, no food, no drink, we were in a foreign country and it was getting dark,” Judy said.

Warning signals ignored by the platform

A person looks at the Booking.com website on a computer. Photo: ABC News

Before their departure, the Loaders had tried several times to contact the owner of the villa, without success.

Worried, they contacted Booking.com, which reassured them by guaranteeing assistance in the event of a problem and possible coverage of additional costs.

But after discovering the scam on the spot, the family waited in vain for six hours for help.

Left to their own devices, they had to urgently book accommodation for the first night and then for the remaining six days.

Booking.com's scandalous reaction

Booking.com advertisement

Booking.com ultimately refunded the villa's value, minus €95, without compensating for additional expenses related to last-minute accommodation, international phone calls, or transportation costs.

Even more worrying, the fake ad remained visible on the platform even after the consumer association Which? reported the scam.

"Our protests by phone, email and letter have been completely ignored," Judy laments.

When questioned, the platform assured that it takes these incidents seriously.

She claims to have removed the fake ad and explains that the unrefunded costs are due to exchange rates and bank charges.

Booking.com claims to have verification systems in place, but these measures clearly failed in this case.

The Which? association is calling on the platform to implement stricter controls to protect users:

• Host identity verification;
• Two-factor authentication;
• Prohibition of external links in exchanges between users.

See also: Tourist in Thailand gets scammed on Booking.com

Calls to strengthen booking security

Online hotel booking.

This case comes in the context of the Online Safety Act in the United Kingdom, which now requires major digital platforms to take concrete measures against fraud and illegal content.

For the Loaders, this mishap will remain a warning: even when using reputable platforms, travelers must be extra vigilant.

The episode once again highlights the limitations of online guarantees and the need to strengthen the fight against scams in the tourism sector.

See also:

Scams in Thailand: Know them and protect yourself

Bangkok ranked among world's worst cities for tourist scams

Thailand: Swiss man scammed while buying villa in Pattaya

Tourist scammed out of 9,617 euros by Thai girlfriend and assaulted by her husband

Thailand rated highly by Chinese tourists but criticized for scams

Thailand's most welcoming cities in 2025 revealed by Booking.com

Source: The Thaiger