Bangkok Scams

A helpful little Bangkok website is Bangkok Scams. A site truly dedicated to the few Thai people out here you could live without them. We’re not pretending there are no farang scammers around, but especially when you’re newer to town you’re some locals’ thankful prey.

Or you still talk to your first real estate broker? I’m sure every foreign Bangkok resident has a scam story or two to tell. Bangkok Scams may be a worthwhile taker. You may help others by warning them of the latest stunts and ruses to rip off the credulous and innocent.

And rest assured, the creativity to cheat is a sport among certain circles in certain areas. You only don’t get cheated any longer when the ever-smiling host is made aware that you’re already around for some time. But boy, despite all warnings, why is it that some classics as the Thai Girl Scams don’t die off? Because of reciprocal exploitation, or so it seems.

Well, at a market, you’ll maybe still get slightly overcharged now and then even as a longtimer over here. That’s a tolerable price to pay in view of a possible prosperity gap. And as Bangkok Scams notes: “The intention of this website is not to put Thailand in a bad light.”

“All countries have scammers,” you’ll read on. “However, we are concerned that a small minority of Thai people (and some foreigners) who are giving Thailand a bad name.”

Thinking really hard about it, I’ve never really been scammed over here. Ok, when arriving at Koh Samet you feel scammed for having to pay an entrance fee for a national park that looks all but a holiday park.

The two-price system is a kind of scam. But just boycott those places – or produce some Thai identity paper, be it a driver’s license or whatever.

Here some samples of Bangkok Scams’ latest reports as per this August: Siam Ocean World doubles prices, Disco scam at Windsor Hotel, Fake ticket scam, Haircutting scams, Mafia in Patpong markets.

Anything sounds familiar? Or you never got scammed?

Report it right here. We’re all ears.




Sphere: Related Content

Related posts on absolutelyBangkok.com:

  1. Fewer Tourists, Tougher Scams?
  2. TRT Becomes CRT
  3. Tidbits: CIA, King Power, Shots
  4. Sorta Henry Miller? Lawrence Osborne’s Vulgar-Prose “Bangkok Days”
  5. Chris Coles’ Bangkok Vanilla Sky

August 18, 2008 | Filed Under Being Farang, The Thai Mind, Travel & Tourism 

Comments

6 Responses to “Bangkok Scams”

  1. clubsiam on August 22nd, 2008 6.52 am

    Tourist mafia is ruining Thailands reputation as a safe/friendly destination.

    Erawan Shrine Tourist mafia – photos:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/21533131@N06/2776818028/

    Silom Road tourist mafia – photos:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/29324583@N05/2775978801/

  2. BangkokDan on August 22nd, 2008 10.33 am

    What do these flickr photos prove?

    BangkokDan

  3. Uncle Frank on September 2nd, 2008 3.32 pm

    We got scammed by them on our trip.

    Everywhere we went we met people trying to scam us.

    This is the way they treat guests?

  4. Chang Dek on September 2nd, 2008 4.43 pm

    Uncle Frenk, they saw you coming, as they say. Some people are like walking flypaper when they leave their closets.

  5. clubsiam on October 28th, 2008 4.41 pm

    Photos of Thai Tourist Mafia here:

    http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=676476&page=6

  6. Jay on July 20th, 2009 6.41 pm

    This is a repeated scam at the airports. Beware of duty-free shopping there.

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8154497.stm

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