Rayong/Koh Samet. Does everyone try to rip you off.

[Cook my sock]

Just my experiences so far.. Will update

Got a minivan from Ekkamai yesterday to Rayong . Some local Rayong guy in the van said he would help me get to my hotel and showed me a tuk tuk to take but he was clearly up to no good, trying to persuade me to cancel my booking and stay in another hotel. Or possibly he was 'cruising'. Very annoyed and ended up jumping out of the tuk tuk at a junction.

It was only the good fortune to meet a very nice Swiss chap in a pizzeria in the middle of nowhere .. He kindly drove me to the hotel.

So this morning I leave sabaidee beach hotel and ask to book their cab for the 20 minute ride to ban phe pier. They charge me 500 baht for the journey.

Not happy so far..

Edited February 18, 2016 by Cook my sock

[grumpyoldman]

Well,,,,,,,,,you could be in Patong and get charged that to go around the block and upon arguing get set upon by tuk-tuk driver and friends..........

Touristy places will always try to get the best of the tourist. Regarding the Swiss guy, that's exactly how you want to handle it while traveling. Pull into a pub where you see other expats and ask them the best way regarding your matter. Someone gives you advice that's going to save you money, buy them a draft Tiger.

Book the taxi through the hotel? No way! Hotel gets a cut and the front desk persons brother/dad/uncle/cousin will charge you the most exorbitant rate possible.

And, there is always the TV Forum. Use the search mechanism or post the question in the correct forum, i.e. "best and cheapest way to get to ban phe pier".

Overall bargain a bit "is that your best price?" settle on the price before going and have a smile, don't let the greed ruin your trip. Cheers, GOM

Edited February 18, 2016 by grumpyoldman

[Mooner]

Sabaidee Beach hotel to Ban phe is 24.7 km. I go from Ban phe to Laemthong shopping plaza in Rayong which is 25 km and usually pay 400 Baht or 300 Baht if i use the guys who use ptt gas instead of gasoline. (I have lived here 4 years)

So as a "Tourist" you were overcharged 100 or 200 Baht depending on what fuel was used in the vehicle. I would say you did ok! 500 Baht for 24 km.

You will find Ban Phe worse if you dont have your head screwed on. No slow boat.. have to take speedboat. You have to pay here for National Park. Island is full.. need to book hotel at the pier at inflated prices.

I could go on....T.I.T!

[donnybay]

Forgive me OP but you seem a little naive and not used to traveling to much, perhaps a pre arranged package of transport and hotels would have been better for you

Why even listen to a guy in a mini van, let alone forcing you to get about before you should, just ignore the touts smile and walk away

[Cook my sock]

Yes maybe I should not talk to anyone but to a degree I think you gain more by showing an element of trust and having the occasional mishap.. if I didn't I wouldn't have made some of the great friends I have over the course of 15 yrs travelling around Thailand.

Read up on the speedboat rip off but was pleasantly surprised. 250 baht for a boat all to myself, he even took me right to the hotel beach. Avoided the landing charge so I tipped him 100.

Edited February 18, 2016 by Cook my sock

[Cook my sock]

Well,,,,,,,,,you could be in Patong and get charged that to go around the block and upon arguing get set upon by tuk-tuk driver and friends..........

Touristy places will always try to get the best of the tourist. Regarding the Swiss guy, that's exactly how you want to handle it while traveling. Pull into a pub where you see other expats and ask them the best way regarding your matter. Someone gives you advice that's going to save you money, buy them a draft Tiger.

Book the taxi through the hotel? No way! Hotel gets a cut and the front desk persons brother/dad/uncle/cousin will charge you the most exorbitant rate possible.

Yeah in the end the cab driver was pleasant and I was ok about paying 500 baht. The hotel only had the one number so I realise I should have paid more for a better hotel closer to the pier. My mistake.

Re the Swiss chap, I'm taking him and his wife out to dinner to say thanks

Edited February 18, 2016 by Cook my sock

[Briggsy]

Sorry dude I'm very used to travelling..to a degree I think you gain more by showing an element of trust ..if I didn't I wouldn't have made some of the great friends I have over the course of 15 yrs travelling around Thailand.

Read up on the speedboat rip off but was pleasantly surprised. 250 baht for a boat all to myself, he even took me right to the hotel beach. Avoided the landing charge so I tipped him 100.

I don't think the tourist parts of Thailand in 2016 are for you. If you have been travelling around Thailand for 15 years, you must know that in Phuket, Samui, central Chiang Mai, Khao San road and all the other mass tourism places, you will be overcharged and lied to.

And you are probably living in yesteryear when it wasn't as bad.

However, I have good news and a solution. I always try to be constructive. Have you ever visited Mukdahan? I think you will find the proportion of rip-off artists you bump into drops dramatically.

Edited February 18, 2016 by Briggsy

[Cook my sock]

Yup Phuket is a hsithole. Lived there for 6 months luckily had a car so wasn't ripped off. My biggest scare there was getting in an accident with a drunk gangster farang who threatened to find me after the police marched him to an atm.

Going to Nan province next so will check out Mukdahan.. Many thanks

[Paul944]

2 years ago we went to Koh Samet. A minivan from Bangkok to the pier and then by speed boat direct to the beach at Jep's Bungalows. The speed boat tickets were not cheap, but almost the same price as the slow boat to the pier on Koh Samet and a taxi to the resort.

500 baht for a 20 minute drive is not too bad. On Koh Samui you pay 500 baht for a 10 minute drive to the airport, on Phuket even more.

[Cook my sock]

Samet seems pretty decent so far. The island is less spoiled than I was expecting. Clean beaches and development is not crazy.

If you look at what happened to Koh lipe in the last ten years it's quite refreshing to see that Samet has been protected to an extent.

[falang07]

Samet seems pretty decent so far. The island is less spoiled than I was expecting. Clean beaches and development is not crazy.

If you look at what happened to Koh lipe in the last ten years it's quite refreshing to see that Samet has been protected to an extent.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1455814207.652939.jpg

Are you serious? Samet has been spoiled long time ago.

[Cook my sock]

Yes I was serious when I said "less spoiled than I was expecting"

Edited February 19, 2016 by Cook my sock