Comprehensive List Of Scams In Phuket/thailand.

[NamKangMan]

http://www.bangkokscams.com/scams-in-thail...n-phuket-2.html

Thanks for the link. A lot of good information on there. I've never heard of the "feed pidgeons scam" before. Some on there I have heard of, but there are a few I haven't. Makes for interesting reading. As for the "scratch card touts" all I can say is the boss must be "connected" somehow. All of those backbackers can't have valid work permits and visas and they ride around harrassing people out in the open, every morning, even wearing a uniform. Thanks for the posts.

[Colabamumbai]

You must love to be scammed, why would you return to the place, are you writing a book? Their waiting for you so they can practice some new scams. I just let them know you'll be back soon.

[Peterocket]

I don't understand Why would anyone that has been to Phuket, ever go again? Do enjoy fighting off scammers? Just like being overcharged for anything and everything? Maybe you like the feel of people grabbing you and trying to pull you into a restaurant, massage parlor, shop house, bar, or tuk tuk? Could it be you just like dodging motorbikes doing 30 kmh down the sidewalk? Wouldn't it be easier, and more fun, to maybe,,, try someplace else?

I was thinking just the same, I don't see the point of getting scammed everyday, spending time documenting it and going back again and again just to get some more. Just the tuk tuk mafia is enough to keep me far from this place.

Ive never been scammed here and avoid the Tuk Tuks whenever possible. I wouldnt class them as a scam anyhow as they have fixed prices and it's completely optional whether to use them.

The only thing that I get annoyed about is paying to use the national park even though I have a work permit and pay taxes.

[NamKangMan]

You must love to be scammed, why would you return to the place, are you writing a book? Their waiting for you so they can practice some new scams. I just let them know you'll be back soon.

Would you have me believe that you have never been scammed in Thailand, not even once, for just a few baht. You must either stay in your hotel room 24/7 or walk around dressed like a monk. Come to think of it, how did you get to your hotel room, in an airport taxi - you got scammed. Come on, don't be embarrassed, tell us about when you were last scammed, or, does your Thai girlfriend look after everything for you? Maybe the scams are so close to home that you can't see them happening. :D

Edited February 4, 2010 by NamKangMan

[stevenl]

Would you have me believe that you have never been scammed in Thailand, not even once, for just a few baht. You must either stay in your hotel room 24/7 or walk around dressed like a monk. Come to think of it, how did you get to your hotel room, in an airport taxi - you got scammed. Come on, don't be embarrassed, tell us about when you were last scammed, or, does your Thai girlfriend look after everything for you? Maybe the scams are so close to home that you can't see them happening. :D

Why would somebody who has taken an airport taxi, limousine or meter taxi, have been scammed? He paid more than in other places in Thailand, but that is not a scam.

[baabaabobo]

Here is an ice cream scam running on another thread.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Dual-Pricing...rt-t335783.html

[NamKangMan]

Why would somebody who has taken an airport taxi, limousine or meter taxi, have been scammed? He paid more than in other places in Thailand, but that is not a scam.

There's a fair bit of collusion going on at Phuket Airport between the airport taxis. I have heard they are keeping away the metered taxis through threats and intimidation. These days, you hardly see any and there is a que for the ones that do roll up. I now get my guest house driver at 600 baht which I am happy to pay. The last I heard, an airport limo was 1100 baht and even more if you answered, "Yes" to the question, "First time to Thailand." As we all know, they are not a limo, there are just a Toyota Camry. I used to get the minibus for 150 baht, which was no problem for me, but then they started stopping at a travel agency halfway to Patong and selling hotel rooms to backpackers and telling me, and others, their hotel had a fire and is closed blah blah blah. I see your point, but, there are some scams running out of Phuket Airport.

[NamKangMan]

Here is an ice cream scam running on another thread.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Dual-Pricing...rt-t335783.html

Interesting thread. Everyday in markets etc we all get stung by dual-pricing, but this was a retail outlet in an international airport. It may be the case the shop assistant is lying to the customer and is pocketing the extra 35 baht. The boss doesn't know because the stock / cash all add up correctly. If the shop assistant pulled this a few times during a shift, it's a nice little earner for them. Thanks for the post.

[thaibutty]

Just stay away from the main tourist centers, like Patong, learn to speak Thai, buy yourself a motorbike, and you will prevent yourself from most scams.

[F1fanatic]

Just stay away from the main tourist centers, like Patong, learn to speak Thai, buy yourself a motorbike, and you will prevent yourself from most scams.

It depends on what you call a scam. Never mind how fluent you are in Thai you are going to be subject to double pricing.

Unfortunately the whole of Phuket is a 'tourist area', so its a bit difficult to avoid tourist areas if you live here! Although admittedly, Patong is the worst example.

Whilst Western residents learn to avoid the most obvious scams, I'm not sure how buying a motorbike helps??

Some people in the markets will rip you off if they think they can get away with it - others don't. But then again my local Tesco's rips people off too. Whilst I pay 90 baht per kilo for chicken breasts in the market (if I'm being ripped off, please tell me) Tesco charge 125 baht per kilo! Amazingly they all empty the same frozen bags onto the counter/stall.

[KarenBravo]

Just stay away from the main tourist centers, like Patong, learn to speak Thai, buy yourself a motorbike, and you will prevent yourself from most scams.

Eggzackerly!!!!

[NamKangMan]

Just stay away from the main tourist centers, like Patong, learn to speak Thai, buy yourself a motorbike, and you will prevent yourself from most scams.

Any suggestions on how not to get scammed by a Thai language school and a motorbike shop????

[dudemeister]

You must love to be scammed, why would you return to the place, are you writing a book? Their waiting for you so they can practice some new scams. I just let them know you'll be back soon.

book has been done....

[KarenBravo]

Just stay away from the main tourist centers, like Patong, learn to speak Thai, buy yourself a motorbike, and you will prevent yourself from most scams.

Any suggestions on how not to get scammed by a Thai language school and a motorbike shop????

Dunno about the language school, but, motorbike shops is reasonably easy. Take your bike to three shops and tell them what you need done and ask for a quote for labour only. Buy all the parts yourself in Phuket Town.

I have gone through three, or, four motorbike shops until I found a good one. Quality work in good time at a fair price.

[toptuan]

Don't buy the 49-baht knock-off DVD movies unless you can understand muffled dialogue, decipher blurry video, don't mind the shaky hand-held camera, and the occasional black outline of a movie patron getting up to use the toilet.

[Valentine]

At Tesco Lotus the other day the bill at checkput was Baht 420. I handed over 520 but did not receive any change. I stood there for a moment, she smiled sweetly & was about to serve the next customer when I mentioned there was something wrong. She immediately said "oh yes, 100Baht but you will have to wait until I ring up the next customer". Always be aware of how much money you hand over & always check your change.

I also see quite a few instances, in various establishments, where money is taken but nothing is registered in the till even though it is opened & the money placed inside. In this case the customer is not being scammed but the owner is.

[asiancup2007]

Re the lady drink business - I have no problem with them taking no alcohol in their drinks - a lot of them are non-drinkers (and I'm sure that most of them started out that way). They have to drink alcohol to get their cut (usually anything from 30 to 70 baht per drink, depending on the bar policy). If I wander in to a bar and buy one of the staff a lady drink, I make it clear that I will pay the lady drink price even if they only want pineapple juice without the Malibu. Quite often they gratefully accept the offer. I don't see anything good in forcing the girls to drink alcohol (in order for them to get some money together to send home) when they don't really want to. I have no problem paying the lady drink price, and those who really know and understand how and why things work the way they do would agree with me. Of course, your typical ten day tourist or deep-pocketed short-armed expat (aka kee niaow) would never understand...

What he said

[H2oDunc]

Would you have me believe that you have never been scammed in Thailand, not even once, for just a few baht. You must either stay in your hotel room 24/7 or walk around dressed like a monk. Come to think of it, how did you get to your hotel room, in an airport taxi - you got scammed. Come on, don't be embarrassed, tell us about when you were last scammed, or, does your Thai girlfriend look after everything for you? Maybe the scams are so close to home that you can't see them happening. :D

Talk about paranoid or what ? Maybe just maybe not everyone is as stupid as yourself. I take a taxi from the airport and NEVER get scammed. I simply walk up to departures and get a taxi that is dropping a customer off. They never refuse to put the meter on as it is a bonus getting a fare back into town. Been here a few years and NEVER been scammed. Some have tried but I am not a stupid farang so just either walk away or so no. To go back time after time and still be scammed ?

As they say there is one born every minute

[NamKangMan]

Talk about paranoid or what ? Maybe just maybe not everyone is as stupid as yourself. I take a taxi from the airport and NEVER get scammed. I simply walk up to departures and get a taxi that is dropping a customer off. They never refuse to put the meter on as it is a bonus getting a fare back into town. Been here a few years and NEVER been scammed. Some have tried but I am not a stupid farang so just either walk away or so no. To go back time after time and still be scammed ?

As they say there is one born every minute

Depends on where you are flying from and the arrival time of your flight. Unfortunately for me, my flight lands early evening, so, I only see the que waiting for the metered taxis and very few metered taxis. As mentioned earlier, I've heard a lot of them are being scared off by the airport taxi mafia. I don't know this as a fact, though. I have been getting my guest house driver for several years at 600 baht which I think is fair. So, I've not been scammed for years - so, I'm not sure what you are on about. My question is to you, what will you do one day when there are no metered taxis for you to hire???? You could wait an hour or more on the que, or, you will have to negotiate with the Phuket Airport taxi mafia who do not negotiate. They have a set minimum fare which is over double the metered taxi rate. It's called collusion - look it up in the dictionary. Also, maybe you can tell me where the taxi rank is in Patong???? Not many metered taxis cruising around Patong - the tuk-tuk mafia has seen to that.

[LivinginKata]

Also, maybe you can tell me where the taxi rank is in Patong???? Not many metered taxis cruising around Patong - the tuk-tuk mafia has seen to that.

There is no meter taxi rank in Patong, and there are no meter taxis cruising about for hire at any of the tourist beach areas. Tuk tuk drivers will not allow that....

[thaibutty]

Just stay away from the main tourist centers, like Patong, learn to speak Thai, buy yourself a motorbike, and you will prevent yourself from most scams.

It depends on what you call a scam. Never mind how fluent you are in Thai you are going to be subject to double pricing.

Unfortunately the whole of Phuket is a 'tourist area', so its a bit difficult to avoid tourist areas if you live here! Although admittedly, Patong is the worst example.

Whilst Western residents learn to avoid the most obvious scams, I'm not sure how buying a motorbike helps??

Some people in the markets will rip you off if they think they can get away with it - others don't. But then again my local Tesco's rips people off too. Whilst I pay 90 baht per kilo for chicken breasts in the market (if I'm being ripped off, please tell me) Tesco charge 125 baht per kilo! Amazingly they all empty the same frozen bags onto the counter/stall.

Yes, there is dual pricing, but it can be avoided, by having a Thai drivers liscence or work permit, which gives you Thai prices at National Parks, the zoo, the aquarium...

Being able to read in THai is also helpful, because you can ask for the menu in Thai, in case they are charging different prices on the English menu.

In my area, north of Wat Chalong, I never have the feeling of being a tourist, all the people in the little restaurants and shops know me and come over for a chat, when I am there. I get the same prices and treatment as any Thai person.

Owning a motorbike helps to avoid the motorbike rental scams, I thought that was obvious...

Edited February 6, 2010 by thaibutty

[NamKangMan]

Also, maybe you can tell me where the taxi rank is in Patong???? Not many metered taxis cruising around Patong - the tuk-tuk mafia has seen to that.

There is no meter taxi rank in Patong, and there are no meter taxis cruising about for hire at any of the tourist beach areas. Tuk tuk drivers will not allow that....

I know. I was being sarcastic. I think transport at Patong is not a scam - it's organised crime.

[madmitch]

[Talk about paranoid or what ? Maybe just maybe not everyone is as stupid as yourself. I take a taxi from the airport and NEVER get scammed. I simply walk up to departures and get a taxi that is dropping a customer off. They never refuse to put the meter on as it is a bonus getting a fare back into town. Been here a few years and NEVER been scammed. Some have tried but I am not a stupid farang so just either walk away or so no. To go back time after time and still be scammed ?

As they say there is one born every minute

Are you sure you are not making this up? Since when have Meter Taxis dropped off at Phuket Airport? And the other taxis don't have meters to put on anyway. There are about 70 Meter Taxis in the whole of Phuket so you must be a very lucky man to get one every time!

Perhaps you are confusing Bangkok and Phuket as this is common practice amongst savvy travellers at Suvarnabhumi and previously Don Muang.

Edited February 7, 2010 by madmitch

[LivinginKata]

[Talk about paranoid or what ? Maybe just maybe not everyone is as stupid as yourself. I take a taxi from the airport and NEVER get scammed. I simply walk up to departures and get a taxi that is dropping a customer off. They never refuse to put the meter on as it is a bonus getting a fare back into town. Been here a few years and NEVER been scammed. Some have tried but I am not a stupid farang so just either walk away or so no. To go back time after time and still be scammed ?

As they say there is one born every minute

Are you sure you are not making this up? Since when have Meter Taxis dropped off at Phuket Airport? And the other taxis don't have meters to put on anyway. There are about 70 Meter Taxis in the whole of Phuket so you must be a very lucky man to get one every time!

Perhaps you are confusing Bangkok and Phuket as this is common practice amongst savvy travellers at Suvarnabhumi and previously Don Muang.

Must admit that I think it's very unlikely that you could get a taxi dropping off at Phuket airport to pick-up a fare at the departures level. That sort of taxi driver would not last long on Phuket Island ...

[Ping]

The scam that is very common , even in stores like Tesco, is the "Bait and Swap" . For example , the sony DVD player advertised on "special Promotion " for 700 THB. U enquire................ "Sorry........ no have" ! " All sold" blah blah blah !!!!!." But have this Phillips model for 1800 THB .........very good..." Thumbs up action etc. "Falung subooo " as you walk out .

Must be successful as it is so common.

I don't agree that this is a 'common scam' in the large stores such as Tesco. If it happened to you on one occasion, isn't it possible that they may have genuinely sold out?

[NamKangMan]

I don't agree that this is a 'common scam' in the large stores such as Tesco. If it happened to you on one occasion, isn't it possible that they may have genuinely sold out?

This happens a lot in western countries as well. It's not a scam, as such, but more false advertising. They actually have 1 or 2 of the items at the sale price. The customer's expectation is there are many for sale, because, it's a "sale." The fact is, they only have a small number which sell out fast, sometimes to staff, and the whole purpose is to get you in the door to then try to sell you a more expensive item. Very common in the big shops. The problem is, you are not interested in the "hard sell" of some other more expensive item, so, you leave, but, the company/shop has basically wasted your time and energy.

[F1fanatic]

Beginning to really dislike Tesco's!

Following on from my last post complaining about how they charged 125 baht for chicken breasts when the market charged 90 baht (nearly 40% more!), I came down with a tummy 'bug' the other day that boiled down to being in a lot of stomach pain.

As I had to go to Tesco's (Chalong) anyway, I went to the pharmacist there to ask for pain killers that were easy on the stomach. Of the 2 women behind the counter, one completely ignored me whilst the other looked uninterested - but wandered off and came back with a pink liquid. I read the label which said it was an antacid, so I told her I didn't have stomach acid, I was in pain and needed a pain killer. So she wandered off again and came back with tablets. Unfortunately the label and leaflet were only in Thai so I asked her "painkiller?" and she told me "yes".

At this point the other girl behind the counter became vaguely animated to look up the price, but still didn't deign to look at me.

Got back home and looked it up on the internet only to find it was an antacid in tablet form.......

Not a scam as such, but find a good pharmacist (I normally use a good pharmacist in Rawai, but was in pain and trying to cut my trip short - bad mistake) and don't expect the same competence (or care) from the pharmacist at Chalong Tesco pharmacy!

[stevenl]

Sorry, but there is no connection at all. Tesco is in the same building as that pharmacist, but that is the only connection between them.

[LivinLOS]

Must admit that I think it's very unlikely that you could get a taxi dropping off at Phuket airport to pick-up a fare at the departures level. That sort of taxi driver would not last long on Phuket Island ...

Agree this sounds more like fantasy or a different airport..

Last time I was taken to HKT airport the driver wouldn't even take me up to departures, too much effort for him (I asked as I saw him move into the lane for downstairs arrivals) and then he started the tip for me routine.. A little thing for sure but it sure puts you off the tip when he cant be bothered to drive to the right place. I wondered if they had changed the entrance scanners or something but no, others coming in upstairs.

Given the volume of meter taxis doing pick ups on the island, and their shaky position in the airport being able to just walk out the door of departures and grab one sounds highly unlikely.

[TaoNow]

Just a note on the airport taxi issue: I was at the Phuket airport yesterday, killing some time outside the main terminal at the departures level.

First of all, I did not see a single meter-taxi dropping anyone off (during a one-hour period of observation from noon to 1 p.m.)

Second, I noticed one farang guy who would wait for a hotel car (or unmarked hired car) drop somebody off. He would then approach the car and ask if they could take him and his wife to XXXX for (I think) 500 baht. Driver after driver refused.

Plus, I noticed that the police guard at the drop-off area was keeping an eye on this guy.

Then, after about 15 minutes of this, one driver of an unmarked SUV (who had just dropped off a couple) agreed to take him and his wife to XXXX for 500 baht. As the farang guy was getting into the SUV the police guard came around to say "good-bye" and the guy slipped a bill (or bills?) into the policeman's hand.

During my hour of observation I did not see anyone else try this approach to avoid using the airport's metered taxis or limo services -- and which I assume is against the airport's regulations.