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 | Bangkok Scams and Conmen Reviews | Tips 21 - 30 of 38 |  |
Taxi touts and disreputable reps. As soon as you leave your hotel, you'll probably have to run the gauntlet of touts trying to get you in their cabs with the promise of cheap fares. Beware since these guys have no intention of taking where you want to go! They'll try and take you to a seedy tailor or gemshop for which they get a commission. If you want to really go somewhere, flag a 'taxi meter' cab down since they're the real McCoy. Stay away from tuktuk taxis too since they are deathtraps!
Tour reps are no better. My girlfriend and I booked a tour to see the royal palace and on the way back, we were driven to an 'official' looking gem factory and store. I doubt it was official in the slightest. We weren't asked whether we wanted to go, we were just taken along with the 10 or so others on the bus. If this happens to you, have the last laugh and walk out without buying anything!
Another related tip. Remember if you do go to a gemshop or a tailor, that these guys will say anything to get you to hand over the money. There are plenty of other stores to go to so don't stand for any of it. If you feel you are being pressured to buy something you don't want then put your foot down and leave! Most of the tailors I had the misfortune to encounter were bare face liars, saying one thing on the window sign, e.g. '$99 for 2 suits, 3 shirts, 6 ties', and once your were in the prices were double or three times as much. If you do buy, make sure you agree the price up front and be sure to have the chance to try on the finished article before paying.
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Beware friendly strangers who accost you outside hotels or stations and try and engage you in conversation. It is very likely they're trying to get you to go to some gem shop, tailor, 'tour' or worse. Never accept any such offers and never volunteer information such as your hotel, room number, itinerary or name as they've been known to use it to con people.
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AVOID THAI TRADE CENTRE Many occasion, we had encountered tempting and make-believe advice from the friendly English-speaking Thai, I call them 'FEST'. Refer to travelogue for details.
Friendl English Speaking Thai. Leave a Comment
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Currently in Bangkok typing this. Only been here a couple of days and its an interesting city and so far have come across many people-often just wanting small business. However two days ago we were hounded outside our hotel (Royal Hotel), near ko shan road, by a (seemingly) friendly local who spoke very good English. He told us about the famous gem scams and gave us advice about places to see and lots of other information. He then got us in a tuk tuk and told us to go the prestigious Bangkok fashion centre, where we ended up, felt very embarrased, didn't buy any suits and soon departed. Clearly he would have received some sort of commission.Then yesterday we got into a tuk tuk and he told us the whole day would only cost us 10 baht and he would take us to many temples and buddhas, we obliged (perhaps foolishly), although these people are very cunning and seem to have groups along the street-teams working together, ie one says something, and then amazingly the bloke in the tuk tuk that drives down (seemingly mutually exclusive) then tells you the same thing, so you are led to believe its true-ie that the golden temple is closed until 2, but we will the see other sights first for a very small cost (rest is subsidised by the king on this particular day...yeah right). So we made our way to one temple, where a man told us about booking the rest of our holiday around the southern islands for cheap prices, and very good accomodation etc. The Tuk tuk driver then told us and we turned up at a place we thought was run by the thai tourist board, and were given a very professional service. The price we paid was 375 GBP and to be honest this seemed a fair price for 3 weeks including full accomodation, flights and boats. we will see, in the next few weeks whether it really was. In truth though this was a scam we could have done without. Be careful. These teams operate all over and speak very good english. They appear helpful and informative. Just be warned and do continue to take tuk tuks. just be on your guard.
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I need to book a van to accomodate 5pax. If not, we would have to separate into 2 taxis instead. As I was walking towards the exit to the public taxi stand, I was approached by a guy agent (who speaks fluent cantonese) who offered us 1000baht (orginal was 1400baht). As I was pondering, he gave a final price of 900baht (including tolls) which I accept immediately. What a great offer!
However, as we were on our way to hotel, I noticed tat the driver did not use the expressway & was driving the congested road instead. The worst is, the driver lost his way to the hotel. As a result, our journey was around 1hr 45mins compared to the expected 45mins. Leave a Comment
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If you get your cell phone unlocked at MBK, beware, the stand directly in front of the escalator on the 4th floor are scammers. They stole my memory card when I had them unlock my phone. I didnt noticed it until the next day, when I came back to confront them about it, they suddenly didn't speak english. These people are low lifes. If you now witchcraft or voodoo magic, please put a curse on these people as they deserve every single bit of it!
Put a voodoo curse on these jerks!
Put a voodoo curse on these jerks!
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In the vacinity of the Grand Palace, you may come acorss con-men that try to direct you to the wrong direction OR inform you that the Grand Palace is CLOSED for prayers, some state ceremony etc (until a certain time or day before it will reopen). These conmen will then offer you an alternative sighseeing package on a tuk-tuk for a mere 20 baht or 40 baht per person. This is a TRAP, the Grand Palace only closes for very specific occasions which is no more a 2 to 3 times per year. DO NOT BE FOOLED. The tuk-tuk driver will take you to some shady shops to do some shopping and will probably abandon you at the last point when you disembark to go for the "sightseeing". This happened to my buddy and I, we had to catch a taxi back to the Grand Palace to find that it was open all along. This really screwed up our travel arrangements. I hope these con men will burn in hell for eternity. Damn bastards!!
Avoid them. Politely say no thank you and just walk away. If they are persistent and block your path, you may want get a liitle agressive and to swear aggresively at these con men in a foreign language, but this not recommended. I did that to the second con man I met after going through the first experience. This caused some ruckus which attracted a small crowd and a local samaritan warned me against doing such things as these con men may be dangerous.
If you intend to visit the Grand Palance, check with the local official Tourism Authority of Thailand office/counter when you arrive at BKK airport. They will give you accurate information on when the Grand Palace will be closed/opened. Do NOT trust anyone else!! Leave a Comment
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It's really a nice place to walk around Sanam Luang Park. But please beware when you're approaching the pigeons teritory. It's not the pigeon you need to be avoid, but the group who sell the seed corn. Don't close to them or else they will force you to buy the seed to feed the pigeons. Again, it's not wrong to feed the pigeons, but the prices just too high for 3 small packets seed corn. Even when you said no to them, they will still pour the seed on your hand and ask you to feed the pigeons.
This incident happen when I was walking from Khao San Road heading to Wat Pho with my friend, therefore will pass by Sanam Luang Park. Enjoying the scenery, all of sudden, one women came to my friend and gave her 3 packets seed corn. Since she spoke in Thai, we couldn't understand at all what she meant. She's then, pointed to the pigeons, keep repeating "Good Luck. Good Luck" and even demonstrated to us by pouring the seed on the ground. I understand they're after our money. We rejected them but before we could go away, they opened the packets & pour onto our hands. I had it thought, it's doesn't matter if 40 bath for the 3 packets (we didn't ask the price yet). So, I pour the 3 packets seed to pigeons. When I were about to pay the seed, at the beginning they wanted 50 bath. I took out my wallet, and after they saw my 100 bath note, they're demanding more - 150 bath in the end. So, please ignore them & better avoid the pigeons.
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My family and I were stopped by what we thought were policemen . They told us we had just dropped a cigerette end onto the street and we would be fined 5000bht . I explained that we did not smoke so it couldn't be us , the policeman (?) said then we would have to pay 1000bht . Calmly I once again stated we didn't smoke , so he then blamed our 8 year old son and said we would have to accompany he to the police station .
I said first we would return to our hotel and they could follow , there we would contact our embassy . He said this was not possible , but I stuck to my guns very politely and said we would go nowhere until we had contacted our embassy . Finally he said if we paid him 500bht we could leave , when I refused he just ' leave and don't do it again ' .
I can honestly say we were terrified and even 4 years later the thought of it still scares me .
If this does happen to you , then remember to stay very calm and don't raise you voice . Make it quite clear that you will first contact your embassy to speak to someone in charge who can help . Don't go with them though...I think that would have been a big mistake for us .
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OK, now, if you jump on a tuk tuk and the driver starts to tell you some story about today being Saturday (or Wednesday, or Tuesday...) and the petrol being sponsored by the tailor shops so, do you mind if in our way to see the Wat Po (or whatever you are going to see) I take you to the tailor shop and he tries to sell you something (no purchase obligation,really...) and he sponsors my fuel and...
In the end you have to give endless explanations to the tailor about why you came to the shop if you don't intend to get a suit/dress/pair or tailored socks, etc...
Total crap. If anybody comes to you with this story just dump them and get a taxi, really.
Other crap story is the lucky buddha. Similar thing. Come to see the lucky buddha and get a discount in the fuel. It doesnot cost you any money at all, only time really and the lucky buddha is a totally out of interest temple lost in middle of nowhere and the attendant who takes care of the poor (un)lucky buddha tells you that today is a great day to get a tailor made suit because there is a discount as it is national holiday and etc...
There must be some foundations in all this things, you know, being tailors national day or sponsored petrol day or whatever but really, it does not have anything to do with you and you don't have any time to lose so just refuse politely or rudely, that depends on your mood and the number of times you have been told the same odd story and take a taxi who would normally pay their own gas without waiting for sponsors.
Taxi, I believe. Leave a Comment
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