Pattaya Tour Company Scam Uncovered By Angry Foreign Customers

[Rimmer]

North Pattaya Tour Company Scam uncovered by angry foreign customers

PATTAYA: -- On Monday Afternoon, we joined a group of foreign tourists and ex-pats who collectively made a Police complaint at Banglamung Police Station regarding a Tour Company based in Naklua.

A group of 10 including complainants from Germany, Austria and The Netherlands filed a complaint against the Lee Tours Company located next to the Aksorn School in Naklua.

The owner of the Lee Tours Company is Khun Sutirar and the group had all purchased tickets from Bangkok to their native countries.

Despite receiving confirmations from the Tour Company of their flights, the airlines confirmed that the money had not been transferred from the booking agent to the airline; therefore they would not be able to fly.

It is thought that around 3 Million Baht’s worth of flight tickets have not been booked with various airlines and around 50 more customers are thought to be affected by this.

The full story with pictures HERE

-- 2010-06-14

[angiud]

n arrest warrant for Khun Sutirar is being prepared and is expected to be issued on 18^th June

Just to give Khun Sutirar the time to make the money and himself disappear.

Legal and police system without hope.

[gotlost]

Just another enterprising company that got caught.

[thetravellingcat]

would travel insurance pay out if you get scammed?

[dumball]

There's a hole in your bucket dear Thailand , dear Thailand , seems more like the whole bottom is rapidly disintegrating .

[Pui]

This is terrible. Its a common scam. My friend lost the prices of 2 tickets to England 4 years ago from another travel Agent in Chiang Mai. The Police where not interested. But threatened to arrest my friend if he caused a breach of the peace.

Another example that ripping people off in this country is fine but don't complain its not polite.

Edited June 14, 2010 by Pui

[FarangBuddha]

Wow...have never heard of this happening before...but I guess it could easily be done. Interesting question is if you get a airline booking confirmation code (a legit one...not some receipt "Somchai" wrote out on some bill-pad) would the airlines have to honor it (and seek restitution from the agent themselves)?

I guess just another reason to book all your travel plans (hotels and airlines) online direct or with reputable online travel site...they have the best rates now anyways!

[stevehaigh]

n arrest warrant for Khun Sutirar is being prepared and is expected to be issued on 18^th June

Just to give Khun Sutirar the time to make the money and himself disappear.

Legal and police system without hope.

that's pretty amazing that it takes 4 days to prepare an arrest warrant! and advertising the fact to boot, amazing Thailand indeed

[SiriusBlack1]

Who do they think they are, Goldman Sachs?

[Gimbo]

This is why I always book my tickets directly with the airlines.

[Zebo]

Pattaya. Nuf said really.

If you dont agree... more fool you for living there.

[asiawatcher]

Considering to have a travel agency license you need 10M Baht paid up capital you would think in that alone there would be grounds for arrest. The brown mafia have no difficulty in picking up any foreigner and detaining them on any verbal complaint indefinitely but a police warrant cannot be enacted for 4 days? I mean really - this country is really beyond belief in so many ways! Simply unbelievable. I guess they have had a 'word' and of course, received a payoff to allow the perp to run away!

What with airport scammers from King Power, tourists being left stranded, red shirts smashing down Royal Cliff, politics, continuing jumping suicides (does Pattaya hold the world record for death by dropping out of buildings?) and more hangings than any other country also as suicides and the victims somehow managing to put a plastic bag over their heads and trying the hands behind their backs - it is no wonder we all come for holidays and live here - the entertainment value is beyond belief!

[JimSiam]

I guess this tour company didn't have a TAT license, the TAT license bond should cover unpaid tickets, my understanding is the tour companies are not able to purchase tickets with amounts in excess of their bond.

[JibJab]

Considering to have a travel agency license you need 10M Baht paid up capital you would think in that alone there would be grounds for arrest. The brown mafia have no difficulty in picking up any foreigner and detaining them on any verbal complaint indefinitely but a police warrant cannot be enacted for 4 days? I mean really - this country is really beyond belief in so many ways! Simply unbelievable. I guess they have had a 'word' and of course, received a payoff to allow the perp to run away!

What with airport scammers from King Power, tourists being left stranded, red shirts smashing down Royal Cliff, politics, continuing jumping suicides (does Pattaya hold the world record for death by dropping out of buildings?) and more hangings than any other country also as suicides and the victims somehow managing to put a plastic bag over their heads and trying the hands behind their backs - it is no wonder we all come for holidays and live here - the entertainment value is beyond belief!

Well Said.....

[w11guy]

n arrest warrant for Khun Sutirar is being prepared and is expected to be issued on 18^th June

Just to give Khun Sutirar the time to make the money and himself disappear.

Legal and police system without hope.

that's pretty amazing that it takes 4 days to prepare an arrest warrant! and advertising the fact to boot, amazing Thailand indeed

At least the police are better than in the UK, where they don't bother turning up at all if you you report a crime.

Edited June 14, 2010 by w11guy

[CHdiver]

Usually when doing a scam like this they offer Tickets below Market Price. People think they make a special Deal, witch they actually do, but not the way they did expect. If it sounds to good to be true, it usually is.

[w11guy]

This is why I always book my tickets directly with the airlines.

That's being a bit paranoid isn't it?

[w11guy]

This is terrible. Its a common scam. My friend lost the prices of 2 tickets to England 4 years ago from another travel Agent in Chiang Mai. The Police where not interested. But threatened to arrest my friend if he caused a breach of the peace.

Another example that ripping people off in this country is fine but don't complain its not polite.

Sounds like just the sort of thing that happens in the UK. Some of you think these things just happen in Thailand. Try being a tourist in Britain and you'll soon find out that these scams are plentiful there as well. There are bad people all over the world, so no point just blaming Thais.

[Pui]

Pattaya. Nuf said really.

If you dont agree... more fool you for living there.

Here we go again...yawn yawn and where do live that so much better?????

There happen to be a lot of foreigners Pattaya so statistically they there would be more problems.

Edited June 14, 2010 by Pui

[asdecas]

These travel agent scams have been running almost as long as the gem scams - I remember twenty-five years ago on Khao San these boys' and girls' parents regularly did a runner with tourists' cash.

[peecee]

This is why I always book my tickets directly with the airlines.

That's being a bit paranoid isn't it?

Ozzie Osbourne does the same, black day!

[prakhonchai nick]

There used to be a LEE TOUR on Soi Post Office - been there over 20 years, Is this the same outfit?

[moe666]

[twitter][/twitter]

would travel insurance pay out if you get scammed?

I guess because they went to the cops, a travel insurance would have to pay for a new ticket. But like all insurance companies it could take a long time. The scary thing is that they let this bastard go, maybe to make some more cash? I guess he won't wait for any cops and I'm pretty sure that he knows some of them pretty well.

I hope that all will find a way to get their tickets back. It's so easy to check it out, right after booking.

All you need is to call the company to ask them if your name's on the passengers list for flight ##### to Ripfarlangoffland, or elsewhere. They'll have the confirmation right after the ticket is paid. Another, very easy way would be to book on line, or at a place where they issue real tickets, not just a piece of paper.

What is a real ticket just a piece of paper that can be forged or stolen and why would they have confirmation after ticket being paid, the human you give the money to still has to call or go on the computer.

[GungaDin]

Unfortunately not a new scam.

40 years ago I bought 2 tickets to LDN from SYD & I was tipped off that the agent was a bit naughty.

I contacted British Caledonian (in those days) and I don't know what they said to the guy,

but the tickets were delivered in person by the guy, 24 hrs before the flt..

He was well pissed, but we were lucky, some others weren't so fortunate.

BCal treated us like VIPs on the flt, to this day, I don't know why.

I passed out over Persia & woke up at Gatwick.....

I feel sorry for those who were scammed.

[philw]

Pattaya. Nuf said really.

If you dont agree... more fool you for living there.

Where do you live ??

In Thailand ??? Probably not I think.

They had their money stolen by a thief, does it matter where it happened ??

Theft is theft.

More acceptable to be stolen from in Phuket is it ??

ph

[freedom4life]

This is terrible. Its a common scam. My friend lost the prices of 2 tickets to England 4 years ago from another travel Agent in Chiang Mai. The Police where not interested. But threatened to arrest my friend if he caused a breach of the peace.

Another example that ripping people off in this country is fine but don't complain its not polite.

I agree, intolerable. Arrest for disturbing/breach (of) the peace. I'll give the cop something to arrest for..lazy-corrupt c**ts.

[tryptamine]

Just wonder - why people do not use online booking available now from almost any airline (or, if too lazy to check all the options/can't find cheap tickets themselves, online travel agencies or ticket search engines) and resort to "offline" travel agencies, especially in Pattaya.

As they book tickets FROM Thailand, guess they live here for a while, and, as such, should be aware that travel agencies in Thailand are rip offs more often than no (or occasionally worse, as in this case).

[yesdavy]

Cannot believe anybody would pay cash for anything. Using plastic, you have the card company to dispute payment and they can debit the vendor's account for failure to perform.

[freedom4life]

Not tolerable in the least. Passing-the buck onto the consumer is not going to cut it anymore. FOREIGNERS DO NOT ACCEPT LESS THAN WHAT YOU PUT IN. Someone has to compensate, whether it's the airline company or the gov't. That ticket agency was no doubt licensed by the gov't-if not, it's the gov't's fault for not screening and checking. DON'T ACCEPT THE PASS THE BUCK ATTITUDE FROM ANYONE IN THIS COUNTRY OR ELSEWHERE...NO MORE, PERIOD!!

[PhilHarries]

Pattaya. Nuf said really.

If you dont agree... more fool you for living there.

Here we go again...yawn yawn and where do live that so much better?????

There happen to be a lot of foreigners Pattaya so statistically they there would be more problems.

Plus it has a network of English language newspapers to report scams like this. I tprobably goes on all over the country but it never gets reported in the English language press because there ain't one in the locality and the Thai press could give a flying duck.

As for the confirmation, with e tickets it's easy to just call up the last confirmation and edit it to print out for the unsuspecting victim.