What are the nine biggest tourist scams in Thailand?

What are the nine biggest scams when traveling to Thailand?

Feed the pigeons: The pigeon scam outside the Grand Palace in Bangkok. Vendors at the pigeon feeding place near the Grand Palace will stuff corn kernels into their hands when they see Chinese people and say: "Feed the pigeons! Feed the pigeons!" Don't pick it up. If you do, they will ask you for money. Regardless of whether you have fed them or not, they will ask for 150 baht per person.

Many travelers from black shop travel agencies said that they were scammed by the local black-hearted travel agency in Thailand. They paid the money but could not leave the group on time. When you went to the travel agency to ask for explanation, they spoke Thai and could not understand what you were saying. What (didn’t he speak Chinese when paying!), which delayed the trip and caused trouble for himself.

Taxi scam: Bangkok’s taxi fare fraud method: very simple – take the long way around! Anyway, you don’t know how to get closer! Main places of occurrence: various places in Bangkok (especially scheduled taxis at the airport Areas with many cars and tourists, such as around Siam, the Erawan Shrine area, Silom Road, Khao San Road, etc.). Amount of loss: ranging from tens to hundreds of baht each time.

Adult show fraud: This type of fraud has appeared in Thailand for a long time. For more than ten years, this kind of fraud not only still exists, but it is still tried and tested. Friends will still hear from them from time to time. Or tourists are deceived as a result. Sigh... I can only say that the attraction of the "adult show" is too great! The main location is: the area near Patpong Night Market. Amount of loss: several thousand yuan to around 10,000 yuan.

Water sports scams: Playing in the water on a beach vacation in Thailand is one of the highlights of many people’s itineraries when coming to Thailand. However, when you choose some water sports, you must choose the store carefully, otherwise there is a risk of You may be defrauded of a large sum of money! Scam: On famous beaches such as Pattaya and Phuket that are full of tourists all year round, you can see merchants selling various water sports everywhere. However, there are many unscrupulous businessmen who, after you rent a jet ski, secretly send someone to follow you on another one. Just as you are happily riding in the sea, the jet ski driven by this person will He will pretend to accidentally bump the car you are driving, and then quickly leave as if nothing happened. Attention! The scam has begun! This is definitely not intentional. When you return the jet ski to the boatman, the boatman will carefully check the entire body to see if there is any damage on any side, and then suddenly point at the boat just now You were accidentally hit and said, "The paint is peeling off here. I have to pay 30,000 baht." There must be a small scratch in the place he pointed to. It doesn't help if you say that someone accidentally touched it just now. It's so big. How could you possibly find that guy and pay for it. He will tell you that as soon as the paint on a jet ski falls off, the entire unit needs to be repainted. Just patching up one area will look ugly and customers will not rent it. Moreover, jet skis are not like ordinary motorcycles. One costs hundreds of thousands, and a new one will cost hundreds of thousands. The price of baking paint is naturally several times more expensive. At this time, he also revealed the contract to you. Main places of occurrence: Pattaya and the seaside of Phuket. Amount of loss: Usually around 10,000 to 20,000 yuan, depending on whether you look rich and easy to bully in the eyes of these boatmen.

Massage scam: In busy alleys near some hotels and with many tourists, managers pretending to be massage parlors often come out to promote business, saying that they are the managers of a certain massage parlor in front of them. Since there are relatively few customers today, he personally came out to promote business. I hope you can support me. And usually it costs 500 baht per person per hour, but today it will be 250 baht per person per hour. When he arrived at the door of the store, the "manager" said: 500 baht per person for two hours would be paid to him in advance, and he would have to go back to where he was to continue soliciting business. Be careful, don’t give him money at this time!! He is not a manager at all, but a liar. The masseurs here don’t know him at all and will mistakenly think that person is your friend or tour guide. How do people know that you just What are you paying for... So, wait until you and your group enjoy a comfortable Thai massage before paying the bill! The main place of occurrence is in some lively alleys with many tourists along the Sukhumvit Road MRT in Bangkok. Amount of loss: 500-1,000 baht/person.

The liar who pretends to be warm-hearted: Location: near the Grand Palace. The tricks of scammers near the Grand Palace in Bangkok: On the way to Wat Arun, the Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Arun, you will be approached by someone and asked where you are going. Then they will tell you that there are activities there that day and they will not be open or they will be closed one hour before your conversation. It's closed. When you are hesitant and at a loss, they will point you to other nearby temples and kindly help you call a tuk-tuk taxi, but in the end you find yourself being taken to a jewelry store. It is understood that the tricks of the Grand Palace scammer are constantly being updated, but the ultimate goal is to get you into the car he found and take you to a jewelry store. When someone tells you that the destination you want to go to is closed today, it’s a good idea to check it out in person to familiarize yourself with the route.

Liar pretending to be a tour guide: Location: near the Grand Palace. On the street away from the main gate of the Grand Palace attraction, you will be approached by someone who looks like a regular tour guide and tells you that the Grand Palace is closed that morning and that he is willing to take you on a private tour.

Beware of being falsely accused of theft: Location: Airport duty-free shop. Tourists shopping at Bangkok airport duty-free shops sometimes get into lawsuits accidentally. They were falsely accused of shoplifting and arrested.

While in custody, an intermediary will come to their door and offer to help them regain their freedom, but the prerequisite is that they must pay a fee. The police will split up with these people afterwards.

Countermeasures:

Countermeasures for feeding pigeons: ignore them, don’t listen or speak, and watch your hands.

Countermeasures for black shop travel agencies: Don’t be greedy for cheap, there will be tricks if you are too cheap; it is always good to ask several travel agencies and compare shopping; when choosing a larger and more reliable travel agency, it is best to prepare a strategy in advance . There are still many kind-hearted Thai people, so don’t cast any shadow on them.

Countermeasures against taxi scams: Ask the hotel owner to call a taxi and prepare a Thai address and pictures. Of course, it would be best if you can find the route yourself.

Countermeasures against adult show scams: Never go to stores above the second floor - as long as there are stores on the first floor in Patpong Night Market, whether it is AGoGoBar, a shemale bar, or a gay bar, they are basically all still there. It is considered an upright business, and the door is right at the road, so people come and go, but they don't dare to mess around.

Countermeasures against water sports fraud: If you have a tour guide, ask your tour guide to help you find a trustworthy boat operator, and let the tour guide help you negotiate with the boat operator and pay, then there will be no problem; if you If you don’t have a tour guide and your jet ski driving skills are not very good, I suggest you ask the boat operator to send a beach boy to sit in the back seat and take you on the ride (usually the boat operator will definitely agree), so that even if something goes wrong it won’t be your problem. .

Measures to deal with massage fraud: Choose a well-known and large-scale massage parlor; never pay attention to any stranger who comes to chat with you; go to the counter of the store before paying.

Special reminder to those who pretend to be warm-hearted liars: The Grand Palace is open from 8:30-15:00.

Response to scammers pretending to be tour guides: Don’t just trust the person who asks you to take a boat at the entrance of the Grand Palace; the ferry that travels between the two sides of Maenam is the main means of transportation for local residents, and the ferry fare is only 1 baht. "Long-tail boat" is commonly known as water bus. It is very fast, departing every thirty minutes, and the fare is reasonable and low. You can take a speedboat to visit the Royal Palace, Temple of the Reclining Buddha, etc. located on the river. The fare depends on the section.

Beware of being falsely accused of shoplifting: Never touch items in duty-free shops unless you really want to buy them.