u/maxsoe

Hi everyone,

I am currently stuck in a frustrating bureaucratic circle in Chiang Mai and need tactical advice from anyone who has successfully navigated this. A local rental shop is refusing to return my cash deposit after the vehicle suffered an internal mechanical failure.

The shop is throwing every nonsense excuse at me to keep the money (claiming I owe them towing fees, claiming I shouldn't have driven on mountain roads, even though their own contract explicitly states it's only banned with a passenger, and I was riding solo).

I am trying to do things completely by the book, but the authorities keep passing the hot potato:

1. Tourist Police sent me to the Local Police.
2. Local Police told me it’s a civil issue and sent me to OCPB (Consumer Protection) at the Provincial Hall.
3. OCPB logged the case but directed me to the Mueang Chiang Mai District Office for a hearing.
4. The District Office just told me to go back to the Local Police, claiming it's their problem.

I am literally going around in circles. The documentation I have is solid. I have the rental contract, a copy of the initial Tourist Police report, and clear fact sheets separating my cases (a motorbike breakdown case, and a bicycle case where I'm asking for a pro-rated refund because the owner's hostile behavior made it unsafe to keep renting from them).

Has anyone dealt with this exact runaround in Chiang Mai?

• How do I get the local police or the District Office to actually take ownership and stop redirecting me?
• Is there a specific type of report (like a formal asset misappropriation/embezzlement or extortion complaint) I need to insist on at the police station to make them act?

BTW, everyone I've dealt to has been super nice. There's just no clear cut authority on who should be handling the case.

Appreciate any advice or local insights. Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I am currently stuck in a frustrating bureaucratic circle in Chiang Mai and need tactical advice from anyone who has successfully navigated this. A local rental shop is refusing to return my cash deposit after the vehicle suffered an internal mechanical failure.

The shop is throwing every nonsense excuse at me to keep the money (claiming I owe them towing fees, claiming I shouldn't have driven on mountain roads, even though their own contract explicitly states it's only banned with a passenger, and I was riding solo).

I am trying to do things completely by the book, but the authorities keep passing the hot potato:

1. Tourist Police sent me to the Local Police.
2. Local Police told me it’s a civil issue and sent me to OCPB (Consumer Protection) at the Provincial Hall.
3. OCPB logged the case but directed me to the Mueang Chiang Mai District Office for a hearing.
4. The District Office just told me to go back to the Local Police, claiming it's their problem.

I am literally going around in circles. The documentation I have is solid. I have the rental contract, a copy of the initial Tourist Police report, and clear fact sheets separating my cases (a motorbike breakdown case, and a bicycle case where I'm asking for a pro-rated refund because the owner's hostile behavior made it unsafe to keep renting from them).

Has anyone dealt with this exact runaround in Chiang Mai?

• How do I get the local police or the District Office to actually take ownership and stop redirecting me?
• Is there a specific type of report (like a formal asset misappropriation/embezzlement or extortion complaint) I need to insist on at the police station to make them act?

BTW, everyone I've dealt to has been super nice. There's just no clear cut authority on who should be handling the case.

Appreciate any advice or local insights. Thanks!