How many times have you been ripped off?

[cdnmatt]

I'm curious, how many times do you think you've been ripped off? I'm sure I've been ripped off loads of times that I don't even know about, just as I'm sure you probably have been. Nowadays, doesn't seem to happen too much, because life is settled now, and we always goto the same places, plus I have Kim. People will still try to rip us off every couple weeks though.

For example, goto a bar somewhere, and get a check-bin for say 1200 baht. Kim will look over the bill, speak his piece in Thai, then the waiter rushes off for 10 mins, only to return with a check-bin for 650 baht. Thais are cunts like that. Always have to be on your guard in this country.

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[Beachlover]

Wow... I haven't had such brazenly fraudulent rip off attempts in Thailand much at all. I had it lots in Vietnam.

If that happens, you should complain directly to the owner (so they are aware of what their staff are doing) and let them know why you won't be back.

It might because you're white so they think you might not be so savvy with this sort of thing and see a good opportunity to rip a little off you.

[cdnmatt]

Wow... I haven't had such brazenly fraudulent rip off attempts in Thailand much at all. I had it lots in Vietnam.

Ohhh, I bet you have, but just don't know it. I know how it goes in Vietnam too, and they're pretty blatant about it. They're quite a bit more clever about it in Thailand.

If that happens, you should complain directly to the owner (so they are aware of what their staff are doing) and let them know why you won't be back.

No, no... can't do that, because if then if you ever return the place, you'll get the most horrible service you could imagine. :-) It's Thailand, you can't get angry or be boisterous. Even when Kim looks over the check-bin and realizes we're being blatantly ripped off, he's always very polite and cordial about it.

[netrix]

the only time i know of was one of the classic taxi driver
scams a few years ago. "no can not go there. wat closed today."
took us to a river cruise / tour for a different wat, and he
charged 2000 baht. i finally figured out what was going on
and said something to the driver after talking to the tour
agent at the booth, but the guy i was with was embarrassed
so i was nice and gave up my 2000 baht for a taxi ride to the
wrong wat. when i told the driver i thought he charged me
too much money he said, "but i wait for you and take you back."
of course he was gone when we got back from the tour.

[Beachlover]

Ohhh, I bet you have, but just don't know it. I know how it goes in Vietnam too, and they're pretty blatant about it. They're quite a bit more clever about it in Thailand.

I'm sure it's happened a couple of times but I tend to check everything pretty carefully there.

They tend to think they'll get a way with ripping off Caucasians more. So many times I've walked into a place and being quoted one price. Then seen a couple of caucasians walk in and get quoted a totally different price. Sometimes they admit they regret quoting me a price when they find out I'm not from Vietnam or Malaysia or whatever Asian country they suspected I was from.

In Vietnam they are very blatant... but I don't know about them being clever. I caught them out and threw it back in their faces so many times there.

In Malaysia, I found they are more clever about it... but they didn't do it as much (or did they?).

No, no... can't do that, because if then if you ever return the place, you'll get the most horrible service you could imagine. :-) It's Thailand, you can't get angry or be boisterous. Even when Kim looks over the check-bin and realizes we're being blatantly ripped off, he's always very polite and cordial about it.

Oh well, if you have to return there (I guess it's your local) that's a different thing... Have you had the same place do it multiple times though. That would verge on proof it's a deliberate thing. I'd be pissed off if that were the case.

[DCbob]

Ripped off 3 times.
Could have been several hundred.
1. If you do not expose yourself, you cannot be ripped off.
2. But if you do not expose yourself, you stay in your room locked up.
Number 2 is very boring.

[bucknaway]

I have been ripped off more times than I can remember. My first time in Thailand I got ripped off in a taxi where the guy turned off the meter and wanted to me to pay him 500 baht to go from Silom to the Pinnacle Hotel. I was new and he got me for about 300 Baht.

Again at the Pinnacle hotel, I let the bell-boy arrange my taxi back to the airport. That was a scam. He wanted 500 Baht and his cab looked good on the outside but not so good on the inside.

I purchased a magic trick from a street vendor who wrapped it up for me but when I opened it I found he didn't give me the complete kit.

What turned me off on Thailand was the women who tried time after time to steal my wallet. She didn't try to use stealth, she didn't try to pick my pocket in the sneaky way. She simply shoved her hand in my pocket grabbing my wallet. No one in the area cared and only wanted to smile at me as if nothing should be or could be done. I called her a criminal and a thief. She smiled and said I misunderstood her intentions.... I remember posting about it and some here wanted to attack me by wanting to know what pocket I put my wallet in and demanded to know how big my pockets were! LOL

That is when I began to see Thailand in a different light. :drv:

[lonelywombat]

I fell in hook line and sinker, sponsoring a boy to come to Australia, I had been introduced to by someone very high in certain Bangkok circles.

Over months, obtaining a passport and the education visa was finalised with an acceptance to an English language school paid in advance, clothes for the visit as it ia much colder than in Thailand, medicals and so on. It was 4 months and I am told that was quick.

I had sent to a friend in Bangkok the cash to pay for an airline ticket as they did not take credit cards. I waited at the airport for 3 hours after the flight arrived before smelling a rat.

My """ friend""" admitted on the phone he gave the boy the cash to pay the ticket which was almost 50,000 baht. Whilst he rang the travel agent I raced into the school to cancel any refund. The ticket had never been paid for.

I was lucky I had paid by credit card and they would only refund 300,000+ back to the card. He confirmed he had already received a request for cancellation and refund from the schools office in Bangkok.

He told me this was not an unusual occurence and the school is understanding of the issues involved.

I have heard of other cases where farangs have paid for english courses in Pattaya, in several cases to a school that used to be beside Ambience. The school used to split the money 50/50 with the boy When the farang complained they showed him the enrolment forms and the farangs name of course, was entered on nothing.

Other stories of gold in particular are heard only too often,

[netrix]

then there was the time i left my wallet in the back seat of a taxi when we stopped between bkk and pattaya.
the driver found it and came running in the store to give it to me. nothing was missing and he refused a tip.

I was in a bar recently in Pattaya around BTown, and the same ole trick, change for 500 instead of 1000, they knew what they were doing, they acted as if they were so experienced at it.