Airport Beggar?

[Sujo]

Im now at Suv airport at around gate 6 entrance to departures.

 

A guy asks if I speak english. He was maybe late 50's and British but maybe from the north as his accent a little hard to understand.

 

I didnt get the whole story but essentially he says he booked a flight online and went to check in but now they said there is more cost. I noticed he had a small satchel in one hand and a passport and a couple 1000 baht notes in the other.

 

It just didnt seem right. He also had no baggage near him which set off my scam alert. I told him the only way I could help was to go to the airline desk but he declined. Wasnt too happy either.

 

Anyone else encounter this guy before?

[Seth1a2a]

 

 

 

1 hour ago, Sujo said:

set off my scam alert.

I would be inclined to agree .

I never saw that guy but I've seen a guy at my local airport doing something similar. 

The first time it was "Excuse me , could you give me a little assistance. I'm short on my fare and there is a funeral tomorrow. " ...Felt bad that I was in a hurry to get my destination. I know a few tricks to get last minute discounted fares.  A week later I'm back and so is he apparently,  still pulling a small travel bag on wheels .Just as I'm about to ask him how things turned out,  he says the exact same drivel "Excuse me, could you offer me a little assistance"....I stopped him mid sentence and told him how glad I was it was just a scam.  ""I was kicking my self a week ago because I realized I could have purchased it cheaper using my mileage account perks . Imagine how stupid I would feel right now if I had missed my flight trying to help you in any way at all...."" He claimed it was not him and that it must have been someone else.   Why the long story here ?   I just saw him again on Sunday at my local airport. He was kind enough to pretend not to see me this time around . The more convoluted the story the more likelihood that it's a con artist playing on your sympathy. ...I think there must be some sort of handbook with all the scripts they use to scam people.  

 

 

 

 

 

[bkk6060]

Declining economy, frozen pensions, deteriorating exchange rates, Brexit and political dysfunction must be very stressful.

This Brit must be very desperate to be outside a foreign airport attempting to pull off an alledged scam.

Very sad indeed.

Edited July 2, 2019 by bkk6060

[Sujo]

Yeah im not sure but it just didnt look right.

[lamyai3]

About ten or fifteen years ago there was an American guy who'd mooch around Lower Sukhumvit trying to hit people up for 500 baht, with the story that he had enough taxi fare to get to the airport but had only just found out about the departure tax. He must have approached many many people, as he kept forgetting who'd he'd asked, and try it again a week later. Looked like Steve Buscemi with a mullet. 

[gk10002000]

Ha!  Just recently as I was leaving a restaurant, I was called to by a guy who was leaning on his SUV.  He said he just ran out of gas and wanted a few bucks.  I said sure.  Hop in your car and follow my car to the Shell Station that is literally 500 yards down the road and I will put some gas in your car.  he said no.  OK.  Good luck on your next scam I said.

[AlexRich]

I had a guy stop me last year getting off at Stansted Airport near London ... I cut him off before his sob story got into full swing ... and moved swiftly on. Sounds like a similar con. Perhaps people are more gullible when travelling?

[lujanit]

We had a guy, european I think stop us in Sukhumvit, around Soi 11 early one morning and he asked for 10 baht.  He looked like he was down on his luck, dirty and wearing old clothes.  Quite sad really.

[Guderian]

I was accosted in Swampy by 3 thuggish types in ordinary clothes who claimed they were Thai police. That set off my scam alarm too.

[Pilotman]

20 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

Declining economy, frozen pensions, deteriorating exchange rates, Brexit and political dysfunction must be very stressful.

This Brit must be very desperate to be outside a foreign airport attempting to pull off an alledged scam.

Very sad indeed.

Sad? I don't think so.  More likely he's just a sleazy crook trying to take advantage of fellow farangs. No excuse for that. 

[Pilotman]

7 hours ago, lujanit said:

We had a guy, european I think stop us in Sukhumvit, around Soi 11 early one morning and he asked for 10 baht.  He looked like he was down on his luck, dirty and wearing old clothes.  Quite sad really.

I just don't get this 'sad' business.  His life, his choices. 

[dotpoom]

Jeeeez!...what's the world coming to...A guy tried to con me out of a few Baht today (amount un-important)...better get on the blower immediately and inform all in sundry about this audacious act?

[nahkit]

1 hour ago, Pilotman said:

I just don't get this 'sad' business.  His life, his choices. 

I hadn't realised that life was so simple. So all we have to do is make a choice and then it all just happens right?

[SiSePuede419]

14 minutes ago, nahkit said:

I hadn't realised that life was so simple. So all we have to do is make a choice and then it all just happens right?

Yes.

 

Yes we make choices every day.

[Pilotman]

19 minutes ago, nahkit said:

I hadn't realised that life was so simple. So all we have to do is make a choice and then it all just happens right?

If we make a choice, any choice, we live by the consequences.  What we don't do, if we have any self respect at all, is expect perfect strangers to get us out of those consequences.  

[Sujo]

1 hour ago, dotpoom said:

Jeeeez!...what's the world coming to...A guy tried to con me out of a few Baht today (amount un-important)...better get on the blower immediately and inform all in sundry about this audacious act?

I was at the airport at the time of posting. Note I described what happened. If someone had said he is legit I may have tried to assist him there and then. Its a forum for discussion.

 

jeez better than people getting on here to read a post they arent at all interested in and adding nothing to it.

[cornishcarlos]

Begging at the airport ?? So last year...

 

Just Gofundme, it's the way forward ????

[phkauf]

My favorite scammer was this woman in NYC with a sign claiming she was 3 months pregnant and need money for whatever. She had the same sign and sat in the same area for at least six-months with nary a baby in sight. I also enjoyed the fellow who came into the subway car pleading all sorts of poverty, yet had brand new (white) expensive sneakers and a gold chain. 

Or the guy on my block, who also claiming poverty, walking down the street to use his new iPhone.

Sadly these scammers made me completely reject everyone now. It's too hard to figure out who is real or not.

And with the airport, the Tourist Police are well equipped to provide assistance or at least direct people to where they can get some.

[owenm]

A year ago arriving at Danang Airport in Viet was approached by a young guy, German I think, who was having problems accessing money from an ATM. It was a Cirrus card, not Visa or MC, and not listed as being usable on the ATMs. When he said he used the card ok in Thailand, and he hadn't paid his USD 30 visa on arrival in Vietnam but Immigration allowed him out to access money first, alarm bells sounded. He said he only ever travelled with one card over the past 3 months and the card looked like it had had a lot of use, very worn looking.. I saw it as a scam and suggested he get some money sent Western Union from family or friends. Who travels from Europe or anywhere with only one debit card and no credit card?? I was almost going help him with a $50 handout until I saw warning signs of it being a scam. 

[Pilotman]

6 minutes ago, owenm said:

A year ago arriving at Danang Airport in Viet was approached by a young guy, German I think, who was having problems accessing money from an ATM. It was a Cirrus card, not Visa or MC, and not listed as being usable on the ATMs. When he said he used the card ok in Thailand, and he hadn't paid his USD 30 visa on arrival in Vietnam but Immigration allowed him out to access money first, alarm bells sounded. He said he only ever travelled with one card over the past 3 months and the card looked like it had had a lot of use, very worn looking.. I saw it as a scam and suggested he get some money sent Western Union from family or friends. Who travels from Europe or anywhere with only one debit card and no credit card?? I was almost going help him with a $50 handout until I saw warning signs of it being a scam. 

I wouldn't even bother talking to such people. They've all got one sob story or another.  

[sotonowl]

Next time you see him, tell him he'll have to do a spelling test before you give him any money, if he goes pale and faints you can bet your bottom dollar he's a geordie.

[emptypockets]

Amsterdam was full of them at the railway station...spare Guilders.....nup!!

[Lancelot01]

Many years ago I was invited to a birthday party by a chap I had known from a well known drinking hole at the back of the first floor of Nana Plaza.

During the birthday dinner (pizzas) for about 12 people,  he told me me he had no money and asked if I would I pick up the total bill for dinner. 

I spoke with the waitress, got my share of the bill paid for what I had eaten and drank and left

[nahkit]

18 hours ago, Pilotman said:

If we make a choice, any choice, we live by the consequences.  What we don't do, if we have any self respect at all, is expect perfect strangers to get us out of those consequences.  

And you don't think that there are any circumstances where a choice made by somebody else can effect your life?

[Pilotman]

2 minutes ago, nahkit said:

And you don't think that there are any circumstances where a choice made by somebody else can effect your life?

I didn't say that.  I'm talking about choices made by an individual that results in consequences to that person, not decisions made by others that may impact on an individual.  There is a huge difference between the two. Either way, I would not give to an unknown stranger in an airport, or anywhere else for that matter.  

[nahkit]

3 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

I didn't say that.  I'm talking about choices made by an individual that results in consequences to that person, not decisions made by others that may impact on an individual.  There is a huge difference between the two. Either way, I would not give to an unknown stranger in an airport, or anywhere else for that matter.  

Yes, the op is about a beggar in an airport but your post #11, which is the one I replied to, wasn't about the airport beggar, it was about seeing someone down on their luck in the street. No-one knows how that person got to where they are now, to just dismiss it as a poor life choice shows a lack of empathy in my opinion.

[Ctkong]

On 7/2/2019 at 6:57 PM, bkk6060 said:

Declining economy, frozen pensions, deteriorating exchange rates, Brexit and political dysfunction must be very stressful.

This Brit must be very desperate to be outside a foreign airport attempting to pull off an alledged scam.

Very sad indeed.

Not really. It is all in a day’s work for him. Just like regular 9-5 hours. Also cannot be caught out without work permit because he scams foreigners only and on departure only  meaning departing foreigners minus the expats would not meet him again in the near future. All good. I have had the chinese middle age couple pulling this stunt at international airports in Malaysia, Bangkok as well as Singapore. They targeted only the Chinese whom I am also one. 

[Ctkong]

1 hour ago, Pilotman said:

I 

18 hours ago, Pilotman said:

 

18 hours ago, owenm said:

A year ago arriving at Danang Airport in Viet was approached by a young guy, German I think, who was having problems accessing money from an ATM. It was a Cirrus card, not Visa or MC, and not listed as being usable on the ATMs. When he said he used the card ok in Thailand, and he hadn't paid his USD 30 visa on arrival in Vietnam but Immigration allowed him out to access money first, alarm bells sounded. He said he only ever travelled with one card over the past 3 months and the card looked like it had had a lot of use, very worn looking.. I saw it as a scam and suggested he get some money sent Western Union from family or friends. Who travels from Europe or anywhere with only one debit card and no credit card?? I was almost going help him with a $50 hand out until I saw warning signs of it being a scam. 

I think all international airports have the same rule.... not letting anybody pass immigration into the country without proper procedure and payment. It is what it is. What irks me is 

the absence of ATMs inside airport airside for convenience. 

Edited July 4, 2019 by Ctkong

[Pilotman]

2 hours ago, nahkit said:

Yes, the op is about a beggar in an airport but your post #11, which is the one I replied to, wasn't about the airport beggar, it was about seeing someone down on their luck in the street. No-one knows how that person got to where they are now, to just dismiss it as a poor life choice shows a lack of empathy in my opinion.

It's not just a lack of empathy for westerners in Thailand in that condition that end up begging here, I have no empathy for them at all. 

[Monkeyrobot]

On 7/3/2019 at 2:03 AM, gk10002000 said:

Ha!  Just recently as I was leaving a restaurant, I was called to by a guy who was leaning on his SUV.  He said he just ran out of gas and wanted a few bucks.  I said sure.  Hop in your car and follow my car to the Shell Station that is literally 500 yards down the road and I will put some gas in your car.  he said no.  OK.  Good luck on your next scam I said.

I would have asked to see his gas gauge.