Khao San Road con: Foreign tourist who finds wallet ends up paying for handing it in

[malibukid]

6 hours ago, darksidedog said:

If the traders know about the con, it is hard to believe the local cops don't.

probably in on the take

[Liverpool Lou]

4 hours ago, Gecko123 said:

Did she also tell you to flee the scene if you ever have an automobile accident because a foreigner will always be found to be at fault?

That old myth.

[malibukid]

6 hours ago, plus7 said:

Such an old and dull trick.

Another scenario: a guy that walks near-by shout: "hey, mate, there is a purse on a road! Lets share because we both found it!". After then, he is a witness that purse was loaded with money.

In some other countries,  policemen are also actors.

yes, learned it from slipping Jimmy

[vandeventer]

It's coming to the state where if you see something wrong whether it is a lost wallet or a accident just keep walking don't stop. This sounds sad and stupid  but there's just too many con- games out there

[ThailandGuy]

With Thailand opening up after the covid pandemic the number of negative news items, robbery, fraude and scams are increasing exponentially. Old habits are rapidly reinstated again. It could have been the opportunity to change stuff, but no, they rather take the easy way making money on behalve of the tourists by scams and robbery. Land of smiles is showing it's true identity again. Sad !

[Xonax]

So they are now officially warning tourists against a scam run by the RTP??  I supposed that the people in charge chould close such an internal scam down within minutes. All employees in Chana Songkram police station will know who are in on the scam.

[ThailandGuy]

1 minute ago, vandeventer said:

It's coming to the state where if you see something wrong whether it is a lost wallet or a accident just keep walking don't stop. This sounds sad and stupid  but there's just too many con- games out there

I want to see any court convicting the person who brought back the wallet. No evidence that he took the money.  Why would he take 6000 baht and only return 1000?  He could have just taken all and throw the wallet away.  This is stupid.

[mikeymike100]

6 hours ago, darksidedog said:

If the traders know about the con, it is hard to believe the local cops don't.

Are you suggesting the cops are in on it? ????

[Flemo]

Why would someone plant a purse with 1000tb in it and hope that you will go to the cops in the morning. There's a real risk of losing your 1000 and a purse. Something not quite right here.

[Gecko123]

One motive for the cop's behavior, which I actually think may be likely, is that he wanted to get out of the arduous paperwork which taking in the police report would entail. Just think of the pages of explanations from both parties which would have to be written up. What a headache. Plus all the paperwork if it's referred to the court for prosecution.

 

So the cop, trying to avoid all the paperwork which he knows would be coming down the pike, tries to cajole the foreigner into coughing up the missing money. Problem solved, everybody's happy. So the cop's motive might not have been greed, but a desire to shirk paperwork.

 

This happened to me a number of years back. I was attacked, threw a punch in return. Down at the police station the cop pressured me into dropping my complaint by saying that they would have to accept the counter-complaint from the party who attacked me. That same sort of "easiest way to make the problem go away" mentality might have been in play here.

[Gecko123]

27 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

That old myth.

I'm in absolute agreement. My post was being ironic.

[tandor]

...so when the pandemic eases and the numbers of tourists increase; this scam will stop...or am i reading the article incorrectly?

[CanadaSam]

8 minutes ago, Flemo said:

Why would someone plant a purse with 1000tb in it and hope that you will go to the cops in the morning. There's a real risk of losing your 1000 and a purse. Something not quite right here.

I'm pretty sure that the scammer would have followed the finder to his/her place of residence.

 

As the police seem to be involved, if the wallet was not returned in a day or two, then the cops would surely "visit" the finder, and the charges would be much higher, for theft.

[tandor]

22 minutes ago, ThailandGuy said:

I want to see any court convicting the person who brought back the wallet. No evidence that he took the money.  Why would he take 6000 baht and only return 1000?  He could have just taken all and throw the wallet away.  This is stupid.

...exactly...i'd be calling their bluff and front the court. There's probably CCTV of the purse being planted.

[Bday Prang]

2 hours ago, Boomer6969 said:

Have you actually seen in my post the question mark after "sex, drugs" ? It was meant to reveal my uncertainty about what happens in this place where I have indeed never been. The possibilities I have raised, were based on the reputation of this area to attract mostly dodgy backpackers. 

 

But it remains that "real (healthy) backpackers would be way better off hiking the Lake district instead of some degenerate concrete jungle.

I suggest a little more research is required on your part before condemning some where as a "degenerate concrete jungle" and the people who visit there as "stupid"   you should certainly be a little more selective with the information you use to form your inaccurate preconceptions / misconceptions.   I guess you would be better off enjoying a cream scone in Ambleside although I wouldn't reccomend rolling a joint there

[shackleton]

Seems like the moral of the story is think seriously before you return to owner or as someone mentioned stick it in a letterbox 

Let someone else get fined or rewarded ????

[condo62]

Sad to see these things like Jetski scams double tier pricing which have been going on for years and now this....????

 Makes Thailand look bad to the tourist. 

[Bday Prang]

no need to post a sad face at my comment Mr Gecko  depending on what sort of incident one has been involved in it may indeed be good advice to flee the scene, if only to report to a police station !  Have you never heard of a lynch mob ? and anyway fleeing the scene isn't considered the same as it is in the uk for example

[Berkshire]

19 minutes ago, Flemo said:

Why would someone plant a purse with 1000tb in it and hope that you will go to the cops in the morning. There's a real risk of losing your 1000 and a purse. Something not quite right here.

Was thinking the same.  And if the person did find and return it, he could have just left the police station without providing his own name/ID.  I've found stuff on premises or public places and just gave it to security without having to provide my name or any personal info.

[Gecko123]

4 hours ago, H1w4yR1da said:

Of course it's a repeated scam. Tourist hands in wallet. Police arrange for a woman to pretend to own the wallet to say there was a large amount of money in it. The police accuse the tourists of stealing and extort them. And repeat.

So let's just unpack this, Inspector Clouseau. If you're saying the woman is "pretending to own the wallet", who set the trap of placing the wallet where it could be found? The police?

 

So somebody leaves a wallet on the ground. But you don't know who's going to pick it up, do you? Maybe the fried banana lady will find it? Maybe the owner of the Irish pub? Maybe a long time expat who knows the ropes? Maybe a 12 year old kid is going to find it? So most of those people aren't going to put up with any of this foolishness about having to cough up 6K for being a good Samaritan. So what do you do? You wai them, and tell them you have made Thai people shine in the eyes of Buddha, thank them profusely, send them on their merry way, and then what? Quickly run out and drop another wallet at the other end of KSR, and keep doing it until you snare a fresh-faced newbie who looks like he might have more money than he knows what to do with, and start in with the wild accusations and talk about the Hanoi Hilton? And another thing: the cops don't know when the hapless sap is going to show up at the station, so in order for this little policeman's retirement fund scheme to work, everyone who's on the duty desk no matter what the shift, has to be in on the scheme. And in order to make this lucrative, you have to be leaving wallets all over the place because half the time they're going to be found by broke-ass Thai vendors who couldn't cough up 6K if their lives depended on it. I love a good conspiracy theory as much as the next guy, but the idea that the cops are masterminding this or in deep partnership with a gang of scam artists just doesn't make sense. And how times could this be repeated before it was universally known that this was going on?

[ukrules]

6 hours ago, Hamus Yaigh said:

What are the police smoking? Where is the proof? However much was in the wallet was lost anyway?

Exactly, no proof = no crime.

[Boomer6969]

17 minutes ago, Bday Prang said:

I suggest a little more research is required on your part before condemning some where as a "degenerate concrete jungle" and the people who visit there as "stupid"   you should certainly be a little more selective with the information you use to form your inaccurate preconceptions / misconceptions.   I guess you would be better off enjoying a cream scone in Ambleside although I wouldn't reccomend rolling a joint there

My point...

[Gecko123]

12 minutes ago, Bday Prang said:

no need to post a sad face at my comment Mr Gecko  depending on what sort of incident one has been involved in it may indeed be good advice to flee the scene, if only to report to a police station !  Have you never heard of a lynch mob ? and anyway fleeing the scene isn't considered the same as it is in the uk for example

Fleeing the scene of an accident is the single most stupid and irresponsible piece of advice that has ever been promoted on this forum.

[dallen52]

It doesn't matter what you pay to get here.

Always remember to save enough money for the bent cops and scammers

 

Its a disgusting reflection on Thailand. 

[dallen52]

Suppose the key word is LOST..

 

The lady says the wallet was lost 

So technically the balance is zilch. 

Some unfortunate finds it and does the right thing. 

Only to be almost convicted because the owner says there was more than that in it.

When I LOST it..

 

Why didn't he ask for a finders fee?

TIT

[Bday Prang]

8 minutes ago, Gecko123 said:

Fleeing the scene of an accident is the single most stupid and irresponsible piece of advice that has ever been promoted on this forum.

Well Mr" know it all"  see what happens when some stupid kid on a motorbike decides to crash into you when accompanied by his methed up gang of mates in the middle of nowhere, and you foolishly decide to get out of your vehicle to" remonstrate" with them ! They would tear you apart, I can guarantee it, especially somebody with your " holier than thou attitude"   

[Bday Prang]

Its ok pulling your sad face but don't be telling people what to do when you really don't have a clue what goes on over here

[Cake Monster]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

They said that this comes as tourism is yet to fully recover from the pandemic and is both damaging to Khao San Road's image and that of Thailand in general, being responsible for keeping tourists away from Thailand. 

These Low-Life have had 2 Years or more to dream up their next Scams against Tourists.

I am sure there will be a Platero of new Scams due to surface as time passes, and more Tourists arrive.

 

[Bday Prang]

1 hour ago, Gecko123 said:

One motive for the cop's behavior, which I actually think may be likely, is that he wanted to get out of the arduous paperwork which taking in the police report would entail. Just think of the pages of explanations from both parties which would have to be written up. What a headache. Plus all the paperwork if it's referred to the court for prosecution.

 

So the cop, trying to avoid all the paperwork which he knows would be coming down the pike, tries to cajole the foreigner into coughing up the missing money. Problem solved, everybody's happy. So the cop's motive might not have been greed, but a desire to shirk paperwork.

 

This happened to me a number of years back. I was attacked, threw a punch in return. Down at the police station the cop pressured me into dropping my complaint by saying that they would have to accept the counter-complaint from the party who attacked me. That same sort of "easiest way to make the problem go away" mentality might have been in play here.

 You were attacked  !!! now why doesn't that surprise me, and no doubt the police just wanted to get rid of you once you started mouthing off about your "rights" down at the station....Some people just don't fit in here do they 

[ThailandRyan]

7 hours ago, darksidedog said:

If the traders know about the con, it is hard to believe the local cops don't.

The local cops may actually be in on it....just my opinion.