Campaign to fight tourist scams piloted in Kanchanaburi

[webfact]

Campaign to fight tourist scams piloted in Kanchanaburi

 

KANCHANABURI, 20 March 2017 (NNT) – In line with the government’s goal of raising tourist confidence, a campaign against tourist scams has been launched in Kanchanaburi province to prevent unscrupulous operators from taking advantage of tourists. 

The Ministry of Tourism and Sports and the Tourist Police Division are collaborating on a campaign to enforce regulation on tourism businesses and prevent unfair pricing of products and services for tourists. The campaign is to be piloted in Mueang Kanchanaburi, Sai Yok, Thong Pha Phum, Sangkhla Buri and Si Sawat districts of Kanchanaburi which are considered tourism hotspots. 

According to Permanent Secretary for Tourism and Sports Pongpanu Svetarundra, this campaign will help improve Thailand’s image in the eyes of foreigners and give them assurances that they will not be tricked into paying extravagant prices for goods and services.

He also cited Kanchanaburi as an appropriate province for the pilot project due to its popularity among tourists. Last year, over 9 million people visited the province, generating over 20 billion baht in revenue.

 

-- nnt 2017-03-21

[djayz]

They're going to have to do a lot more than that.... 

[NCC1701A]

" The Ministry of Tourism and Sports and the Tourist Police Division are collaborating on a campaign to enforce regulation on tourism businesses and prevent unfair pricing of products and services for tourists."

 

oh good, they will be doing away with dual pricing then at national parks?

 

[JonnyF]

The "government" should fix it's own National park scam before it turns it's attention to others.

 

 

[fruitman]

44 minutes ago, djayz said:

They're going to have to do a lot more than that.... 

Why?? It's only for show, the government does the same in national parks.

[rkidlad]

Advertising yourself as a tourist country and then actively trying to protect tourists. Why hasn't this been the mantra from day 1? 

[seminomadic]

At my university, the campaign to stop cheating on exams involved putting stickers on the back of every chair that - inexplicably, in English - said "Cheating is a road to nowhere" among other catchy slogans. 

 

I wonder if this campaign will rival our uni's in terms of half-assery.

[fruitman]

27 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

The "government" should fix it's own National park scam before it turns it's attention to others.

 

 

Yes and also the 220 baht foreigner-fee for using the ATM to get MAX 10.000 baht....Malaysia also doesn't charge that so it's Thailand only krab.

[darksidedog]

22 minutes ago, rkidlad said:

Advertising yourself as a tourist country and then actively trying to protect tourists. Why hasn't this been the mantra from day 1? 

Because they made a lot more money by fleecing tourists. Now they are worried that many people are staying away, so are going through the motions, to suggest they care.

I thnik a lot of people are more worried about ending up dead then ripped off, so they should pay some attention to that too.

[clockman]

Typical Thai response. Panic mode. No planning or forethought. The golden goose is dying. Through greed , corruption.

[greeneking]

........and the train fares in Kanchanaburi?  only trains in Thailand applying double pricing, as far as I know.

[KIWIBATCH]

The golden goose...is running out of flap...beginning a nose dive...slowly but surely...

[outsider]

Nope. Only the authorities can scam tourists. Starting with two-tiered pricing.

 

"... this campaign will help improve Thailand’s image in the eyes of foreigners and give them assurances that they will not be tricked into paying extravagant prices for goods and services."

 

I wonder how foreigners feel when they find out they have paid an entry fee that is 1000 percent more than what locals pay? How is that going to help with Thailand's image, which is somewhat of a joke, as it is.
 

[MartinL]

Interesting that this should start in Kanchanaburi.

 

On my first and only trip to Thailand as a tourist, I went to the war graves site there and was charged what I now know was a scam price to enter - I knew no better at the time. I read a similar story in a differential-pricing thread here not many weeks ago.

 

Contacting the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, after I saw that post & had my memory jogged, confirmed that entry is free and CWGC say there are signs there stating that entry is FREE TO ALL, even Thais. 

 

Scams are everywhere here, especially that Master Scammer, the Dept. of National Parks etc.

[dageurreotype]

Will the same authorities who oversee the regular 'cleanups' be employed to ensure tourists aren't scammed? You know, the ones with wands wings trailing fairy dust?

[realenglish1]

Unfair pricing for tourists Then stop charging way more for tourists in government operated themes such as parks

 

Wow Can you believe this hypocrisy 

[jaywalker]

8 hours ago, clockman said:

Typical Thai response. Panic mode. No planning or forethought. The golden goose is dying. Through greed , corruption.

 

They just rape their own country as hard and fast as they can go it seems.

 

I recall when Pattaya had just an old rickety wooden pier & 2 ferries a day out to Koh Larn, which was deserted for the most part.

 

I recall going out there with two other passengers on a ferry once. Aside from me, there was my wife and a monk as passengers.

 

Now they've ruined it with...you name it.

 

I've only been to Kanchanaburi once. It was like every other Thai town. Just crowded. Not sure what the tourist attraction is there?

[fruitman]

3 hours ago, jaywalker said:

 

They just rape their own country as hard and fast as they can go it seems.

 

I recall when Pattaya had just an old rickety wooden pier & 2 ferries a day out to Koh Larn, which was deserted for the most part.

 

I recall going out there with two other passengers on a ferry once. Aside from me, there was my wife and a monk as passengers.

 

Now they've ruined it with...you name it.

 

I've only been to Kanchanaburi once. It was like every other Thai town. Just crowded. Not sure what the tourist attraction is there?

I remember taking the boat to koh larn where we all had to wear a lifevest ALL THE TIME because those boats are so safe (one sunk a few weeks before that).

 

At koh larn we had to walk to the beach over a very crappy "bridge" which was already missing the sidewalls who fell down. After that we had to climb a very crappy broken wooden ladder to go down to the beach since the whole stairs was broken and never fixed.

 

They just don't fix anything, not even touristic islands like koh larn which attract a thousand tourists a day.

[Suradit69]

14 hours ago, webfact said:

Campaign to fight tourist scams piloted

That would probably require an improbable major increase in the average tourist's intelligence. 

 

 

"Psst. Wanna buy a Piaget watch for 50 baht?"

Edited March 21, 2017 by Suradit69

[jaywalker]

39 minutes ago, fruitman said:

I remember taking the boat to koh larn where we all had to wear a lifevest ALL THE TIME because those boats are so safe (one sunk a few weeks before that).

 

At koh larn we had to walk to the beach over a very crappy "bridge" which was already missing the sidewalls who fell down. After that we had to climb a very crappy broken wooden ladder to go down to the beach since the whole stairs was broken and never fixed.

 

They just don't fix anything, not even touristic islands like koh larn which attract a thousand tourists a day.

At least you had an excuse for a life jacket.

 

Yeah....I've been on that same pier.

 

It was unfinished for years & had rusty rebar jutting out of it.

 

I haven't been out there in a long time, due to the chaos that is Bali Hai pier.

 

Last time I went there I gave up on trying to park & just went to Rayong, where there were big globs of oil from the local refinery sloshing around.

 

I haven't seen any reporting on the ferry pier at Koh Larn recently.

 

I wonder if it has improved?

 

Thailand really is a gorgeous country, but they just rape it every day.

[jaywalker]

7 minutes ago, Suradit69 said:

That would probably require an improbable major increase in the average tourist's intelligence. 

 

 

"Psst. Wanna buy a Piaget watch for 50 baht?"

 

I snagged two Tag-Hauer watches for my brothers once, knowing they were fake, but ah well.

 

One lasted less than 24 hours. The other one lasted a whopping 2 months.

[Suradit69]

8 minutes ago, jaywalker said:

I snagged two Tag-Hauer watches for my brothers once, knowing they were fake, but ah well.

Fair enough if you understood  what you were buying. If one lasted 2 months, you did well.

 

I once bought a brand name watch for $10 in Chicago's Old Town, but in my defense, I was about 20 years old and had been drinking more than I should.  When I recovered late the following morning, the watch was already dead. A fool and his money, etc.

 

But if someone really thinks he's getting a $500 to $1000 watch for less than $2, calling it a scam is a stretch.Some people are begging to be had.

[darksidedog]

13 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Because they made a lot more money by fleecing tourists. Now they are worried that many people are staying away, so are going through the motions, to suggest they care.

I thnik a lot of people are more worried about ending up dead then ripped off, so they should pay some attention to that too.

On that last note, I suspect the dilemna facing immigration and the police to solve more murders, will be, do we need more Burmese or less?

Above: meant to say, dead, THAN ripped off. Not then. Sorry about that.

[Nigeone]

1 hour ago, Suradit69 said:

Fair enough if you understood  what you were buying. If one lasted 2 months, you did well.

 

I once bought a brand name watch for $10 in Chicago's Old Town, but in my defense, I was about 20 years old and had been drinking more than I should.  When I recovered late the following morning, the watch was already dead. A fool and his money, etc.

 

But if someone really thinks he's getting a $500 to $1000 watch for less than $2, calling it a scam is a stretch.Some people are begging to be had.

Well maybe then I have the record..bought 1 Breitling in Chiangmai in 2001 and another in 2003 . A few batteries and repair of straps later they still work fine and always have kept perfect time.. even the little dials work although don't think they are acurate . One cost me 1400 baht and the other 1700 baht when you got something around 70 baht to the pound from memory ..bargains and always commented on !! Yes I of course knew they were fakes but the quality and real solid weight of both of them some would be easily fooled 

Edited March 21, 2017 by Nigeone

[Boycie]

Anyone bought a boat ticket for Koh Larn island via the River Kwai Bridge pier or been offered any dodgy Rolex's in Kanchanaburi? I'm sorry 

 

Interesting to read about getting charged to enter the war graves and that the CWGC have acted and hopefully other tourists won't be scammed in the future.

 

Any other scam stories to share about Kanchanaburi?

[Stargeezr]

Thailand, do away with a visa unlss the touristis staying for more than 90 days, then have a visa for

6 months, or a year, or work visa, etc. That is how you can improve relationships with

us tourists.

Geezer

[ba ba]

19 hours ago, greeneking said:

........and the train fares in Kanchanaburi?  only trains in Thailand applying double pricing, as far as I know.

4 years ago river train 100b eachway thai's 0

[fruitman]

9 hours ago, jaywalker said:

 

I snagged two Tag-Hauer watches for my brothers once, knowing they were fake, but ah well.

 

One lasted less than 24 hours. The other one lasted a whopping 2 months.

Last month in Malaysia i was in a very cheap shop in the basement of a mall (something like Daiso).

There was a man looking at the cheap watches from 200 baht..he dropped one and it fell into 10 pieces scattered over the floor.

 

The salesgirl immediatly run to him and they started talking....i expected to see them arguing but without any problem he took the pieces to the cashier and paid the watch.

 

 

 

[CantSpell]

TAT new slogan?

 

"Come to Thailand, we have asked the local of Kanchanaburi to stop fleecing you.

You can still be killed, raped, raped and killed, scammed by cops, jet-skis, taxis.

You will still pay at least double for park and other attractions.

But Kanchanaburi locals have been asked to stop fleecing you.

Book now, offer available for short time only" 

 

Tourists numbers gonna sky rocket for sure