Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Vows To Crack Down On Thailand Tourist Fraud

[SabaiBKK]

SabaiBKK, I have never been to Phuket and I've spent very little time in Pattaya. See, I've had a really good experience myself here in Thailand or I would be gone. But unlike you, I listen to people who haven't been so lucky and I show empathy instead of trying to find some silly way to blame victims. Remember when there was a time when people use to regularly blame rape victims or those who've been beaten up by a spouse. Times are changing. Showing empathy and compassion is a higher trait. Maybe you could learn a little something by going to a few buddhist temples.

HMMMM when out of arguments just twist the subject ,, classic .... no one blames the "victims" but some people tend to have an awfull experience in thailand while others never experience any scam or get mugged ... the few time i had some trouble in thailand the last 20 years were twice with some british dudes who were causing trouble and once with a french guy who conned me of 500 baht back in 1995 .... otherwise, i do not rent jet skis and warn my friends about it, i used to rent motorbikes and never had a problem, if a taxi does not want to put the meter , i get out , i use tuk tuks quite often and they never take me where i don't want to go and never get in before I agree on the price, my house has never been robbed, i never got mugged even while mighty drunk late night, even my landlord didn't raise my house rent for 6 years ..... maybe i'm lucky, which i don't think , I just try to steer clear of trouble and do not talk to Thais in a condescending/ patronising manner ..... on the other hand I do know that there are scams in thailand and they are wildly publicised on the web , nowadays no one plans a trip somewhere without doing a search on google for the possible do's and don't and scams to avoid. what is sad is that the scammers still manage to find victims , or they would stop .... even the nigerian scam and pyramid schemes are still going strong , just because some people are too greedy or just don't get informed.

unless you fall prey to a very new and elaborate scam , I will not show sympathy for your carelessness but it doesn't mean i blame you for it. Common sense is king, don't walk in klongtoey slum with gold chains, don't argue with a motorbike taxi pool even if you are right , don't talk about thaxin or UDD in a taxi, don't brag about how much money you have while at a countryside karaoke, leave the lights on in your house if you go away for the weekend etc etc... as for the tourists the lonely planet and other guides have a duty to inform the readers of potential well known scams ....

...

[PhoenixRising]

Common sense is king,

Common sense is not all that common I'm afraid and it's certainly not 'king' because what one person thinks is common sense is what another person may say is stupid or foolhardy.

don't walk in klongtoey slum with gold chains

Why go to a slum anway? Doesn't sound like common sense. Who cares if they are looking for volunteers, or you got lost or whatever.

My Thai friend had her gold chain with her buddha pendant ripped off her neck in China Town. I guess she shouldn't have been there! I guess she deserves no sympathy because she shouldn't have been wearing a gold chain in Bangkok. Who cares if her neck is all bruised and her six year old son is having nighmares after seeing it happen to his mother in broad daylight! You don't have to be in a slum or to be Farang to have bad things happen to you.

don't argue with a motorbike taxi pool even if you are right

,

Common sense would be not to use a motorbike taxi in the first place. It's dangerous. Any Thai will tell you that!

[PhoenixRising]

don't talk about thaxin or UDD in a taxi,

I do it all the time and the drivers never take offense. We usually agree, have a good laugh and all ends well. It's about how to argue that counts.

don't brag about how much money you have while at a countryside karaoke,

Why would you brag about your money anywhere?

leave the lights on in your house if you go away for the weekend

Yep run up your electric bill for a month. Like the neighbors wont know you left after seeing your lights on all day and night for weeks - months. Better yet, use common sense and make good friends with the neighbors and pay them to keep an eye on your place while you are gone!

[SabaiBKK]

don't talk about thaxin or UDD in a taxi,

I do it all the time and the drivers never take offense. We usually agree, have a good laugh and all ends well. It's about how to argue that counts.

don't brag about how much money you have while at a countryside karaoke,

Why would you brag about your money anywhere?

leave the lights on in your house if you go away for the weekend

Yep run up your electric bill for a month. Like the neighbors wont know you left after seeing your lights on all day and night for weeks - months. Better yet, use common sense and make good friends with the neighbors and pay them to keep an eye on your place while you are gone!

see, the difference between you and me is that I do not have to pay my neighbours to watch my house ... we watch each other's houses in good intelligence ... if i forget to lock my gate even the condo next door's concierge will come and ask if everything is ok, as well as the police who come check from time to time..

[PhoenixRising]

leave the lights on in your house if you go away for the weekend

Yep run up your electric bill for a month. Like the neighbors wont know you left after seeing your lights on all day and night for weeks - months. Better yet, use common sense and make good friends with the neighbors and pay them to keep an eye on your place while you are gone!

see, the difference between you and me is that I do not have to pay my neighbours to watch my house ... we watch each other's houses in good intelligence ... if i forget to lock my gate even the condo next door's concierge will come and ask if everything is ok, as well as the police who come check from time to time..

If you feel that confident, why would you even consider leaving your lights on and run up your electric bill when you have to go away for any length of time?

The reason to pay the neighbors is to pick up the mail and keep the place free of dirt, leaves and weeds or go in for some reason to check and make sure a pipe hasn't busted or something. It is just common sense to offer people money for going out of their way to help you.

[SabaiBKK]

leave the lights on in your house if you go away for the weekend

Yep run up your electric bill for a month. Like the neighbors wont know you left after seeing your lights on all day and night for weeks - months. Better yet, use common sense and make good friends with the neighbors and pay them to keep an eye on your place while you are gone!

see, the difference between you and me is that I do not have to pay my neighbours to watch my house ... we watch each other's houses in good intelligence ... if i forget to lock my gate even the condo next door's concierge will come and ask if everything is ok, as well as the police who come check from time to time..

If you feel that confident, why would you even consider leaving your lights on and run up your electric bill when you have to go away for any length of time?

The reason to pay the neighbors is to pick up the mail and keep the place free of dirt, leaves and weeds or go in for some reason to check and make sure a pipe hasn't busted or something. It is just common sense to offer people money for going out of their way to help you.

neon lights on for a few days ....... big deal on the electricity bill ......... are you on such a tight budget?

Edited April 20, 2011 by SabaiBKK

[rammis35]

What this actually means:

Thais cheating foreign tourists

Thai business owners, farang business owners using upfront Thai names, adult entertainment establishments, seeing ways of making fast bucks out of naive holidaymakers.

Foreign tourists teaming up to cheat other foreigners

Farangs that renew their tourist visas on the borders, unscrupulous forever tourists that wheel and deal in Thailand mostly involved in illegal activities cheating holidaymakers or anyone else who they believe is gullible.

Thais and foreigners working together to cheat other foreign tourists.

Farangs that renew their tourist visas on the borders, unscrupulous forever tourists that wheel and deal in Thailand with their Thai partners in crime.

What they should be saying is; holidaymakers being cheated by farangs on tourist visas living in Thailand. There is a world of difference between forever tourists and holidaymakers.

Just because someone renews their tourist visa on border runs for a longer stay doesn't make them a criminal or unscrupulous. I did that for 2 years and I never stole from anyone or cheated anyone. Just because someone does border runs doesn't make them a low life as you seam to imply. In fact I have meet some who were on long term visas that I wouldn't trust with one baht, but I would not clump all long stay visa foreigners as low lifes as you have done with border runners.

[roego]

It would be nice if he showed the way by clamping down at national parks and government offices.

I would start at Bangkok airport... Charges are actual robbery. Take the water off you and then charge more than petrol to buy another!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111 Edited April 21, 2011 by roego

[TAWP]

Uh, what?

Just ask for a meter...

Read this:

http://www.virtualto...Taxis-BR-1.html

and this: Malaysia Taxi Service Among the Worst

http://skorcareer.co...rst/2008/07/01/

The most frequent complaints by the respondents were the overcharging practice and refusal to take passengers who were not agreeable to a flat fee. Some of them went to the extend of labeling the Malaysian taxi service as 'a national disgrace', 'source of national shame' and 'a threat to tourists'.

Link from 2008. Well, I have never experienced it since 2005 until now (some months ago). Just lucky then I suppose.

[IAMSOBAD]

Kuhn Suthep look at Phuket jet ski scam reported today on TV.

Farang ripped off when the operator should be the one paying for injuries.

Poor insurance plus shittttty jet ski is no reason to screw the farang!

[Just1Voice]

I must be one of the lucky ones. I've lived here for permanently for over 3 years now, but have been coming here from time to time for over 20 years. Married to a beautiful, wonderful Thai woman of 52 who looks more like 32, and who does more for me than I have a right to in some ways. Only once have I had a problem, and that was about a year ago when 4 young punks followed me out of a gold shop after I had just bought an expensive necklace for my wife for her birthday. Unfortunately for them, they found out that not all 172cm tall, 64kg farangs are a pushover, and made the mistake of trying to mug one who spent 20 years in Marine Recon, and has 3rd and 4th degree black belts in both Kempo and Aikido, respectively.

I have traveled alone on my CBR from Chiang Mai to places such as Khon Kaen, Chum Phae, Udon Thani, and on my trips have met nothing but smiling, friendly, helpful Thai who seem delighted that "falang" can speak their language, even just a little. On one trip it was raining very hard and I was pretty much in the middle of no where. I stopped at a house to try and get some shelter from the rain under a bamboo/grass hut they had in the front. The owner and his wife invited me in, offered me food, and let me sleep on the floor of the living room for the night. The next morning we all had breakfast together. When I offered to pay them for their hospitality, they refused, saying they were good Thai and good Buddhist, and it was their duty to help. Before I left, and without them seeing me do it, I slipped a 1,000 baht note under the mat where I had been sitting.

A couple of years ago in the moo bahn when I live there were 4 guys who came in and tried to break into some of the houses. One of the neighbors saw what was going on and began to raise a ruckus. Within minutes these 4 were surround by about 20 of the residents here, Thai and Farang. They got the shit stomped out of them, then were turned over to the cops.

Last summer I was in Chiang Mai and my bike broke down. Honda came to get it, no problem, and offered to take me home. I told them I had some things to do first and would take a tuk-tuk. A couple of hours later I had a friendly bargaining session with a tuk-tuk driver who agreed to take me to my home, 18k from Chiang Mai near San Kamphaeng, for 150baht, and 2 pks of American made Marlboro cigarettes.

Yes, there are many greedy, unscrupulous Thai, but for every one of them I can show 1,000 Thai that are friendly, warm and honest.

If you walk around with a "superiority" chip on your shoulder, or go into areas that you know are less than reputable, then don't be surprised, and don't bitch, when something happens to you. Yes, sometimes bad things happen in good areas as well, but that can happen in any country in the world, and is not exclusive to Thailand.

[BlackJack]

what about the Condominium committee's and building managers cheating co owners out of billions of baht per year (common fees)

now this is worth fixing

but it wont be

shhhhhhhhhhhhh and it will all go away

[NaiGreg]

The biggest fraud in thailand is the corrupt police pulling every farang they see over in the checkpoints and fining them for bogus things..

Wow. The expats that actually live here should be informed right away!

[Max4243]

<font size="4" face="Arial Narrow">The recent jet ski incident and scam is a good example of tourist fraud. There are so many other tourist scams and it is always a welcome thought for the government to take notice, especially coming from the DPM. However, talking and doing nothing after that is the norm here. It is always NATO. (<strong>N</strong>o <strong>A</strong>ction <strong>T</strong>alk <strong>O</strong>nly).</font>

[homeslice]

This post is about the Thai government stopping the farang tourists from being cheated, by whomever. He, (the government official) is responding to pressure from other country's diplomats. I do not believe his motives are morally based. I believe he will poot mak tam noi.

This post is not about "for every one nasty Thai there are 1000 decent Thai's". I am certain there are, and I know some of them. You have to admit that there is a problem with corruption and a general disdain for the farang, tourist and permanent resident both. Otherwise, why would other country's diplomats raise the point for negotiation?

I have lived here just over a year and within the first week of my arrival I had a Thai woman try to scam me out of three hundred thousand baht. The scams, and attempted scams, have not stopped.

I wonder what Budda would think of the situation.

[saintofsilence]

Start putting Police that protect scammers in jail that will dramatically reduce the crime rate.

[Oberkommando]

I must be one of the lucky ones. I've lived here for permanently for over 3 years now,

First point - you stay here temporarily with extended permission to stay. You are not a permanent resident.

Second point, and no offence meant - but 3 years in you're still green. Your post reads like something from a TAT tourist brochure and ignores the very real and existent problems that need to be addressed.

Third point, and the one that made me comment on your post is your last paragraph, where you state that you have nothing to worry about if you don't go to bad areas or walk around with a chip on your shoulder. I take issue with that as I see the scammers working every day in central Bangkok. They work families, backpackers and couples; new arrivals for the most part. Just normal tourists that don't understand what is going on. Easy marks. I see Thai Police outside MBK stalking tourists in an attempt to catch them littering to extort them, I see the tuk-tuks taking foreigners to gem shops and tailor shops to scam them where the drivers will earn commission and petrol vouchers, I see the touts around temples; the Erawan Shrine and the Central World Hindu shrine are two favourite places for these lowlifes, I see park Police on Sukhumvit extorting money from tourists on a regular basis, I see Thais pretending to befriend foreigners before luring them into playing cards or similar scams. The list goes on and on.

So save the holier-than-thou comments that it is the victims' own fault, and waken up to the real problems.

[Just1Voice]

I must be one of the lucky ones. I've lived here for permanently for over 3 years now,

First point - you stay here temporarily with extended permission to stay. You are not a permanent resident.

Second point, and no offence meant - but 3 years in you're still green. Your post reads like something from a TAT tourist brochure and ignores the very real and existent problems that need to be addressed.

Third point, and the one that made me comment on your post is your last paragraph, where you state that you have nothing to worry about if you don't go to bad areas or walk around with a chip on your shoulder. I take issue with that as I see the scammers working every day in central Bangkok. They work families, backpackers and couples; new arrivals for the most part. Just normal tourists that don't understand what is going on. Easy marks. I see Thai Police outside MBK stalking tourists in an attempt to catch them littering to extort them, I see the tuk-tuks taking foreigners to gem shops and tailor shops to scam them where the drivers will earn commission and petrol vouchers, I see the touts around temples; the Erawan Shrine and the Central World Hindu shrine are two favourite places for these lowlifes, I see park Police on Sukhumvit extorting money from tourists on a regular basis, I see Thais pretending to befriend foreigners before luring them into playing cards or similar scams. The list goes on and on.

So save the holier-than-thou comments that it is the victims' own fault, and waken up to the real problems.

Sorry, but if families and others who are coming here on vacation aren't smart enough to go online and do just the smallest bit of research to find out about the country they plan to visit, then I don't feel the least bit sorry for them. In my book, only an idiot would read the beautiful travel brochures and make a decision based on that to come here and bring their family.

Oh, and I've got a news flash for you, despite what you may think, Bangkok is NOT Thailand. It's nothing more than an Asian version of LA, Chicago, NY, and a dozen other cities in the U.S. and around the world. I live in Chiang Mai, where i love it, and you couldn't pay me to live in BKK. Yes, sometimes bad things happen to good people in what are supposed to be safe places, and that's going to happy no matter what country or city you are in. That's just life. But to come here without doing any research and understanding what COULD happen to you is total irresponsibility, and I have zero sympathy for those who do.

And as for the comment about me not being a "permanent resident", you're splitting hairs. While I may not have official Thai residency status, it does not change the fact that I live here PERMANENTLY with my wife and family, with full intentions of staying here until I die. And I think you missed the part where I noted that I have been coming here for a number of years, something over 30 of them to be more precise, so I'm not exactly as "green" as you seem to think.

My comments are not "holier-than-thou", but facts. If you don't research before you go, then you have only yourself to blame.

[Oberkommando]

And as for the comment about me not being a "permanent resident", you're splitting hairs. While I may not have official Thai residency status, it does not change the fact that I live here PERMANENTLY with my wife and family

You are not here permanently on a non-immigrant visa even with extended permission to stay. Your file at Immigration says "a temporariy resident for purposes other than tourism." Until you obtain permanent residency there is nothing permanent about your status here, whether you acknowledge that or not.

To be honest I am sick of people defending the indefensible and blaming the victims of scams just because they feel some misplaced loyalty to the country they have decided to move to and the locals.

[jayboy]

And as for the comment about me not being a "permanent resident", you're splitting hairs. While I may not have official Thai residency status, it does not change the fact that I live here PERMANENTLY with my wife and family

You are not here permanently on a non-immigrant visa even with extended permission to stay. Your file at Immigration says "a temporariy resident for purposes other than tourism." Until you obtain permanent residency there is nothing permanent about your status here, whether you acknowledge that or not.

To be honest I am sick of people defending the indefensible and blaming the victims of scams just because they feel some misplaced loyalty to the country they have decided to move to and the locals.

Oberkommando is right and is not splitting hairs.There is nothing "permanent" about timestamp's visa status.He is a bird of passage whose residence can be ended at any time at a stroke of a bureaucrat's pen.Actually the more likely outcome given current Thai policy is a massive increase in the wealth test.I say this with some sympathy as my efforts to obtain PR have been frustrated.The other positive factor, since the Thais are a compassionate people, is that existing temporary residents who are married will be allowed to remain as before.

[homeslice]

rhiekel is part correct and part incorrect. One of the diplomats "applying heat" is from China but the "heat" preceded anyone realizing that they were losing billion from lost tourism. I would be very surprised if there was an actual genius in government, that's where you are incorrect. :jap:

It seems that the "Achilles heal", the point of their "vulnerability", "where they live", is money, no surprise here. The recent "traction" (getting a government official to make a public statement) is a result of the diplomats "heat".

Logically, if we notified or complained regularly to our diplomats we "may" see something substantial happen, but I won't hold my breath.

I'll share a story.

The little old ladies on the upper east side of Manhattan have a very efficient way of dealing with anything, and I do mean anything, they don't like. They call the police. All of them call the police, as a joint effort. By the time the desk Sargent gets that twentieth phone call, a call he has to take, he is tired of the problem and he sends out a car to "investigate".

Our diplomats are no different, they have to take our calls and emails. I can assure you that the girl who answers the phone for the diplomat is going to get very tired of hearing about the problem, and she will make her position known.

If our diplomats are not putting "heat" to the situation, we need to find out "where they live", and squeeze collectively!!!

[rmenzies]

I agree, the taxis in Phuket are so expensive we will not go there again.

Each time we wanted to go to a show or a restaurant from Panwa Bay the rip off taxis fares were more than the cost of the show or the meal so forget Phuket and don't encourage the taxi Mafia.

..."unfair tour agencies. The drivers claim tour agencies tend to provide large buses for tourists, leaving taxi drivers with no passengers."

How is it unfair to provide large buses for tour groups? It is much easier to manage for the tour group. All the tour groups that work in Bangkok provide large buses for the tour groups but still taxuis abound. I realize their are more people in Bangkok but there is also the sky train and MRT. What else is different? REASONABLE TAXI/Tuk Tuk RATES! have the Phuket mafia ever thought of lowering their prices to actually pick up business from the people staying in hotels who want to go out to restaurants to eat , or go out shopping etc.They could be busy all the time by lowering their rates...but that would require more work. What a novel idea...doesn't take a genius to implement.

[AleG]

I agree, the taxis in Phuket are so expensive we will not go there again.

Each time we wanted to go to a show or a restaurant from Panwa Bay the rip off taxis fares were more than the cost of the show or the meal so forget Phuket and don't encourage the taxi Mafia.

Or rent a car, last time we went there we rented a car for about 2000 Baht for a full day, we went anywhere we wanted to go and did things at our own pace. When we returned the car they were kind enough to drive us to the airport so we didn't need to take a taxi. (they also waited for us at the pier when we arrived to Phucket so we didn't need a taxi then neither)

[pastitche]

Instead of complaining constantly about everything Thai we could all just go back to our overtaxed over PC feminist men hating unsmiling countries where we could find a lot more to complain about

What and who are "over PC feminist men"???? I know you mean politically correct but what are feminist men exactly?

I would assume that he is talking about men like ladyboys and other non hetro men. Not sure but I think that is what a feminist man is as he is refering.

Or missing the hyphen ; men-hating makes it perfectly sensible

[pastitche]

And as for the comment about me not being a "permanent resident", you're splitting hairs. While I may not have official Thai residency status, it does not change the fact that I live here PERMANENTLY with my wife and family

You are not here permanently on a non-immigrant visa even with extended permission to stay. Your file at Immigration says "a temporariy resident for purposes other than tourism." Until you obtain permanent residency there is nothing permanent about your status here, whether you acknowledge that or not.

To be honest I am sick of people defending the indefensible and blaming the victims of scams just because they feel some misplaced loyalty to the country they have decided to move to and the locals.

Oberkommando is right and is not splitting hairs.There is nothing "permanent" about timestamp's visa status.He is a bird of passage whose residence can be ended at any time at a stroke of a bureaucrat's pen.Actually the more likely outcome given current Thai policy is a massive increase in the wealth test.I say this with some sympathy as my efforts to obtain PR have been frustrated.The other positive factor, since the Thais are a compassionate people, is that existing temporary residents who are married will be allowed to remain as before.

You and Oberkommando are allies against the fascist tendency which dominates TV and I welcome that; it seems a pity that you stoop to the same level as so many of your political opponents by claiming that there is a requirement to have been in Thailand for "x" amount of time to have credibility