Govt Warns Scammers As Thailand Is Named Top Destination

[waza]

Govt warns scammers as Thailand is named top destination....

Dont follow our example and scam people. Just because the country is run by a convicted criminal, the government are just a self enrichment group and the countries law enforcement institutions are in reality organised crime groups doesnt mean you can overtly rip off, murder, assult and rob tourists.

"BANGKOK: -- Rangsit University's College of Social Innovation yesterday announced the 10 most scandalous corruption cases for fiscal 2012 (October 1, 2011, to September 30, 2012)"

Edited December 27, 2012 by waza

[waza]

Now in Hua Hin. What a wonderful change from Patong because;

- No touts

- Reasonable taxii/limousine & tuktuk access

- No price gouging

- No filth (both human and garbage)

- No Bib standing on the corner looking for Tea money

I was in Udon Thani last week. same thing. Wonderful experience. When we have gone out to the shopping plazas, I am a minority and I think it works in my favour. The lack of farangs circulating seems to have reduced the numbers of scum that associate with the farang presence. No sexy massage offers, no touts, no cops trying to entrap me into buying drugs, no visible hookers, no foreign yobs. There are thousands of foreign tourists in Hua Hin right now. Very well behaved.

Maybe the scams and thieving and ripoffs are a reflection from the quality of tourists that Phuket and Pattaya attract. How is it that Udon Thani, a place for lower income older foreigners has a much classier feel to it than the Kamala-Kata strip of Phuket? The same Germans and Scandanavians are in Hua Hin as in Phuket, but the difference is that these people are not skewed to the sex tourist and drink till you puke segment as in the areas with all the problems. Interesting enough that the Indians here are few but are visibly higher end, and I have not seen any middle easterners, or the English yobs of Phuket yet. My takeaway is that if I want a relaxing place with a minimum of hassles, is to pick a location where the quality of foreigners is better. I call this the Garbage- Vermin rule of life of Thailand.

I think you are confusing tourist with ex-pats, the warning is just about tourist rip off, its still open season on ex-pats.

[Mitker]

and what about... doing something about it?

[Lancelot]

One can be confident that this Warning has absolutely NO TEETH IN IT.

I am suprised the U.S. Embassy hasn't joined in with the Aussie and UK Embassies with this type of warning as well..

Pehaps they aleady have...but usually the THAIVISA is pretty good about these messages from the Embassies.

However, unless they remove the crooked police that are in cahoots from the picture, nothing with happen.

I'm from the USA and I'm not suprised that the US Embassy can't be bothered to act on behalf of its citizens abroad. US Embassy staff have two immediate goals:

Today-Collect paycheck

Tomorrow- Collect pension

Fighting wars on Terror, Drugs, _______ fill in the blank is much more exciting than helping your fellow citizens.

Not to mention a nice way get your departments budget increased

[SPIKECM]

The market has a wonderful way to deter scammers. This bad press should have a serious dent in demand for their services. Thailand is famous for the jet ski scams and yet there is still demand for them. And these renters know about the scams. People don't listen to warnings and there's not much you can do for people who won't listen. It is the same for motor bike renting. They don't make money until you crash the thing. That is where the real money is. But you'll never stop people renting bikes as quite simply they don't intend to have a crash.

[badmedicine]

In times gone by, I can recall a number of attacks on tourists (I remember them as they were so rare), in which the perpetrators were strung up (in at least one case, literally) by the local gang as a warning to others to leave the cash cow alone. Typically, it was reported with the BiB cluelessly saying they were 'investigating'...

Perhaps there's a power vacuum (or a war) in the local police dep't organised crime gangs if they're turning on their own bread and butter? Could it be due to the absence of a strong leader at the head and heart of the crime world nation?

[blackthorn2005]

"Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra had also instructed all relevant authorities to ensure the safety of tourists especially during the holidays.

How about ensuring safety 24/7 365 days a year?

[notime]

"Please take care of foreigners. If anything happens to them, please step in to help," Surapong said.

HAHAHAHAAHA

Nice one Foreing Minister! Now, could you please share your idea with the Police/Interior Minister? Cos in places like Samui even the Police doesn't do that.

[Arkady]

There is zero sincerity in this. Because they are surrounded by fawning yes men they still think foreigners will believe lying politicians from developing countries like Thaksin's bare faced lie to a visiting EU Commissioner that there was no bird flu in Thailand cost Thailand nearly a decade long ban on exports of chicken to the EU.

It would be quite easy to eradicate these problems that are largely caused by corrupt police who are involved in the scams themselves. Initiate a three strikes and your out campaign in cooperation with foreign embassies. If there are three serious scamming incidents reported by embassies in a police precinct, the commander gets an instant transfer to one of the red zones in the Deep South for at least three years (one for each strike). Once the first two or three bent cops have been transferred, the incidents of scamming would go down fast. Perhaps there would even be extrajudicial executions of jet ski operators.

[chooka]

Govt warns scammers

How exactly has it warned them?

Citizens, Police, Mafia and other assorted corrupt officials and scammers, be warned, these damned Australians have uncovered your operations and leaked it to the world via the press and social media. We need to be vigilant and adopt new strategies now get out there and harvest those tour groups, we'll take care of those medling Ambassadors and thier self- righteous ways. We will fight back and refuse to sell them our stockpiles of over priced rotting rice, that will fix thier little red wagons.

[chooka]

"Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra had also instructed all relevant authorities to ensure the safety of tourists especially during the holidays.

How about ensuring safety 24/7 365 days a year?

What even during the low season? You insensitive bugger, how are they going to update the merc and build that extention.

[borderpatrol]

I love these so-called Thailand experts. Been here 2 maybe 3 years assume they are an authority on the place (most likely never seen a rice paddy), yet to leave the tourist areas and vacate their morning t'ill night bar stools, talking the same crap everyday, and still wondering why they get beaten at "4-in a-row" by some dumb h*oker (B'G). Never been further than the local 7-11 for their cheap grog. I say if you wish to comment/criticize the place GO VISIT the place first. There is more to Thailand than Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya!!! Get a real Thai life.

[Soutpeel]

I love these so-called Thailand experts. Been here 2 maybe 3 years assume they are an authority on the place (most likely never seen a rice paddy), yet to leave the tourist areas and vacate their morning t'ill night bar stools, talking the same crap everyday, and still wondering why they get beaten at "4-in a-row" by some dumb h*oker (B'G). Never been further than the local 7-11 for their cheap grog. I say if you wish to comment/criticize the place GO VISIT the place first. There is more to Thailand than Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya!!! Get a real Thai life.

So how long have you been here and how many places have you visited oh wise one ?...and which school do you teach at ?

I can assure you the rosy tinted spectacles do eventually come off eventually for all the apologists...

[chooka]

I love these so-called Thailand experts. Been here 2 maybe 3 years assume they are an authority on the place (most likely never seen a rice paddy), yet to leave the tourist areas and vacate their morning t'ill night bar stools, talking the same crap everyday, and still wondering why they get beaten at "4-in a-row" by some dumb h*oker (B'G). Never been further than the local 7-11 for their cheap grog. I say if you wish to comment/criticize the place GO VISIT the place first. There is more to Thailand than Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya!!! Get a real Thai life.

Guess you are not refering to me then. What is 4 in a row? Been here a lot longer than 2 years but I don't know this term.

[HeijoshinCool]

One can be confident that this Warning has absolutely NO TEETH IN IT.

I am suprised the U.S. Embassy hasn't joined in with the Aussie and UK Embassies with this type of warning as well..

Pehaps they aleady have...but usually the THAIVISA is pretty good about these messages from the Embassies.

However, unless they remove the crooked police that are in cahoots from the picture, nothing with happen.

Far too busy making childish videos and charging twenty bucks per notarization.

[Banzai99]

More tourists need to research where they are going.then most will realize that Thailand is NOT the place to go.many more better options for beaches and shopping and safer

Sent from my LG-P350 using Thaivisa Connect App

That's why you don't live in Thailand, right ?

[khunken]

I love these so-called Thailand experts. Been here 2 maybe 3 years assume they are an authority on the place (most likely never seen a rice paddy), yet to leave the tourist areas and vacate their morning t'ill night bar stools, talking the same crap everyday, and still wondering why they get beaten at "4-in a-row" by some dumb h*oker (B'G). Never been further than the local 7-11 for their cheap grog. I say if you wish to comment/criticize the place GO VISIT the place first. There is more to Thailand than Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya!!! Get a real Thai life.

Ah the newbie knowall. I think you'll find a good selection of Farangs on TV that actually keep abreast of what is happening in Thailand and the cynicism is well justified by the quality of the government (& Phuket governor) and the corruption that they are involved in. The Op is a collection of empty words that we have heard time & time again.

Most long-stay Farangs know all about the scams & how to avoid them. First-time tourists probably don't. Some of the scams are so bad & prevalent that ambassadors have had to try & prompt some action. This is a fairly new activity but the reaction so far has been only rhetoric - like the article here.

By the way, I've lived here for 16 years & have visited most major towns & cities as well as the countryside. What about you?

[wildorchid]

There is a way to fix this cancer (corruption, extortion) in thailand that is by Decree at the highest level decliring it a crime agianst thailand therefor a treacherous act, or both thais and farang flatly refusing to pay tea money to bib and any scamers any money , your mobile phone camera is your best friend, take lots of pics before you hire anything and photos of any operater or police and then you may be half way safe?

[TackyToo]

"the government is calling on all Thais to look after tourists in their neighbourhoods"

Whatever that means to the countless sacmmers...

[seajae]

Govt warns scammers as Thailand is named top destination

Pot , kettle, black

Presumably this current maladministration is a the top of the warning list, the multitude of scams being operated by this current maladministration is incredible

You want to point out what that multitude of scams are, with any kind of proof of them?

I can definitely point to one person being paid to let mXXXXg companies operate as long as he owns the lease on the land and his son gets the trucking rights

[NoshowJones]

Now in Hua Hin. What a wonderful change from Patong because;

- No touts

- Reasonable taxii/limousine & tuktuk access

- No price gouging

- No filth (both human and garbage)

- No Bib standing on the corner looking for Tea money

I was in Udon Thani last week. same thing. Wonderful experience. When we have gone out to the shopping plazas, I am a minority and I think it works in my favour. The lack of farangs circulating seems to have reduced the numbers of scum that associate with the farang presence. No sexy massage offers, no touts, no cops trying to entrap me into buying drugs, no visible hookers, no foreign yobs. There are thousands of foreign tourists in Hua Hin right now. Very well behaved.

Maybe the scams and thieving and ripoffs are a reflection from the quality of tourists that Phuket and Pattaya attract. How is it that Udon Thani, a place for lower income older foreigners has a much classier feel to it than the Kamala-Kata strip of Phuket? The same Germans and Scandanavians are in Hua Hin as in Phuket, but the difference is that these people are not skewed to the sex tourist and drink till you puke segment as in the areas with all the problems. Interesting enough that the Indians here are few but are visibly higher end, and I have not seen any middle easterners, or the English yobs of Phuket yet. My takeaway is that if I want a relaxing place with a minimum of hassles, is to pick a location where the quality of foreigners is better. I call this the Garbage- Vermin rule of life of Thailand.

I keep reading in TV about English yobs and English hooligans, honestly, you would think it was only England that had yobs. Has any Thaivisa posters ever been in the West of Scotland around the 12th July every year? You will see more yobs taking part and following Orange walks, causing drunken disturbances all over the place, because of their hatred of Roman Catholics, than you will see anywhere in England, or among any English people abroad, and may I point out I am Scottish and not a Roman Catholic.

[geriatrickid]

I agree with a lot of points you make but blaming the tourists for being scamed is misplaced, give it time and the scams will spread to all areas unless positive action is taken to stamp it out

Funny enough I'd say it's not the beer louts and scumbags that are being scamed

Fair criticism. Although I offer that those that are likely to be impaired or vulnerable are more likely to get ripped off. look at who is often targeted, the young backpackers, Japanese tourists with the tour guides, the elderly with the time share fraud, drunks that rolled by the tuk tuk gangs etc.

I think you are confusing tourist with ex-pats, the warning is just about tourist rip off, its still open season on ex-pats.

In respect to expat rip offs, sometimes these victims are not the nicest people in the world to begin with. If we wish to avoid the ripoffs it requires being immunized by some basic steps such as a knowledge of local customs and language and adapting to the Thai way of power and influence. It is a hard slog to do business in a foreign land unless one has a good understanding of the local business environment and language. The activities we sometimes see as ripoffs against expats, are often just the local way of doing things and that the locals also experience.

The tourist ripoffs on phuket happen with the full knowledge of the local government. IMO, it also includes participation and support by the very officials that are supposed to stop the activity. The scams occur because of the prevalence of corruption where everything is rotten. How is it that the transportation system is able to operate more fairly in HuaHin than it does in Patong? The tourists in Hua Hin are probably easier to exploit since they have more money and are skewed to the older crowd. And yet the ripoffs are not happening to the same extent in a place that is much bigger. How come there are no jet skis in Hua Hin and the jetskis that were supposed to be banned in patong are still there? It comes down to having government officials that are not corrupt and are not allegedly personally profiting from the illegal activity. There is something very wrong when the head of the Karon tuktuk club has a position in the local government and when the civic officials of Patong are also linked to the tuk tuks and jet skis.

[fasteddie]

Smutcakes post # 12

You want to point out what that multitude of scams are, with any kind of proof of them

If you can't even see or even understand what is happening around you surely you are blind and deaf,Rice pledging scheme scam for a start tampering with the constitution to whitewash a convicted bail jumping criminal nepotism etc etc, the list is endless

;

'' the list is endless''

really? yours ended quickly!

[CantSpell]

No, it won't. The scammers can't scam an insurance company.

Can pretty easily actually...

Insurance companies are mainly International organizations; as long as you know the broker, you can get payment for many many things....

But I agree it would not stop them, would just get them double income on some occasions: cash from tourism and claim from insurance....

[waza]

I agree with a lot of points you make but blaming the tourists for being scamed is misplaced, give it time and the scams will spread to all areas unless positive action is taken to stamp it out

Funny enough I'd say it's not the beer louts and scumbags that are being scamed

Fair criticism. Although I offer that those that are likely to be impaired or vulnerable are more likely to get ripped off. look at who is often targeted, the young backpackers, Japanese tourists with the tour guides, the elderly with the time share fraud, drunks that rolled by the tuk tuk gangs etc.

I think you are confusing tourist with ex-pats, the warning is just about tourist rip off, its still open season on ex-pats.

In respect to expat rip offs, sometimes these victims are not the nicest people in the world to begin with. If we wish to avoid the ripoffs it requires being immunized by some basic steps such as a knowledge of local customs and language and adapting to the Thai way of power and influence. It is a hard slog to do business in a foreign land unless one has a good understanding of the local business environment and language. The activities we sometimes see as ripoffs against expats, are often just the local way of doing things and that the locals also experience.

The tourist ripoffs on phuket happen with the full knowledge of the local government. IMO, it also includes participation and support by the very officials that are supposed to stop the activity. The scams occur because of the prevalence of corruption where everything is rotten. How is it that the transportation system is able to operate more fairly in HuaHin than it does in Patong? The tourists in Hua Hin are probably easier to exploit since they have more money and are skewed to the older crowd. And yet the ripoffs are not happening to the same extent in a place that is much bigger. How come there are no jet skis in Hua Hin and the jetskis that were supposed to be banned in patong are still there? It comes down to having government officials that are not corrupt and are not allegedly personally profiting from the illegal activity. There is something very wrong when the head of the Karon tuktuk club has a position in the local government and when the civic officials of Patong are also linked to the tuk tuks and jet skis.

Again I think you are confusing expats with tourists, HH isnt a main tourist destination for foreign tourist, mainly domestic ones. Therefore, the rip off are not happening to the same extent as the areas designated as prime tourist areas. But it has a large expat comunity who are exhorted through corruption rather than institutionalised rip offs and are usually victims of other expats.

[IrishIvan]

Now in Hua Hin. What a wonderful change from Patong because;

- No touts

- Reasonable taxii/limousine & tuktuk access

- No price gouging

- No filth (both human and garbage)

- No Bib standing on the corner looking for Tea money

I was in Udon Thani last week. same thing. Wonderful experience. When we have gone out to the shopping plazas, I am a minority and I think it works in my favour. The lack of farangs circulating seems to have reduced the numbers of scum that associate with the farang presence. No sexy massage offers, no touts, no cops trying to entrap me into buying drugs, no visible hookers, no foreign yobs. There are thousands of foreign tourists in Hua Hin right now. Very well behaved.

Maybe the scams and thieving and ripoffs are a reflection from the quality of tourists that Phuket and Pattaya attract. How is it that Udon Thani, a place for lower income older foreigners has a much classier feel to it than the Kamala-Kata strip of Phuket? The same Germans and Scandanavians are in Hua Hin as in Phuket, but the difference is that these people are not skewed to the sex tourist and drink till you puke segment as in the areas with all the problems. Interesting enough that the Indians here are few but are visibly higher end, and I have not seen any middle easterners, or the English yobs of Phuket yet. My takeaway is that if I want a relaxing place with a minimum of hassles, is to pick a location where the quality of foreigners is better. I call this the Garbage- Vermin rule of life of Thailand.

You forgot to mention Hua Hin has no fun, its a shytehole with a very average beach. It has inflated prices because of the weekend expats coming down from BKK. I couldnt think of a worse place to reside in Thailand

[geriatrickid]

I keep reading in TV about English yobs and English hooligans, honestly, you would think it was only England that had yobs. Has any Thaivisa posters ever been in the West of Scotland around the 12th July every year? You will see more yobs taking part and following Orange walks, causing drunken disturbances all over the place, because of their hatred of Roman Catholics, than you will see anywhere in England, or among any English people abroad, and may I point out I am Scottish and not a Roman Catholic.

Scotland does not promote the area you describe as a destination for tourists.

I could understand your point if there was an Amazing Scotland state sponsored advertising campaign presenting the region you describe as a relaxing holiday destination that was safe for families etc. but there is not, is there?

[Konini]

I'm quite sure that this would have been suggested at least once on TV, but instead of warning the scammers who aren't going to listen, why don't they warn the tourists? A printed brochure in major languages telling people about the tuk-tuk mafia, the jetskis, the police etc wouldn't cost much and could be handed out with the landing cards. Better still, not sure if it still happens but there used to be a compulsory video played before landing in Australia and I think NZ warning about bringing foodstuff into the country. It took over the main screens and/or the in-seat screens, so you had no choice but to watch it. Of course Aussies didn't watch it, found a book to read or something but all of the tourists, excited and on the edge of their seats because they were going on holiday to a new country they'd never been to before, watched it avidly to get some info and see video about their exciting holiday.

It wouldn't cost much to do that in English Chinese, Hindu and Arabic, video depending on the origin of the flight. It won't help those coming in by bus, but we have to assume that the passengers, being savvy enough to find a bus and get a ticket, would be a bit less naive.

If they are serious about it, they need to warn people on the way in.

Of course it won't happen.

TiT (but I choose to live here).

Edited December 27, 2012 by Konini

[Sharp]

Now in Hua Hin. What a wonderful change from Patong because;

- No touts

- Reasonable taxii/limousine & tuktuk access

- No price gouging

- No filth (both human and garbage)

- No Bib standing on the corner looking for Tea money

I was in Udon Thani last week. same thing. Wonderful experience. When we have gone out to the shopping plazas, I am a minority and I think it works in my favour. The lack of farangs circulating seems to have reduced the numbers of scum that associate with the farang presence. No sexy massage offers, no touts, no cops trying to entrap me into buying drugs, no visible hookers, no foreign yobs. There are thousands of foreign tourists in Hua Hin right now. Very well behaved.

Maybe the scams and thieving and ripoffs are a reflection from the quality of tourists that Phuket and Pattaya attract. How is it that Udon Thani, a place for lower income older foreigners has a much classier feel to it than the Kamala-Kata strip of Phuket? The same Germans and Scandanavians are in Hua Hin as in Phuket, but the difference is that these people are not skewed to the sex tourist and drink till you puke segment as in the areas with all the problems. Interesting enough that the Indians here are few but are visibly higher end, and I have not seen any middle easterners, or the English yobs of Phuket yet. My takeaway is that if I want a relaxing place with a minimum of hassles, is to pick a location where the quality of foreigners is better. I call this the Garbage- Vermin rule of life of Thailand.

You forgot to mention Hua Hin has no fun, its a shytehole with a very average beach. It has inflated prices because of the weekend expats coming down from BKK. I couldnt think of a worse place to reside in Thailand

Jezzzz great I'm relocating there next year ...

Sent from my iPad using ThaiVisa app

[geriatrickid]

No, it won't. The scammers can't scam an insurance company.

Can pretty easily actually...

Insurance companies are mainly International organizations; as long as you know the broker, you can get payment for many many things....

But I agree it would not stop them, would just get them double income on some occasions: cash from tourism and claim from insurance....

Not in Thailand. Insurance is controlled by the same oligarchy that controls other financial services and large investments.

Foreign firms have to place their primary coverage through Thai carriers and can then purchase reinsurance or excess coverages for catastrophic risks. BTW, most Thai property. coverages are very basic.