oldsailor35 Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 I am on my 15 monthly trip back back to Queensland from my home in Thailand. Getting around, i usually wear a T shirt with THAILAND or SAMUI printed on the front. I am amazed at how many times i have been confronted by people who have been to Thailand on holiday or have friends who have. They all say the same "how could you live in such a place" most have stories of being ripped off by Tuk Tuk drivers, Taxi drivers or Jet Ski operators, and some have been attacked mostly by angry Tuk Tuk drivers and their mates ! All of these incidents have taken place in either Pattaya or Phuket, with Phuket being the worst. There has been no reports of incidents in either Bangkok, Koh Samui or Chaing Mai. These stories go around very quickly and it really scares people off coming to Thailand, no wonder the tourism industry is taking a bashing ! Its about time the authorities, especially the police changed their ways. One woman told me that her husband was bashed by a gang of Tuk Tuk drivers in Phuket because he was arguing that their driver was demanding more than he had previously agreed to. Apparently, the police arrived and told the Tuk Tuk drivers to go away, then invited her husband to go to the police station to make a report only to be told that he had no proof as the Tuk Tuk drivers were not there?. So many people here are saying that they have cancelled any ideas of going to Thailand for a holiday, because frankly, they think that its is dangerous and are scared. When are these officials going to wake up ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSixpack Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 Here we go again. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glassdude007 Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 Thats good ..... Stay home .... They should know better than to use tuk tuks or jet ski's in Phuket and Pattaya... They can stay home in Assuie in there safe Kangaroo poutch .. I've been in and out of Thailand for years Never had any problems that I did not cause myself....daaaa never use jet ski or tuk tuk either(exept Bangkok tuk tuk ok) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meatboy Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 as victor meldrew would say "i dont believe it" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BookMan Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 The phuket tuk tuks are very bad, i agree. However, rip-offs seem to happen in tourist destinations around the world, including Australia (generally without the implied or real threat of violence). I think some people just take it as part of the travel experience these days. Plenty of Russians. Indians and Chinese arriving in increasing numbers to fill the coffers or any Ozzies not wanting to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuestHouse Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 (edited) Video footage of a 60 year old Australian tourist being murdered doesn't help. Young Canadian sisters being poisoned to death, people being poisoned in Chiang Mai, and the stink of cover up coming from the 'investigations'. Plus all the background scams that are continually reported but seldom ever dealt with. The TAT have got their work cut out for sure. Edited August 3, 2012 by GuestHouse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David48 Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 Hi Sailor ... where are you in QLD? And what is the Thailand Shirt? (not the Saumi shirt) What does it look like? Just wondering because maybe I saw you the other day? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giddyup Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 Thats good ..... Stay home .... They should know better than to use tuk tuks or jet ski's in Phuket and Pattaya... They can stay home in Assuie in there safe Kangaroo poutch .. I've been in and out of Thailand for years Never had any problems that I did not cause myself....daaaa never use jet ski or tuk tuk either(exept Bangkok tuk tuk ok) Just because you have never used a tuk tuk ot jet ski doesn't mean that holiday makers shouldn't be able to use them safely, and why should they know better? I haven't seen any big signs on arrival at the airport advising people not to use them. It's spelt Aussie BTW, not Assuie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VocalNeal Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 So many people here are saying that they have cancelled any ideas of going to Thailand for a holiday, because frankly, they think that its is dangerous and are scared. Then it's a great time to come as accommodation will be surplus and the rates should be less. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Farma Posted August 3, 2012 Popular Post Share Posted August 3, 2012 (edited) Then it's a great time to come as accommodation will be surplus and the rates should be less. Just a slight flaw in your cunning plan baldrick. This is Thailand. Less tourists..rates go up. Edited August 3, 2012 by Farma 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giddyup Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 (edited) So many people here are saying that they have cancelled any ideas of going to Thailand for a holiday, because frankly, they think that its is dangerous and are scared. Then it's a great time to come as accommodation will be surplus and the rates should be less. Sorry, double post. Edited August 3, 2012 by giddyup Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crille30 Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 But my gooood.I f you are going on a holiday you do some reading first about were you are going,check out whats bad and ok.Most people do that before they book a ticket. If you go here and you are totaly ignorant of what to look out for god and bad?Then stay the <deleted> home.But dont complain because you dont did at least a minimum of research Yes sad when people get heart or even worse killed but there are 14milion turist or more every year her and of course shit can happens but have a look in any city in Europe,AUS,USA or any were that have a couple of milion people living you will se there is a hell of more crimes there.Shit, I read the news in my shitty country and my town thats about 400k people and I can list you shooting,figting and all kinds of shit and I talk about Sweden,supposly a pretty peaceful place.Sure the police can start do there job that would be nice but that wont happen any time soon,research is the keyword to avoid all this scams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theblether Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 I arrived at Swampy on Wednesday, walked down the escalators without breaking my neck, booked a ticket to Makkasan at a cost of 35 baht, left Makkasan and walked round the corner to the Mrt, and booked a ticket to the Thailand Cultural Centre for 18 baht. Nobody tried to rip me off, nobody called me a "hansum man" ( I'm disappointed to report ), no ladyboys accosted me and asked me "hey, where you go?", nothing. A very straightforward trip from Swampy to downtown without being molested or ripped off.......at a cost of 53 baht. I feel cheated. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post theblether Posted August 3, 2012 Popular Post Share Posted August 3, 2012 I suppose I better add later in the evening I took the mrt to Hua Lamphong to go meet Smokie for dinner.......Smokie told me to get a Tuk Tuk to Parak, ( Little India ), which I duly did........and the guy asked me for 400 baht on the way there...... He received a strong Scottish rebuke and an invitation to stop the tuk tuk and let me off, after a bit of too-ing and fro-ing, I settled on 200 baht which I know is still too much.....okay bite me I'm not getting back in a tuk tuk in BKK again, I've found the taxis to be excellent and extraordinarily cheap, so maybe that's the answer, just boycott the tuk tuks. Just sayin' 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arthurwait Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 I suppose I better add later in the evening I took the mrt to Hua Lamphong to go meet Smokie for dinner.......Smokie told me to get a Tuk Tuk to Parak, ( Little India ), which I duly did........and the guy asked me for 400 baht on the way there...... He received a strong Scottish rebuke and an invitation to stop the tuk tuk and let me off, after a bit of too-ing and fro-ing, I settled on 200 baht which I know is still too much.....okay bite me I'm not getting back in a tuk tuk in BKK again, I've found the taxis to be excellent and extraordinarily cheap, so maybe that's the answer, just boycott the tuk tuks. Just sayin' And it's taken you how many trips to realise this ? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacktrip Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 (edited) I like flagging tuk tuks and then just keep walking. You can usually get them right when they are passing so they have to pull into oncoming traffic. Edited August 3, 2012 by jacktrip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giddyup Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 I like flagging tuk tuks and then just keep walking. No wonder they rip the tourists off. Payback. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Semper Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 Who is Smokie? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmusingBellyDancers Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 I suppose I better add later in the evening I took the mrt to Hua Lamphong to go meet Smokie for dinner.......Smokie told me to get a Tuk Tuk to Parak, ( Little India ), which I duly did........and the guy asked me for 400 baht on the way there...... He received a strong Scottish rebuke and an invitation to stop the tuk tuk and let me off, after a bit of too-ing and fro-ing, I settled on 200 baht which I know is still too much.....okay bite me I'm not getting back in a tuk tuk in BKK again, I've found the taxis to be excellent and extraordinarily cheap, so maybe that's the answer, just boycott the tuk tuks. Just sayin' And it's taken you how many trips to realise this ? Your friend should not have told you to take a tuk-tuk. And you should not have taken one without first negotiating the price. And sometimes it can be dangerous to argue with these people. When you take a taxi, make sure it is metered, and check to see if the meter is switched on and working. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmusingBellyDancers Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 Who is Smokie? This man BLETHER is a good writer. I talked with him on a different thread and he said his articles have been published in magazines. Sometimes in his travel article on this website, he uses very nice phrases. I don't know if Smokie is his wife or boyfriend, but they are happy together and it it good to see they are now using taxis and being safe. You can read this man's travel article on another thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kilgore Trout Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 Thats good ..... Stay home .... They should know better than to use tuk tuks or jet ski's in Phuket and Pattaya... They can stay home in Assuie in there safe Kangaroo poutch .. I've been in and out of Thailand for years Never had any problems that I did not cause myself....daaaa never use jet ski or tuk tuk either(exept Bangkok tuk tuk ok) This is one of the dumbest posts I have ever read. In line with Budhism and karma (after all this is Thailand) when something bad happens to you like this, you will have deserved it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travelmann Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 Who is Smokie? Burt Reynolds??? or was he the Bandit? either way its scary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwoDogz Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 Ripped orf by a tuk tuk...newby. Did he take you to a tailor shop for a litre of oil as well ? It is good to hear that it is getting through to the people, in relation to the OP's post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamlet07 Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 Who is Smokie? He's a good friend of the Bandit !...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaddeus Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 Who is Smokie? This man BLETHER is a good writer. I talked with him on a different thread and he said his articles have been published in magazines. Sometimes in his travel article on this website, he uses very nice phrases. I don't know if Smokie is his wife or boyfriend, Neither, main squeeze Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacktrip Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 I suppose I better add later in the evening I took the mrt to Hua Lamphong to go meet Smokie for dinner.......Smokie told me to get a Tuk Tuk to Parak, ( Little India ), which I duly did........and the guy asked me for 400 baht on the way there...... He received a strong Scottish rebuke and an invitation to stop the tuk tuk and let me off, after a bit of too-ing and fro-ing, I settled on 200 baht which I know is still too much.....okay bite me I'm not getting back in a tuk tuk in BKK again, I've found the taxis to be excellent and extraordinarily cheap, so maybe that's the answer, just boycott the tuk tuks. Just sayin' And it's taken you how many trips to realise this ? Your friend should not have told you to take a tuk-tuk. And you should not have taken one without first negotiating the price. And sometimes it can be dangerous to argue with these people. When you take a taxi, make sure it is metered, and check to see if the meter is switched on and working. so they switch it on before you get in? had this happen to, he took off and would not switch it on. had to open the door in traffic, he quickly slowed down and I got out. never did turn the meter on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmusingBellyDancers Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 (edited) I suppose I better add later in the evening I took the mrt to Hua Lamphong to go meet Smokie for dinner.......Smokie told me to get a Tuk Tuk to Parak, ( Little India ), which I duly did........and the guy asked me for 400 baht on the way there...... He received a strong Scottish rebuke and an invitation to stop the tuk tuk and let me off, after a bit of too-ing and fro-ing, I settled on 200 baht which I know is still too much.....okay bite me I'm not getting back in a tuk tuk in BKK again, I've found the taxis to be excellent and extraordinarily cheap, so maybe that's the answer, just boycott the tuk tuks. Just sayin' And it's taken you how many trips to realise this ? Your friend should not have told you to take a tuk-tuk. And you should not have taken one without first negotiating the price. And sometimes it can be dangerous to argue with these people. When you take a taxi, make sure it is metered, and check to see if the meter is switched on and working. so they switch it on before you get in? had this happen to, he took off and would not switch it on. had to open the door in traffic, he quickly slowed down and I got out. never did turn the meter on. Open the door and check that the meter is switched on. Ask him if he's okay to use the meter. If not, avoid. When you begin your journey, he should press the button so that the fare commences at 35 Baht. If not, get out. I lived in Bangkok several years ago and never had a problem. This is an edit: always sit in the back seat. Edited August 3, 2012 by AmusingBellyDancers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thequietman Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 So many people here are saying that they have cancelled any ideas of going to Thailand for a holiday, because frankly, they think that its is dangerous and are scared. Then it's a great time to come as accommodation will be surplus and the rates should be less. nope. you know how it works here. Not busy then prices go up to make up for the short fall. thai thinking and all that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trainman34014 Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 Who is Smokie? Burt Reynolds??? or was he the Bandit? either way its scary Burt was the Bandit. 'Smokie' were the Cops. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeyserSoze01 Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 When are these officials going to wake up ! In a word, never. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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