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

[mack01]

I think he should start with Suvarnabhumi Airport and the first con we all get hit with, the AOT manipulation of public taxis. They always tell me its 1500bht to Pattaya, meter on its 1000bht. They make the taxis pay them 200 i think, this is not a public taxi, its a con. Ive never had to pay more than a thousand but it is an argument everytime, with the ATO girl on the desk, not the taxi driver who is always happy with 1000bht.

[SICHONSTEVE]

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

Pay attention to the article instead of launching into the Thai Apologist mode. This is a THAI OFFICIAL who launching a crackdown on these endless scams that only hurt Thailand. So don't act as if these are whining ungrateful farangs that started this. Seems to have taken a few years for the government to figure out it is time to stop these scams , but better late than never......

I concur with this!!! Lets judge them by their actions and don't churn out this worthless negative spiel about something whereby they are trying to do some good about a problem that is tarnishing Thailand's reputation and has been for a long time at great cost, financially, to the LOS!!!

NOW is always the best time to right a wrong and ACTIONS are better than words so let's see first how they get on before judging them.

[travelmann]

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?

Graham Norton?

[pointoffew]

Given the fact that Suthep is not only in charge of national security but is THE man with ALL the power - or so he claims - ALL the positions, ALL the responsibilities, even in the position to assign "the Tourism and Sports Permanent Secretary the responsibility of preventing tourist fraud in Bangkok and at Suvarnabhumi Airport" and given the fact that he has done NOTHING over the past many years in favour of protecting tourists, tourism or, for that matter, national security, he should step down - and be prosecuted for gross negligence.

If you want to be THE MAN - accept to face the consequences of total failure.

[globalmenace]

Rule #1 in Thailand: Avoid ALL Thai males. That minimizes any problems.

[travelmann]

Any one knows who we can get in touch with for complaints ?

Friends of my son came for a holiday . Rented a motor bike. The motorbike fell over and scratched the rubber on the handle bar. The owner wanted 30.000 Baht compensation.

the local Police supported the bike owner and the boy had to pay under threat of the Police who conviscated his passport. Nothing the Touris Police could do...they just dont have ther power. This will continue and I anm so much in favour of alarming foreign newspapers but the good ones in Thailand will suffer as well ! Shame. Corrupt Autorities !

This is Thailand L.O.S it is unfortunate that your son was scammed this happens all the time police will not help , but why didn't you do some research online before renting a motorbike ?

I'm sorry to say, that the only way he could have gotten out of the 30k would be to bribe one of the local fuz 5k each or 20k.....In Los it is always on the rich falang to pay as they see it as "you have plenty" and it's only fair even if it is not your fault.You are over a barrell!! . Like it or don't go to los or be vewwwy carfull of what you do. Never rent anything if you can't do anything otherwise and rent a car and not a motorbike or jetski.......I know(heard of) one guy that rented a motorbike for a monthly fee and the owner came and stole the bike and made him pay for the loss.......happens all the time......smile! your in Thailand!...remember, it's the lands of smiles......thiers!!!

Lets get things inot perspective shall we??? I have rented many a car here and never had a problem even once when I did cause some damage to it, I never got charged, this was in BKK from a small company not a multinatioanl, I also renteed a jet ski in Samui and never had a probelm. Im not saying it doesnt go on BUT you only ever hear the bad stories. Not all Thais are scammers.

[travelmann]

I think the focus should be more on educating the tourist, to look out for certain fraud schemes and would be far cheaper to write up and post important information. Trying to bust mafia's and scam tour companies, jet ski et. The people doing the fraud would have to expose themselves even more to succeed in their rip off schemes. Just a thought

That's not a bad idea. Is there a website available where tourists can post their experience they had with scams and where they can post the information they have to stop these practices.

On the other hand I do not trust anything from this Suthep who does not respect the farangs (dixit himself, headlined on the frontpage of the newspaper with reference to asking international observers for the next polls). And the tuk-tuk mafia who recently blocked in Phuket international tourists from getting off their luxury cruise ship for an organised visit of the island, they have now what they were looking for: sidelined and out of business! Somnam na.. If your prices are rip-off, solutions are just behind the corner and someone else will run away with the profits. Tuk-tuk mafia, instead of sitting whole days on your big fat asses, doing nothing because no one takes your rip-off services, do something about it and lower your price as Pattaya has (10 THB/ride) and Bangkok (35 THB A/C taxi). What's so special with your red garbage bin-cum-discotheque on wheels that it should cost 200 THB for a simple ride just around the corner? Tour operators have correctly anticipated this maffia practice by organising themselves the trips around Phuket at much cheaper prices!

Any website will be blocked for les majeste or other such nonsense.

[surayu]

Ok you get ripped of by a thai,you expect,but not your fellow farangs,scum of the earth,get rid of them.

What you can do about them? in the forum they are known as the "thaier then thai" for a reason.....

I even met one of them in the real life, in Pattaya, he really liked to brag about his "connections" and favours fom the "big ones", especially the ones he met when he joined the tourist police, after he cheated many of his own countrymen stealing their money, he did a run, but not too far as he was regularly being spotted here and there around town, now with a beard and dark sunglasses (not a joke), getting more and more skinnier, last thing i heard of him, it's that somehow he got into drugs addiction and i guess there is no way back from that stage.

This is what happen when you swap real life values with newly acquired ways to live (or survive), think with your own head and don't accept something just because the bigger part of the society you are in, do things on a different way.

Don't be a sheep or a lamb! actually it's Easter soon, one more reason for not joining the lambs Happy Easter all

[jobsworth]

Very pleased to read that the entry prices to Ayutthaya

have dropped so much.

25 years ago I hired a taxi from Bangkok for the day to visit Ayutthaya.

All went well until we arrived at the entrance and a grinning

Thai lady emerged from a hut.

The entry fee was 20 Baht for the Thai driver and 20 Baht for my Thai lady

and 50 Baht for the taxi and then wait for it even more smiling

200 Baht for the falung, me.

I suggested that I would wait outside while the other 2 went inside.

They respectfully declined my offer.

The driver turned the taxi around and we went back to Bangkok.

Never having visited Ayutthaya now it may be possible.

Edited April 20, 2011 by jobsworth

[SabaiBKK]

if you dont like the price do not pay it,show some guts.

I agree, but what are you going to do when you fly into the airport at 3am and ALL of the taxis that drive up refuse to use the meter and they are all charging double the normal rate! Sometimes we have to bribe the security/police just to help us find a taxi that will use the meter. It's either that or you have to wait around for a very long time asking dozens of drivers to use the meter. Things keep changing all the time at that airport! One scam system goes away and there's another one to take its place a week later.

What are you talking about???? i have been coming to Thailand since 1992 and living here since 2003 and since the taxi meters apeared circa 1994 I have NEVER encountered any that refused to turn on the metter when taking it at the official airport taxi queue, no matter at what time of the day or night ... NEVER!

and at times when queues are too long and i try to hijack a depositing taxi at the departure floor I never had this problem as they are too happy to pickup someone without queuing and paying the 50 baht ..... on the other hand its true that it happens fairly often at some other tourist spots , just slam the door and wait for another one ..... there are almost more taxis than private cars in BKK so you won't wait long ....

maybe some people just bring this on themselves by the way they dress or their attitude ... who knows.

[frenchcaptainbob]

Since when has it been a ''crime'' for a tour operator to provide transport for it's customers.

In a normal world, the "clients' and the "customers" are the ones to choose, as they are the ones to pay. Or the Company in charge of the cruise on the behalf of the tourists. As for the Thais, you MUST use their KINKY trucks , YES, trucks for cattle, no taxis, or ride on a dumb "mosay" unable to handle the added weight of a respectable "farang" loaded on top.

Of course none of those carry a real INSURANCE,so would you lose your legs in an accidents ( so frequent they can hardly called "accidents" anymore) you got to pay your expenses, the rider's expenses, ALL the expenses. The Officer in charge of the Police precinct on Beach Rd Pattaya put it very clear to me, in less than 1 minute. There was no documented file, no claim, nothing. He just asked me: where you that place, that day, that time ? "Indeed, I was ". Immediately came the " YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE AND MUST PAY IT ALL " I asked him whether it was a question. I had to build up a file upon the story as to protect myself. At first , though nothing written down, I AM NOT ALLOWED TO GET OUT THE CITY LIMITS. For now almost 3 months. How do you call that ? Hostage and randsom is not it ?

Have you ever seen the system of "public" transportation in Pattaya ? 100% racket, 100% no security, 100% obsolete.

Eventually bear in mind, that tourists, for Thais, are just sort of CATTLE to milk out...

Indeed, I call you attention, you get out of a train station or an airport in Europe, CAN YOU CHOOSE your taxi cab, even the fare is to get a heart stroke. ? YOU MUST TAKE THE ONE coming to you, like it, or not... Eventually the car will be a VERY good one, mostly MB or Volvo...

It's not in my plans to EVER go back to Europe, indeed, even for a week. Got nice museums , sure. I donot live in Museums. I'm living in Real Life...

[SabaiBKK]

Any one knows who we can get in touch with for complaints ?

Friends of my son came for a holiday . Rented a motor bike. The motorbike fell over and scratched the rubber on the handle bar. The owner wanted 30.000 Baht compensation.

the local Police supported the bike owner and the boy had to pay under threat of the Police who conviscated his passport. Nothing the Touris Police could do...they just dont have ther power. This will continue and I anm so much in favour of alarming foreign newspapers but the good ones in Thailand will suffer as well ! Shame. Corrupt Autorities !

This is Thailand L.O.S it is unfortunate that your son was scammed this happens all the time police will not help , but why didn't you do some research online before renting a motorbike ?

I'm sorry to say, that the only way he could have gotten out of the 30k would be to bribe one of the local fuz 5k each or 20k.....In Los it is always on the rich falang to pay as they see it as "you have plenty" and it's only fair even if it is not your fault.You are over a barrell!! . Like it or don't go to los or be vewwwy carfull of what you do. Never rent anything if you can't do anything otherwise and rent a car and not a motorbike or jetski.......I know(heard of) one guy that rented a motorbike for a monthly fee and the owner came and stole the bike and made him pay for the loss.......happens all the time......smile! your in Thailand!...remember, it's the lands of smiles......thiers!!!

a friend of mine rented a motorbike from a famous guest house in chiang mai, the same evening he went to have a drink at some disco and as he went out the bike was stolen. he went to the police and the owner asked 30 000 baht which he paid .

4 months later he was back in thailand and a friend of his was at the same guest house, my friend asked him to check if there was a motorbike with such licence plate number .... and BINGO! the bike was here for rent. my friend took the first plane to CNX , went to the police with the original police report for the stolen vehicle and the receipt of the 30k he paid .... they confronted the owner but she didn't have 30k to give him back so she agreed to give him the bike and make a sale and change of ownership papers with the police as witnesses ..... my friend doesn't live in Thailand so he had to find a buyer, but finally in 2 days he got back 28 k from selling his bike.

morality, always keep records when you pay for a fine/bribe/ repair or anything else...

[Oberkommando]

What are you talking about???? i have been coming to Thailand since 1992 and living here since 2003 and since the taxi meters apeared circa 1994 I have NEVER encountered any that refused to turn on the metter when taking it at the official airport taxi queue, no matter at what time of the day or night ... NEVER!

I have encountered this several times.

Twice at Don Muang a few years ago and once at Suvarnabhumi fairly recently. All occasions the taxis were taken from the proper taxi rank.

One instance at Don Muang was particularly intimidating as the driver was threatening and aggressive, would not run the meter under any circumstances and demanded I pay no less than 1,000thb to mid-Sukhumvit. I told him to stop immediately on the main road just a minute from the airport and I got out to find another taxi. When I exited the taxi and refused to give him any money he got even more aggressive and was threatening physical violence.

That's probably similar to what he's talking about.

[Oberkommando]

maybe some people just bring this on themselves by the way they dress or their attitude ... who knows.

I think its pathetic to blame the victims TBH.

[SabaiBKK]

What are you talking about???? i have been coming to Thailand since 1992 and living here since 2003 and since the taxi meters apeared circa 1994 I have NEVER encountered any that refused to turn on the metter when taking it at the official airport taxi queue, no matter at what time of the day or night ... NEVER!

I have encountered this several times.

Twice at Don Muang a few years ago and once at Suvarnabhumi fairly recently. All occasions the taxis were taken from the proper taxi rank.

One instance at Don Muang was particularly intimidating as the driver was threatening and aggressive, would not run the meter under any circumstances and demanded I pay no less than 1,000thb to mid-Sukhumvit. I told him to stop immediately on the main road just a minute from the airport and I got out to find another taxi. When I exited the taxi and refused to give him any money he got even more aggressive and was threatening physical violence.

That's probably similar to what he's talking about.

at the taxi queue you get a paper with the taxi licence plate number and a phone number for complaints USE IT !

anyway it happened once to you out of how many times?

the OP to whom i responded made people believe that it is quasi impossible to get an airport taxi meter to turn on the meter ...

[ib1b4]

Knowing Suthep, it seems the word "fraud" in the titles have been added by mistake....

NO mistake , Suthep and the word Fraud said in the same sentance seems very natural. But having Suthep in charge is like a fox taking care of a chicken coop.

[SabaiBKK]

maybe some people just bring this on themselves by the way they dress or their attitude ... who knows.

I think its pathetic to blame the victims TBH.

not blaming anyone , just interogating as to why some people ALWAYs get bad experiences and some other , like me, almost never ....

I have a friend who always get into trouble with taxis and i know just exactly why .... the guy is loud and speaks to the taxis like they are his servants, he speaks thai to them but with such an awful accent that even I do not understand his thai .... at the end of the day each time he takes a taxi I end up on the phone with the driver to give him directions .... another thing too, he became soo paranoïd about bangkok taxis that he always thinks he is getting taken for a ride if the taxi doesn't go to his destination in a straight line... which often ends in an argument and a bad experience for him AND the taxi driver.

[Oberkommando]

at the taxi queue you get a paper with the taxi licence plate number and a phone number for complaints USE IT !

Use it to do what?

The two occasions I have submitted complaints using the paper have both gone unanswered.

anyway it happened once to you out of how many times?

Three times out of many times entering the country, doesn't matter though, I only intended to highlight that it does happen.

why some people ALWAYs get bad experiences and some other , like me, almost never ....

You must be lucky, but just because they haven't happened to you doesn't mean they don't happen.

[spectre324]

I think the focus should be more on educating the tourist, to look out for certain fraud schemes and would be far cheaper to write up and post important information. Trying to bust mafia's and scam tour companies, jet ski et. The people doing the fraud would have to expose themselves even more to succeed in their rip off schemes. Just a thought

sounds much better then leaving it up to the Thai Police! they just stand around and "watch" for M/c drivers without helmets! as always the old saying "let the tourist beware"! applies. it is just astounding how stupid some tourist are! just like charlie tuna!

[Jirapa]

Start with the jet ski mafia

What jet ski mafia? They don't exactly put a gun to your head and force you to rent one. It's like everything, if you think it's too expensive then don't do it!

[spectre324]

What are you talking about???? i have been coming to Thailand since 1992 and living here since 2003 and since the taxi meters apeared circa 1994 I have NEVER encountered any that refused to turn on the metter when taking it at the official airport taxi queue, no matter at what time of the day or night ... NEVER!

I have encountered this several times.

Twice at Don Muang a few years ago and once at Suvarnabhumi fairly recently. All occasions the taxis were taken from the proper taxi rank.

One instance at Don Muang was particularly intimidating as the driver was threatening and aggressive, would not run the meter under any circumstances and demanded I pay no less than 1,000thb to mid-Sukhumvit. I told him to stop immediately on the main road just a minute from the airport and I got out to find another taxi. When I exited the taxi and refused to give him any money he got even more aggressive and was threatening physical violence.

That's probably similar to what he's talking about.

Unless you are completly gutless, he does not move until the meter is turned on! and if he does move open the door and ask for the operator.

[surayu]

What jet ski mafia? They don't exactly put a gun to your head and force you to rent one. It's like everything, if you think it's too expensive then don't do it!

Obviously threating someone with a butcher's knife and all the rest is complitely acceptable, but as soon as they will start using something different, even a gun or a bazooka, the "you are a farang and this is Thailand" answer is ready to be used

[lee68]

well ive lived here 17 years,and i find at most checkpoints that i come across,the cops usually wave foreigners on,and if they do stop you its only to ask where you are going.they usually ask if you can speak thai,and ive found if you say no,they wave you on.

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

[Jirapa]

maybe some people just bring this on themselves by the way they dress or their attitude ... who knows.

I think its pathetic to blame the victims TBH.

not blaming anyone , just interogating as to why some people ALWAYs get bad experiences and some other , like me, almost never ....

I have a friend who always get into trouble with taxis and i know just exactly why .... the guy is loud and speaks to the taxis like they are his servants, he speaks thai to them but with such an awful accent that even I do not understand his thai .... at the end of the day each time he takes a taxi I end up on the phone with the driver to give him directions .... another thing too, he became soo paranoïd about bangkok taxis that he always thinks he is getting taken for a ride if the taxi doesn't go to his destination in a straight line... which often ends in an argument and a bad experience for him AND the taxi driver.

Taxi drivers in Bangkok are great and they've never ripped me off. So long as you're respectful and nice with people without being too gullible your sorted and that's not just in Thailand it's all over the world.

[SabaiBKK]

Start with the jet ski mafia

What jet ski mafia? They don't exactly put a gun to your head and force you to rent one. It's like everything, if you think it's too expensive then don't do it!

its not the price of the rental, its the fake "broken jetski" scam for 50 000 baht or else..... don't you ever read the news?

[Jirapa]

well ive lived here 17 years,and i find at most checkpoints that i come across,the cops usually wave foreigners on,and if they do stop you its only to ask where you are going.they usually ask if you can speak thai,and ive found if you say no,they wave you on.

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

I've lived here 11 years and I agree. All the Thais get pulled over and fined and I just get stopped for a chat. Mind you I'm the only ferrang where I live and I'm friends with most of the old bill.

[SabaiBKK]

well ive lived here 17 years,and i find at most checkpoints that i come across,the cops usually wave foreigners on,and if they do stop you its only to ask where you are going.they usually ask if you can speak thai,and ive found if you say no,they wave you on.

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

I've lived here 11 years and I agree. All the Thais get pulled over and fined and I just get stopped for a chat. Mind you I'm the only ferrang where I live and I'm friends with most of the old bill.

are there still places in thailand nowadays where you can be "the only farang around" ?

I remember in 1993 i rented a flat in soi anuban prani off udomsuk and the only other farang around was a journalist from the nation ... being a farang in udomsuk was fun as every thai guy you came accross wanted to invite you to eat or drink ... nowadays Thais in bangkok are pretty oblivious of your existence and don't even bother to try to overcharge you ( I mean in thai neighbourhoods , not in tourist districts)

[pauljones]

I never ask the taxi to use the meter. Not my problem.

If the meter says zero, it's his problem.

[Oberkommando]

Unless you are completly gutless, he does not move until the meter is turned on! and if he does move open the door and ask for the operator.

He sped off before I had a chance to settle and then started trying to extort me.

Guts had nothing to do with it oh mighty keyboard warrior.

[Oberkommando]

Taxi drivers in Bangkok are great and they've never ripped me off.

You obviously don't know your way around Bangkok very well then!

Seriously though, even my Thai g/f is constantly complaining about them. And it takes her a lot to get riled up about anything. Her pet hate is their speeding and dangerous driving, especially on the expressways. And there really is no excuse for that, especially with passengers.

Edited April 20, 2011 by Oberkommando