{"id":17798,"date":"2023-06-28T10:59:00","date_gmt":"2023-06-28T10:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/?p=17798"},"modified":"2023-07-01T13:40:28","modified_gmt":"2023-07-01T13:40:28","slug":"what-are-some-common-scams-to-watch-out-for-in-bangkok","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/what-are-some-common-scams-to-watch-out-for-in-bangkok\/","title":{"rendered":"What are some common scams to watch out for in Bangkok?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_1 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/what-are-some-common-scams-to-watch-out-for-in-bangkok\/#Here_are_some_scams_to_watch_out_for_in_Bangkok\" >Here are some scams to watch out for in Bangkok:<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/what-are-some-common-scams-to-watch-out-for-in-bangkok\/#1_Tuk-tuk_Scams\" >1. Tuk-tuk Scams<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/what-are-some-common-scams-to-watch-out-for-in-bangkok\/#2_Gem_Scams\" >2. Gem Scams<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/what-are-some-common-scams-to-watch-out-for-in-bangkok\/#3_Grand_Palace_Scam\" >3. Grand Palace Scam<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/what-are-some-common-scams-to-watch-out-for-in-bangkok\/#4_Ping_Pong_Show_Scams\" >4. Ping Pong Show Scams<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/what-are-some-common-scams-to-watch-out-for-in-bangkok\/#5_Tourist_Information_Center_Scams\" >5. Tourist Information Center Scams<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/what-are-some-common-scams-to-watch-out-for-in-bangkok\/#6_Jet_Ski_Scams\" >6. Jet Ski Scams<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" data-id=\"17799\" src=\"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/maxresdefault-6-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17799\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/maxresdefault-6-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/maxresdefault-6-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/maxresdefault-6-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/maxresdefault-6-850x478.jpg 850w, https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/maxresdefault-6.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Bangkok is a great city to visit, blessed with a very high level of safety compared to any other capital city in the world. However, just like anywhere, some unscrupulous individuals specialize in the art of taking advantage of new visitors. Despite their tricks being rather obvious, people who are a bit lost, a bit jet-lagged, and maybe also a bit naive still fall into the bad guys&#8217; net every single day. It happens to the best of us, from time to time. However, forewarned is forearmed, and knowing what to look out for (and applying a healthy dose of common sense) will help you dodge the more common scams. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Here_are_some_scams_to_watch_out_for_in_Bangkok\"><\/span>Here are some scams to watch out for in Bangkok:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Tuk-tuk_Scams\"><\/span>1. Tuk-tuk Scams<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"820\" height=\"548\" src=\"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/scams-bangkok.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17800\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Similar to the Grand Palace scam, but in a more straightforward manner: Tuk-tuks parked in front of landmarks, hotels, shopping malls, and other touristy places ask for a ludicrous fare for a short distance and\/or serve you lines like, &#8220;Can you please help me get free gasoline by just stopping few minutes at the gem shop? You don&#8217;t even have to buy something, you can just look around and leave.&#8221; Because you are a very nice person, you won&#8217;t mind, just doing your random act of kindness for the day. Thanks to the high-pressure sales tactics, most people end up buying something. In the best case, the driver will get his kickback; in the worst case, you buy a superb piece of worthless colored glass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Gem_Scams\"><\/span>2. Gem Scams<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" data-id=\"17801\" src=\"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/maxresdefault-7-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17801\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/maxresdefault-7-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/maxresdefault-7-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/maxresdefault-7-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/maxresdefault-7-850x478.jpg 850w, https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/maxresdefault-7.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Be cautious when approached by friendly strangers who claim to offer great deals on gemstones or jewelry. These scams often involve low-quality or fake gemstones, and unsuspecting tourists may end up paying inflated prices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Grand_Palace_Scam\"><\/span>3. Grand Palace Scam<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/0.-Bangkok-Grand-Palace-travel-tips-1024x640.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17802\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/0.-Bangkok-Grand-Palace-travel-tips-1024x640.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/0.-Bangkok-Grand-Palace-travel-tips-300x188.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/0.-Bangkok-Grand-Palace-travel-tips-768x480.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/0.-Bangkok-Grand-Palace-travel-tips-1536x960.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/0.-Bangkok-Grand-Palace-travel-tips-850x531.jpg 850w, https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/0.-Bangkok-Grand-Palace-travel-tips.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This is one of the best-known scams and yet dozens of tourists fall for it every day. You&#8217;re walking around one of the Bangkok landmarks, let&#8217;s say the Grand Palace (Wat Phra Kaew) or neighboring Wat Pho, when a smiling Thai stranger approaches, asking where you&#8217;re from. Following a little small talk, the guy will ask where are you going and by doing so will quickly analyze who you are and if this is your first time in Thailand. If it is, the story starts. &#8220;Oh, you want to see the Grand Palace today? Such bad luck \u2013 it&#8217;s closed for the whole day for a special royal event!&#8221; Of course, this kind of scam occurs far from the gate, making sure you can&#8217;t see the huge crowd walking in. Instead, he will offer to show you other great temples around Bangkok in his tuk-tuk for only 20 to 40 baht, and he can even be your guide to a wonderful day you&#8217;ll never forget. In a way, he is right about that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Ping_Pong_Show_Scams\"><\/span>4. Ping Pong Show Scams<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" data-id=\"17803\" src=\"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/IMG_0010-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17803\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/IMG_0010-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/IMG_0010-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/IMG_0010-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/IMG_0010-850x478.jpg 850w, https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/IMG_0010.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019d say just stay away from seedy places in general, but we can\u2019t blame you for wanting to check out Bangkok\u2019s infamous nightlife. Especially when Patpong Night Market is also there to whet your appetite for shopping. However, the streets of Patpong are not just littered with cool bars and great buys \u2013 seedy establishments are also a dime a dozen. That means that scammers also abound. Touts will often hang around this area in search of gullible tourists, then offer them free sex shows and cheap drinks (100Baht). If you accept the offer, you\u2019ll soon find yourself stuck inside a shady bar, where you\u2019re forced to tip performers and end up paying thousands of Baht just to get away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_Tourist_Information_Center_Scams\"><\/span>5. Tourist Information Center Scams<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"529\" src=\"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/1-4-bangkok-scams-3-via-Richard-Barrow-in-Thailand-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17804\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/1-4-bangkok-scams-3-via-Richard-Barrow-in-Thailand-1.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/1-4-bangkok-scams-3-via-Richard-Barrow-in-Thailand-1-300x198.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/1-4-bangkok-scams-3-via-Richard-Barrow-in-Thailand-1-768x508.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/1-4-bangkok-scams-3-via-Richard-Barrow-in-Thailand-1-350x230.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The Tourism Authority of Thailand is the government agency that\u2019s in charge of promoting Thailand as a tourist destination. That makes it well-known to tourists, which is why scammers often use TAT as a cover for their seedy crimes.<br>These include the Hua Lamphong train station scam, which involves fake TAT officials lying to tourists that the train is fully booked. They\u2019ll offer to send you to wherever you want to go on one of their buses or taxis for a discounted rate. But, when you arrive at your destination, that\u2019s where they\u2019ll whip out the big guns (not literally) and demand more payment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"6_Jet_Ski_Scams\"><\/span>6. Jet Ski Scams<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-4 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"620\" height=\"413\" data-id=\"17805\" src=\"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/c1_834664_160122032317.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17805\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/c1_834664_160122032317.jpg 620w, https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/c1_834664_160122032317-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This one is extremely common in Pattaya and has been known to happen in Phuket and some smaller islands as well. The way this one works is this: after you\u2019ve been out enjoying yourself on a jet ski, you return it and some minor cosmetic damage is pointed out by the renter. You are blamed even though you both know it wasn\u2019t you who caused the damage, and extortionate repair fees are demanded. If the situation escalates at all, a cop will show up to help you\u2026 just kidding, the cop will be in on the scam and he\u2019ll drive you to an ATM and probably threaten you with arrest or violence if you don\u2019t pay up.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Bangkok is a great city to visit, blessed with a very high level of safety compared to any other capital [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1386,1352,1385,1365],"class_list":["post-17798","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-bad-guys","tag-bangkok","tag-common","tag-scams"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17798","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17798"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17798\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17806,"href":"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17798\/revisions\/17806"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17798"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17798"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17798"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}