Bangkok

Coolhand · #1 09-03-2008, 15:21

I was in Bangkok today, and was nearly had by the gemstone scam.
Although it's widely known about, there maybe people around who haven't heard about it; so that's why I am repeating it here.
I had gone site seeing, taking the river boat from Saphan Taksin to Tha Tien. I spent a nice couple of hours wandering around Wat Po and the area around it.
I was walking past the Grand Palace (with no intention of going inside, I don't like the two tier pricing system: free for Thais, Farang pay 200 baht), when I was approached by an older Thai gent, who spoke very good English, who introduced himself as someone who worked in place security, going home at the end of his shift (alarm bell #1: this guy's English was just a little bit too good for a lower rank civil servant, I thought, but gave him the benefit of the doubt). He even showed me his ID card. (Alarm bell #2: The ID card was very poor. It looked like a photo copy of something that had been laminated and badly trimmed with a pair of scissors. he didn't give me any time to examine it; not that it would have meant anything as it seemed to be totally written in Thai). We started chatting and he asked me if I had been to see the Grand Palace (Alarm bell #3: why did he want to strike up a conversation with a sweaty farang, at the end of his shift? I would want to go home. I also thought that Thais do not normally strike up conversations with strangers). I told him that I didn't want to visit it as it was too crowded with Farangs. He laughed and agreed with me. He then suggested that I visit Wat Suthat, and that i was very lucky, as it was normally closed to the public, but was only open for a couple of days. (Alarm bell #4: What a coincidence that this wonderful temple is only open the day I arrive in Bangkok. Wat Suthat is open to the public every day. OK I had to check on the internet for that one.)
He then drew me a map and said I should go to Wat Suthat, then go to the OTOP Centre to buy some gifts for my family, and then it was only a short distance to Victory Monument, where I could get the skytrain back to my hotel. All this sounded like a very good plan. The guy was very polite and seemed genuine.
I told him that I was heading back to the river to get a boat back to Saphan Thaksin, and he told me that it would be very busy, and I might have to wait 2-3 hours for a boat. (alarm bell #5: this sounded very improbable. As it happened I had to wait twenty minutes).
He told me about the OTOP store saying it was a royal factory and I could buy gemstones for my family. JACKPOT! Now I knew why he was being so polite, it was the old gemstones scam. He said i would be much better getting a tuktuk to the OTOP centre. He even offered to tell the tuk-tuk driver where to take me. I politely declined his kind offer and said i was going to sit in the shade and think of what to do next, he left and I avoided being part of a gemstone scam.
If you don't know what would have happened next you can find out here and here.
OK I was lucky enough to know about the scam and avoid it, but I feel sorry for tourists who might fall for it. Maybe its there last day in Thailand, and they get told the palace is closed for the day, and they miss out. Why do TAT, the Police and the palace allow these scammers to operate so blatantly?

nelsonone · #2 10-03-2008, 10:06

they're pretty good at it aren't they Luke???.........555

and persistent!

aussie dollar · #3 10-03-2008, 15:05

a mate of mine just came back from bangkok bought his wife a nice sapphire ring for 35000 baht.
didnt have the heart to let them know they had been ripped off, both were so happy with there bargain.

same type of story except it was there driver for there stay who took them to a special store.

sarsbuk · #4 10-03-2008, 20:52

Was approached last time in bangkok outside Grand palace. Place was open with people coming and going and guy told us palace was closed!!!! We looked at the open gate with people coming and going around midday.... Just said no thanks and went inside!

If people have not researched their trip tho and the perils of what scams are out there. I can see how easily it would be to believe some of these nice friendly Thai's!

cybernator_uk · #5 10-03-2008, 21:10

I remember my very first time in Bangkok. I hadn't done that much reading but a friend of mine had spent a month out here and said look I'll give you some advice.

1. At night time, head to Nana, Soi Cowboy and Patpong.
2. Be careful of pickpockets. (strange as I am always cautious)
3. There are scams involving gems. Always advoid thoese places. There are plenty in Bangkok. A lot of tuk-tuk drivers will take you there if you're not careful.

Ok, 3 pieces of advice there. So I arrive in Bangkok with no idea what to expect. OK, so I am in a non-smoking room and head outside to have a cigarette. One of the hotel drivers approaches me and says:

"What are you doing today?"

"I don't know yet. I've only been here 20 minutes."

"If you like, I can take you about. I know some good tailors and places to be jewelry for friends and family back home."

Hummmm, my friends message is running through my mind. What do I do.

"Na, not interested I'm afraid. I think I'm gonna go and have a look at the, errrrm, grand palace. give me your card though incase I change my mind."

That was the hotel driver. I never took him up on that offer. I'm glad I listened to my friend, I was still a bit naieve at the time.

Schmeen · #6 11-03-2008, 08:21

Coolhand

No offence but you OP sounds reads like a piece of tabloid journalism

"I was nearly taken in"

No you weren't, these people are so transparent it's not true.

I mean seriously, you have to be pretty dumb to believe these people or go with them....and you were not, hence you were not "nearly caught"

It sounds like those people who after a disaster say "I took that flight two months ago, that could have me me"....er....not it couldn't!

(Actually I must confess that every time I go to Wat Phra Kaew I want one of these guys to stop me, but they never do, but I have distrupted their chat before and told people to ignore them)

One last point about two tiered pricing for Wat Phra Kaew. Do you honestly believe Thai's should be charged to enter their own most holy religious site? The place needs to make revenue to maintain it, tourists tramp through there every day. A charge is entirely fair.

marc26 · #7 11-03-2008, 08:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schmeen

Coolhand

No offence but you OP sounds reads like a piece of tabloid journalism

"I was nearly taken in"

No you weren't, these people are so transparent it's not true.

I mean seriously, you have to be pretty dumb to believe these people or go with them....and you were not, hence you were not "nearly caught"

It sounds like those people who after a disaster say "I took that flight two months ago, that could have me me"....er....not it couldn't!

(Actually I must confess that every time I go to Wat Phra Kaew I want one of these guys to stop me, but they never do, but I have distrupted their chat before and told people to ignore them)

One last point about two tiered pricing for Wat Phra Kaew. Do you honestly believe Thai's should be charged to enter their own most holy religious site? The place needs to make revenue to maintain it, tourists tramp through there every day. A charge is entirely fair.

i have to say(and not to you Luke)
you have to be retarded to get caught in thse scams
i rememeber my 1st newbie trip to BKK, never read the board and as approached by a gem guy
you can just tell they are schemers

Minder · #8 11-03-2008, 19:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by marc26

i have to say(and not to you Luke)
you have to be retarded to get caught in thse scams
i rememeber my 1st newbie trip to BKK, never read the board and as approached by a gem guy
you can just tell they are schemers

__________________________________________________ _

Retarded? I think is a bit harsh but I know where you are coming from. Of course WE never fell for well used lines from schemers in the guise of BGs did we..LOL well maybe YOU didn't...

The gem scams have been running for many years and the performances by some of the players are quite -pardon the pun - polished. The base level guy telling you that the temple or store is closed is not indicative of the sophistication of the players further up the line - I have been accousted by a few over the years and can say that some of them certainly do their research - the quality of their spoken English, their knowledge of other countries, the way they are able to present themselves - or misrepresent themselves as pilots or medical students etc - tells me these guys are not uneducated or dumb - they are predators and they make a lot of money doing what they do - bastards

marc26 · #9 11-03-2008, 20:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Minder

__________________________________________________ _

Retarded? I think is a bit harsh but I know where you are coming from. Of course WE never fell for well used lines from schemers in the guise of BGs did we..LOL well maybe YOU didn't...

The gem scams have been running for many years and the performances by some of the players are quite -pardon the pun - polished. The base level guy telling you that the temple or store is closed is not indicative of the sophistication of the players further up the line - I have been accousted by a few over the years and can say that some of them certainly do their research - the quality of their spoken English, their knowledge of other countries, the way they are able to present themselves - or misrepresent themselves as pilots or medical students etc - tells me these guys are not uneducated or dumb - they are predators and they make a lot of money doing what they do - bastards

oh, i fell for the Palace-closed-lets take a tour-tuk-tuk 5555
funny, he brought me to a tailor that i thought was fantastic. did 3 fittings over a week before making the suit, no rush job.

cybernator_uk · #10 11-03-2008, 22:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schmeen

Coolhand

I mean seriously, you have to be pretty dumb to believe these people or go with them....and you were not, hence you were not "nearly caught"

Yet people do. You think, how many people come to Thailand every year and how what percentage must get scammed. If it didn't work, they wouldn't try it.

Too many stupid people in this world.

Tommychrk · #11 15-03-2008, 21:27

There are enough naive people around so it provbably works. There is this indian tailor on sukhumvit who always stands outside his shop and every time I pass he will say : Good day sir, you are a very lucky man

Then I wiill say I know (thinking about the shagging just done) and walk on with a grin on my face