Thailand Scams
Thailand Scams
Avoid Thailand Scams
Managing Money in Thailand
Keep your spending money in a wallet or bag, but put your large denomination bills into your passport belt or hide them. This will also be helpful when you are trying to negotiate a price – you don’t want to dig through 1000 Baht notes in front of a shopkeeper to find the right cash!
Because there are so many banks and ATMs, there is no need to carry a giant wad of cash on you anyway.
Don’t accept torn or faded notes – they will be very difficult to spend later. It is common for people to try to pawn these damaged bills off on foreigners.
Large denomination notes can be very difficult to spend or break, especially the 1000 Baht bills. There is nothing more frustrating than being rich and poor at the same time! Try getting change by buying something in a chain store such as 7-11 (even a pack of gum, they will almost never question you), a drink in a fast food place, or use them for big expenses such as paying many nights at a guest house or booking travel. Beach bars and popular discos will almost always have change as well.
Taxi and tuk-tuk drivers will never have the correct change, and assume that they can keep the difference. Try to keep your small bills and 10 Baht coins for such occasions. (but see if they will take the larger notes first!) This is the most innocent and widespread of the Thailand scams.
Thailand scams for Tuk-tuks and Taxis
Always, always, always negotiate a price somewhere before you get inside a taxi or tuk-tuk.
Try to have small denomination notes to pay the drivers, they will never have change. Although not expected, It is OK to let them keep a few Baht as tip, for instance if a ride costs 47 – give them a 50.
There isn’t a working taxi meter in the entire country – or so they say. Taxi driver’s will almost never use the meter for foreigners, choosing rather to negotiate and make a better profit. Simply insist that a driver use the meter before you get inside – this is an easy Thailand scam to avoid.
Taxis at the airport will always be more expensive, try to make it out on the street where they do not have to pay an airport fee to use the stand – this is especially true in the Bangkok airport.
Yes, most flights into Bangkok come in at ridiculous hours, but wake up long enough to talk to your Thai neighbor. If they speak English, they will gladly give you tips on how to get a cheap taxi out of the airport – some are kind enough to even come hail one and negotiate for you! (if they do this, say “jai dee” which means “good heart” in Thai).
Never ask a driver to be your concierge by getting them to recommend a place. You will end up in a horrible bar, restaurant, or shop that their uncle or friend owns and they usually get a commission and a slap on the back while you get the shaft.
Never agree to let a tuk-tuk driver take you to a shop for “fuel vouchers”. They will promise you a low price if you agree to go inside 2 or 3 shops where they get a commission for bringing suckers into a high pressure environment.
Don’t believe drivers when they say that a place is closed or “no good” – they are usually trying to talk you into going somewhere that they make a better commission.
Read about Tuk Tuk scams from Pat Moran.
Other Thailand Scams
Never pay extra for VIP buses or to upgrade to “VIP”. VIP buses seem to break down more than usual, the AC is frequently broken, and a common scam is to bring a regular bus anyway claiming that the VIP one is broken. Don’t expect a discount.
If ANYONE mentions ANYTHING about gemstones to you, just walk away. This is the oldest of all the Thailand scams.
Don’t buy drugs in a bar or on the beach. The bartender calls his local police buddy and they shake you down on the beach – relieving you of your purchase (which they sell again or smoke) and some extra cash for a bribe.
T.A.T. is usually the worst possible place to book travel and tours – get a map or ask a local how to go to save a bundle of money! Plus, finding a place on your own feels so much better anyway.
When renting a motorbike, check it very carefully for scratches or damage…many places will try to charge you extra for every single mark upon return whether you put it there or not.
Do your own visa paperwork at the border with Laos – do not allow a driver to take you to anywhere other than the official border. These people charge a fortune to simply fill out the same easy paperwork you would have received at the official border before crossing. Everyone falls for this the first time. Thailand Scam!
When booking package transportation that gets you from somewhere in the mainland to an island (such as Bangkok to Ko Chang), be aware that the bus or minivan may arrive too late to make the last ferry to the island for the day and you will be forced to stay in an overpriced place near the ferry dock. Many times the driver gets a cut and knows the owner!
If you are dumb enough to take in a prostitute or even a local girl that doesn’t ask for money and “wants to be your girlfriend” don’t be surprised if she cleans out your room while you are asleep or in the shower.
Trust your gut. If something seems too good to be true, its probably another Thailand scam.
