Phuket Scams And Rip Offs

[Peterocket]

....and what is the minimum daily wage in Australia, and what is that fare as a percentage of that minimum daily wage?

It helps to compare apples with apples

Then you may also want to include gasoline prices, car depreciations, car prices, etc. in that comparison.

Why do the tuk-tuk fares double at night????????

In my country, you get a "shift allowance" but it is not double your hourly rate.

This is another thing that leads to arguments and assaults here. Tourist pay 400 baht to get to Patong, then at night, after drinking, it's 800 baht to get home. Tourist know they are being ripped and then get angry. They don't know about the whole monopoly/mafia/collusion issue with transport here.

It's like the tuk-tuk drivers expect tourist to know that the cartel exists and they are going to be ripped off and should just accept it.

They don't double at night....I have never ever paid double at night. The price to Surin from Patong is 400-500 baht any time.

[NamKangMan]

....and what is the minimum daily wage in Australia, and what is that fare as a percentage of that minimum daily wage?

It helps to compare apples with apples

Then you may also want to include gasoline prices, car depreciations, car prices, etc. in that comparison.

Why do the tuk-tuk fares double at night????????

In my country, you get a "shift allowance" but it is not double your hourly rate.

This is another thing that leads to arguments and assaults here. Tourist pay 400 baht to get to Patong, then at night, after drinking, it's 800 baht to get home. Tourist know they are being ripped and then get angry. They don't know about the whole monopoly/mafia/collusion issue with transport here.

It's like the tuk-tuk drivers expect tourist to know that the cartel exists and they are going to be ripped off and should just accept it.

They don't double at night....I have never ever paid double at night. The price to Surin from Patong is 400-500 baht any time.

Wrong. Ask for a price one night and you will see.

[Peterocket]

Wrong. Ask for a price one night and you will see.

I do it approximately every 2-3 weeks....as usual the World/Phuket you live in is different from mine as I have never paid over 500 baht. We just have to accept that and move on.

Other people get upset if we have this discussion on here anyhow...

[madmitch]

They don't double at night....I have never ever paid double at night. The price to Surin from Patong is 400-500 baht any time.

Wrong. Ask for a price one night and you will see.

Same on the Patong to Karon/Kata route: 400 baht is the regular fare, night or day. Yes too expensive, and they may ask for more, but there's always a driver that will do it at that price.

[britpop]

we have to take responsibly for our own actions, if had to get from patong to Rawai of coarse i'd want the best deal, it's no excuse to say i got scammed because i was legless. i've always negotiated a price i'm happy with, got there, paid, happy camper

If a bar girl goes back with you and robs you, who's to blame, the bar girl cos she's a thief or you for indulging in a activity that the law in Thailand see as illegal. who'd get prosecuted the worst out of the two

Ok, so, tell me about your last tuk-tuk negotiation? When was it and from where to where did you go and how much did you pay?

What advice would you give to your backpacker friends (mentioned in another thread recently) about how to travel around Phuket and see all the beaches and sights?

Give him time to respond. I think he's stuck in waist deep mud in Patong

http://www.thaivisa....75#entry5456925

Post # 77 and trying to find who's responsible.............

Are you two the odd couple, felix!!!!!!, i never been scammed by a tuk tuk so it's not relative about the ride and distance, back packers have to deal with countries all around the world, a small island like Phuket is hardly a challenge for them. but i bet you insist it has to be a problem

i needed time to respond got stuck in the mud on my bike, guess what got a tuk tuk home , negative people ah, wonder how they run there lives, oh hows your money throwing away coming on sportyman69, you wouldn't get a tuk tuk home, only the best for you, a stretched limo, no the Cinderella coach with mice pulling it, saying master home!!!! , did you every get your slipper back

Edited July 6, 2012 by britpop

[LivinginKata]

now 5 insulting posts removed.

[NamKangMan]

Wrong. Ask for a price one night and you will see.

I do it approximately every 2-3 weeks....as usual the World/Phuket you live in is different from mine as I have never paid over 500 baht. We just have to accept that and move on.

Other people get upset if we have this discussion on here anyhow...

As a fellow expat, our worlds are not that different. You probably approach the driver and speak Thai, wearing clothes bought from a market here, maybe with your Thai missus as well. He knows, that you know the prices.

Next time you are walking past, have a listen what they quote the obvious, and oblivious, tourist. It's way over the odds, and compared to what they paid to get from the airport, and their accommodation, they know something isn't right.

[NamKangMan]

Are you two the odd couple, felix!!!!!!, i never been scammed by a tuk tuk so it's not relative about the ride and distance, back packers have to deal with countries all around the world, a small island like Phuket is hardly a challenge for them. but i bet you insist it has to be a problem

i needed time to respond got stuck in the mud on my bike, guess what got a tuk tuk home , negative people ah, wonder how they run there lives, oh hows your money throwing away coming on sportyman69, you wouldn't get a tuk tuk home, only the best for you, a stretched limo, no the Cinderella coach with mice pulling it, saying master home!!!! , did you every get your slipper back

Of course it's relevant. Why can't you tell us about your last tuk-tuk experience, even more so if you are so confident you didn't get ripped????

[britpop]

Namrantman, Felix!!!!, after 10 years here and i speak excellent Thai, Of coarse i'm not getting ripped off, your insecurity getting the better of you, who's stuck in the mud now????

[NamKangMan]

Namrantman, Felix!!!!, after 10 years here and i speak excellent Thai, Of coarse i'm not getting ripped off, your insecurity getting the better of you, who's stuck in the mud now????

Your avoidance of answering the simple question speaks voloumes. :)

[britpop]

Namrantman, Felix!!!!, after 10 years here and i speak excellent Thai, Of coarse i'm not getting ripped off, your insecurity getting the better of you, who's stuck in the mud now????

Your avoidance of answering the simple question speaks voloumes.

If something speaks volumes is that i'm secure and happy with any deals i do in Phuket, your focusing on a tuk tuk ride, sounds like O.C.D, Edited July 7, 2012 by LivinginKata
insulting remark removed

[Semper]

Jimi beat me by a second or two

More like 2 minutes.

[Semper]

Well if the authorities in every other country in the world cant delete scams from existence I very much doubt the Thai authorities can.

Next time you get a Taxi in New York or London or Coolangatta airport etc remind yourself of that.

As I have stated before Peterocket, transport is an ESSENTIAL SERVICE.

Transport is like health/medical, education, water, electricity, telecommunications, fuel, banking, post etc etc. These services NEED the protection from Government to stop exactly the problem we have here.

Poorer countries than Thailand do not have the BS that is going on here in Phuket in regards to transport.

I could provide you links to lots of websites, forums and newspapers within seconds about taxi problems from Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia. Vietnam (meters rigged and illegal taxis)...Cambodia (various licensed bandits at border crossings)...The problem is that you think these problems only exist in Phuket and the grass is greener everywhere else.

Sure, there are some dodgy operators in the places you mention, but here on Phuket, every single tuk-tuk driver is in on the scam. They have to be, to be part of the co-op.

I've personally never had a problem with the various forms of transport in Laos, Vietnam or Cambodia - but I could pick any tuk-tuk on this island and be given an outrageous price to go even just a short journey, that's because of a thing called COLLUSION Peterrocket.

In relation to transport, the grass is greener everywhere else than Phuket.

You don't have to leave the country for this. Try anywhere in Thailand (except Phuket) and you'll not have any transport problems/scams.

[Chads]

Yes prices are more expensive here than other areas of Thailand and it is annoying. However this is the richest province, sees huge numbers of tourists and the prices are generally fixed.

In Trafalgar Square the ice cream vans charge more than elsewhere but they have the price printed on the window. It's hardly a scam if I chose to buy one.

Peterocket, below is the definition of collusion. So you can understand, let's just say the ice cream van owner in Trafalgar Square had a meeting with all the other ice cream van owners in London and they all agreed to set the price of ice cream, across Greater London, at the Trafalgar Square price. Everyone who WANTED ice cream, as opposed to NEEDED ice cream, would be paying over the odds and supporting the criminal enterprise.

Transport is an essential service. It is a NEED, not a WANT. It doesn't matter if the prices are displayed if collusion is taking place. It's still a criminal act. The scam comes about due to the criminality involved in the collusion.

I understand your point that if you agree to 300 baht for 1 kilometer - than you have a verbal contract and it can not be a scam.

My point is the 300 baht price for the product, the 1 kilomter journey, is the scam, due to collusion setting the price. Do you understand where I am coming from?

COLLUSION: Collusion is an agreement between two or more persons, sometimes illegal and therefore secretive, to limit open competition by deceiving, misleading, or defrauding others of their legal rights, or to obtain an objective forbidden by law typically by defrauding or gaining an unfair advantage.^{[citation needed]} It is an agreement among firms to divide the market, set prices, or limit production.^[1] It can involve "wage fixing, kickbacks, or misrepresenting the independence of the relationship between the colluding parties".^[2] In legal terms, all acts affected by collusion are considered void.^[3]

At the airport I have the choice of the Airport bus, Car Hire, Bike Hire, Meter Taxi (if they have the meter on), Limousine and Van share all of which are clearly marked with the price. Pretty simple system and scam free as far as i am concerned.

Yes the prices are printed. So you could call it a "rip off", but not a scam (in the sense that they tell you one price first and ask another later, or strangely negotiate prices right from the start).

[Chads]

You could say the same basic thing about every Ski Area in America or Everything from Disneyland to Vegas ..... It's called a tourist trap over here , and it's not really a scam or a rip off it's just that tourist places charge more for the same thing , a subway sandwitch in Vegas is easy 2 times what I pay back home. Try buying a Burger at Aspen sometime and you will know what a rip off really is !

The jet ski thing does qualify though , I actually would rent one once in a while if it weren't for the scams.

Regarding the jet ski thing, a friend of mine fell for the usual trick where the paint came off and scratches showed up when he brought it back. He was asked to pay US $5000. After 2 hours of trying to argue, a gun was pointed at his head. He withdrew the US $3000 left in his atm and gave it to the guy.

[NamKangMan]

Namrantman, Felix!!!!, after 10 years here and i speak excellent Thai, Of coarse i'm not getting ripped off, your insecurity getting the better of you, who's stuck in the mud now????

And this post is coming from a guy who recently had a major "rant" on another thread about his experience at the Phuket Immigration Office. :) :)

[BarryM]

the taxi situation is representative of many Thai industries - using all (often skewed) legal and illegal means to exclude competition.

It's about who you know and whose strings you can pull, not about customer service and value for money, in order to succeed

Regular Thai consumers are the biggest losers. Tourists have other choices for holidays so can and do vote with their feet. Burma, Malaysia, Cambodia et al and the winners

This will not affect the status quo in Phuket or Thailand as a while. If revenue falls they can simply raise prices

The average Thai loses out on all counts, but average Thais have no significance to the Thai government and it's vested interests.

The end result might well be 10000 tuk tuks lined up in patong demanding 100000 b to go to karon of course, and any remaining tourists trying to negotiate anything less being set upon by an even larger mob of frustrated somchais, all still totally unaware of the flawed logic of their business model

[FlyByNights]

Worst scams most defiantly are perpetrated by the bar girls, and for the rip offs I cannot think too many that haven’t already been mentioned. except some places charging 60BHT for a pack of LM reds, instead of 58BHT.

[KarenBravo]

Worst scams most defiantly are perpetrated by the bar girls,

How do you defiantly know that.

Seems to me that property scams are defiantly up there and defiantly more expensive for the defiant victim.

[StreetCowboy]

Worst scams most defiantly are perpetrated by the bar girls,

How do you defiantly know that.

Seems to me that property scams are defiantly up there and defiantly more expensive for the defiant victim.

Humility is the answer. Too many people look for conflict, rather than accepting the things that they cannot change. Sometimes it is better to take up arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing, end them, but more often than not you'll end up looking like a silly and sadly misunderstood Canute when you try to turn back the sea

'defiantly'

is definitely not the answer

SC

[KarenBravo]

'defiantly'

is definitely not the answer

SC

Yes.....I know.

[NamKangMan]

Worst scams most defiantly are perpetrated by the bar girls,

How do you defiantly know that.

Seems to me that property scams are defiantly up there and defiantly more expensive for the defiant victim.

He could mean when a bar girl persuades a foreigner to buy a property, in her name.

Scammed buy the bar girl, and a large financial loss to the victim.

Edited July 14, 2012 by NamKangMan

[FlyByNights]

Sorry about the spelling guys, that word always <deleted>!ks me up. KB you know this already.

Yes the bar girls are definitely, IMO the ones who pull off the most scams.

These girls are some of the best actors in the world; they can make you believe almost anything they want, especially if they speak English. The younger ones let's say 20 yrs and below, are still in the learning phase, so their scam technique is pretty easy to catch onto; it’s the older ones that speak English, which one has to watch out for.

One example, I took a friend to a bar a couple of months ago, some shit hole in Kata, don’t remember the name. I knew the girls there were pretty much on top of their game, but my friend was so impressed with one of the girls’ English skills, he ended talking to her the whole night, and taking her to his shophouse at closing time. She said that she learned her English in the university, and the only reason she was working at the bar was because she was fighting cancer and didn’t have enough money for her university tuition and her 'cancer treatment'. BS. I called her out that very same night speaking with her in Thai, and she told me please not to let my friend know what was really going on. I immediately went to the bathroom in the back to call him, and told him that he was being scammed. He told me not to worry that he knew what he was doing. He had only been living in Thailand for 6-8 months. I also forgot to mention she told him that she had only been working the bar 1 day prior to them meeting. Yeah right. Make a long story short, he believed every word she said, and he has kept her around with him up to this day. He ended up going back to America for a couple of weeks, but before he left he purchased a ticket for her ‘brother’ to stay with her until he returned. When he arrived back to Phuket he bought a ring for her as well, supposedly in appreciation for her taking care of his business while he was gone, he also owns a (non girly) bar and restaurant. The ring is now on her wedding finger. Now when I see them, she is in complete denial that she’s was ever a hooker, and he is in denial that she ever was one to begin with. I try to tell him it's a facade, a masquerade, but he just wont listen.

He is close to 60yrs old and she is 27..

I'm sure that these types of scams occur every single day, and the bar girls most definitely pull off the biggest scams here in Phuket.

[Guest]

Fly: As it's true that your friends experience was a scam, you also have to take in an account that it might be mutual scam.

If he is 60 years old who have 27 years old girl, well he should be considered lucky. That is something what happens only for the richest and most famous people in the west. It's the same deal there. Money and power attracts the ladies who have the looks but no brains and ambition. He on the other hand.. got probably a ride of his lifetime.

Edited July 14, 2012 by Guest

[radster2212]

Some of these stories we all say we'd not fall for but it seems they really pray on the old men seeking company.

[FlyByNights]

Fly: As it's true that your friends experience was a scam, you also have to take in an account that it might be mutual scam.

If he is 60 years old who have 27 years old girl, well he should be considered lucky. That is something what happens only for the richest and most famous people in the west. It's the same deal there. Money and power attracts the ladies who have the looks but no brains and ambition. He on the other hand.. got probably a ride of his lifetime.

Sure It could be a mutual scam, but I know for a fact it is not mutual. When I first met the dude he told me that all he wanted to do was get laid as much as possible, with as many girls as possible while living here in Thailand. The problem was he was going to all the places where the girls didn't speak a word of English. Ok, so now he meets this girl who knows some English, and he really believes she is university educated, and is a recovering cancer survivor. This guy has no idea, it's funny because I have seen this happen more than two times already with different friends. They meet the first girl that can actually hold somewhat of a non sense conversation with, and of course is probably giving him ‘the ride of his life’.

BTW, the “ride of his life thing” is not too hard to come by in this country.

So now the rest is history, getting married and tied down to a lazy ex-hooker with no common sense, and not to mention her ‘father’ of 46 yrs living with them as well.

It's such a shame, because he didn’t even give himself a chance to get to know the real person behind the façade, and now he shuns his friends for trying to give him some advice.

[KarenBravo]

In situations like this, the messenger is always shot.

Best to smile, nod and be nice to both parties.

[kawapower]

You can not blame any Thai girl, they are doing what they have to do, it's the fools that fall for it and don't learn quickly!! You try to give them advice which many ignore because they have fallen in love, all and any warnings before they arrive in Asia are ignored, let them get on with it!!

[kawapower]

Some of these stories we all say we'd not fall for but it seems they really pray on the old men seeking company.

It's not just the old the young fall for it as well!!

[radster2212]

Oh I know they say love is blind too. I see the good in everyone and looking forward to a trip to an amazing country. Just like anywhere else if the deal sounds to good to be true it's probably is. Simple really.