A 20-year-old Malaysian was given a four-month suspended sentence by a court in Chiangmai in northern Thailand after pleading guilty to filing a false police report about being robbed by a "Westerner."

Pravin Krishnan, from Kuala Lumpur, will be deported and blacklisted from entering Thailand in the future.

"The Malaysian man was also fined Baht10,000 (RM1,250) by the court," a Chiangmai police source told Bernama today, adding that the man has been handed over to the country's Immigration Police to facilitate his deportation.

The youngster who arrived in Chiangmai alone Thursday night, lodged the false report at Mueng Police Station on Friday, alleging that a knife-wielding  "Westerner" robbed him of his cash while walking to his hotel.

The police investigated his robbery allegation by visiting the crime scene but found nothing as claimed.

They confronted the Malaysian, who admitted to filing a false police report about the non-existent incident to convince his father to send more money to him.

According to the police, Pravin had used up all his money totalling Baht16,000 (about RM2,000) drinking in a bar and wanted additional money from his father for his return trip to Malaysia.

The police source also said Pravin's father who arrived in Chiangmai soon after the incident had also tendered an apology for his son's indiscretion, saying that the incident involving his son should not have happened.

The youth, said the source, also apologised for his behaviour. 

He said the Immigration police would determine when to deport him.

- Bernama