Thailand has been a popular destination for international travelers due to its Western-friendly culture and low rates (more than 30 million foreign tourists visited Thailand last year).
And, while Thailand is typically full with kind, smiling natives (it’s called “The Land of Smiles” for a reason!), some Thais have built a living off of exploiting Westerners.
The good news is that these frequent scams generally only cost you money (and your dignity). The bad news is that you may feel used, irritated, and, depending on how badly you were burnt, out of a significant sum of money.
The Rigged Taxi Meter Scam in Thailand
I stepped into a cab and agreed to pay the metered fare. Unbeknownst to me at the time, some taxi drivers have their meters programmed with a special button that, when pressed, charges—and correctly displays—a fee up to ten times the usual rate (or more!).
You’d get into a cab, expecting to be paid the regular fee, but you’d accidentally be charged a ridiculous sum.
After approximately five or ten minutes, my fare was about $20 USD, which is higher than New York! Fortunately, I was already aware of the standard cab fare, so I recognized what was going on. I grabbed my luggage and jumped out, waving him away and hailing another vehicle.
This might be a difficult fraud to detect unless you already know the typical cab pricing. If you notice the price on the meter rising too quickly and starting to match—or even exceed—Western pricing, you’re in a cab that you should get out of! Tell the driver to stop or simply open the door (he’ll stop!), exit the cab, and walk away (side note: never put your things in a taxi trunk).
The Bangkok Tuk-Tuk Scam
I was on my way to the Grand Palace in Bangkok when a tuk-tuk driver offered me a very low fee. I got in and went for it anyhow.
Instead of showing me the most prominent sights in Bangkok, he led me to a tourism agency! When I understood he wanted me to go inside, I answered “no” and left.
He didn’t attack me or demand money, but I was now in the middle of nowhere, trying to figure out how to go to the Palace. As it turned out, I could have just walked there from my initial place of Thailand.
The Infamous Gem Scam
I was on my way to a shopping center when a local man approached me. He informed me that he was a teacher and that the mall was closed today due to a vacation. However, his friend had a business and was the only one open today. The man said he could take me there. How fortunate!
From where I stood, I could see people entering the mall. Obviously, I declined. Based on previous experience, I knew that if I accepted his offer, he would bring me to a diamond store where I would be persuaded to buy something.
Drivers, like tuk-tuk drivers, receive a commission (or, in certain cases, free gas coupons). They’ll often provide bogus information to get you into their cabin in exchange for a commission or petrol coupon.
“They frequently hang out near malls and temples, enticing visitors to take a cheap cab or tuk-tuk as long as they stop at the gem businesses in Thailand.
The “Local Price” Onward Travel Scam
Following the tuk-tuk fraud and a journey through a tailor and gem store, our tuk-tuk driver’s friend stopped by for a talk. He inquired about our vacation plans and acted as if we were insane for not having anything planned beyond our stay in Bangkok. We were losing out on the finest prices, he explained.
Fortunately, he knew a local travel firm that could book all of our flights and lodgings for the following month—at local costs, not tourist prices!
Paying local pricing rather than high tourist rates? Let’s do it.
We spent an hour in the travel office, buying plane tickets, bus tickets, and accommodations.
The next morning, the bus that was scheduled to take us to Krabi did not arrive. After additional examination, we discovered that no one had booked anything on our itinerary, but they had charged our credit card.
We should have known the driver was a scammer when he abruptly departed while we were visiting a shrine before we even paid him. He received a commission for the booking, therefore he wasn’t going to wait for our ten baht.
The Airport Security Theft Scam
When we ran our products through the X-ray scanner, we placed a money belt in the tray by itself. They had rushed us through, and we lost sight of the tray for a few minutes. At the moment, one (or more) airport security personnel reached into our money belt and removed all of the large Thai baht notes (but not the tiny ones).
We noticed what had transpired while waiting for our aircraft and reported it to security. We requested them to investigate the CCTV footage to determine what transpired.
Before we boarded our aircraft, the security manager admitted that one of their employees had taken our money and requested us to fill out documents for the crime.
The Litter Bug Scam
I left a piece of rubbish outside the Skytrain (metro) station. A man dressed in camouflage approached me and informed me that he was the tourist police; he led me to a little hidden card table around the corner.
He informed me that littering was a felony and that I had to pay a $150 USD charge. He showed me all the tickets he had issued for foreigners to verify his legitimacy. Then he said he loved my watch and that if we switched watches, we’d be friends, because friends don’t give each other tickets.
My watch was worth $50, so I made the exchange and went away with a lesson learned—and a bogus Omega watch.”
The “Get Off the Bus” Scam
The bus abruptly comes to a halt in the middle of nowhere, and a bus attendant walks from row to row shouting at you to get off.
When he arrived at my row, he informed me that the bus was heading to the old bus station rather than the new one, and that I needed to get off right away. I chose to be aggressive and remained in my seat, informing the man that I was heading to the bus terminal indicated on the ticket.
The next day, I caught up with several friends who had traveled the same bus earlier in the week. They said the same thing occurred to them and that they got off the bus. The bus driver promised them that his buddy would come rescue them, but then abandoned them on the side of the road.
This is when the con truly begins. First, a taxi arrives, and the driver informs you that he cannot take you to the bus terminal because it is too late in the day; you will have to stay at a hostel just up the road. Finally, you will (over)pay for the first cab journey.
The Drink Scam
There are several shows available to foreigners in Bangkok’s party zones, all of which need a cover charge biggest Thailand scam.
Many street sellers may offer you free admission if you buy a single beer. However, when the bill arrives, the beer will cost a lot, and there will be additional fees for viewing the show.
In our situation, a huge security man stopped the exit and threatened to call the cops if we did not pay. We offered them a reasonable price for our drinks and told them to “call the police.” We pushed past.
It was a little worrisome since I don’t know what would have happened if they hadn’t allowed us through!”