Con Artists, Bangkok

If your at either airport in BKK, I'd suggest caution if you decide to shop duty free at any King Power location.
I conjuction with airport security and the local police, it's happened more than once that after leaving a King Power site, people have been accused of theft and arrested on the spot.
You don't need to have the goods on you. Your secured at the airport and taken away by the locals. Expect to pay huge fines for your release or stay captive.
This has been brought to light reciently as two Europeans refused to pay, and after a long incarceration brought exposure thru the media.
I doubt that it's nonexistant now as Thailand, and especially the police, are extreemly corrupt.
Shop elswhere.

Unfortunately there are touts preying on tourists in Bangkok. They could be well dressed, friendly and speak fluent English.

One of the scams is to sell you fake admission tickest or tickets at inflated prices. Do not fall for that. Tickets are sold at the entrances of temples. At Wat Arun, there is no general admission and you only buy tickets if you want to enter and climb the Wat.

There is a sign placed but usually as tourists, the touts will reach you before you reach the warning sign. So do not be surprised when you are approached.

If I am in Sydney, waiting out the front of David Jones department store or Sydney Opera House waiting for the doors to open and some chap comes up to me and tells me the shop/Opera House won't open and I should go off with him, or some other nonsense, I am, at the very least, going to tell him to nick off. So what is the difference between Thailand and your own country when it comes to common sense? Especially when every guidebook/website/forum on Thailand, without exception warns you to ignore such people.
By the way, I am not having a bar of the airport scam tales and I don't know of one person (and I know hundreds of people who use Bangkok airport regularly) that has been caught by this alleged scam. So, in my opinion it is either total nonsense, or very, very rare.

"Letters of complaint to the papers here in Thailand make it clear that passengers are regularly detained at the airport for alleged shoplifting, and then made to pay middlemen to win their freedom."

Read the rest here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8154497.stm

in front of the big mall pratunam marlet i and muy husband had a huge argument and then a short fight with a mafia like guy who was carrying over an...elephant, obviously on drugs poor baby, whose head was bouncing uncontrollably....I aked him why he was doing THAT horrid thing to the poor animal, and they pretended they cannot understand my english, until i told them a plain *** YOU! It was making me vomit what I was seeing and yet I cared and didn't want to let go, even more so that all that what happening under the indulgent eyes of a supermarket body guard or so....so please do NOT buy that food these guys are selling to feed the elephant! it will just encourrage them to kidnap even more baby elephants and raise them for their own financial interests! This showed me another face of Thailand I was justt supposibng it existed, now I know it does: cruelty towards babies, towards children, women and animals is everywhere!!!!!!!!!!

While you are in the touristy areas of Khoa San Road and the Grand Palace, you need to assume that no one who appears Thai is out for your general interest. Even a person we approached asking for map directions claimed to be a travel guide and suggested we go to the "Black Buddha Temple" (fake temple). Assume that EVERYONE around this area is lying to you or dishonest. The only information you can trust is from people working in the many tourist assistance offices around the city. Know that the "Black Buddha" and the "Lucky Buddha" are fake temples, don't go, if anyone tells you to go to these tell them that you were born at night, but not last night. Don't let these people ruin your enjoyment of this culturaly rich city!! Other than con artists and tuk tuk driver tricks, this is a mostly safe city

Never say it's your first visit to Bangkok, if a taxi driver or whoever asks how long you've been there or if it's your first trip lie! There are ample con artists around just ready and waiting to take the unsuspecting tourist for a ride! Taxi drivers will charge you way over the odds if they think you don't know the going rate. Always ask them to turn on the meter if they want to agree a price upfront it will be above the going rate! When visiting the main tourist attractions you will see many smartly dressed men in suits even lingering around the sights to try and persuade you that the attraction is closed today or not open until later, many will even point to a closed gate, chances are you are just not at the front enterance. They might also try tell you that your clothing is unacceptable for entrance to the palace etc whereas at most major tourist attractions including the grand palace you can hire appropriate clothing free by leaving a refundable deposit. Don't be deceived by their lies, they will say there is another attraction close buy that they will take you to. I've never been mislead by them but have heard plenty of stories where people have been fleeced for tour guide fees or taken to the make shift tour guides shops or families shops along the way and encouraged to buy stuff. So be assertive and don't be misguided by anything they may tell you. Check everything out for yourself.

People approach you and talk to you about anything that may lead them to ask you for a pen so they can write an address for you !
On two occasions in Bangkok we were subject to this. They are very smooth and nice people but they want you to open your bag for a pen. As soon as you look down to do this their accomplice walks past and tries to grab your bag, wallet or purse.

We were quick enough to smell a rat and closed the bag just as the accomplice was coming up to us, he quickly ran off along wioth his smooth talking friend!