' We Were Cheated' Say Dutch-Thai Family In Phuket

[bumpkin]

<snip>After buying new tickets, the family have arrived in Phuket with only B50,000 left between them.<snip>

Seems to me they were not using a great deal of common sense AT ALL! If I knew that the cost of new tickets was going to be XXX and after that I only had 50K Baht, I would be reexaming the prudence of even coming. Even with the relatively inexpensive costs here in Thailand that is not enough money to do much more than sit by the pool and eat khao pad every day. Those funds should have been used to save for the next holiday and write this one off.

Are grandfather, grandmother, father, all Dutch and Thai wife + child.

Surely someone, or all have a credit card / ATM card. With the quote, have "only" 50,000 Baht with us, they for sure, just trying, a bit naive,

to get the lost money back faster!

If they paid by Credit Card, maybe they have some chance of a refund from them ?

[JO1973]

China, Malaysia, Japan, and Russia are its biggest markets,so nobody is worried about the always complaining farangs.

You think Asians dont complain? LOL!

As Westerners bankroll, support, loan money to, and in general hold the hand of a constantly needy country they have a right to complain. And you haven't heard Asians complain? Then you should travel to Asia sometime, you'll hear more than you ever thought possible.

But, hey, if you just want to have Chinese here as tourists then have fun and see how long that lasts.

[N47HAN]

Just a note , "Farangs" also include Chinese , Malaysian , Japanese , Russian and the rest of the planet that are not Thai ,

Edited January 22, 2013 by N47HAN

[Amaximus]

It's sad how since this happened in Thailand, Thailand gets a bad name for itself and tourists. But if this had happened in the US or anywhere else this wouldn't have even been news.

If this happened in the US a lawyer and a doctors note that you had a stress related "cardiac event" because of the scam and you'd own the company shortly. There are lots of ways you could get your money back and it would be easy to prove and almost impossible for the company to make false claims of delivery. In Thailand you could completely screwed with no repechage...

[jrincon17]

Now it says charged did they use a credit card? Can they do a claim with thier credit card compnay like they do in the good ol' USof A

[ALFREDO]

If they paid by Credit Card, maybe they have some chance of a refund from them ?

I cannot exactly recognize in all the articles, how the purchasing of the Flight Tickets for that Dutch Family happened.

Many possibilities.

[sanpakwan]

They could be dutch people living close to the Belgian border, or Belgians mistaken for Dutch.

[sirchai]

what the heck , these people are dutch , why did they even think of going to thailand when they could go to Bali, did not their dutch freinds tell them about the fantastic dutch connections in Beautiful bali or dont they even read there own history books.

Why would they even think of going to a dump like thailand , something fishy in this story

Because the wife of the Dutch is Thai !

I'm glad you didn't say the wife of the doodah is Thai......

[Kevin1908]

It is a bit stupid for a Dutch family to buy the tickets in BKK when they are cheaper in Holland

Isn't it equally stupid to make a stupid comment without knowing the exact circumstances.

[bigbamboo]

A fool and his money are soon parted.... especially in Phuket.

Edited January 23, 2013 by bigbamboo

[khunsiam]

They could be dutch people living close to the Belgian border, or Belgians mistaken for Dutch.

Impossible, Belgians are not stingy at all, whereas the Dutch are famous for...and about SMART dealing with money: Belgium is the second richest country of the Eu, behind the much larger Germany and in terms of GDP the top in Europe: 35% ahead the second country.

[sirchai]

They could be dutch people living close to the Belgian border, or Belgians mistaken for Dutch.

Impossible, Belgians are not stingy at all, whereas the Dutch are famous for...and about SMART dealing with money: Belgium is the second richest country of the Eu, behind the much larger Germany and in terms of GDP the top in Europe: 35% ahead the second country.

2nd richest country? Pretty hard to locate on a map, because it's so tiny.

It's just "popular" because the European Union resides there. And a lot of racism in a country with the size of Berlin.

Edited January 23, 2013 by sirchai

[khunsiam]

They could be dutch people living close to the Belgian border, or Belgians mistaken for Dutch.

Impossible, Belgians are not stingy at all, whereas the Dutch are famous for...and about SMART dealing with money: Belgium is the second richest country of the Eu, behind the much larger Germany and in terms of GDP the top in Europe: 35% ahead the second country.

2nd richest country? Pretty hard to locate on a map, because it's so tiny.

It's just "popular" because the European Union resides there. And a lot of racism in a country with the size of Berlin.

Rich or poor, size of a country does matter? ...Switzerland, Monaco, Liechtenstein. So tiny but the "total positive balance": second behind Germany, but apparently no clue about the meaning of sanpakwan's presumption duh...and about European history.

Why the EU resides in Belgium and the first EU president is a belgian... consider this: the only foreigner to become the titel of "Chao Phya", the highest non-royal rank in Siam, was a belgian: Gustave Rolin Jaequemyns, the personal advisor of king Chulalongkorn (RamaV) and the man who prevented Thailand from becoming a colony, his statue stands on the campus of the Law Faculty of Thammasat University...diplomatic capabilities in Brussels. "Racism in Belgium", how dare you?

[stevenl]

They could be dutch people living close to the Belgian border, or Belgians mistaken for Dutch.

Impossible, Belgians are not stingy at all, whereas the Dutch are famous for...and about SMART dealing with money: Belgium is the second richest country of the Eu, behind the much larger Germany and in terms of GDP the top in Europe: 35% ahead the second country.

I would like a source for that, 2nd richest country, since they have massive debts and there is more and more talk about Belgium needing a bail out.

[dcsw53]

I had the same thing happen with a Thai tour agency in Chiang Mai. I decided to use a travel agency because of the complicated itinerary I had (7 flights in 10 days), AND, sad to say, the agency was recommended by TV posters in Chiang Mai; so I thought it was safe.

They took my money (58,000 baht) but never booked or issued the tickets for two airlines. I only found out the scam when I called the airlines a few months later to re-confirm my flights. Neither air carrier had never heard of me. I called the travel agency and they said they'd fix it right away. No action. When I continued to press them, they stopped taking my calls or answering my emails.

Barely weeks before the flight, I finally used a friend's phone to call them and spoke to new customer service clerk who didn't know me. Rather than ask to speak to the manager (who wouldn't take my calls) I gave the following message for her to pass on: "I am taking a bus next weekend to Chiang Mai, and I plan to show up on your doorstep with my receipts and the Tourist Police. You can avert this by issuing my tickets immediately."

The agency waited a full four days right up until the night before I was to leave for Chiang Mai, and issued the E-tickets by email. I immediately called the airlines to confirm. I also asked them if my travel agency could cancel my tickets and booking directly with the airlines at any time before the trip, without my involvement or notice to me. The answer was affirmative, causing me to live in fear and trembling right up to flight time, expecting that the rug might be pulled out from under me at the last minute. The last week before my trip, I called both airlines every day, and the last day, every couple of hours.

A real traveler's nightmare that took months, untold hours, and about 100 phone calls to sort out.

Sadly, this travel agency continues to operate.

Help others to avoid them - name them !

[LivinginKata]

Help others to avoid them - name them !

Sigh sigh - how many times do we have to say this is not allowed for reasons already explained.

[NamKangMan]

Help others to avoid them - name them !

Sigh sigh - how many times do we have to say this is not allowed for reasons already explained.

Just a quick TV question, LIK. Can the subject travel agency be named on TV if the police state the name of the travel agency they are investigating in the media, namely, the PG?

Edited January 24, 2013 by NamKangMan

[Lancelot]

Telling the thruth is not a defense against libel on itself in Thailand.

You gotta love this place

[LivinginKata]

Just a quick TV question, LIK. Can the subject travel agency be named on TV if the police state the name of the travel agency they are investigating in the media, namely, the PG?

Yes, so long as you quote/link the PG article.

[Jimi007]

Telling the thruth is not a defense against libel on itself in Thailand.

You gotta love this place

Just curious, do you want to pay for the attorney to defend you in a libel case here?

[khunsiam]

They could be dutch people living close to the Belgian border, or Belgians mistaken for Dutch.

Impossible, Belgians are not stingy at all, whereas the Dutch are famous for...and about SMART dealing with money: Belgium is the second richest country of the Eu, behind the much larger Germany and in terms of GDP the top in Europe: 35% ahead the second country.

I would like a source for that, 2nd richest country, since they have massive debts and there is more and more talk about Belgium needing a bail out.

you're kidding.

[CHRISTIANa9]

One way ticket. Isn't a return trip cost much less?

[BradinAsia]

Just a note , "Farangs" also include Chinese , Malaysian , Japanese , Russian and the rest of the planet that are not Thai ,

I've seen this kind of statement several times on TV, but...

In the last 20 years, I don't recall a Thai ever referring to another Asian as "farang."

Even in Thai language "ahan farang" means Western food.

[stevenl]

They could be dutch people living close to the Belgian border, or Belgians mistaken for Dutch.

Impossible, Belgians are not stingy at all, whereas the Dutch are famous for...and about SMART dealing with money: Belgium is the second richest country of the Eu, behind the much larger Germany and in terms of GDP the top in Europe: 35% ahead the second country.

I would like a source for that, 2nd richest country, since they have massive debts and there is more and more talk about Belgium needing a bail out.

you're kidding.

That's a very convincing source

[NamKangMan]

Just a note , "Farangs" also include Chinese , Malaysian , Japanese , Russian and the rest of the planet that are not Thai ,

I've seen this kind of statement several times on TV, but...

In the last 20 years, I don't recall a Thai ever referring to another Asian as "farang."

Even in Thai language "ahan farang" means Western food.

For Thai's, we are "Farang."

For the Thai Government, we are "Aliens."

But for both of them, we are "ATM's." :) :)

Edited January 25, 2013 by NamKangMan