By Tim Binnall
A mischievous 'mystic' in Thailand who allegedly pestered people into paying for his services by claiming they were cursed got some bad luck of his own when authorities busted the faux fortune teller. According to a local media report, the Indian national had been preying on visitors at popular tourist spots around the city of Pattaya. The man's modus operandi was to approach individuals and issue dire warnings like "your luck is falling" or "a major misfortune is coming." Dressed in religious garb, the mystic would then assure the 'cursed' person that his magical powers could rid them of the dark cloud hanging over them.
For only six dollars, the fortune teller performed various 'rituals' and soothsaying practices, such as palm readings, to ascertain the nature of their supernatural situation. Of course, that remarkably low price was just to get the person through the proverbial door, as the man would then demand around $60 to complete the karmic cleanse. Word of the mystic's underhanded antics eventually reached police, who tracked down the fortune teller and arrested him. Surprisingly, it was not the nature of the man's psychic shenanigans that got him in trouble with the law, but the fact that, as a foreign resident, he was working in the country without a permit, which led to his being charged with two related crimes.