Whats Wrong With Me?

[thaimate]

What am i doing wrong? i feel so left out ,day after day i hear of people being ripped off in Thailand ,its not happened to me ,i feel that i have failed somehow 22 years now and nobody has asked for a bribe ,even the twice that i have been stopped for a traffic offense they just gave me a ticket ,what is it why do i feel so unwanted?

[Semper]

Looking like a bum sure helps.

[tartempion]

As of my first visit to Bangkok in December 1990 the tentative for scamming me have hardly stopped.

I was consulting a Bangkok map when a neatly dressed Thai offered to help me.

Where you go, where you from, Oh I know Paris vely well, I worked for Air France etc.

Today special day for king, we go jewelry shop, you get big discount.

I will stop right here, would be very boring read posting all the subsequent tentative's of scammers.

[vpi78]

Looking like a bum sure helps.

+1

But the OP should not be discriminated against and perhaps he can wander down Little Arabia/Africa at Soi 3 on Sukhumvit. I am sure there are plenty of Nigerians that would love to meet him.

[h90]

As of my first visit to Bangkok in December 1990 the tentative for scamming me have hardly stopped.

I was consulting a Bangkok map when a neatly dressed Thai offered to help me.

Where you go, where you from, Oh I know Paris vely well, I worked for Air France etc.

Today special day for king, we go jewelry shop, you get big discount.

I will stop right here, would be very boring read posting all the subsequent tentative's of scammers.

Places without Tourists, have less/no scammer. As more Touris as more scammers.....

[Awohalitsiktoli]

As of my first visit to Bangkok in December 1990 the tentative for scamming me have hardly stopped.

I was consulting a Bangkok map when a neatly dressed Thai offered to help me.

Where you go, where you from, Oh I know Paris vely well, I worked for Air France etc.

Today special day for king, we go jewelry shop, you get big discount.

I will stop right here, would be very boring read posting all the subsequent tentative's of scammers.

Places without Tourists, have less/no scammer. As more Touris as more scammers.....

Yes, places without tourists no doubt have less scammers, but no way do they have "no scammers." The worst scams I have encountered in Thailand happened in non-tourist areas. I think the scams have a lot to do with poverty/desperation, total lack of morals and the rule of law. I say that because in the two biggest vacations spots, the USA and France, I have never heard of scams. No doubt some scams exists, but they must be small in number compared to Thailand. With regard to the OP, perhaps he has never been involved with a Thai woman and her family........or undertaken business with a Thai........or looks like "the Terminator." If you look like the Terminator, you might want to consider paying the jet ski scammers a visit on the beach in Pattaya Maybe take some of your Terminator friends with you

[Ulysses G.]

What am i doing wrong? i feel so left out ,day after day i hear of people being ripped off in Thailand ,its not happened to me ,i feel that i have failed somehow 22 years now

Me too and almost the same amount of time. A tuk-tuk driver did tell me that the Palace was closed once though when it was really open. Does that count?

[mca]

I once told a tuk tuk driver that I wanted to go to a gem shop owned by his brother in law but he insisted on taking me to the Grand Palace. Rip off bastard.

Edited August 4, 2011 by mca

[PoorSucker]

PM me photocopies of both sides of your credit card.

[doji]

I think the scams have a lot to do with poverty/desperation, total lack of morals and the rule of law. I say that because in the two biggest vacations spots, the USA and France, I have never heard of scams. No doubt some scams exists, but they must be small in number compared to Thailand. With regard to the OP, perhaps he has never been involved with a Thai woman and her family........or undertaken business with a Thai........

Don't blame others for your own stupidity, lack of commonsense, and carelessness.

Being in a poverty sticken area or married to certain nationality has nothing to do with it. Playing a victim card is the easiest thing to do for the fools to find flaws in others, instead of looking into a mirror for a self reflection.

[mca]

An old Thai "hand" ( who as it turned out had been here a decade less than me but that's by the by )once imparted this nugget of wisdom that only comes with age, senility and incontinence.

At a well known Isaan police check point always fold a 100 baht note and hand it over with your ID for smooth sailing.

Now I had cause to go through that same check point at least twice a week and simply handed over my ID if I were stopped sans 100 baht note. Just waved on through.

I've got a mental image of this Thai copper at the road block when the old Thai hand approached saying to his mate the Thai equivalent of "Here comes that barking old farang who gives me money for no reason. Mad as a fish that one."

[Awohalitsiktoli]

I think the scams have a lot to do with poverty/desperation, total lack of morals and the rule of law. I say that because in the two biggest vacations spots, the USA and France, I have never heard of scams. No doubt some scams exists, but they must be small in number compared to Thailand. With regard to the OP, perhaps he has never been involved with a Thai woman and her family........or undertaken business with a Thai........

Don't blame others for your own stupidity, lack of commonsense, and carelessness.

Being in a poverty sticken area or married to certain nationality has nothing to do with it. Playing a victim card is the easiest thing to do for the fools to find flaws in others, instead of looking into a mirror for a self reflection.

a

Your unwarranted rudeness aside, I disagree with your "politically correct" assessment that the scams have nothing to do with poverty and economic desperation. I am almost certain that there is a very strong relationship between poverty/desperation and #s of scams per population. The slums of India is one good example followed by thousands more. People who are living in dire poverty, in desperate conditions, will do almost anything to survive; morality gets thrown out the window. The "human" moves closer to the "animal." That is not an excuse; it is an explanation. If anything, it is an argument that poverty is not good. It is also an argument that a society that is not based on what are near universal morals (e.g., it is wrong to steal) cannot long stand. Thailand is in a bad condition at the moment: no moral base and widespread poverty/desperation.

[AngelofDeath]

I guess you are very lucky. I only encountered one scam before but I was too well informed to fall for it.

[GreenSnapper]

I totally ignore the touts around the palace / Wat Po. I just walk through them. But I still hear the echo "Wat Po closed, king holiday, bla.....".

It goes on for decades.

[JeffreyMcCollum]

Maybe you have been but they are so good at it you don't even know it !

[doji]

I think the scams have a lot to do with poverty/desperation, total lack of morals and the rule of law. I say that because in the two biggest vacations spots, the USA and France, I have never heard of scams. No doubt some scams exists, but they must be small in number compared to Thailand. With regard to the OP, perhaps he has never been involved with a Thai woman and her family........or undertaken business with a Thai........

Don't blame others for your own stupidity, lack of commonsense, and carelessness.

Being in a poverty sticken area or married to certain nationality has nothing to do with it. Playing a victim card is the easiest thing to do for the fools to find flaws in others, instead of looking into a mirror for a self reflection.

a

Your unwarranted rudeness aside, I disagree with your "politically correct" assessment that the scams have nothing to do with poverty and economic desperation. I am almost certain that there is a very strong relationship between poverty/desperation and #s of scams per population. The slums of India is one good example followed by thousands more. People who are living in dire poverty, in desperate conditions, will do almost anything to survive; morality gets thrown out the window. The "human" moves closer to the "animal." That is not an excuse; it is an explanation. If anything, it is an argument that poverty is not good. It is also an argument that a society that is not based on what are near universal morals (e.g., it is wrong to steal) cannot long stand. Thailand is in a bad condition at the moment: no moral base and widespread poverty/desperation.

I wasn't meant to be rude or discompassionate, but I don't like to sugar coat thing either. (ok may be you can blame on my...so called "western education" a bit here)

Eventhough I somewhat do agree with your assessment on the direct correlation between scams and desperation from poverty, however I do strongly believe that "one hand doesn't make a clap".

No I don't blame those scammers for coming up with all sorts of niffy tricks,… for some people you got to do what you got to do to make money to feed yourself and family. However I do have problem with the so called "victim" itself, as why they do allow themselves to be scammed. Don't they possess enough commonsense and judgment to see it through or feel that something is not right here?…hmm. You don't have to be a victim, you know. You can choose not to be a victim by being vigilant of all things and people around you.

Lastly,... you can talk about the world poverty all you want, but there are people scamming others all around the world including in the rich first world countries too, it's just different types and kinds of scam than those petty scams in thailands' tourist areas.

The point is …no matter where you are or what you may be doing, one thing of certain is the hope that your commonsense should stay with you at all time. Don't you think?

And you can't always blame entirely on others for your own downfall, when you, yourself, are also a part of that equation too.

Just my 2c

Edited August 4, 2011 by doji

[StreetCowboy]

PM me photocopies of both sides of your credit card.

At last! someone trying to address the OP's problems...

SC

[thaimate]

Sorry ,when i said i have not been scammed ,i meant official ones plenty of people in the old days when i was new to Thailand tried it on ,but after a time people start to realise that your not a tourist and dont bother,and to the guy who said "dressing like a bum helps" i dress quite smartly

you may have seen me around town in my cut off shorts ,bon jovi t shirt , black socks and loafers ,and with my pigtail (bald on top of course) and also the spider tatoo on my neck

[Mirth]

sorry, no offense meant but is there such a thing as "official" and "unofficial" scams? you mean in "official" scams, they will award a cert to certify that you have been scammed?

Sorry ,when i said i have not been scammed ,i meant official ones plenty of people in the old days when i was new to Thailand tried it on ,but after a time people start to realise that your not a tourist and dont bother,and to the guy who said "dressing like a bum helps" i dress quite smartly

you may have seen me around town in my cut off shorts ,bon jovi t shirt , black socks and loafers ,and with my pigtail (bald on top of course) and also the spider tatoo on my neck

[JAFO]

The person who got scammed is the biggest part of it. I also totally agree, it is annoying when people toss up the "victim card" when they got ripped. off.

There are people trying to take advantage of people all over the world. The US was Real Estate and zero interest loans. A blatant open scam and telemarketers asking for your personal information. Lord, how can anyone be that ignorant.

It will sound harsh, but people who get scammed are usually either uneducated or simply stupid. You control the outcome from the outset. Dive in then complain you got ripped off, or walk away before the game even starts.

[AngelofDeath]

Sorry ,when i said i have not been scammed ,i meant official ones plenty of people in the old days when i was new to Thailand tried it on ,but after a time people start to realise that your not a tourist and dont bother,and to the guy who said "dressing like a bum helps" i dress quite smartly

you may have seen me around town in my cut off shorts ,bon jovi t shirt , black socks and loafers ,and with my pigtail (bald on top of course) and also the spider tatoo on my neck

A scam is a scam. I didn't know there's an offical and unofficial scam here? Or the official scam you are referring to is conducted by the people of certain authority?

[Shotime]

Maybe you have been but they are so good at it you don't even know it !

That's the right answer.

In Thailand though, the scams are so petty that they really don't count. I can't say I've never been scammed, but if it's amusing, aren't I getting my moneys worth?

[Tonto21]

Sorry ,when i said i have not been scammed ,i meant official ones plenty of people in the old days when i was new to Thailand tried it on ,but after a time people start to realise that your not a tourist and dont bother,and to the guy who said "dressing like a bum helps" i dress quite smartly

you may have seen me around town in my cut off shorts ,bon jovi t shirt , black socks and loafers ,and with my pigtail (bald on top of course) and also the spider tatoo on my neck

Official/un-official……..There's a difference?

Let me guess, official; sanctioned by the Thai government orthe 'big cheese' in the area, for example; entry to zoos, national parks, looking rich or 'speeding' (in a traffic jam)…….Basically someone in uniform where you, as said farang can get financially rogered!

Un-official; everybody else who tries to feel how deep your pockets are and how grey your brain cells are.

The first one…Official cons, well you can't do much about that, haggle for a discount, job done. This is Thailand.

The second, un-official cons, well, I think most when inThailand, living or visiting get hit at least a few times, (not you, it seems)some make you smile, some make you winch and if you very unlucky…….or stupid a few leave you feeling a total bonehead!

Something like that 'thaimate'?

Edited August 4, 2011 by Tonto21

[KeyserSoze01]

As of my first visit to Bangkok in December 1990 the tentative for scamming me have hardly stopped.

I was consulting a Bangkok map when a neatly dressed Thai offered to help me.

Where you go, where you from, Oh I know Paris vely well, I worked for Air France etc.

Today special day for king, we go jewelry shop, you get big discount.

I will stop right here, would be very boring read posting all the subsequent tentative's of scammers.

Same for me. A day does not go by in Thailand where someone does not try me with one of the numerous scams that are so prevalent.

I am wondering if the OP has spent 22 years in Thailand or if he is stuck in a bedsit in North Westhamptonshire.

[Ulysses G.]

I think that he means that he never fell for one of these scams, rather than never had someone try it on.

The Filipino card cheats have approached me many times, but I never succumbed to their "clever" schemes.

Edited August 5, 2011 by Ulysses G.

[thaimate]

As of my first visit to Bangkok in December 1990 the tentative for scamming me have hardly stopped.

I was consulting a Bangkok map when a neatly dressed Thai offered to help me.

Where you go, where you from, Oh I know Paris vely well, I worked for Air France etc.

Today special day for king, we go jewelry shop, you get big discount.

I will stop right here, would be very boring read posting all the subsequent tentative's of scammers.

Same for me. A day does not go by in Thailand where someone does not try me with one of the numerous scams that are so prevalent.

I am wondering if the OP has spent 22 years in Thailand or if he is stuck in a bedsit in North Westhamptonshire.

A bedsit in North westhamptonshire? how double dare you sir (i dont actually know where that is) its a bedsit in North Bolton

actually its North Pattaya and its a rather nice detached house

[thaimate]

Sorry ,when i said i have not been scammed ,i meant official ones plenty of people in the old days when i was new to Thailand tried it on ,but after a time people start to realise that your not a tourist and dont bother,and to the guy who said "dressing like a bum helps" i dress quite smartly

you may have seen me around town in my cut off shorts ,bon jovi t shirt , black socks and loafers ,and with my pigtail (bald on top of course) and also the spider tatoo on my neck

A scam is a scam. I didn't know there's an offical and unofficial scam here? Or the official scam you are referring to is conducted by the people of certain authority?

Yes thats what i meant.

[bannork]

I'm in the same boat as the OP, up in Bandung, 80 km northeast of Udon, it's really hard to get scammed.

One easy way though is to order some work done yourself, ie leveling rice fields or landfill, but for big jobs like these it's always best to send the missus alone to arrange the deal.

But as for jet skis, well I can't recall seeing too many down on the local reservoir, but I did get charged the same as Thais for hiring a raft for a few hours for swimming, drinking and eating once.

In the local internet shop I seem to get charged the same rates, in the fresh market and restaurants the prices seem to always tally with the signs and menus.

Coming from England I'm used to whinging and whining, but for the last 20 years I've been deprived of the opportunity.

Please help me.

[robblok]

I have been tried to taken advantage of. Higher cost then the locals, i am sure it have fallen for it a few times. Taxi drivers not wanting to turn on the meter. Even a meter that run twice as fast as normal. The gf was with me and worried about trouble if we did not pay. But she did call the taxi central. Other then that not much.

Never scams like the gem scam and stuff like that. I have been stopped by the BIB a few times all legit things though. I do hate the motorcycles have to stay on the left, but its the law and i break it.

Been here 6 years and mostly know the prices or scam areas so i can avoid them. But even my gf gets ripped off once in a while.