exchange scam in soi buakhow

[tomyumchai]

evening all, not sure if this is of interest to most people but theres a scam going on in the yellow exchange office on soi buakhow, . ive been there 3 times now to change up large amounts and each time ive been the girl in the right hand box (with a pasty white face, yeah i know....) throws the ticket on the counter face down and proceeds to count out the cash. in each transaction she gives you .05 lower than the rate in the window. ive pulled her each time on this and her standard reply is "oh sorry!!!! this was last night rate".

well no missy, i have been tracking the rate every day and it was the same 2 days running and has not changed from last night, 51.95bt.

i smilingly informed her that she had done this 3 times now and she just smiled back and carefully counted my cash. i could have been out by 1,850bt if i hadnt caught this scam.

and 5 minutes later i went to bon cafe on naklua only to see a new exchange box open across the road with 50.05 to a pound in the window........oh hum....

[Gsxrnz]

Caveat Emptor.

[paddyjenkins]

always agree the actual rate at that instant in time so they can't con you, at least not in that way. better still, you tell them how much you intend to exchange and ask to confirm both the rate and the amount of thai baht you will receive.

[MB1]

So OP you've been 3 times and on each occasion you've noticed the scam, after the first time you obviously decided to return, OH HUM, some people just don't learn...

I'd hate to go around Pattaya counting all the exchange booths, banks etc but there's plenty to choose from eh....No need to keep going back and getting scammed is there...Unless you fancy the white pasty faced cashier, and as it's near Pook Bar, is it a ladyboy...????..

[Gone]

I agree. Once bitten, 3 times just stupid really. So why DO you keep going back?

[Pattaya28]

If you could have short-changed by 1,850 baht, and the shortage was .05 on the advertised rate, that equates to a £37,000 transaction. Nearly 2 million baht.

Do you feel safe exchanging that amount up between a bar and a massage parlor on Soi Buakhow ??

[MAJIC]

Well the first time she had done that trick on me I would never have gone back,and changed my money in Banks,which are pretty reliable! and display the minute by minute exchange rates,on a illuminated board,anybody can understand.

[anon8]

So OP you've been 3 times and on each occasion you've noticed the scam, after the first time you obviously decided to return..

Of course. Naturally you return to the same exchange booth that has scammed you previously.

I mean why take chances with some other exchange box, they may not pull the rate scam. Boring!

[paddyjenkins]

if the OP has regularly been exchanging GBP 37k then the 0.05 discrepancy was not a con, it was their money laundering fee

[chris2004]

If you are changing large amounts also check the final amount you get. Don't rely on them checking it. I was short changed once by 1,000 baht because the girl didn't think i would be bothered to recount the 35 1,000 baht notes she gave me.

[gmac]

While it is a scam it is hardly a big deal for the individual customer (unless changing far more cash than any booth is likely to allow) but a nice little earner for the cashier. Can't say I'd be too worried about the 10 Baht it would cost me to change a couple of hundred pounds. The 150 Baht the bank's take for ATM withdrawals is a far bigger scam..........but acceptable of course because it is legal!

[TaaSaparot]

This would a TT exchange booth.

[Tolley]

I use the exchange on the second floor of Tops.

I always haggle over the listed rate and if you change a lot you get a lower rate still and then I count the cash.

As will any financial transaction in Thailand you need to be ever vigilant to scams, rip offs etc

[In Search of Space]

When will you next be strolling down Soi B with 37,000 quid in your pocket ? - just wondering !

[topt]

If the OP hasn't completely miscalculated the amount he is missing a trick anyhow. Any figure over a couple of thousand you should be getting better than the "window" rate. Just make a call to the boss and agree it before you go to change.

Then if something like that happens you can also call up and complain about it. By the way I think there are at least 2 if not 3 of that particular chain now on Soi B so you may want to be a bit more specific about location.......