Scam In Pattaya

[syd barrett]

Met a man in a bar last night crying into his beer. He had been the victim of a rotten scam in Pattaya. It goes like this;

You hire a motorcycle for 1000 baht a day and hand over your passport for I.D. Someone follows you, watches where you park your bike, calls up a pick-up/van and steals your bike.

You report the matter to the company that hired you the bike, he demands 60,000 baht compensation or he will keep your passport, you pay up, motorcycle thieves return the motorbike to the hire shop and get a percentage of the 60,000.

Anyone out there heard of this scam?

[Guest IT Manager]

Only for about 5 or 6 years in Chiang Mai.

Did you mean 1,000 baht or 100 baht?

Here a rental Dream is 100-150 per day. Some places want passports, but you aren't supposed to let them have them. Just a copy.

A rental 400 Steed runs about 600-700 per day. Must have been quite a motorcycle for 1,000 a day.

[JonnieB]

sorry to say...that's the olders scam in the book. doesn't happen often but not unknown. best policy is to make sure you park the bike in secured hotel parking when you turn in for the night. of course, nothing to stop the guard from nodding off and not seeing anything for a small percentage of the take but you are generally pretty safe at the reputable hotels in pattaya. also, be sure to put the bike in park gear and engage the steering lock. at least then, they just can't roll it up on the back of their pick-up.

[TizMe]

also, be sure to put the bike in park gear and engage the steering lock. at least then, they just can't roll it up on the back of their pick-up.

But he will also have a spare key...

The same happens at some car hire companies.

You fill the forms in, stating of course which hotel your staying at, then they just come around after you go to bed and drive off with the car.

[Guest IT Manager]

Is it possible to get names of companies that have done it? I know a web sie which would post them. Feel free to PM me with them because of the Terms of Service

[p1p]

Used to hire bikes from a previous business in Chiang Mai. We had to keep a passport. A photocopy is useless if the client hires the bike and does not return it due to laziness or dishonesty.

Heard many urban legends about similar scams in Chiang Mai but never seen proof of any. I was even told that my business was accused of running such a scam. (The accusation came from a competitor and, needless to say, was untrue.)

Most popular scam is insurance.

Pay 50 Baht per day for insurance on the bike. Accept responsibility for the first 3,000 to 5,000 Baht damage and anything over 20,000.

Accidents almost never cause damage over 2,000 but you will be charged up to the maximum if you have one.

If the bike is stolen, you will be charged up to 60K Baht replacement, less the 20K insured. The bike will probably cost only 35K or so to replace so the hirer makes a profit on every part of the scam.

To the best of my knowledge there is no insurer willing to cover hire bikes in Northern Thailand. We are too close to the porous borders of Myanmar and Laos. It would be too easy to rip them off.

[penelope]

as a general rule the only people to hold my passport are :

1) myself

2) my wife/family

3) a consulate/embassy official

everyone else can kiss my ***.

[surin]

Only for about 5 or 6 years in Chiang Mai.

Did you mean 1,000 baht or 100 baht?

Here a rental Dream is 100-150 per day. Some places want passports, but you aren't supposed to let them have them. Just a copy.

A rental 400 Steed runs about 600-700 per day. Must have been quite a motorcycle for 1,000 a day.

Seems he got ripped off twice!!

[Sick Boy]

A Yamaha R1 rents for a grand a day.

[Mr Helper]

This scam happens everywhere............

Spain is apparantley the worst country. Personally if I ever hire bikes/cars in Siam, I use the good old trusty fake I.D.'s which can be picked up at Koh San rd for just 100 - 150 baht. These fake I.D's are good enough to fool the hirer's. And as others have said NEVER give up your passport, or driving licence to anyone other than your Embassy. But 1000 baht per day for a 60,000 baht bike!!! Jeez, they must have seen him coming!

[JonnieB]

yeah, yamaha r1 and other big bikes can rent for up to 1kper day, but I thought he said they wanted only B60K for the "stolen" bike. That doesn't seem to me like enough to replace an R1 type bike. with insurance, maybe it would be.

one solution, give them only copy of passport ( most bike renters don't require to hold the passport, especially for scooter bikes) and give them a phoney hotel address...a real hotel and room...just not the one you are staying at.

nothing to stop them having a spare key...maybe if one were really paranoid, you could get your own chain and lock to use. then at least if they tried, the commotion and noise in trying to remove the bike would awaken the guard on duty...nothing to stop the guard from being in on the scam, however. TIT

i suspect this thype of thing does happen on occasion. but I have been coming to Pattaya for years and have lived in Thailand for almost 4 years and neither me, or any of my numerous friends who live here or visit, have ever actually had this happen to them. for a recommendation, i have used for years (till i bought my truck) khun singha for scooter and big bike rentals. he has the consession at the tip of soi post office and beach road. right next to the spegatti factory. the whole stretch of bikes from las vegas gogo till beach road are rented out by several people, including singha, and have never had a problem. just make sure you have them check the oil level before you drive off...even if they say they just topped it off that morning. HAVE THEM CHECK IT...invariably, it will be low and they will have to add motor oil. other than that, you should be fine.

PS: scooters can be had for B100 per day and superfours and phantoms B300!!!

[Guest IT Manager]

A Yamaha R1 rents for a grand a day.

Where?

[randyksf]

Funny I was just in Pattaya last week. All I can say is Visiting Farangs shouldn’t be able to drive in Thailand. Some of the biggest axxhxxx I have seen. One I saw made President Bush look like nun. I am talking about he huge bikes over 500 CC.

Motorcycles + right hand drive + beer + hooker on the back + Ego = Complete Idiot

In my mind anyone who would rent a 500 cc bike for cursing around Pattaya is asking for trouble. People with the biggest egos go for the biggest bikes thus are the biggest targets.

Don’t get me wrong I dive a motorcycle back home and use my friends here in BKK. That was only after months of getting use to the unwritten traffic laws. If I say I will get my Lic.

Here is a question to you all. Should Tourists drive in Thailand?

Someplace I heard that Motorcycles is the heights killer of faranges. Anyone heard of this?

[T0MY]

Motorcycles + right hand drive + beer + hooker on the back + Ego = Complete Idiot

i saw this once before, its quite funny tho, the hooker was dangling on the back with half of her azz expose, she was wearing one of those low top jean, it really crack me up

Here is a question to you all. Should Tourists drive in Thailand?

not all tourist are bad you know, what if other way around, like US, AUS or UK

[Sick Boy]

A Yamaha R1 rents for a grand a day.

Where?

Beach Road. I was quoted 1,000 a day or 20,000 for the month from a muslim chap. I was curious to know how much deathtraps rent for.

It amazes me to see tourists who have quite clearly never driven a big bike before suddenly, upon arrival in Pattaya, think it cool do so. And of course, wearing a lid is for wimps and wouldn't look right with swimming trunks and flip-flops.

[T0MY]

wearing a lid is for wimps and wouldn't look right with swimming trunks and flip-flops.

swimming trunk lol, i seen a guy wearing thong riding a big bike

[geezer]

most germans wear the token thai girls on the back

[Gfunk]

if you as my advice which i'm sure most wont, its as simple as this, you hire the bike they keep your passport they nick the bike,demand 60,000 b, what next, well to save money go to the police tell them you've lost you passport get the report go to your embassy and get a new one down to the m.o get ya stamp,easy peasy costs alot less than 60,000.

oh yeah i.t still got my eye on you!

[geezer]

yeah fully agree with my mate G FUNK u just got to use a little bit of savvy

yeah ya gotta be a bit careful of this it fella hes a bit sensitive sometimes

[thomasjojo]

if we farangs should drive bikes in Thailand?

not all of us drive like idiots. But its a nice thing to know that everybody else do. then you might save your life, and your girlfriends too.

never rented bike in Pattaya, but in Samui. theres a nice chap near the hospital there, by the O.P. Bungalows, he keeps your passport, I thought that was scary the first time, but hes all right. Several times during last 18 months.

[huski]

if you as my advice which i'm sure most wont, its as simple as this, you hire the bike they keep your passport they nick the bike,demand 60,000 b, what next, well to save money go to the police tell them you've lost you passport get the report go to your embassy and get a new one down to the m.o get ya stamp,easy peasy costs alot less than 60,000.

I like it, but what happens at the police station when at the same time you are picking up your lost passport report the bike owner is picking up his stolen bike report.

I thought insurance fraud was also part of his scam so if he's showing your old passport and pinning it on you, now you're screwed.

[gangstar]

Well i think gfunk is right because if your a tourist, get your report at the tourist police office wont find many locals in there

[heychay]

another problem where the solutuion is "report your passport stolen". it is no wonder embassies are getting a little tired of tourists/ex-pats showing up claiming "a "lost passport". the answer to this one is if a shop wont take a copy of your passport, just say "mai pen rai" and wave good-bye. not too many places in thailand where there is only one bike rental shop.

[en184]

I love riding a motorbike in Pattaya. Makes you feel so free.

[PK2]

Someone follows you, watches where you park your bike, calls up a pick-up/van and steals your bike.

There's a story of a police bust in this weeks Ptya Mail

http://www.pattayamail.com/current/news.shtml#hd7