Take heed - Common frauds and scams in Thailand

Thailand thrives on its tourism industry and yet there is no dearth of scams and frauds in this beautiful land. Well, all countries have scammers and frauds, yet it does not hurt itf one takes caution by his side.

Talking about scams, they can be of different levels ranging from a few Bahts to thousands of it. To begin with, it is not uncommon in Thailand to have a two priced system, that is, to charge more from tourists than from locals. For example, Mini Siam in Pattaya charges Thai adults 100 baht and foreigners (including people who live and work here) 250 baht.

Again, this display at Vimanmek Mansion clearly states that it is 75 Bahts for Thai people and 100 Bahts for foreigners. No complaints here as there is no deception. When this practice is done openly and with clear quotations it does not amount to fraud. What is wrong is when they write the real price with Thai numerals and then another inflated price in Arabic numbers.

One of the commonest frauds is Tuk-Tuk fraud. If you are walking near the Grand Palace, someone will come up to you and say that it is closed at the moment for a ceremony and then suggest some other place for you to visit. If someone tells you that a tourist attraction is closed, don’t believe them. Go and see for yourself.

Again, a special Tuk-Tuk ride offered around the city may end up to be too costly, for you will most probably be taken to a place where the shopkeeper offers a fat commission to the driver and forces some overcharged goods on you. At these places, the pressure is high to buy and that the products are often overpriced.

Also, never take any taxi without meter in Thailand. Beware of girls in uniform outside the airport asking you to take their taxi. These girls in uniform are not officials from the airport.

Just keep yourself at guard against these frauds and common scams in Thailand and you can save yourself from some bitter experiences to ruin your trip to this wonderful land with amazing beauty.