Phi Phi Island Cat Charms Tourists into Buying Treats

KRABI — 15 July 2026, "The scammer cat of Phi Phi Island" has become an internet sensation after leading South Korean tourists into a convenience store and persuading them to buy it cat treats in a viral video viewed millions of times online. Netizens have jokingly dubbed the feline a "professional shakedown artist."

The clip, filmed by South Korean visitors travelling on Phi Phi Island in Krabi province, has brought smiles to social media. Using pleading eyes and adorable meows, the feline successfully melted the tourists' hearts into buying it creamy cat treats. The video has since gone viral, attracting more than 270,000 likes and millions of views across social media platforms.

In the video, the cat walks ahead of the tourists into the pet food section of a convenience store before stopping in front of the wet food shelf. When one of the women asks whether it wants a particular item, the cat turns around to look at her, picks up a packet of creamy cat treats in its mouth as if hand-picking its preferred snack, and meows in response, prompting the pair to laugh before buying the treat and feeding it outside the store.

The video's creator described the cat as surprisingly intelligent, saying it knew exactly how to lead people to the shelf and even appeared to deliberately choose the specific treat it wanted. They jokingly added that, in the end, the kitty successfully sweet-talked its way into getting exactly what it wanted.

Following the video's viral success, the clip attracted numerous humorous reactions online, with many social media users claiming the cat was no amateur but a regular at the convenience store that had perfected the same tactic on countless tourists. Several users pointed to an earlier post by a Hong Kong tourist, who shared a similar experience after being led into a convenience store by what appeared to be the same cat. The tourist jokingly captioned the post, "I got scammed in Thailand," before revealing that the culprit was the feline. The visitor initially believed it was a stray but later noticed it was wearing a collar, suggesting it had an owner.

Additionally, several Western travellers have also shared similar videos showing the cat regularly relying on the same tactic. The cat has since earned playful nicknames from internet users, including "the Phi Phi scammer" and "the four-legged con artist," in reference to its ability to weaponise cuteness and effortlessly charm tourists into buying treats.

The viral videos have sparked discussions among both Thai and South Korean social media users, with some joking that the cat appeared to understand Korean, while others speculated it belonged to the store staff or a local resident because of its apparent familiarity with tourists and its knowledge of the layout of the cat food aisle. Although many affectionately refer to the kitty as a swindler or scammer, most commenters agreed that its polite behaviour and apparent intelligence were precisely why so many visitors were charmed by it.