| |
Edge
|
Whilst scams are everywhere, more or less, that I have traveled to in the US, Europe. Middle East and Asia, they are all a little different.
Yeah, look after number one, be suspicious of strangers etc.
It is good for guys on this forum to relate personal experiences relative to Thailand and keep us visitors up to date with the latest scams.
Thanks lads. Keep it up.
|
Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 7:52 pm on Oct. 17, 2012
|
|
bkkz
|
Found this from the PostBag. Here are some good "anti-scam" advice:
- Beware of people who approach you and offer you help on the roads, at intersections, near big hotels, shopping areas and sightseeing spots, etc. They are usually well-dressed, friendly and speak good English, but all of them have one thing in mind - to scam you.
- These people work in cahoots with dishonest tuk-tuk drivers, unscrupulous hotel staff and shop assistants. Avoid taking assistance and do not let them hail a tuk-tuk for you.
- Do not ride any tuk-tuk which wants to take you to places like tailor shops, gem and jewellery dealers, seafood restaurants, government export sales outlets, travel agencies, bars or massage parlours.
- If you end up at the businesses they have recommended, you will likely be tricked, smooth-talked, over-charged and forced to accept inferior-quality products in the end. These shop owners add 20-40% to the normal prices so that they can pay commission to the tuk-tuk gang members. Neither your credit card company nor the Thai police will be able to help after the purchase has been made.
- If you have a shop or business in mind you wish to visit and are unsure of how to get there, it is best to call them and ask for directions or inquire about a pick-up service.
|
Bangkok Women : Meet Sensual Bangkok Women
Posted on: 10:16 pm on Oct. 19, 2012
|
|
koolbreez
|
Not sure if most class this as a scam, but I do. Most every restaurant around the Sukhumvit area have false prices on their menus. It is the custom to add in a service charge of 10% to all bills, with most not listing this extra charge on the menu, or if they do it is very small, and hard to find.
In Western countries where this practice started all the charge was given to the employees. It started in restaurants, and convention hotels serving large parties, and after the staff worked their butts off providing exemplary service, the person responsible for paying would write a check, and completely forget, or not be able to leave a tip of any kind (expense reembursement does not cover tipping). Most of the time it was a result of alcohol consumption that others attending the large dinners also did not tip. As a result a service charge started to be added to the bill to cover this reembursement dilema for groups over a certain number of people.
The restaurants around the tourist areas in Bangkok add a service charge to the final bill no matter how many are in the group instead of correctly posting their prices on the menu, and very few of them give the charge to the staff as they should, that is the scam.
The restaurants that do this have essentially said this is how much we want for a tip, and nothing else is expected, no matter the quality of the service.
I ask the waiter/waitress if there is a service charge, and if they get it all, or any part of it. If they don't I walk out, and let the owner/manager know why. Tax is one thing, but a manditory 10% service charge is just a scam.
|
Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 11:39 pm on Oct. 19, 2012
|
|
bkkz
|
Quote: from koolbreez on 11:39 am on Oct. 20, 2012
I ask the waiter/waitress if there is a service charge, and if they get it all, or any part of it. If they don't I walk out, and let the owner/manager know why. Tax is one thing, but a manditory 10% service charge is just a scam.
We should compile a list of these restaurants.
|
Bangkok Girls : Meet Sexy Bangkok Girls
Posted on: 11:56 pm on Oct. 19, 2012
|
|
koolbreez
|
Most everyone has read about all the well known scams before they get here, but still get caught up in them because of the excellent quality of English the person that hooks them speaks.
Most are so deprived of someone they can talk in English to that their guard goes down when that person approaches them, and just happens to have something in common with them, and speaks better English than they do. Their guard is gone at that point.
About half those falling for the well known scams know about them, and have read extensively about them, but still get hooked into them.
One major element in lots of merchandise scams is the shop mailing the product for the customer so they don't have to lug the product around, or have to be concerned with getting robbed. The biggest think that happens, and why the police can do nothing, is that a switch has been made. The product is shipped thus eliminating police involvement, but not of the quality that was verbally expected.
A bill of sale for 5 carats of rubies, or a wooden statue says nothing about the quality, only that a product was shipped, and delivered. The rubies are rubies, but seriously flawed, and not just red glass as used to be shipped, and that expected teak statue is made of plain pine. This is the modification that was made in the scams to avoid the police's involvement, a product described on the bill of sale was shipped, and received.
You will be shown excellent quality merchandise to get you to buy, and at that point the deal is very good. To test the scammer take the product at that point. do not let them wrap it, and do not let it out of your hands.
If you can pull this off without them going ballistic, and trying everything they can to get you to let go of the product, you actually will get the good deal the person hooking you lead you to believe. If the product is wrapped, or leaves your sight, even for a split second, you got scammed.
|
Thai Women : Meet Matured Thai Women
Posted on: 12:09 am on Oct. 20, 2012
|
|
DaffyDuck
|
I always take whatever product I purchased, right then and there. Only once did the sales guy try, very strongly, to persuade me to let him package it or wrap it up for me (this was at JJ market), which I refused regardless.
|
Bangkok Women : Meet Beautiful Thai Girls
Posted on: 4:06 am on Oct. 20, 2012
|
|
| |
|
