 | Bangkok Jewellery and Gem Scams. Reviews | 1 - 10 of 28 |  |
The take home message here are:
1. Never trust anyone that tries to befriend you in the streets. Thais are friendly, but they won't go all the way to such extremes of friendliness unless there's something to gain from you.
2. The Grand Palace is NEVER closed. If it is, then thousands of other visitng locals are wrong too.
3. The official looking friendly guy claiming to be a "palace official" isn't what you think he is (an official). He's one of the scammers operating at the palace gates. Expect him to give you the whole spiel mentioned above.
4. If it's too good to be true, it probably is. Exercise utmost caution.
5. And lastly, read the 2bangkok gem scam website before going to Thailand. Its database has an extensive record of anecdotes and quests for money back by the victims of these incorrigible gem shops. It is regularly updated with the names of questionable shops (with photos) and the methods used to lure unwitting buyers. Website: angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/Scams/Sapphire.shtml
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When it comes to precious stones, there is no such thing as a discount. In this industry, what you pay is what you will get. These scam artists will try to convince you otherwise.
They commonly operate at these places:
1. The Grand Palace entrance
2. Wat Pho
3. Wat Saket
4. Lately, Wat Paknam
What they will tell you:
1. The Grand Palace is closed for a festival.
2. There is a gemstone DISCOUNT only for FOREIGNERS at the Gemstone Export Centre (a non-existent entity) and it's the last day for discounts.
3. The Grand Palace will be opened later, but because we're palace officials, "Take this tuktuk for a day tour at "other tourist attractions and the Export Centre" and the tuk tuk bring you back when the palace opens in 3 hours."
4. The gemstones could be sold to a jeweller in your country of origin for a tidy profit.
You will then be met by a so called expatriate Thai (another scam artist buddy) at another location where the tuk tuk has taken you and you'll be told exactly the above. He'll then show you a receipt from a dodgy thai jeweller (where you are to go soon) for a large carat blue sapphire at a reasonable price. He'll often quote big name jewellers from your home country eg. Mappin & Webb, Aspreys, Tiffany's, Soo Kee etc. where he's "sold" his sapphire which paid for his European / American / Singapore holiday.
The scam is indeed a very elaborate and well planned endeavor to fleece alot of money off you. Many who've bought from these scam jewellery shops will find out back home that instead of buying something they were told to be undervalued, are after all genuine but low grade corundrum (the scientific name of sapphire and ruby) that have been treated with beryllium (a technique developed by the Thais themselves) to ARTIFICIALLY enhance or change its original colour, rending them undesirable and unsaleable to a jeweller. Refunds are often hard to arrange and even if successful, you will only get 80% of what you've paid plus sleepless nights and days off from work.
Continued... Website: angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/Scams/Sapphire.shtml Other Contact: Tourism Authority of Thailand
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Never go with anyone, who says they have a friend, who has a good deal on some jewerly. Never go with a cab driver or tuk tuk driver, who says this.
A lot of tourists have beens scamed by this. The government is trying to educate tourists about these scams. On city maps(which are free at the airport) you may see an ad about this. Just be careful and if it seems like a too good deal-it probably is. Use jewerly stores that are listed in reputable guide books. Leave a Comment
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 Say "No" Poster by aukjejetty
Even though I wrote this tip years ago, I still see it happening on the streets in 2004, so please read the following:
Bangkok's infamous gem scam has ruined the holidays of many, many visitors to Thailand and it is an important thing to be aware of beforehand if you want to avoid becoming yet another victim.
The scam is no secret - there's warnings about it in every guidebook and in posters put up around Bangkok by the Tourist Authority, yet many people are still caught unaware of it.
Though it does happen occasionally in other parts of Thailand, the vast majority of incidences take place in Bangkok. Leave a Comment
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 by Unknownsu
The moral, use common sense. Leave a Comment
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Touts will use all kinds of stories to trick you into visiting this place called the Lucky Buddha Temple. They will spin tall tales of people striking rich after visiting the temple. At the temple, you might be made to donate some money to the temple as an offering. What happens after is that you will 'bump' into a person who will offer you a tip on how to earn a quick buck (it's as if the lucky buddha has indeed brought good luck!). Basically, the story that the person will tell you is that the gems in bangkok are really cheap..and one can make a quick buck just by buying gems from bkk and bringing it back to one's home country to resell. To make the story more convincing, the person will take out receipts of purchase and resale as proof. To trick singaporeans, the person will also lie about how this well-known jewellery shop in singapore will readily buy such gems. After all these have been said, if you appear interested..the person (or he'll signal to his accomplice - usually a tuktuk driver) will offer to bring you to this shop that's offering very special discounts on that particular day. Leave a Comment
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This is a true experience that I encountered on our trip in Bangkok. Con artists with very "well written" script !
We were on our way to Chinatown on day. While waiting for traffic to turn red, a man standing beside us smile to us so we ask him for direction to a temple (we nv thought he was a con artists). He appear to be very friendly, and told us that he is an art teacher. He ask where we were from and said he hv been to our country...After which, he told us that the temple we wanted to go is closed and we should go to another temple first, then move on to a big factory that sells many products at wholesale price which only opens to public this week. (I hv came across these stories in VT, so I was very aware of Tuk Tuk drivers. never did we expect that con artists in bangkok is so "skilled") .After talking for a while, he flagged down a tuk tuk for us.. we were reluctant to board but after he tried to bargain for us and told us the other temple is v near and only open in this week... we boarded ( think we must hv been hypnotise).
Upon reaching the "so called open once a year" temple. we saw a man praying inside (another con artist -his partner)..after he finished with his prayers, he walk towards us n tried to be friendly again...he told us he also hv relatives staying in our country. He began to tell us that gems are very good and that we can get good price in bangkok. He explain to us for abt 30mins... He was so detailed and made you believed that gems are extremely cheap there. (lucky I am not into jewellery/ gems)...Most imptly, he will tell you the shop is only open this week and today is the last day. He said the place is very big and sells many other items. Do take note these shops are known as "Home products, Local Products etc" . Its lucky that we managed to escape without buying any fake products from them. We walked out of the shop the moment we know smthg is wrong and told the tuk tuk driver that we are meeting someone else...or else we might not know what other places we will end up in...
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Watch out for over friendly, well dressed Thai's approaching you near the Grand Palace, Sanam Luang, or Wat Pho that are telling you about special holiday prices on Gem Stones!! Unless your an expert you will be scammed!!! Read my travelogue on Bangkok. I don't have any pictures of these scammers!! Hhahha Next time if I remember I'll take a photo of them. Leave a Comment
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 thai gem and jewellery trader
association logo by call_me_rhiaLeave a Comment
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*#*Beware of Conmen!!!*#*
In Bangkok,there are several situations where you might encounter:
SITUATION 1:
Visitors are approached on the street by respectable looking men who speak good english and they will be freindly and offer their assistance or services free, or at a very low price.At some point of the conversation,they will suggest that you go to a jewelry shop.After purchasing some jewelry,the visitors found out that they have been cheated.
Precautions:
1.Beware of any encounter with strangers!
2.Note that there are no government promotions and special sales at any time of the year. Leave a Comment
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