Airport Money Exchange Scam

[enuff said]

.

Last week I accompanied my friend to the airport for his trip back to blighty. He had a lot of baht to exchange into pounds. Over three hundred thousand. He does business with several companies when he is here.

The money was wrapped in bank wrappers. Three hundred thousand baht bundles and one bundle of 87,000 with a rubber band around it and "87" written plainly on the top note.

We went to an exchange place down at the Burger King end of the concourse (terminal 2). The one connected with the armed services, if you know what I mean. My friend didn't count out the money in front of the girl in the booth. He just gave her the bundles and she turned around and used the money counting machine to count the notes.

We don't know when it happened, but somehow she took 17 thousand baht notes off the bundle that was wrapped with a rubber band. She turned to her computer and typed in 370,000 baht into it. Of course we protested and she returned the bundles for us to count ourselves.

Immediately we saw the top note didn't have "87" written on it. The girl swore she hadn't touched any of the bundles. She just put them in the counting machine. After repeated questioning the girl just said, "Look, do you want to exchange this or not?" Due to the lateness of the hour she said no managers were available. My friends plane leaving soon too. I got her name and employee number and told her, using what Thai I know, that I would see her tomorrow morning. It was then that she realized that I wasn't leaving and that I lived in Thailand.

I left my friend in the departure lounge and went home to plan how to proceed with this problem the next day.

Early the next day, my friend called me from London to say that just before his plane took off, the girl showed up and returned 17 thousand baht to him, explaining that she had recounted her money and "found a mistake". HA!

We think she realized there was gonna be a big stink about it and she didn't want to be transfered away from her cash cow job. She must be scamming a LOT of people this way and she feels pretty safe about it.

So BEWARE! She may not be the only crooked cashier and others may be pilfering 200 here and 700 there depending on how much the tourist has to exchange.

Count in the presence of the staff!

'nuff said

[jef]

Well this was very stupid to do like this.

Why didn't your friend use his usual bank and swift the money back to blighty???

Anyone with basic brain levels should know NOT to change loads of baht at any airport exchange counter, 'nuff said

[cdnvic]

Who in their right mind carries that much cash on them anywhere, in any country? If he wasn't going to wire it home, he should of at least bought travellers checks or something. What a silly thing to do.

cv

[lomatopo]

She must be scamming a LOT of people this way and she feels pretty safe about it.

'nuff said

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I am curious how you know that she is "...scamming a LOT of people..."? Did this happen more than once? Could she have made an honest mistake? There are video cameras everywhere, and I'm willing to bet she has at least two on her at all times. Now maybe there is a way for her to defeat that system, but it seems like she is risking a lot.

If you are truly concerned you should write letters to both the bank and the Bangkok Post/Nation. Give your full name and contact details so they can follow-up with you.

[Guest endure]

I'm curious to know how this girl managed to leave her booth, go airside and find your friend 'just before his plane took off' considering the size of airside Don Muang and all the gates she'd have to search.

[mijan24]

Who in their right mind carries that much cash on them anywhere, in any country? If he wasn't going to wire it home, he should of at least bought travellers checks or something. What a silly thing to do. 

cv

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Add to that if as stated "He" visits and does business here why lose by converting back to ?? - why not a Thai bank account for use on next visit?? - plus the girl then searching him out - sounds fishy to me??

[Rigger]

The story is believeable but why would you change money at the Airport when they give you the lowest exchange rate.

Edited November 6, 2005 by Rigger

[Axel]

One reason for cash transactions come to my mind,

difficult to tax.

[The Dude]

Dude, do you really think that an airport exchange B would not be able to understand you telling her in English that you would be back the next day?

[AlexLah]

Hi All,

This happens.

Let me tell you what happened to me today.

I went to the Macro and did big shopping.

The bill was about 10..260 Bath.

So I counted out in fronmt of cashier 10.300 Bath.

After counting the money 5!!!! times the cashier told me I was 1000 Bath short.

I told him I watched him counting and there should be at least 10.000 Bath.

He count again and told me 1000 Bath short.

I then took the money and counted in front of him, 10.300 Bath.

He then count again and told still 500 short.

I asked for the manager and then he count again, Ok sorry I make mistake.

Yeah, Yet mung I told him.

KR,

Alex

[britmaveric]

That sort of dosh should be wiring - doesnt make much sense to do it anyway else - just asking for trouble.

[Johpa]

Last week I accompanied my friend to the airport for his trip back to blighty.  He had a lot of baht to exchange into pounds.  Over three hundred thousand.  He does business with several companies when he is here.

Are you trying to have us believe that (1) someone would be so naive as to convert that amount of money at an airport currency exchange booth and the (2) such a booth would in a departure area would have that amount of foreign currency on hand? Does your friend often get involved in illegal business ventures in LOS?

[enuff said]

Look you bunch of paupers, 5,000 pounds is NOT a lot of money to many people. Especially in business.

Why the hel_l do you think they have money counting machines in the booths?

Because, contrary to your naive opinions, people regularly show up with tens of thousands, and yes hundreds of thousands of baht to exchange.

As for how did she leave the booth, look you flaming a-holes... what does she do when she has to pee? Squat in the corner? No she puts up a "back in 10 min" sign and locks up and goes off.

All I am trying to do is relate some information about a TRUE story so that hopefully someone else doesn't get scammed and what happens? Useless buttheads come out of the woodwork to call me a liar and berate my friend as an idiot.

The lot of you are pompous asses!

'nuff said

[toastwars]

berate my friend as an idiot.

Well he did get scammed out of 17000bt

[cdnvic]

The people here are not paupers, they're just alot more careful with their money.

Anyone who carries that much cash around Thailand, or anywhere for that matter, should expect some commentary. When you tell a story to a wide audience you can't expect everyone to react as you would like them to.

Don't get all in a huff, nobody even knows who your friend is, so it's not like anyone really got defamed here, and even if he had, it was you who went and told everyone.

cv

[dr_Pat_Pong]

The people here are not paupers, they're just alot more careful with their money.

Anyone who carries that much cash around Thailand, or anywhere for that matter, should expect some commentary. When you tell a story to a wide audience you can't expect everyone to react as you would like them to.

Don't get all in a huff, nobody even knows who your friend is, so it's not like anyone really got defamed here, and even if he had, it was you who went and told everyone.

cv

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Send him some calming medication cv

[cdnvic]

The people here are not paupers, they're just alot more careful with their money.

Anyone who carries that much cash around Thailand, or anywhere for that matter, should expect some commentary. When you tell a story to a wide audience you can't expect everyone to react as you would like them to.

Don't get all in a huff, nobody even knows who your friend is, so it's not like anyone really got defamed here, and even if he had, it was you who went and told everyone.

cv

Send him some calming medication cv

You're the doctor

[mijan24]

.

Last week I accompanied my friend to the airport for his trip back to blighty.  He had a lot of baht to exchange into pounds.  Over three hundred thousand.  He does business with several companies when he is here.

So BEWARE!  She may not be the only crooked cashier and others may be pilfering 200 here and 700 there depending on how much the tourist has to exchange.

Count in the presence of the staff!

'nuff said

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

nuff said -- Considering you were a witness to the incident why let it go unreported - assuming that the story is true (no real reason to think otherwise) then the only way to prevent it occurring again is to report the incident to the appropriate authorities.

I for one would be interested to hear the outcome!!

Food 4 Thought - I may been mis-informed but I thought there was an automatic report required for amounts greater than xxxxxxBaht introduced recently in an attempt to reduce/prevent money laundering. If for some reason the young lady in question thought that exchanging such a large amount was dodgy she might have thought she wanted a slice of the action!!

Easily checked by the management of that paticular bank "declaration of incoming funds" against outgoing funds??

[dr_Pat_Pong]

At the very least the bank should have had evidence by receipt that the money had been changed from GB pounds to Thai baht to enable the reconversion to take place. I also wonder how the bank lady found her way through Immigration to find the guy at the departure gate, and indeed, how she ever found him at all.

[ThaiPauly]

Valid point Doc

[dr_Pat_Pong]

A Porkie or two perhaps

[Butterfly]

387,000 baht is conveniently under the 400,000 baht requirement for money landering reporting

Interesting scam, could be true, but I would expect most people to check the rates and count the money before leaving the counter

[Guest endure]

As for how did she leave the booth, look you flaming a-holes... what does she do when she has to pee?  Squat in the corner?  No she puts up a "back in 10 min" sign and locks up and goes off.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

But the exchange booths are groundside and it's unlikely that an employee of a bank would be allowed airside for security reasons - certainly not just to go for a pee.

[sonthaya]

Look you bunch of paupers, 5,000 pounds is NOT a lot of money to many people.  Especially in business.

Why the hel_l do you think they have money counting machines in the booths?

Because, contrary to your naive opinions, people regularly show up with tens of thousands, and yes hundreds of thousands of baht to exchange.

As for how did she leave the booth, look you flaming a-holes... what does she do when she has to pee?  Squat in the corner?  No she puts up a "back in 10 min" sign and locks up and goes off.

All I am trying to do is relate some information about a TRUE story so that hopefully someone else doesn't get scammed and what happens?  Useless buttheads come out of the woodwork to call me a liar and berate my friend as an idiot.

The lot of you are pompous asses!

Well you said a lot more than nuff, and you be a pompous ass yourself,

'nuff said

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Edited November 8, 2005 by sonthaya

[roskruge]

.

Last week I accompanied my friend to the airport for his trip back to blighty.  He had a lot of baht to exchange into pounds.  Over three hundred thousand.  He does business with several companies when he is here.

The money was wrapped in bank wrappers.  Three hundred thousand baht bundles and one bundle of  87,000 with a rubber band around it and "87" written plainly on the top note.

We went to an exchange place down at the Burger King end of the concourse (terminal 2).  The one connected with the armed services, if you know what I  mean.  My friend didn't count out the money in front of the girl in the booth.  He just gave her the bundles and she turned around and used the money counting machine to count the notes.

We don't know when it happened, but somehow she took 17 thousand baht notes off the bundle that was wrapped with a rubber band.  She turned to her computer and typed in 370,000 baht into it.  Of course we protested and she returned the bundles for us to count ourselves.

Immediately we saw the top note didn't have "87" written on it.  The girl swore she hadn't touched any of the bundles.  She just put them in the counting machine.  After repeated questioning the girl just said,  "Look, do you want to exchange this or not?"  Due to the lateness of the hour she said no managers were available.  My friends plane leaving soon too.  I got her name and employee number and told her, using what Thai I know, that I would see her tomorrow morning.  It was then that she realized that I wasn't leaving and that I lived in Thailand.

I left my friend in the departure lounge and went home to plan how to proceed with this problem the next day.

Early the next day, my friend called me from London to say that just before his plane took off, the girl showed up and returned 17 thousand baht to him, explaining that she had recounted her money and "found a mistake".  HA!

We think she realized there was gonna be a big stink about it and she didn't want to be transfered away from her cash cow job.  She must be scamming a LOT of people this way and she feels pretty safe about it.

So BEWARE!  She may not be the only crooked cashier and others may be pilfering 200 here and 700 there depending on how much the tourist has to exchange.

Count in the presence of the staff!

'nuff said

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Please would you sent to details (TO [email protected]) Bank name, teller name, date. confirm Terminal 2.

I have some good contacts at the Don Muang airport. who would like to put a stop to it.

Thanks Andrew

[mijan24]

Please would you sent to details (TO [email protected]) Bank name, teller name, date. confirm Terminal 2.

I have some good contacts at the Don Muang airport. who would like to put a stop to it.

Thanks Andrew[/i

Andrew, "nuff said" was invited/encouraged back in post18 to report the incident but it would seem nuff has had nuff and consequently retired to the cone of silence maybe you could coax nuff out with a cold can of "duff"

Edited November 9, 2005 by mijan24

[dr_Pat_Pong]

As for how did she leave the booth, look you flaming a-holes... what does she do when she has to pee?  Squat in the corner?  No she puts up a "back in 10 min" sign and locks up and goes off.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

But the exchange booths are groundside and it's unlikely that an employee of a bank would be allowed airside for security reasons - certainly not just to go for a pee.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Very true.

[jef]

All I am trying to do is relate some information about a TRUE story so that hopefully someone else doesn't get scammed and what happens?  Useless buttheads come out of the woodwork to call me a liar and berate my friend as an idiot.

The lot of you are pompous asses!

'nuff said

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sory you take offense, but do you REALLY think that was a smart thing to do at an airport exchange booth???

If you don't understand why one should deal money matters in any country less Thailand over say 1k usd with your local bank then you are clueless.

If you don't want to get scammed, don't do this !!!