Bangkok:- Tourist police have rounded up 22 alleged scammers for luring foreign tourists from famous tourist destinations in the capital to be overcharged at jewelry shops, restaurants, tailor’s shops and souvenir shops.

The arrests were made in sting operations and Police Commissioner General Pol Gen Somyot Pumpanmuang, Police spokesman Pol Lt Gen Prawut Thawornsiri and Tourist Police Commander Pol Maj Gen Apichai Thi-amart held a press conference at the Royal Thai Police headquarters Thursday to announce the arrests.

Somyot said the 22 scammers damaged the country’s reputation and caused damage to the tourism industry just for their group’s interest.

Somyot said the arrests were made after undercover officers, who look like foreign tourists, were sent to the areas these scammers were preying on tourists.

Somyot said the scammers would wait in front of the Grand Palace, the Emerald Buddha Temple and Wat Pho and would pick tourists who were not accompanied by tour guides.

The police chief said the scammers deceived tourists that the Grand Palace, the Emerald Buddha Temple or What Pho were closed in the morning because of certain rites and they would try to convince the tourists to visit a jewelry shop instead, for example.

Somyot said the deceived tourists later posted their incidents on social network or told TV stations in their countries or filed complaints with the tourist police or even with the Government House

Prawut said the jewelry shops, tailor’s shops and souvenir shops overcharged the tourists and gave up to 30 per cent commissions to these scammers.

The spokesman warned these shops to stop the practice or they would also be charged as collaborators with the scammers.

Just took almost 40 years to do anything about it..........

Prayut strikes again

"The spokesman warned these shops to stop the practice or they would also be charged as collaborators with the scammers."

If these shops were not over charging the scammers would not be bringing customers. Charge the shops ! The shops are part of the problem !!!

Welcome to Land of Scams/LOS.

Ok so what happened to the 22 scammers, are they in jail or did they get a heavy fine???

Slap on the wrist and sent out again ,business as normal.

regards Worgeordie

next...skywalk between Chitlom BTS and the Erawan shrine. I see the scammers every day preying on clueless tourists.

next...skywalk between Chitlom BTS and the Erawan shrine. I see the scammers every day preying on clueless tourists.

Several years back I went to the palace. Sure enough, right across the street from basically the main entrance where people can be seen walking in, a guy with a tuk tuk approaches me and says "temple closed, special ceremony". Now I am not a young newbie, I have been around the world and this was my 6th trip to the kingdom, so I was aware of all this nonsense. He said no charge, I take you several places, maybe you buy something. I said I am sure I won't buy because I travel light but I will go. So I hope in the tuk tuk. We visit the Marble Wat, which was OK. I probably would not have gone there otherwise. One other Wat Thai I can't remember now. Then a gem store and cut shop where we could see the guys cutting and polishing some stones. I was mildly interested but nothing I was going to buy. I walked around the gift store, and of course the tuk tuk guy was watching to see if I bought anything. No doubt he gets a commission. At each place we stopped he got some sort of gas coupon. After the 3rd hour I said OK that's enough, let's go back to the palace. He said more. I said no. He was of course a bit upset, went back to the palace. I gave him a tip. I feel I had lived up to my part of the bargain. I didn't mind a few hours tour. I am not sorry he did not get any commission from me. I did tell him up front I was not buying anything. Not to mention of course his scam lying attempt about the palace being closed.

Several years back I went to the palace. Sure enough, right across the street from basically the main entrance where people can be seen walking in, a guy with a tuk tuk approaches me and says "temple closed, special ceremony". Now I am not a young newbie, I have been around the world and this was my 6th trip to the kingdom, so I was aware of all this nonsense. He said no charge, I take you several places, maybe you buy something. I said I am sure I won't buy because I travel light but I will go. So I hope in the tuk tuk. We visit the Marble Wat, which was OK. I probably would not have gone there otherwise. One other Wat Thai I can't remember now. Then a gem store and cut shop where we could see the guys cutting and polishing some stones. I was mildly interested but nothing I was going to buy. I walked around the gift store, and of course the tuk tuk guy was watching to see if I bought anything. No doubt he gets a commission. At each place we stopped he got some sort of gas coupon. After the 3rd hour I said OK that's enough, let's go back to the palace. He said more. I said no. He was of course a bit upset, went back to the palace. I gave him a tip. I feel I had lived up to my part of the bargain. I didn't mind a few hours tour. I am not sorry he did not get any commission from me. I did tell him up front I was not buying anything. Not to mention of course his scam lying attempt about the palace being closed.

There's a place here in Phuket that's just opened. It looks like and is almost as big as the Taj Mahal. I'm told it's a special Jewelry store built especially to cater for the Chinese tourists. More often than not there are at least ten very large commuter bus parked in the car park. Passing by the place when it was under construction I first thought it was a new 5 star hotel, it's that big. But later I began to think it might be a new conference centre. To have something so large and just to cater for the Chinese is frankly mind boggling. But the practice of rounding up tourists in order to get sales in fine gems etc is not new. When I first came to Thailand in 1982 I was 'invited' to look around and did buy a stone I still own and do not regret ever buying it. I don't see anything wrong in it as long as scamming is not on the agenda..