Three Times In One Day

[sabang]

The main time share company that used to tout here was "Royal resorts'. the main shareholder is a guy called John Spence, a multi-millionaire, English guy but based in Perth, WA. They are also to be found trawling Phuket, Bali and Goa. Their MO was the 'lucky Lottery', for which you inevitably win a 'prize', or the Survey. And yes- it always starts with "do you speak English" and "are you married". The whole aim is to bring you in for a Presentation- where the sales Closers are located. The Touts receive their commission for getting people in, the Closers for actual sales- and the commission is notoriously high.

Whilst irritating, their sales tactics were not intimidating or aggressive like these motorbike wanke_rs- maybe there is a new company operating here as well now, dunno.

Anyway- "No, I am not married", and/or "I live here" gets rid of them quick smart.

[cali4995]

We were not discussing the Thai touts, this was about the farangs working

illegally, aggressively cutting people off with their motorbikes. In the 30 times

I've been stopped, they have never been polite and that seems to be the general

experience of the other posters. It's possible some folks have affiliations/friends

within this time share community, so different opinions are present. Or, possibly

they are also working illegally and sympathetic to their plight. I'm sorry but the

answer is not more meekness and tolerance towards a group the police should have

arrested a long time ago. More formal complaints would be the sensible answer.

[innovator]

Yes. Absolutely. OK supermod, we will take photos, videos and other types of evidence and bring it all down to the tourist police office in the future.

Let the tourist police run with it.....no need for us to take the law into our own hands or feet.

I think the aggressive attitudes here are a reflection of frustration with these asssshollles and we simply are blowing off hot air. But, a more practical solution would be to take evidence to the tourist police and nail these guys.

It sure would be nice to have them in jail or deported where they truly belong, instead of on a permanent holiday where they can race around harrassing innocent people.

[cali4995]

The general warning is sound advice, on a few occasions already, I've seen

farangs who have possibly had too much to drink get involved in conflicts

and it quickly escalates into 10-15 Thais kicking and punching the farang

irregardless of the nature of the dispute or even who was right or wrong.

What irks me is this growing class of "non-Thais" the obnoxious tailor salesmen

and now these motorbike thugs who basically go around abusing tourists and

residents in their efforts to eke out a meager and often illegal existence. The

thinking seems to be that the tourist must meekly submit to this harassment.

It's hard enough sometimes to get through the day peaceably with the locals,

some of whom have been here too long and need to get rotated to another

province because they so obviously dislike foreigners. Now we also have to

deal with other "farangs" who are constantly getting in our face and rude.

[innovator]

I agree with Cali4995. The local Thais have a right to be there as this is their homeland. Perhaps, it would be good to rotate them around.

But, these guys on the motorbikes and the tailors don't have that same right. Some are legal and some are not. I am sure the tourist police will be very interested in checking the documents to see if these guys are all legal.

If they were truly legal, then I am sure they wouldn't be so obnoxious. But, the fact is, they are really dangerous folks and can ruin even a short vacation of a few days for some unsuspecting tourists. Let's say that you just arrived in the city and your first activity was to take a walk around.

All of the sudden, some assssholllle comes crashing into your leg and asks you if you can speak English. Then, you are rushed to the hospital with a fractured leg and the tout just drives away. So, I think something needs to be done by the tourist police.

Edited September 1, 2008 by innovator

[cali4995]

You can't always avoid problems here. Try as you might to co-exist

in harmony and avoid confrontations, there are a number of bad

people here, some of them Thai and fights can and do happen.

Just the other month I go involved in a fight with a Thai man at my

apartment building. He was causing a disturbance on my floor, not a

guest, and also obviously had been drinking or high on yaba.

This guy was 2-3 inches taller than me, they're not all small. After

wrestling about and knocking each other around I eventually threw

him down a flight of stairs and then choked him unconcious.

For my trouble I got bruised ribs, nearly broke my foot since I didn't

have any shoes on. And lucky I didn't have trouble with the police for

striking a Thai person but the receptionist was happy to have him out.

So, understandably I'm getting short on patience with this growing

segment of thugs who go around accosting tourists and causing problems.

The police just don't seem to have enough forces to deal with it all.

[sabang]

The police just don't seem to have enough forces to deal with it all.

On the contrary, the tourist police in Pattaya do, including a number of farang volunteers.

Very few, if any of these people have work permits.

If the will is there, a simple sting operation would be quite effective- just like has happened to several GoGo's committing the horrendous crime of showing pudenda behind closed doors in Pattaya.

But is the Will there? I think to the local law enforcement authorities this is just considered farang on farang stuff- no concern of theirs.

[jdinasia]

Hey, this thread is a step-up from crying about lady boys on beach road!

[innovator]

So, the next time that any of these guys tries to stop you and asks, 'Do you speak English'....

Just take out your camera or mobile phone camera and answer, 'Yes, Say Cheese'.

Then, we can begin to collect evidence to take down to the tourist police.

[Naam]

But, the fact is, they are really dangerous folks and can ruin even a short vacation of a few days for some unsuspecting tourists. Let's say that you just arrived in the city and your first activity was to take a walk around.

All of the sudden, some assssholllle comes crashing into your leg and asks you if you can speak English. Then, you are rushed to the hospital with a fractured leg and the tout just drives away. So, I think something needs to be done by the tourist police.

you forgot to mention that tourists who don't speak english and don't buy into a timeshare are raped and circumcised by those touts after at least one of their legs was broken by a motorcycle

p.s. if they are already circumcised their left ear will be cut off. it's disgusting!

[Kerryd]

I'm still in wonderment how these touts seem to target the same people every time it seems, and yet other people apparently are never approached.

Personally:

Number of times approached by time-share tout - 0

Number of times I've been rammed (or nearly so) by a time-share tout on a moto - 0

Number of times I've had a time-share tout threaten me in any way - 0

Guess I'm just lucky (or look too poor to be worth the effort) !

[Naam]

my experience:

-number of times being appproached by a timeshare tout (1)

-number of times the tout "threatened" me (0)

-number of times the tout was very polite (1)

-number of times my leg was broken by a timeshare tout (0)

-number of times i felt threatened by a timeshare tout motor cycle (0)

-number of times i've read paranoid and distorted reports on TV (ahmm... what is the next figure/number that follows 1,000?)

[cali4995]

The important distinction seems to be, to you actually stay within the city limits

and walk around on foot the majority of the time or do you stay in a secluded

community and only take your suv out a few times a week and therefore, really

have no idea what goes on downtown and also little/no experiences with the touts.

[Kerryd]

The important distinction seems to be, to you actually stay within the city limits

and walk around on foot the majority of the time.

Well, I live about two blocks from TukCom, and often walk along Pattaya Tai, soi Bukhao, soi 17 and the surrounding area (though I do use the moto for longer trips).

[cali4995]

What can I say? Maybe you look "scary"? Maybe you're a larger farang who doesn't

appear "approachable" to these people? Maybe you're with your girl most of the time

and they know this isn't an ideal scenario to cut you off? These people have a few

seconds to size-up a prospect and I imagine they're looking for upper middle to elderly

farangs who are well-dressed and appear as if they might have discretionary funds

and also seem friendly enough that they can be stopped with little risk of retaliation.

Obviously everyone doesn't fit this profile but quite a large number actually do.

[Crow Boy]

I imagine they're looking for upper middle to elderly farangs who are well-dressed and appear as if they might have discretionary funds and also seem friendly enough that they can be stopped with little risk of retaliation.

Ahhhh explains why they never stop me

CB

[bendix]

my experience:

-number of times being appproached by a timeshare tout (1)

-number of times the tout "threatened" me (0)

-number of times the tout was very polite (1)

-number of times my leg was broken by a timeshare tout (0)

-number of times i felt threatened by a timeshare tout motor cycle (0)

-number of times i've read paranoid and distorted reports on TV (ahmm... what is the next figure/number that follows 1,000?)

Quite right. I thought you Pattaya boys were tough nuts, but obviously not so. If you are intimidated by 'scams' perpetuated by a couple of loser farangs and their Thai tarts zipping about on a freaking two-stroke moped, then you really are a bunch of pussies.

I suggest you stay in bed - it's a dangerous world out there.

[Kerryd]

Quite right. I thought you Pattaya boys were tough nuts, but obviously not so. If you are intimidated by 'scams' perpetuated by a couple of loser farangs and their Thai tarts zipping about on a freaking two-stroke moped, then you really are a bunch of pussies.

I suggest you stay in bed - it's a dangerous world out there.

I'm more worried about the farangs running around with spiked rings and sword canes, especially with the way the average moto driver drives around here, just about any time you see one, it's a close encounter.