Finnish UFC fighter gets ripped off in Phuket "5" star hotel.

[KittenKong]

Heads up, just check the phone number on the web, that's not nearly a real 5 star hotel, it's a very mediocre 3 star hotel at best, in a shopping mall, near to the bars.

You get what you pay for.

From the video, another fame showing part of the receipt:

Makwan hotel deposit receipt 03.gif

Definitely not a 5 star resort by any means.

3-star, 5-star. 500EUR, 300EUR.

This place clearly has a lot of trouble with its 5s and 3s. Maybe they are dyslexic?

[sanukjim]

Even after many years here I still have trouble working out whether such things are attempts at theft or just crass incompetence.

BOTH

[sanukjim]

It sounds like this guy is a bit ignorant not to get a receipt. May be someone should instruct him about protecting his money when traveling internationally..

[chiang mai]

I used to live in Patong and I'd walk by that hotel almost daily, we even ate there a couple of times as a result of female staff outside touting for new customers and offering discounts. They might like to think they're a 5 star but it doesn't even begin to come close to any 5 stars that I know not in any respect, ambiance, service, facilities - only location give it a plus mark being central with immediate access to Jungceylon.

[DLock]

It sounds like this guy is a bit ignorant not to get a receipt. May be someone should instruct him about protecting his money when traveling internationally..

I give up.

Shoot me now.

[stevenl]

It sounds like this guy is a bit ignorant not to get a receipt. May be someone should instruct him about protecting his money when traveling internationally..

Read before replying.

[grumpyoldman]

Three pages and 66 posts and not one crack about an "unhappy Finnish".

This forum is going downhill bigtime...........

[keithathome]

A lot of Thaibashing going on: I booked in to a hotel in CM for a month and paid the deposit. Found somewhere else and left after 3 weeks, I got the full deposit back PLUS a refund for the week I did not stay - in cash.

[MeHere]

Stayed in a hotel in Pattaya & when l booked out they said that they would refund the 500 Baht deposit when l produced the receipt.

l did so & the TWO receptionists looked very disappointed. One gave the 500 Baht to the other(instead of to me)& the other girl asked me if she could keep the 500Baht.

When l insisted on the money, she reluctantly passed it over & asked again if l could "give it to her".

Positive that they were hoping that l'd misplaced the receipt.

Plenty of cheek.

This is one of the things I dislike so much here. I feel not one ounce of pity for these beggars

So many times I'm asked for a tip, for no reason other than them just being there, or asking. I just answer with another question and grin "Why?"

They often say it jokingly, but I know deep down inside they mean it. One reason they have no money is because the lazy slags sit around on their asses waiting for their money ship to sail in.

What makes them expect that they should get any money for nothing whatsoever?

[beechbum]

It sounds like this guy is a bit ignorant not to get a receipt. May be someone should instruct him about protecting his money when traveling internationally..

And the most ironic post for December goes to....

[FritsSikkink]

maybe they charged him for the coconuts

[NamKangMan]

There seems to be some confusion about whether this guy had a receipt, or not.

I am not sure if that's because members did not read the full article, and watch the video, or because they feel secure that with a receipt, no scam is possible.

The way it appears to me is, this guy had a receipt, and they still scammed him.

It appears, even with a receipt, you are still not safe from being scammed on Phuket.

So, I suggest, any establishment requiring a deposit, do not stay there.

Much the same you do not hand over your passport to a motorbike hire shop, do not had over cash, or credit card, as a deposit for a hotel room.

If you do so, you expose yourself to be scammed.

[FritsSikkink]

Five star hotels in Thailand some that charge up to 10,000 Baht a night are much the same as a no star hotel for 500 Baht. The bed covers may look nice and maybe a view but nothing more.

you haven't been to 1 then

[bearpolar]

Paypal needs to come up with a credit card. Any shady practice - > Hello paypal, this company scammed me. 5mins later, heres your refund my dear faithful customer. Paypal always refunds.

[FritsSikkink]

Paypal needs to come up with a credit card. Any shady practice - > Hello paypal, this company scammed me. 5mins later, heres your refund my dear faithful customer. Paypal always refunds.

they also refund if the buyers is a scammer

[sebastion]

Paypal needs to come up with a credit card. Any shady practice - > Hello paypal, this company scammed me. 5mins later, heres your refund my dear faithful customer. Paypal always refunds.

Its never refunded in 5 mins. Ive had disputes on ebay and its always taken a week or more to get refunded by paypal.

[NamKangMan]

Paypal needs to come up with a credit card. Any shady practice - > Hello paypal, this company scammed me. 5mins later, heres your refund my dear faithful customer. Paypal always refunds.

A little difficult in this case.

All the hotel staff have to do is dispute the refund saying something like, "He stained the carpet. We are keeping some of the deposit for cleaning."

Then, no doubt, in time, it will become like the scratched rental motorbike, and the scratched jet ski scam.

There will be fictitious damage to the hotel room.

[Topah]

Hotel has responded. They have fired the person who did this and filed a police report. They will also contact Makwan about this incident. I don't know how legit the response is but happy that they took responsibility.

Here is a respond from the hotel

https://www.facebook.com/tomi.paldanius/activity/621828024622906?comment_id=622449997894042&notif_t=open_graph_action_comment

One thing I hope is that Thai tourist sector will learn from this is that social media nowadays is so strong that you just cannot do things like these in 2015. Educate your staff and stop rip-offs even it seems to be in your dna. You will lose business with rip-off attitude.

Edited December 30, 2015 by Topah

[2fishin2]

A lot of Thaibashing going on: I booked in to a hotel in CM for a month and paid the deposit. Found somewhere else and left after 3 weeks, I got the full deposit back PLUS a refund for the week I did not stay - in cash.

Count your lucky stars guy, you got super lucky, definitely not the norm in Thailand

[bearpolar]

Paypal needs to come up with a credit card. Any shady practice - > Hello paypal, this company scammed me. 5mins later, heres your refund my dear faithful customer. Paypal always refunds.

A little difficult in this case.

All the hotel staff have to do is dispute the refund saying something like, "He stained the carpet. We are keeping some of the deposit for cleaning."

Then, no doubt, in time, it will become like the scratched rental motorbike, and the scratched jet ski scam.

There will be fictitious damage to the hotel room.

you clearly don't know paypal. You can basically buy a 5000$ tv with it, send a picture of the tv in perfect condition and say 'look theres a scratch' and you get your 5000$ back and keep the tv.

Its impossible not to get refunded, thats why most sane people don't allow paypal on their e-commerce.

[catman20]

I've lived in Thailand 15 years this is nothing new, they been ripping farangs and tourist off for years with there stupid con games.

id like to see this UFC fighter and his friends rent a jet skis on pattaya beach that would even the score up a bit with the jet ski mafia if it got to a punch up.

[NamKangMan]

Paypal needs to come up with a credit card. Any shady practice - > Hello paypal, this company scammed me. 5mins later, heres your refund my dear faithful customer. Paypal always refunds.

A little difficult in this case.

All the hotel staff have to do is dispute the refund saying something like, "He stained the carpet. We are keeping some of the deposit for cleaning."

Then, no doubt, in time, it will become like the scratched rental motorbike, and the scratched jet ski scam.

There will be fictitious damage to the hotel room.

you clearly don't know paypal. You can basically buy a 5000$ tv with it, send a picture of the tv in perfect condition and say 'look theres a scratch' and you get your 5000$ back and keep the tv.

Its impossible not to get refunded, thats why most sane people don't allow paypal on their e-commerce.

I am very familiar with PayPal.

"Its impossible not to get refunded" - rubbish.

In any case, the dispute resolution cases takes time, usually a matter of days, sometimes over a week.

A tourist on a holiday may not be able to have holiday funds tied up for a week, or longer, of their holiday.

[FritsSikkink]

I've lived in Thailand 15 years this is nothing new, they been ripping farangs and tourist off for years with there stupid con games.

id like to see this UFC fighter and his friends rent a jet skis on pattaya beach that would even the score up a bit with the jet ski mafia if it got to a punch up.

he would get shot

[grumpyoldman]

I've lived in Thailand 15 years this is nothing new, they been ripping farangs and tourist off for years with there stupid con games.

id like to see this UFC fighter and his friends rent a jet skis on pattaya beach that would even the score up a bit with the jet ski mafia if it got to a punch up.

he would get shot

catman20 for being here 15 years (I guess in Pattaya?), that's some seriously bad advice to any UFC or tough types that might be looking at this thread.

But I guess with the emoticons you meant it as a joke.

[ALFREDO]

I never paid a deposit to a hotel!!!

Not needed in 1/2 * - 2 * Hotels, right.

[ALFREDO]

Went to Centra Avenue Pattaya could months ago, paid for entire stay UPFRONT before checking in, asked them to remove all mini bar items….and told them I wouldn't be dining in their hotel at all and they could deactivate my access to rooms ervice etc.

They still wanted 25,000 baht deposit…I told them to piss off.

And they did.

"They still wanted 25,000 baht deposit"

Maybe you look same a ROCK STAR, Heavy Metal, they sometimes smash their room to pieces.

[ALFREDO]

Isn't it normal when giving a deposit to get a receipt I know I get one every time in Pattaya without asking and they are by no means 5 star?

Exactly, for my work I travel all over Thailand for more than 8 years and have seen or heard or experiences anything like this.

Then again, it was an UFC fighter according to the OP, mostly they are famous and well known for their force, not for their wit!

The Hotel answer to rhe fighter on facebook

"Millennium Resort Patong Phuket

Dear Mr Amirkhani,

Thank you for bringing this matter to light. We would like to share that we have completed our internal investigations. The perpetrator of this incident has been uncovered and his employment terminated with immediate effect. A police report has also been lodged.

You should be hearing from our Management very shortly.

Once again, we would like to apologise for this regrettable experience. We hope that our actions and resolution of this incident will be of satisfaction to you."

[LivinginKata]

So it's the Millennium Resort Patong Phuket ...

No 5 star as far as I can see - 3 star at best ..

[grumpyoldman]

So it's the Millennium Resort Patong Phuket ...

No 5 star as far as I can see - 3 star at best ..

But if you go to Agoda and other similar sites, they rate such a place as 5 star.

Had a boss that once said " went to Agoda and there are 117 five star resorts in Phuket ", I laughed out loud as there are maybe in reality, a dozen.

[LivinginKata]

So it's the Millennium Resort Patong Phuket ...

No 5 star as far as I can see - 3 star at best ..

But if you go to Agoda and other similar sites, they rate such a place as 5 star.

Had a boss that once said " went to Agoda and there are 117 five star resorts in Phuket ", I laughed out loud as there are maybe in reality, a dozen.

Here in Thailand hotels self rate themselves - no independent rating association.

Maybe a dozen real 5 star hotels mostly all in Laguna and Surin area. None in Patong IMHO.