Thailand Tourist Traps

  Mahouts and Elephants
by aghrtx
 
  • Mahouts and Elephants
      Mahouts and Elephants
    by aghrtx
  •   Excursions
    by aghrtx
  •   Tuk-tuks
    by xymmot
  •   Tuk-tuks
    by xymmot
  •   Tuk-tuks
    by xymmot
 

Most Viewed Tourist Traps in Thailand

51.

Taxi scams   Bangkok

Taxi scams, Bangkok

 45 Reviews  Just be careful with Image Limousine Service (www.imagelimousine.com) The Customer Service is not the same anymore. They drive not with the new Nissan Teana, they would drive also with older Toyota... 

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52.

Shopping and nightlife   Phuket

Shopping and nightlife, Phuket

 26 Reviews  Well, this happened to my friend during my last trip...(for ppl who think i dunno what i am talking abt it was 16th trip to pukhet), since it was his first time he got bedazzled by the relatively... 

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53.

Changing Money   Ko Samui

Changing Money, Ko Samui

 3 Reviews  I`ll describe 2 traps in 1 tip, 1st one - check your money before changing 2nd one- The amount of money you carry No 1 -- Always double check the amount you are about to exchange,this is common sense,... 

 See All 18 Tourist Traps in Ko Samui

54.

Elephant camps   Chiang Mai

Elephant camps, Chiang Mai

 6 Reviews  We went on a tour to the temple and the driver very quietly offered his services to us as 'you only pay for the gasoline' He charged us 300 baht to go to visit the craft village. But we went to a Gem... 

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55.

Scams and Conmen   Bangkok

Scams and Conmen, Bangkok

 49 Reviews  I really haven't tried to book online for a place in where we can stay when we arrived in Bangkok, because I thought at that time that it's dangerous to enter your credit card number in the... 

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56.

Excursions   Phuket

Excursions, Phuket

 24 Reviews  Be sure to avoid the firm Siam Sea Canoe. They offer the typical tours Phi Phi, Raya, Coral Island, etc. You will find their fancy brochures in your hotel and at tours booking counters which often... 

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57.

Shopping & Bartering   Ko Samui

Shopping & Bartering, Ko Samui

 3 Reviews  Because chaweng beach is the most popular place in samui many shops charge 2-3 times more than it's regular price. Bargain at least for half-price or compare from prices from other shops You can try... 

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58.

Tuk-tuks   Bangkok

Tuk-tuks, Bangkok

 74 Reviews  It's a mistake to paint all tuk-tuk drivers with the same brush. I had nothing but good luck with them. They never quoted a price to take me somewhere. Instead, they said I should just pay what I... 

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59.

Patpong   Bangkok

Patpong, Bangkok

 14 Reviews  Wow, the fact that I saw Patpong in the list of the tourist traps, means there really are a lot of con artists there. Never, ever, EVER, believe when someone calls you to watch the "ping pong show"... 

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60.

Khao San Road   Bangkok

Khao San Road, Bangkok

 9 Reviews  This is the main “backpacker” neighborhood found in Bangkok…and it’s loaded with cheap accommodations, a multitude of bars, restaurants, and travel companies, other businesses and loads of neon and... 

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61.

Airport Duty Free   Bangkok

Airport Duty Free, Bangkok

 3 Reviews  The gist of the scam is that a salesperson will slip something into your shopping bag at duty free outlets letting you believe that it a free gift from your purchase of duty free goods... You will... 

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62.

Tours - unscheduled shopping stops   Bangkok

Tours - unscheduled shopping stops, Bangkok

 17 Reviews  Even though I read all about it here on VT, I still ended up on a tuktuk tour. Basically we happened to be in Bangkok on a public holiday and because of this, when we were told the Grand Palace was... 

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63.

Closed? Best check for yourself.   Bangkok

Closed? Best check for yourself., Bangkok

 29 Reviews  Often when you are looking for directions or the entrance to a temple/palace/... a local comes up to you and tells you that the place is closed. Sometimes it's "closed for lunch", for temples it's... 

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64.

Floating Market   Bangkok

Floating Market, Bangkok

 4 Reviews  There are many floating markets in and around Bangkok. Damnoen Saduak is the most popular, located about 1 hour outside of Bangkok. If you want to go to this one, there are a couple aof ways to do it.... 

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65.

Highway Tolls   Bangkok

Highway Tolls, Bangkok

 2 Reviews  The highway into Bangkok from the outskirts are subject to tolls. If you get into a taxi and the driver asks if you want to go on the highway, you will have to pay the toll. It is normally quicker to... 

 See All 364 Tourist Traps in Bangkok

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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

False promise of direct Super VIP bus

by SLLiew

If you are planning to go to Malaysia on an overnight bus all the way without stopping, any backpacket travel agent who can do so if you are paying more is taking you for a ride.Unless, you joined a tour, all backpackers are put into a system for the journey south of Bangkok. You will arrive at Surat Thani at 3-4am in the morning, redistributed into other buses or vans depending whether you are going to Phuket, Krabi, Koh Samui, Hatyai, Butterworth (Malaysia). Then when you arrive at Hatyai, again you are "redistributed" into minivans and cross the Malaysian border no longer on the Super VIP direct bus you were promised and paid more for. You spent several hours of waiting as your paid ticket is being transfered from agent to agent and driver to driver. Just be prepared to be "handled" like checked-in luggage. So get the cheapest price at Bangkok so that you do not feel that you have...

Avoid "agents" who put surcharge

by SLLiew

If your train is cancelled and there are "agents" at the train station, well dressed and ready to help to find alternative transport and take you to their company office, beware. You will end up getting charged extra for this "service" provided. Worst, the train information assistant have this arrangement with these "agents" by introducing them to you.So better to find out where are the travel agents and go directly to their office without a third party agent.Similary, if you are walking on the street, if a taxi cab, tuk tuk driver or "promoter" offers to take you to a nice restaurant, entertainment center, etc, you can be sure that you will be paying more as the venue you are going to will have to pay a commission to the person taking you. So again, better to go directly yourself.Above are considered "legit" way of making money and so if you, like me, ended having to pay this extra...

Compulsory stops at gem outlet

by SLLiew

Enjoyed the many reasonable prices backpacker group day tours from Bangkok. But almost all will end up at a gem outlet for an hour or so before sending me back to my drop off points. If you are protest, you will be told that these outlets subsidized the tours or it is requirement by the Thailand Tourism Board. Whatever the reasons, just accept this as part of the package although time is precious. If you are in a hurry, just get a cab back. Otherwise, enjoy the aircondition after a hot day of tour, any free refreshment provided and check out the prices without buying. No one will be foreced to buy anything, we usually do not as our form of protest.

Elephant rides

by Fudge

Not sure if this should be under toursit trap, but I'll share my experience. Cake and I signed up for this elephant ride thing, and while we were taken on this ride, we saw some things that were not very nice. We didn't like the way the guides treated the elephants. We went on a mother elephant whose baby was 1 yr old and liked travelling under the shadow of his mom.Sometimes he suckled on the mother elephant (on which we were) and the mother elephant would stop. We didn't mind this at all. But our guides kept whacking the mother elephant to make her go. They didn't like her stopping, sometimes she would stop to eat (again we didn't mind all this), but i guess a tour is a tour and it has time limits. So the guides were getting impatient after a while.I didn't enjoy this ride as much because of the way they were treated. If you have to, pls do a check round asking the companies on the...

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Buy a Flight ticket in Kao San Road!

by Fleaartist

If you buy a flight ticket in a Kao San Road agencies, you got to call the company, or to go to their offices, or in the airport, because the agencies sometimes gives you the tickets but they could be not confirmed!!You must absolutely check if the ticket is ok! If you can the best thing is to go directly to the company offices, or to the airport offices! Is much safer, but again ask always if the ticket is confirmed, or if you need to confirm it again 1 or 2 days before the day you are going to use it!

Have a Visa in Bangkok can take a lot of time!!

by Fleaartist

Is not a real trap, but can make you loose one day just waiting!Two years ago, I went to Bangkok Myanmar embassy to get the visa! I read it was easy and faster then from Italy (where I live of course), I went directly to the embassy, but is not a good idea! I lost the entire day in the queue!! There are a lot uf guys from the agencies, that have 20, 30 passport and they will pass anybody who is standing for hours! I was so angry, but I could do nothing! So I lost my first day in Bangkok! And also when I finally reach the counter it was late afternoon and they told my visa would heve been ready in 2 days!!! Not one as if you consign the request in the morning!!! That is impossible because of the queue!!!!!!!! The best thing to do, is to pay an agency to make it for you! maybe you will spend more, but what is the price of a day in Bangkok!!!!!!!??????

Elephant Shows

by Balboa101

Anyone who goes to these 'shows' whole heartedly knowing the shocking conditions that these poor elephants endure, are sick. The howls and screams of pain and fear are sickening and the poorest excuse for entertainment that can be found in the world. Don't support these ruthless bastards that proclaim themselves as elephant trainers and friends, they stole these elephants as babies from their families and beat them into submission for over a week with hooks and knives for a few cheap laughs from the crowd. Boycott them, an elephant sanctuary is needed not elephant torture. To make it bearable kill the elephant trainers. Now this may seem a little extreme but trust me, they're the scum of the earth and they deserve it. These elephants deserve to be free and roaming their native habitats. Not chained up and tortured for the amusement of tourists. If tourists stopped supporting these...

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Double-Pricing System

by Paul_the_Seeker

At many attractions, farangs (westerners) are charged several times the "Asian" rate. I say "Asian" because many times, Asians other than Thais may not be subject to the higher rates even though they are foreigners too. Anyway, it may be very discriminatory, but that's the way it is. At least we're not talking about huge amounts of money, in most cases. I recently went to a large store in Phuket which is well-known among Thais for selling all kinds of local snacks (when the Thais travel to another place, they usually buy food items that that area is famous for to give to their friends as presents). It was an interesting place with all kinds of samples. Foreigners were welcome. However, we found out that the price tags have a two-tiered pricing scheme: they have a large, obvious number - the farang price - and a very tiny number - the you're-one-of-us price. I was with my Thai family, so...

Tuk-Tuk Drivers

by Spach

Upon haling one of these drivers the asking price for your destination may be too good to be true. These drivers will try to convince you that you need to go by one of his suggested shops before your requested destination. These shops give the Tuk-Tuk driver money or gas coupons for taking you there. These shops will harass you until you buy something. It's not worth it. Tell the Tuk-Tuk driver your destination and tell him to go straight there and I guarantee that his price will double.

Patpong

by taschyka

it's the part of Bankok. There is a market and a lot of bars where grls (half naked) are dancing there. Well if you go in these bars you have to leave at least 25 euros (sth like that) cause otherwise they will not let you go out.

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Tourist Traps: Cities in Thailand
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  2. Phuket Tourist Traps
  3. Pattaya Tourist Traps
  4. Ko Samui Tourist Traps
  5. Chiang Mai Tourist Traps
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  16. Ko Tao Tourist Traps
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  26. Ko Phaluai Tourist Traps

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Questions and Answers

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Q:  I am from Canada and going to Thailand, what kind of plug adapter do I need to charge my camera? 

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A: You will find all the information you need about voltages and plug adaptors (and photos of plug types) here: http://www.kropla.com/electric2.htm 

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