Being Rip Offed! Sucker For Punishment?

[mrbojangles]

I can't beleive we're talking about "Peanut's" here. 140baht (£2) for chicken sticks

and 100baht (£1.50) for taxi in Pattaya.......I bought a shirt the other week in England for £30 and 2 weeks later they where in the sale at £15, now that's being ripped off by high street shops but big deal, that's life. As for the Taxi to Pattaya from BKK this one always amazes me. It's a 4-5 hour round trip and costs about 250-300baht in Tolls on the motorway. I usually pay 800baht from Pattaya to BKK or 1200baht from BKK to Pattaya for Taxi Meter and anything from 1,200-2,000 for Limo. I don't think that's being ripped off, I think it's good value. If you don't want to pay it, get on a crowded bus and pay 150baht

Mr BJ

It may be peanuts (Western money) but he's still being ripped off. He's not disputing the 1,200 baht fare, it's the underhand techniques of the taxi driver getting easy money. You have to stop thinking in terms of Western money versus Thai. It is big money, relatively, going down the drain. BTW, the tolls are more like 120-150.

Billy Boy, you need to toughen up ol' mate, not to the extent of walking around with a scowl on your face but think things through a bit more and don't think everyone is nice. It may be the los but they're not all smiling on the inside and will easily catch you off guard.

I know what you mean about being ripped off and it not being neccessarily the amount but you can get ripped off in any country is the point i was making. As for the Toll, isn't it 120-150 each way? I thought it was in which case the Taxi driver has still to get back.

[schmokinn]

where was the karaoke lounge? and why pay for drinks you never ordered?-peter

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

dont think i have been ripped of at all in thailand,street sense works in any country.

maybe the fact people had been earbashing me about los before i got here helped.

all i ever hear in taxis is "whatever you want to give??"

if people opened there eyes and ears they would never get themselves in the situation in the firstplace.

[JimsKnight]

Like Its been said, the problem comes from the new guys who walk about with rose tinted specs thinking all is well. Be on your guard an be ready to counter these scams that the thais are continually ready to deploy!

One of the latest I've heard of is how a bunch of thais will claim to be able to build you a house (for a price) and put the land in the falangs name, as most of us now thai law does not allow foreigners to own land! Period! The exceptions for this are those chosen few who have 40 million (baht) ready to chuck into a thai bank! And of course the murky company option.

The reason I know this is because I met a dubious falang semi-expat in Hua Hin who was adamant that the house and land would be in his name. Basically it all boiled down to his mates (the thais) saying they could get it all sorted with him becoming 'Their Sponsor' and taking their word that they could get it done.

Total clump comes to mind!

To the new guys in thailand : You are often the most vunerable to the scammers and bad apples in Thailand, Watch out!

[Tornado]

, I TEL,. YA. Edited June 10, 2005 by Tornado

[daleyboy]

REASLL7Y DRUBKK, BHAD A GIOD NUGHT SORRTYN ABOIYRT THE SPELLINGBITS ARTOCUOIUS. WHERES THE MRS SHENWENT SOMEWHORE IT S A SHAME, I TEL,. YA.

dont worry torny your spelling is no worse when your drunk

[Tornado]

, I TEL,. YA.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

FICEM SHIRLEY POO PR4IFTARE POOFFF.

I SAW YOUNYOUR KIJND BEFOTEE THRYE SUCKED/

THENTROUBLE YOU WITH BLOKES IS YOUR GREEEN AROUBD TGHE EDGEWS, WHEN I SAY SITT YOU ALL SAY HOW HIGHT YDO YOU WANNA SIT, THATS YOUR PRONBLE3M WANSFHKERS.

Edited June 10, 2005 by Tornado

[daleyboy]

, I TEL,. YA.

FICEM SHIRLEY POO PR4IFTARE POOFFF.

I SAW YOUNYOUR KIJND BEFOTEE THRYE SUCKED/

THENTROUBLE YOU WITH BLOKES IS YOUR GREEEN AROUBD TGHE EDGEWS, WHEN I SAY SITT YOU ALL SAY HOW HIGHT YDO YOU WANNA SIT, THATS YOUR PRONBLE3M WANSFHKERS.

[Buff-horns]

do you have a neon flashing sign on your head that says " I AM A &lt;deleted&gt; " ?

maybe thats why ? it must be your body language .

[billyboy]

do you have a neon flashing sign on your head that says " I AM A &lt;deleted&gt; " ?

maybe thats why ? it must be your body language .

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well I didnt know what to say to the man at the food stall who asked me to buy him some food.Its very hard to say no.What could I have said to him?

I mean i wouldnt mind buying him some food if he was genuinly poor and hungry,but when he was driving off i thought what a &lt;deleted&gt; i am.

Im not rich,im just a labourer so he should of being buying the food sticks for me.

But maybe my first mistake was letting him get too friendly,maybe i should have just walked off,i dunno,i will have to be a bit more cautios next time.

The karaoke place that added more to the bill and all written in thai was in pattaya in the day night area.I dont wanna be a cheap charlie but it makes me angry when i know there adding more drinks to the bill.

Anyway thanks everyone and if i ever help someone out again i wont let them think there got it over me,i would rather be see as kind than stupid.

[aughie]

When buying someone a meal progressed to his family ask, "Where's your family?"

[Flysiam]

do you have a neon flashing sign on your head that says " I AM A &lt;deleted&gt; " ?

maybe thats why ? it must be your body language .

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well I didnt know what to say to the man at the food stall who asked me to buy him some food.Its very hard to say no.What could I have said to him?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ummmmmm ... try ..... NO? ok add a smile and turn away. Try it - it really works!

[jackr]

I can't beleive we're talking about "Peanut's" here. 140baht (£2) for chicken sticks

and 100baht (£1.50) for taxi in Pattaya.......I bought a shirt the other week in England for £30 and 2 weeks later they where in the sale at £15, now that's being ripped off by high street shops but big deal, that's life. As for the Taxi to Pattaya from BKK this one always amazes me. It's a 4-5 hour round trip and costs about 250-300baht in Tolls on the motorway. I usually pay 800baht from Pattaya to BKK or 1200baht from BKK to Pattaya for Taxi Meter and anything from 1,200-2,000 for Limo. I don't think that's being ripped off, I think it's good value. If you don't want to pay it, get on a crowded bus and pay 150baht

Mr BJ

It may be peanuts (Western money) but he's still being ripped off. He's not disputing the 1,200 baht fare, it's the underhand techniques of the taxi driver getting easy money. You have to stop thinking in terms of Western money versus Thai. It is big money, relatively, going down the drain. BTW, the tolls are more like 120-150.

Billy Boy, you need to toughen up ol' mate, not to the extent of walking around with a scowl on your face but think things through a bit more and don't think everyone is nice. It may be the los but they're not all smiling on the inside and will easily catch you off guard.

I know what you mean about being ripped off and it not being neccessarily the amount but you can get ripped off in any country is the point i was making. As for the Toll, isn't it 120-150 each way? I thought it was in which case the Taxi driver has still to get back.

Aren't we talking about Muang Thai though? Of course there are dodgy buggers in every country but Thailand really does have an oversupply waiting to punce on hapless tourists. What would Lord Buddha say to the guy driving off in the Merc? He probably thinks he's doing nothing wrong. He thinks it's the farang's fault for being stupid, kindness or not, and not the fact that he was ripping him off. Yeah, the tolls are 120-150 each way. Sometimes they'll ask you if you want to go on the expressway and tell you it'll cost you more. More often than not it is fixed though if you book it from either end. Whatever, these guys make enough, especially when they start scamming.

[Thaiquila]

I am not sure why, but I find the longer I am in Thailand, the less I get ripped off.

My main ploy is basically an attitude that if I would have complained in my home country, I will complain here, and it almost alway works. In many cases the Thai scammers are surprised that I do complain, because obviously so many others do not, they might as well concentrate on the low hanging fruit.

Sometimes I complain out of sheer principle when the amount of money means nothing. For example, the other day I ordered an item on a picture menu that said 40 baht. The bill came 50 baht. Upon inquiry, they announced the menu is wrong as the price has changed. Not for me it hadn't.

I think many people also assume that if they complain they are going to always be beaten or murdered. Sometimes, yes, but usually not.

Edited June 11, 2005 by Thaiquila

[MikeRay]

Lucky me, nothing happened to me yet.And for the future, to all pranksters out there "Don´t mess with the missus"

[camerata]

Oddly, the attempted scams I remember involved foreigners. Back in the 70s a friendly Thai-looking guy accosted me outside Asia Books in Sukhumvit. He said we'd met at Immigration last week. Since I had in fact come through Don Muang the previous week I decided to hear what he had to say. Almost immediately I noticed he had a strong Philippino accent and I almost laughed when he claimed that it was his birthday and he was looking for friends to celebrate with! I read later that these guys would lure tourists to private card games and cheat them.

More recently - 2 or 3 years ago - two Africans followed me into a 7-11 on Sukhumvit and cornered me there, claiming they were refugees from Rwanda whose luggage hadn't arrived at the airport and needed to "borrow" some money. Needless to say, they were slick and well-dressed and didn't look at all like dispossessed refugees. I wonder if anyone falls for obvious BS like this?

[Tywais]

I have not actually allowed a scam to get through my barriers even with many attempts over the years (mostly the "Best Gems, Best Price" types). However many years ago in Chaingmai while still somewhat naive but not stupid there was one that I got dragged deeply into.

While walking around the moat I was "befriended" by a Thai man who started up the conventional "where you from, how long you stay" converstations. He then offered to buy be a drink and we went into a restaurant we were standing in front of. I ordered a coke and he the same. He then told me he was a casino dealer working at one of the big casinos in Malaysia.

He then asked me to come to his house with him and that he had a technique for me to make a lot of money. The concept was that they were friends of a Prince of Brunei who was very stupid and loses money gambling with them. Began to outline the scam to me by sitting down at a table and dealing me cards. He would show me his hole card "discreetly" so I would be able to win. He even gave me several one hundred dollar bills as seed money for the scam.

A few minutes later they brought in the "Prince" and I nearly fell out of my chair. The guy was dressed as a nerd, badly fitting suit, secretarial type glassess and acting very timid. The alarm bells were already there but they now were bursting my ear drums. It was clear that this was a performance with an outcome that could not be good. I was in a cold sweat by now and asked to leave after returning the money. The "Prince" gave a "I don't understand what's wrong" performance but I was allowed to leave.

Has anyone encountered this before and exactly how would they extract funds from me if I continued? Only thing I could think of is that I would win at the beginning then start losing there money and being demanded to repay them. One of the most unnerving incidents I have ever experienced in LOS.

[jimbob]

I have not actually allowed a scam to get through my barriers even with many attempts over the years (mostly the "Best Gems, Best Price" types).  However many years ago in Chaingmai while still somewhat naive but not stupid there was one that I got dragged deeply into.

While walking around the moat I was "befriended" by a Thai man who started up the conventional "where you from, how long you stay" converstations.  He then offered to buy be a drink and we went into a restaurant we were standing in front of.  I ordered a coke and he the same.  He then told me he was a casino dealer working at one of the big casinos in Malaysia.

He then asked me to come to his house with him and that he had a technique for me to make a lot of money.  The concept was that they were friends of a Prince of Brunei who was very stupid and loses money gambling with them.  Began to outline the scam to me by sitting down at a table and dealing me cards.  He would show me his hole card "discreetly" so I would be able to win.  He even gave me several one hundred dollar bills as seed money for the scam.

A few minutes later they brought in the "Prince" and I nearly fell out of my chair.  The guy was dressed as a nerd, badly fitting suit, secretarial type glassess and acting very timid.  The alarm bells were already there but they now were bursting my ear drums.  It was clear that this was a performance with an outcome that could not be good.  I was in a cold sweat by now and asked to leave after returning the money.  The "Prince" gave a "I don't understand what's wrong" performance but I was allowed to leave.

Has anyone encountered this before and exactly how would they extract funds from me if I continued?  Only thing I could think of is that I would win at the beginning then start losing there money and being demanded to repay them.  One of the most unnerving incidents I have ever experienced in LOS.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Same happened to me on my second day in Bangkok. Went to a "friends" house and got taught the most obvious way to cheat at blackjack ever. I felt insulted they thought I was that stupid or greedy. Luckily I was hungover and spent the afternoon vomiting in their toilet before making excuses and getting out of dodge.

[Patong Bob]

Most scams in Patong (except for the tuk-tuks and bar-girls) are farang on farang.

Partnerships in bars - without any legal paperwork, etc. I know one bar that is about 444% sold to partners........

[andy50]

if i go into a bar that i am not familiar with,i always pay for each drink i am served with ---no bill pot----- so there can be no scam

[Tyree D.]

I don't get into these traps becuase my ability to speak Thai is immediate indication that I'm not stupid. And also the "are you here for business or tourist?" questions and of coarse the "how long you stay?" I have truly been here too long.

and I never fall for a guy showing me his empty wallet or a hooker telling me a depressing life story. I don't care if I look stingy. It's either that or losing money.

[expatinasia]

Too, there is no moral, ethical, or legal necessity to answer every question that's tossed in your direction, or shake every hand that's extended. When a stranger extends his hand, and asks where I'm staying, what country I'm from, or how long I'm planning to stay in Thailand - I know that I'm being sized up for a scam. You don't even have to say "no thanks" - you keep on walking.

[Totster]

I don't get into these traps becuase my ability to speak Thai is immediate indication that I'm not stupid. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Is it...?

totster

[meadish_sweetball]

I don't get into these traps becuase my ability to speak Thai is immediate indication that I'm not stupid. 

Is it...?

totster

'fraid it doesn't say that much about intelligence, Totster... but it definitely deters a Thai scam artist when he/she receives a reply in Thai instead of English.

[Totster]

'fraid it doesn't say that much about intelligence, Totster... but it definitely deters a Thai scam artist when he/she receives a reply in Thai instead of English.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That, I do agree with...

totster

[thai3]

QUOTE(

The karaoke place that added more to the bill and all written in thai was in pattaya in the day night area.I dont wanna be a cheap charlie but it makes me angry when i know there adding more drinks to the bill.

[right)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/right]

Now why don't this surprise me, Pattaya is the only place where I have been (knowingly) ripped off in a karaoke or cafe. I hate that bloody town. Was it the khun lam yai cafe by any chance? the girls there were ordering themselves drinks and they also padded the bill which I sent back. Next night the same bitches ordering themselves drinks so I called for the manager only to be told she was across at the hollywood disco at the luknok concert (khun lan yai) The ######ers had sworn blind they did not know of any concerts earlier. I ran across the road but the concert was finished.That cafe should be burned down, and Pattaya along with it -peter

[billyboy]

QUOTE(

The karaoke place that added more to the bill and all written in thai was in pattaya in the day night area.I dont wanna be a cheap charlie but it makes me angry when i know there adding more drinks to the bill.

[right)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/right]

Now why don't this surprise me, Pattaya is the only place where I have been (knowingly) ripped off in a karaoke or cafe. I hate that bloody town. Was it the khun lam yai cafe by any chance? the girls there were ordering themselves drinks and they also padded the bill which I sent back. Next night the same bitches ordering themselves drinks so I called for the manager only to be told she was across at the hollywood disco at the luknok concert (khun lan yai) The ######ers had sworn blind they did not know of any concerts earlier. I ran across the road but the concert was finished.That cafe should be burned down, and Pattaya along with it -peter

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I found Bangkok seems to be worse,but i think its a good idea to buy one drink and then pay for it and then another.

I remember last night i went to the markets at Patpong and a man with a card came over to me showing me the show menu and it said beer was only 20 b so i went there only to find 3 girls just standing on stage.When the bill arrrrrrived for the beer at 200b i queried this and the mamasan said the 20 b is your second drink not your first,anyhow i didnt mind paying it,i was a bit scared of the larger guys hanging around near the door with dark sunglasses staring at me when i queried the bill.

[itsme]

do you have a neon flashing sign on your head that says " I AM A &lt;deleted&gt; " ?

maybe thats why ? it must be your body language .

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well I didnt know what to say to the man at the food stall who asked me to buy him some food.Its very hard to say no.What could I have said to him?

I mean i wouldnt mind buying him some food if he was genuinly poor and hungry,but when he was driving off i thought what a &lt;deleted&gt; i am.

Im not rich,im just a labourer so he should of being buying the food sticks for me.

But maybe my first mistake was letting him get too friendly,maybe i should have just walked off,i dunno,i will have to be a bit more cautios next time.

The karaoke place that added more to the bill and all written in thai was in pattaya in the day night area.I dont wanna be a cheap charlie but it makes me angry when i know there adding more drinks to the bill.

Anyway thanks everyone and if i ever help someone out again i wont let them think there got it over me,i would rather be see as kind than stupid.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yea man tha's the spirit, in the end you have just learnt a lesson in the hard way so just be positive ...and honestly I don't know how many of us wouldn't have bought some food to someone hungry

[Eastender]

A similar think happened to me in a Karaoke bar. Went there with a female farang friend just for a couple of drinks, a pissed girl working there sat with us. We got large bill for ours, and her drinks and her fags, and for her company! When we left the same girl followed us out and was all over my friend trying to hug and kiss her and go back to her appartment.

My friend finally pushed her away - fool, she was gorgeous.

[itsme]

I have not actually allowed a scam to get through my barriers even with many attempts over the years (mostly the "Best Gems, Best Price" types).  However many years ago in Chaingmai while still somewhat naive but not stupid there was one that I got dragged deeply into.

While walking around the moat I was "befriended" by a Thai man who started up the conventional "where you from, how long you stay" converstations.  He then offered to buy be a drink and we went into a restaurant we were standing in front of.  I ordered a coke and he the same.  He then told me he was a casino dealer working at one of the big casinos in Malaysia.

He then asked me to come to his house with him and that he had a technique for me to make a lot of money.  The concept was that they were friends of a Prince of Brunei who was very stupid and loses money gambling with them.  Began to outline the scam to me by sitting down at a table and dealing me cards.  He would show me his hole card "discreetly" so I would be able to win.  He even gave me several one hundred dollar bills as seed money for the scam.

A few minutes later they brought in the "Prince" and I nearly fell out of my chair.  The guy was dressed as a nerd, badly fitting suit, secretarial type glassess and acting very timid.  The alarm bells were already there but they now were bursting my ear drums.  It was clear that this was a performance with an outcome that could not be good.  I was in a cold sweat by now and asked to leave after returning the money.  The "Prince" gave a "I don't understand what's wrong" performance but I was allowed to leave.

Has anyone encountered this before and exactly how would they extract funds from me if I continued?  Only thing I could think of is that I would win at the beginning then start losing there money and being demanded to repay them.  One of the most unnerving incidents I have ever experienced in LOS.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Same thing happened to me few years ago in bali, I was approached by a nice dressed girl...office type and after a chat (same as yours) she took me to her house, I thought it was one of the "lucky days where you score withouth much effort" but it turned out to be her father's house and he chatted long time on how to make money with cards as he worked in a casino in indonesia and also showed me how to cheat with few tricks. He also offered me few hundred dollar bills to play with but I didn't touch them from the table.

He really acted like a nice guy and assured me that there was no problem in playing few hands between me and him with those dollars just to see how the tricks worked and, after I made it clear that was just to spend a little time and have a beer I would go, we played few games and honestly I mastered the tricks.

Suddenly the bell rang and a woman nicely dressed came over to play for real and all the bells in my brain started to rang at the same time. At his point I said that I had no more time and I had to go as someone was waiting for me in the hotel (which was no true of course) and after insisting for few minuts which to me seemed an eternity they let me go.

At this point I was out of the house and felt much better but now I was in the middle of nowhere (I initially went to this girl's house by taxy with her and she spoke the local language when she gave the directions to the driver) with nobody to be seen for miles and I remember I walked for I don't know how long before I could catch another taxy.

Travelling has been my passion since I was a kid and I have seen scams all over the world and I always considered myself quite wise but I have to admit that thisone was really well played and organized so well that I nearly fell into it. I wonder how many tourists have fallen into it considering they had mastered the "game" so well as being able to have a poite answer to all my tricky questioning

Another big lesson learned.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

You've started a fair amount of posts here about starting a business in Thailand Billy Boy, it might be best just to forget any business ideas until you can get by as a tourist without getting ripped off so easily, coz if you get ripped off in business it'll certainly hurt your finances a lot more than 5 sticks of chicken.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Billy is far from being the sharpest tool in the shed