New kind of scam in Bangkok....

[Anthony5]

Well my friend was browsing over the Patpong market while she still had a few hours off before leaving to the airport. She arrived last Monday at 6:20 AM and was sceduled to leave at Thursday 2:10 AM.

First time in Thailand. Now also the last time in Thailand. And I can assure that the company she is an executive and board member for, will withdraw their investments... It's a mayor banking and insurrance company.....

I have hardly seen any one that pi**ed off!!!

So because someone was scammed out of 125 Euro a Major banking and insurance company will withdraw all their investments, which probably as a MAJOR company run into the millions of Euros, from Thailand.

Can I laugh at that statement ?

Edited November 27, 2014 by Anthony5

[ATF]

Well my friend was browsing over the Patpong market while she still had a few hours off before leaving to the airport. She arrived last Monday at 6:20 AM and was sceduled to leave at Thursday 2:10 AM.

First time in Thailand. Now also the last time in Thailand. And I can assure that the company she is an executive and board member for, will withdraw their investments... It's a mayor banking and insurrance company.....

I have hardly seen any one that pi**ed off!!!

So because someone was scammed out of 125 Euro a Major banking and insurance company will withdraw all their investments, which probably as a MAJOR company run into the millions of Euros, from Thailand.

Can I laugh at that statement ?

Laugh your head off! Why would a director or senior executive want a dodgy Rolex? And Thailand loses billions. OP dream on.

[Showbags]

Is this an apologists thread ?

[Loptr]

Greed begets greed you cannot cheat an honest man or woman.

Ho Ho Ho. I laugh on you.

Laugh as much as you like your friend was suckered into a cheap Rolex deal and paid the price.

As the head of blah blah she should have gone to Siam Swiss and bought a real one.

What a load of cobblers.

She didn't buy anything... Since when is browsing in a tourist market and being scammed by locals a reflection on the victim?

[Loptr]

Lovely thai people at their best.....outstanding once again....and again...

...and your post is disgusting Thai-bashing at its worst.

These were a few slime-bags working a tourist trap... not the Thai people in general.

ok so you were there ?? so you must know all about it then go bishop bash

No I wasn't there. I spend most of my time in Chiang Mai among family and friends. I avoid tourist areas like the plague.

I've spent most of my adult life among working class Thais - chow ban - and when people gratuitously insult them I get pissed-off.

No one is naive enough the believe that all Thais are fine, upstanding people like your neighbors in CM, especially those in tourist traps like Patpong...

And while you are being smug in your little corner of paradise, how do you think the lady that was scammed feels about Thailand after this incident and what do you think she will tell her friends and family when she gets home?

[ATF]

This lady was in the criminal act of buying a fake watch. How many fake handbags did she buy? Officer I would like to complain that the illegal drugs I bought are shit. Som Nom Na.

[kingalfred]

Gotta love it! The RTP " reformed"? When hell freezes over.

[kingalfred]

Well my friend was browsing over the Patpong market while she still had a few hours off before leaving to the airport. She arrived last Monday at 6:20 AM and was sceduled to leave at Thursday 2:10 AM.

First time in Thailand. Now also the last time in Thailand. And I can assure that the company she is an executive and board member for, will withdraw their investments... It's a mayor banking and insurrance company.....

I have hardly seen any one that pi**ed off!!!

So because someone was scammed out of 125 Euro a Major banking and insurance company will withdraw all their investments, which probably as a MAJOR company run into the millions of Euros, from Thailand.

Can I laugh at that statement ?

It doesnt need " scam publicity" for them to withdraw investments, they already are! Why do you think the short tempered General is running around neighbouring countries looking for inward investment?Unsuccessfully. Edited November 27, 2014 by kingalfred

[petedk]

She forgot, (or didn't know), one of the golden rules of travelling.

If you are approached by a local when in a foreign country, they are probably up to no good.

Why is that a golden rule?

I have met many nice, friendly locals on my travels.

[Time Traveller]

Sorry but your friend is an idiot. There was no reason to pay anything and no charge that could possibly be filed against her.

[DP25]

This lady was in the criminal act of buying a fake watch. How many fake handbags did she buy? Officer I would like to complain that the illegal drugs I bought are shit. Som Nom Na.

You have no idea what she was looking at or buying. That market sells plenty of generic non brand goods. You can buy a cheap watch or bag without a brand, which is absolutely legal.

The woman didn't buy anything anyway, she was walking through a high profile tourist market, one that is promoted and sanctioned by the government, and was robbed by the police. Your comments in thread are <deleted>

[Scully]

Thanks for the warning op, I'm surprised this thread went down hill so quickly, even for Thai visa.

[ATF]

This lady was in the criminal act of buying a fake watch. How many fake handbags did she buy? Officer I would like to complain that the illegal drugs I bought are shit. Som Nom Na.

You have no idea what she was looking at or buying. That market sells plenty of generic non brand goods. You can buy a cheap watch or bag without a brand, which is absolutely legal.

The woman didn't buy anything anyway, she was walking through a high profile tourist market, one that is promoted and sanctioned by the government, and was robbed by the police. Your comments in thread are <deleted>

Yeah last time I bought something in Patpong it came with a box, papers, guarantee and receipt. <deleted>

[FACTOR]

First time in Thailand. Now also the last time in Thailand. And I can assure that the company she is an executive and board member for, will withdraw their investments... It's a mayor banking and insurrance company.....

I have hardly seen any one that pi**ed off!!!

"An executive and board member of a major banking and insurance company" was shopping for watches laid out on tables at Patpong market?

Go figure.

[FACTOR]

Well my friend was browsing over the Patpong market while she still had a few hours off before leaving to the airport. She arrived last Monday at 6:20 AM and was sceduled to leave at Thursday 2:10 AM.

First time in Thailand. Now also the last time in Thailand. And I can assure that the company she is an executive and board member for, will withdraw their investments... It's a mayor banking and insurrance company.....

I have hardly seen any one that pi**ed off!!!

"An executive and board member for a major banking and insurance company" was shopping for watches laid out on tables at the Patpong market?

Go figure.

[thailiketoo]

I think we should all thank Fred the OP. I read his 207 posts and all of them are about crime or scams in Thailand. Thanks for being so single minded in your posting and warning us all about the dangers of living in Thailand.

[FACTOR]

...and your post is disgusting Thai-bashing at its worst.

These were a few slime-bags working a tourist trap... not the Thai people in general.

you can have similar things in Rome, Paris or New York....

While those cities may have scams, and probably more petty street crime than Bangkok, in those places the police are not going to conspire with the scammers to steal your money. It's only in Thailand that I am more afraid of the police than I am of muggers.

Only in Thailand that you are more afraid of the police than you are of the muggers? You haven't travelled much, have you? Edited November 27, 2014 by Rooo

[CharlieH]

Off topic posts removed

[DP25]

you can have similar things in Rome, Paris or New York....

While those cities may have scams, and probably more petty street crime than Bangkok, in those places the police are not going to conspire with the scammers to steal your money. It's only in Thailand that I am more afraid of the police than I am of muggers.

Only in Thailand that you are more afraid of the police than you are of the muggers? You haven't travelled much, have you?

I can't think of any other country in the world where I am afraid of the police, but not afraid of being mugged or the victim of some other type of random street crime.

Thailand isn't the only country with corrupt police, but other countries with corrupt police are usually infested with crime and are dangerous to walk around alone at night.

The only thing I fear walking around Bangkok at 3am is the police. I can't think of any other city where that is the case. Maybe it exists, but I've been to a lot of countries and I've never seen anyplace like Bangkok in this regard.

[FACTOR]

you can have similar things in Rome, Paris or New York....

While those cities may have scams, and probably more petty street crime than Bangkok, in those places the police are not going to conspire with the scammers to steal your money. It's only in Thailand that I am more afraid of the police than I am of muggers.

Only in Thailand that you are more afraid of the police than you are of the muggers? You haven't travelled much, have you?

I can't think of any other country in the world where I am afraid of the police, but not afraid of being mugged or the victim of some other type of random street crime.

Thailand isn't the only country with corrupt police, but other countries with corrupt police are usually infested with crime and are dangerous to walk around alone at night.

The only thing I fear walking around Bangkok at 3am is the police. I can't think of any other city where that is the case. Maybe it exists, but I've been to a lot of countries and I've never seen anyplace like Bangkok in this regard.

OK -- perhaps I stand corrected. I did not realise it was that bad in Bangkok with the police. Perhaps I am the naive one.

[CMHomeboy78]

No I wasn't there. I spend most of my time in Chiang Mai among family and friends. I avoid tourist areas like the plague.

I've spent most of my adult life among working class Thais - chow ban - and when people gratuitously insult them I get pissed-off.

No one is naive enough the believe that all Thais are fine, upstanding people like your neighbors in CM, especially those in tourist traps like Patpong...

And while you are being smug in your little corner of paradise, how do you think the lady that was scammed feels about Thailand after this incident and what do you think she will tell her friends and family when she gets home?

I never said or implied that all Thais are fine, upstanding people, and I don't live in a little corner of paradise, I live in a Thai neighbourhood.

Frankly I don't give a damn what this woman feels about Thailand, nor what she tells her friends when she gets home.

All of us who have been here for a while have had bad experiences, but most of us learn from them and don't get burned again - we don't blame the Thais and Thailand for our own carelessness and stupidity.

[sipi]

Can you contract your executive friend and ask her to post her account of what happened Fred?

It all seems strange to me.

[Munger]

This lady was in the criminal act of buying a fake watch. How many fake handbags did she buy? Officer I would like to complain that the illegal drugs I bought are shit. Som Nom Na.

Disgusting reply from a Thai apologist

[OZEMADE]

Going on what the OP said, they had plenty of time to talk to the store owner, the police officer who wanted a bribe etc and not one of them bothered to use their Video phone, which would have ended the whole scam in a flash. If the cop insisted on the cash before he gave the Passport back, take the video to Police headquarters in Bangkok and also put it on Facebook.

[Time Traveller]

First time in Thailand. Now also the last time in Thailand. And I can assure that the company she is an executive and board member for, will withdraw their investments... It's a mayor banking and insurrance company.....

I have hardly seen any one that pi**ed off!!!

"An executive and board member of a major banking and insurance company" was shopping for watches laid out on tables at Patpong market?

Go figure.

...and paying bribes to police to drop "charges". I think the EU regulators would like to hear about this matter. You could make a quick $50k to leak the story to the media

[balo]

Why did she hand over her passport in the first place? This was a fake police officer and she should have gone to the police station and he would have dissappeared in a hurry . Also your wife should have called the real police and talk to them when you arrived the scene.

[fey]

The police were likely in on the scam.

This does happen with people you casually meet. Often they strike up a conversation and you order drinks which then come on a single bill since it's assumed you are buddies or a couple.

Then they excuse themselves to the bathroom were you are near finished and your tired of waiting so you go to pay the bill and they want the whole amount paid.

You don't even have a sale here, just some stranger that ran off with something lol, it could be 20 other people packed against you on the sidewalk. Personally i would have walked away. Your not carrying anything so there's no evidence it's just someone down the street shouting an accusation.

Happened to me and i simply tell them i only ordered mine, which is technically correct. It's totally the establishments fault and they are scratching for blame because they are incompetent.

Never had the police called but i'm sure i would only have to pay mine if it came to that. Unless the waitress really lied and said i was alone and ordered two, which is unlikely with a cop there and other people seeing otherwise.

Each customer should have their own chit anyhow even if you are together. It's just staff laziness because they don't want to issue two papers.

Get your kicks on Route 66.

I'm not afraid of passport theives either. Anyone who takes or wants to hold it as collateral gets their picture taken on my iphone. This goes in the stolen report to the embassy and i quickly get a replacement. Same goes for not returning it upon request. That counts as theft as well.

Edited November 27, 2014 by fey

[FredNL]

Well my friend was browsing over the Patpong market while she still had a few hours off before leaving to the airport. She arrived last Monday at 6:20 AM and was sceduled to leave at Thursday 2:10 AM.

First time in Thailand. Now also the last time in Thailand. And I can assure that the company she is an executive and board member for, will withdraw their investments... It's a mayor banking and insurrance company.....

I have hardly seen any one that pi**ed off!!!

So because someone was scammed out of 125 Euro a Major banking and insurance company will withdraw all their investments, which probably as a MAJOR company run into the millions of Euros, from Thailand.

Can I laugh at that statement ?

It is not about the money but about getting falsly (wrongly) accused !!!

In my friends point of view this country will NOT be able to do fair trading !!!

[tartempion]

Several errors made by the German lady in the OP.

1) As a tourist don't ever let your guard down.

2) a watch stall on a market, unless you don't want to pay more than 250B, walk by.

3) never take advice from touts, never follow them, go anywhere with them.

40 Never ever give you passport to anyone.

[TheSpade]

I can't think of any other country in the world where I am afraid of the police, but not afraid of being mugged or the victim of some other type of random street crime.

Thailand isn't the only country with corrupt police, but other countries with corrupt police are usually infested with crime and are dangerous to walk around alone at night.

The only thing I fear walking around Bangkok at 3am is the police. I can't think of any other city where that is the case. Maybe it exists, but I've been to a lot of countries and I've never seen anyplace like Bangkok in this regard.

This is a fair point.

When I read the initial comment about being more afraid of police than muggers I didn't agree but it's very true that in most countries where you don't want to encounter the police on a dark night there's a lot of crime and mugging going on.

Bangkok isn't a particularly dangerous place to be at night and random muggings seem to be pretty rare. Certainly not something I worry about.

Many countries in South America fit the bill. Many of the police can't be trusted and you'd do your best to avoid them down a dark alley way but most of those countries have high crime rates and robberies are common.