Is the Kathu Temple involved in a zero dollar Chinese tour scam?

[snoop1130]

Is the Kathu Temple involved in a zero dollar Chinese tour scam?

By Tim Newton

 

 

Hundreds of Chinese tour buses are clogging the tiny streets around ‘old Kathu’ on the northern side of Phra Phuket Kaew Road every day to drop the tourists off at the Kathu Temple. The temple now has a full commercial operation offering religious amulets, some of them selling for 20,000 baht and more.

 

Tourists are guided around some of the temple’s displays and artefacts, and told stories about the displays, real or otherwise.

 

Spotlight Phuket, who went public with the story of police corruption in Patong last October, has described the commercial enterprise as a ‘scam’.

 

Full Story: https://www.phuketgazette.net/news/kathu-temple-involved-zero-dollar-chinese-tour-scam

 

-- © Copyright Phuket Gazette 2018-1-11

[KIWIBATCH]

Religious amulets selling for 20,000b..........The first sign of it being a scam.

[LivinginKata]

I had always thought the Chinese were money savvy ..... ?

[BigBadGeordie]

1 hour ago, KIWIBATCH said:

Religious amulets selling for 20,000b..........The first sign of it being a scam.

I agree, in order to ensure real good fortune, even perhaps the 6 digits of the next lottery, one has to pay much, much more than a mere B20,000.

 

 

Should you or any others in the forum be interested I have several old trees found in the klong, turtles, frogs with 8 legs and calfs with 2 heads.

 

PM me for bank and contact details.

[pattayadgw]

The same thing is going on at the temple off vichit road down in rawai... bus loads of tourists daily!!  Take a look PG......

[beechbum]

"The issue of a Buddhist community temple being involved in questionable commercial activities is now being investigated by concerned local officials and police" (that arent getting a cut...yet!)

 

 

[Ulic]

13 hours ago, KIWIBATCH said:

Religious amulets selling for 20,000b..........The first sign of it being a scam.

Wait a second. Those are lucky amulets. They could save your life or make you millions with

their good luck. They are cheap at twice the price. 

[keeniau96]

I drive by that temple 3-4 times a week and usually see a group (2 to 6) of those big white buses. The narrow streets in to village have several very sharp turns and are really a traffic hazard exacerbated by the big buses.

[madmitch]

For every 20,000 baht amulet sold to a Chinese tourist, the driver gets one free. Some buses have so many amulets dangling from the mirror that in accident is now impossible, even though front windscreen visibility is severely impaired! 

[Sir Dude]

Everything is a scam here...it is ingrained into the extreme corners of everything, so answer is 'Yes'. There is probably a mafia for tooth picks and a protection racket for the most ridiculous thing you can think of...already done and dusted, haha. 

[NamKangMan]

 

How long before a Chinese owned Thai Company buys some land, builds a Temple on it, pays a few Thai's to shave their heads and walk around in robes, and then the Chinese tour buses stop there. 

 

Already happening with other businesses, can't see why they wouldn't do it with with a "shop front" Temple.