I thought I had left these behind in London years ago....

Went to watch a film tonight and upon leaving, I (and the missus) get approached by a woman in KFC (apologies, we were starving) with a baby showing me a few photo's.....usual alarm bells are ringing, when is the "I need some cash/assistance'" coming and I am thinking, get to the f**king point of this blag?

She tells me she is from Ukraine, which is getting grief from Russia.....I am like "yeah seen that on TV"...no, not Thai Visa!

She tells me she has lost a rounded US$2000.00 on a bus.....and after a bit of chitter chatter "how long you been here", "Ukraine is very poor" etc etc....I was waiting for the line, did not take long......I get the mandatory, would you like to help me and but some pictures?

I play along for a while, why not?

I respond with "go to your Embassy", "why don't you go home", "why would I give money to you" (when I would much rather give it to my GF's parents' who work like dogs and never ask for a dime) and then progressively getting to "what you are doing is wrong"..."it's people like you who are "f*king it up for the rest of us", I would much rather stick hot pins in my eyes than give her some cash...she gets the message and mutters a few words and p**sses off!

Have they arrived? I thought I left this <deleted> behind on the London Underground?

But she tells me she has a Visa...well that costs....and, I also noticed prior, she had a bloke in tow with a toddler, who "shrank off" prior to her coming over to talk to me and the missus.

It's people like this who are making life harder for the rest of us (re Immigration).....cannot wait until I see her in Immigration getting her 30 day extension or whatever!

Just a heads up.......needs to be stamped out before it becomes an epidemic!

Really surprised me....first time in CM!

Your poor wife...

They were probably Russians , there are now more scammers in the world than honest people , I look at the situation and reverse it would they help you of course not. Next time tell them this is your last meal and could they lend you 100 bht for a bus ticket.

This woman nor people like her have no bearing or impact on my visa situation nor work permit and I simply ignore them rather than getting my knickers all twisted up over something so trivial. sorry

When people like that approach me ,usually the first thing they

ask you is where are you from,if you say UK, USA,etc that gives

them a foot in the door to ask the next question,so i say something

like Narnia ,or some other fictitious country,which stops them in their

tracks ,allowing me to exit ,stage left.

regards Worgeordie

When I was back in the UK a few months ago, I watched a tv programme about pickpockets.

The ukraine and Romania are the biggest suppliers of pickpocketing gangs on the world.

Biggest target was London but They deploy now to major tourist destinations.

At the point of starting a conversation with a Ukraine it wouldn't surprise me if you become "the mark"

Best not even to humour them, just in case.

When people like that approach me ,usually the first thing they

ask you is where are you from,if you say UK, USA,etc that gives

them a foot in the door to ask the next question,so i say something

like Narnia ,or some other fictitious country,which stops them in their

tracks ,allowing me to exit ,stage left.

regards Worgeordie

I miss the French con man who - for many years - used to ask first thing if you spoke French and if you said no, he would look for someone French to scam. He was easy to get rid of.

I don't mind them. Makes me feel smug and superior.

i too, suspect they were Russians posing as Ukrainians, and not Ukrainians. that is not their style. i spent 4 years with a Ukrainian woman and she would go 2 days without eating rather than let on to me or any of her friends that she had come up short in between paychecks or if there was an emergency or illness back in Ukraine she would send her entire paycheck home. same with all of her Ukrainian friends. of course there are good and bad in every country of the world.

tell them to bugger off from the get go.easy and say no money walk away

Ahh ..most likely gypsies ! Should have called the police to assist them back home.

I had problems with Gypsies many years ago in Paris.

Same people different locations

All cry no money