Scammed in Thailand – tonight on TV
What if you get scammed while on vacation in Thailand? Abroad, most tourists know their way around less well. The police sometimes speak poor English and are not always helpful. In addition, the police themselves are regularly involved in the conspiracy.
In the new series of SBS6 'Scammers in the Abroad' tonight it is about scamming tourists in Thailand.
Scammed in Thailand
In Thailand, the tourist industry is completely in the grip of the Thai mafia, according to the new episode of Scammers Abroad on Sunday. From the tuk-tuks and guides, to the restaurants and, of all things, the tourist police themselves: they all do everything they can to extort as much money as possible from tourists and to get rich on the back of gullible tourists.
For example, presenter Kees van der Spek is taken by his tuk-tuk driver to, among other things, rogue jewelers, where jewels of poor quality are foisted on him for far too much money. When Van der Spek goes to the local police with his findings, they are not impressed and participate just as hard.
After Van der Spek has bought his jewellery, he has it appraised in the Netherlands. The jewels turn out to be worth less than half of what he paid for them. And this from a company that is government certified and issues Thai government guarantee certificates. Van der Spek gradually finds out in Thailand that you have no guarantee anywhere that you will not be dropped off.
Scammers abroad
In the TV program 'Scammers in the Abroad', Kees van de Spek, former right-hand man of crime journalist Peter R. de Vries, tries to track down and expose cheaters. The hidden camera gives you an impression of how these criminals work. The program maker pretends to be a tourist, allows himself to be scammed and films everything with hidden cameras.
In Scammers Abroad it gradually becomes clear how many different forms of scams there are. By informing tourists about this, Kees van der Spek hopes that people will recognize scammers and will not fall into the trap themselves.
- Scammers Abroad – Thailand
- Sunday, April 21 at 21.30:6 p.m. at SBSXNUMX.
- www.sbs6.nl/oplichtersinhetbuitenland
Expats in Thailand can also watch the episode later via SBS missed.
That mister van der Spek wants to be scammed, that's why he traveled to Thailand.
He has to come back with sensational images otherwise it is not interesting for the viewers.
He could have made this kind of TV in any tourist country, but Thailand is of course a lot more fun to spend a while at the boss' expense.
No need to react so angrily. He has also been to Bali and Vietnam, so not only Thailand is being pilloried.
I think a similar program has also been made by National Geographic, which has visited several tourist countries in this way, including Thailand.
That episode of NGC was nice but didn't really show any sophisticated scams. The well-known gem tuktuk scam, a lady who has many sponsors and someone who hands him food for birds and then wants too much money for this. I liked the British program “the real hustle” (in the Netherlands “scammers exposed”) a lot better. There were dozens of scams on offer. A few (very) sophisticated ones, such as calling a room from the lobby, reporting that there is a leak upstairs and a technician wants to see if something has gone wrong (it's difficult in a concrete building, but oh well), then someone comes in an overall etc. looks around and changes the key that changes in the electricity switch at the door (power goes out after removing the key). Then wait for guests to leave and loot the room because the scammers have the real key/keycard.
Many are understandable once you realize that most scams use the same basics:
– greed (if it is too good to be worth, then…)
– authority (blindly following instructions by people in uniform (security, police, company employees, people in a nice suit, even signs that look official)
– distraction and sleight of hand: divert your attention such as a tap on your shoulder or something visionary and strike in a few seconds (rolling your sack, changing something right under your own nose, …).
If you remember that, you can already see through many scams, or at least try to sneak out of them. I once went on a tour with a tuk-tuk, she stopped at a clothing store, then I knew enough… So that you can be overwhelmed at the moment itself is not so strange, you cannot be suspicious all the time and about your looking shoulder. You don't enjoy that anymore. But as soon as you think “hmm strange/remarkable” take a step back and see if it could be a scam… And as a precaution don't do stupid things like have a wallet in your back pocket, all the necessary items (money, cards, ID ) keep in 1 place etc.
The episode in Indonesia was quite nice, nothing surprising but a nice look behind the scenes. However, Van der Spek and colleagues are not aware that it is customary in SE Asia that you can continue driving for the rest of the day after paying your fine (no driver's license, no helmet).
About 35 years ago, when I was in Thailand for the first time and spent some time on Phuket, a Thai asked me if I wanted to buy gemstones. I ended up buying 3 stones for about 1/10 of the price he wanted. Even then, as a young man, I knew that these stones could also be made synthetically. But they were nice and I got a good deal. Later the seller told me that many tourists (especially Americans) bought his stones without much trading.
When I was walking in Pattaya years later (about 20 years ago), I was approached by someone who asked where I came from and… by coincidence he also went to the Netherlands that week. And, he grinned, how did he pay for it? There was a promotion of Thai gemstones that week and he knew a store where I could buy the stones cheaply. I went with him to that store and showed me some stones. I was even told how to tell the good from the bad. Then I was asked which one I wanted to buy.
I said that I was a flight attendant and often came to Thailand and would first discuss at home whether I wanted to buy something. His face was preserved and I was able to leave without buying anything.
A few years later I was in Bangkok with a colleague at a closed royal palace. A Tuk-tuk driver told us that he knew a beautiful temple where he wanted to take us for a few baht. Watch out, I said to the colleague, that will be fun.
We arrived at that temple, walked around and after ten minutes we were back at the waiting tuk-tuk. Just then the driver had to go to the toilet. Then a man came to us and asked how we knew about that temple. He was a dentist by profession and had just attended a wedding there. He also asked where we were from. And then he said that he had been to Amsterdam before. How did he pay for that? With gems he…. blah blah blah.
I interrupted him and let him know that I already knew that story. He looked strange and thought it was all true. When I told him the rest of his story, he sputtered and said that the Thais had been exploited by tourists for years and that he felt he could exploit tourists too. I really had to laugh at his defense and advised him to use another trick, because this one had been known for a long time.
The whole thing actually went peacefully and also the tuk-tuk driver, who was probably a participant with this form of income, took us further to another place and got his money…
Knowledge is power, I say…. I knew the tricks and also my lack of knowledge about gemstones helped me. It is often man's stinginess that leads him into such a trap. In the Netherlands I also got to know people who had indeed bought stones and later found out that they were worth nothing. If they had known better, nothing would have happened.
In almost twelve years of living and working in Thailand, I have never been scammed by anyone by following a few simple rules:
1) When it's too good to be true, then it's too good to be true.
2) Rebuff every stranger who comes up to you with a “how are you?” or a “where are you from?” and keep walking.
3) Never get into a parked tuk tuk or taxi. Hail moving tuk tuks and taxis, or even better, don't take a tuk tuk at all.
4) Avoid jet ski rentals even if they had the Ebola virus.
5) If you don't like paying exorbitant prices for a taxi, avoid Phuket if it is a persistent form of schistosomiasis. The taxi mafia is in charge there.
6) At Suvarnabhumi, take a public taxi on the first floor. Reliable and metered.
Have a good trip and a pleasant stay.
Yes Cor, I can agree with this from start to finish. It takes two to get scammed. You will always be one yourself and that will not happen easily if you stick to these rules.
@ Cor I think it makes a big difference whether you are a tourist or an expat, whether or not in the company of your Thai boyfriend or girlfriend. I don't recall ever being scammed; not even when buying freshwater pearls that I once had to bring for an acquaintance in the Netherlands. Could also have been made of plastic. My (Thai) girlfriend and I get into parked taxis and tuktuks without any problem. But I admit that the situation is different for tourists. The only remedy is: prepare. Read the list of scams and the list of do's and don'ts on Thailandblog. Then little can happen to you.
About 3 months ago I went to the SCB bank to withdraw cash, I haven't done debit card for a while.
Wanted 50000 bath in cash, desk clerk put a rubber band around the bundle and ran it through the counting machine twice, so that I could see that the amount was correct.
Was quite busy in the bank so grabbed my papers, passport, bank book and money together and left.
When I got home I took the rubber band off the bundle, and saw that there were 2 notes of 1800 baht in between, so it was nicely ripped off for XNUMX baht.
This happened at SCB's branch in Big C extra.
Years ago when I opened my account at the SCB in Jom Tien, got the phone number from the manager there, called this man, and told the story.
Within fifteen minutes I was called back by the manager of the Big C branch if I wanted to come by.
The lady who had helped me was nowhere to be seen, and the manager took 1800 baht out of his own pocket to pay me back, without saying a word.
I assume they do this more often, I'm actually sure, it's a nice extra income.
If I hadn't had that Thai manager's number, I would have lost my money, I wouldn't have had a leg to stand on, let's prove this.
From that time on I count the baths before I leave the building, busy or not.
Scamming is a foreign word here in Thailand. It is more 'negotiation'. You are a foreigner so the asking price will be higher.
It would be a scam if the jeweler included a counterfeit "internationally recognized certificate" guaranteeing the value. If not, then you just shouldn't buy things you don't understand.
I agree.
If you pay too much, or you pay more than someone else, you are not scammed, but it means that you should have negotiated better, or that the other negotiated better.
If you buy something with a guarantee and that guarantee turns out to be false, you have been scammed.
And indeed it is often quickly ignored that the tourist is often blinded by (quick) money.
Or what to say about the person who fills his suitcase with counterfeit goods here, and sells it in his home country at a huge profit to the unsuspecting compatriot.
In Thailand, the same person criticizes the Thai, who tries to make as much profit as possible.
Afterwards he will do the same in his home country, but then he is proud that he has ripped off a compatriot with extortionate prices for fake products.
What do you call something like that?
There is definitely something going on here and there in Thailand as in other countries.
This is also the case in the Netherlands today with our culture of grabbing and swindlers and trickery and deceit.
Reading this article gives me the shivers when I read the name Peter R de Vries.
A left-wing rascal from the Netherlands.
This little man Kees van der Spek would have been his right-hand man?.
I have lived in Thailand for a long time and have really experienced everything in this beautiful country.
I have also received shady offers as a tourist to buy some products.
You are always there yourself and always decide for yourself for any spontaneous purchases.
But to immediately lump the entire tourism industry together and state that everyone in this tourism industry belongs to the mafia, including all police and restaurateurs.
Then I also belong to that, since we have a restaurant and work hard for our money, which is becoming increasingly difficult in this economic climate.
This unreliable figure will probably film what is going on in Thailand.
Then this stupid figure will act even stupider and provoke the Thais who then have some dirty trade to make them bite.
So I don't have a good word for this, so don't let that figure belittle all Thais. He better stay home!.
Do you have your Thai glasses on? I don't see anywhere that v/d Spek or his balances from other programs tar an entire professional/population group with the same brush. Of course there is a thick layer of sensation over it, apparently that sells better (I think it's a downside), but don't tell me that in these types of programs they lump all Indians, Vietnamese, Thai, Moroccans, etc. as if those countries are 1 big scammers nest. And yes it can also happen in the Netherlands, there are also several programs about that…
“And yes, it can also happen in the Netherlands, there are also several programs about that…”
Didn't originally just call this program “Scammed”.
For years they have filled the program with only Dutch things so…..
Scammers can be found everywhere in the world. Not only tourists are scammed, in the Netherlands you can even be scammed by fellow countrymen. Nothing new under the sun in that regard. I see the program more as good information for future tourists. My wife and I once took a tuk tuk to go to a certain place. The driver took us to a place we didn't ask for. Well that has known. He met my wife. He didn't know how quickly to get to the right place. And we didn't pay a single cent at our destination. I'm sure he won't do that to us again. When I think about it I still enjoy it now.
Don't pay and meet your wife?
A tuk-tuk driver would have been impressed….. especially by the latter.
Let me just say that you were very lucky.
Not paying - something different could happen to you next time and no, your wife will not help either - on the contrary.
You will certainly think back on it with less pleasure afterwards, I suspect, well, I'm sure of that.
Moderator: This is chat.
Of course it must be interesting for the viewer and especially the audience share in the Netherlands, because you will be judged on that. But above all, let these programs be a warning of what can happen to you. Prevention is still better than cure, because I have seen and helped many who had to go home penniless, and whose vacation was ruined and never come to Thailand again. Of course this happens everywhere because poor makes creative, and never say that won't happen to me, because criminals are very smart and often well organized. Now the police.
Recognized the place where tourists are taken, a tuk tuk man wanted to take us away for shopping, we didn't need to go there and immediately said no, we didn't have to, but we went in anyway, had a drink and just got out again, he was I was curious to see if we had bought anything, no, no problem. We were neatly returned to the boarding point, but Dad also knew what to do. Just laugh and pretend you're crazy works best.
Last night I watched the broadcast and.. with a smile on my face.
The situations were very recognizable. Naive tourists, who do not know the country and its customs.
But a little traveler is prepared, and knows all this before he goes. You will be warned about this in every travel guide. And things like this happen in other countries as well. In Amsterdam, many tourists are also “swindled” ….
Funny broadcast with tips for the inexperienced, trusting traveler.
Yes, naive or at least poorly informed tourists (that there is something like a Bhudah day, government jewelry center etc. could still be possible, but someone telling you that you can buy something very cheap and sell it for a big profit? That is too nice to be worth, who would give someone else such tips if he himself has no advantage (or even disadvantage)??).
If you watch TV through a thick layer of sensationalism (never watch sensational programs yourself, so TV is the same or never about SBS or RTL) and remember that not everyone is familiar with the scams, then it was nice. In any case, it informs the traveler who is going on holiday outside the BeNeLux for the first time. My girlfriend liked the broadcast and started grumbling about the corruption (mafia practices) among various Thai citizens, police, government (yellow and red shirts) and even doubts about the son of a very famous person… To conclude with that she hates Tuktuk drivers and other Thai with bad hearts.
Like so many others, I watched the program yesterday.
I only have 2 words for it INCREDIBLE TV. If you want to have people glued to the tube??? Indeed in the style of Peter R de Vries Too bad this kind of misery happens all over the world, and what previous reactions already say, you are there yourself. If people first immerse themselves in the country where they go on holiday, a lot of annoyance will already be solved. If you can buy a rolex here in the Netherlands for 400 euros, you also know that you are being faked, right? Either it was stolen, or fake/fake in most cases. This also applies to great offers of gold gemstones, etc. in Thailand. And if you still want to buy gold in Thailand, buy it from an official jeweller/Goldshop. These can be recognized by the red appearance from the outside and inside, and can be found in many places in every city or shopping malls.
@RonnyLadPhrao . Was lucky? You shouldn't exaggerate. You turn a mosquito into an elephant. I have never heard or seen tourists being beaten up or threatened with a knife or gun (that's mafia practice) because they don't agree with the amount they should pay. Or it must be that you are in the illegal gambling circuit. But tourists are often easily intimidated and dare not say anything or are ignorant.
In my case, the tuktuk driver was clearly shocked and impressed by the reaction he received from his compatriot. To future tourists I want to say. don't be put off. Thai are generally a friendly and helpful people. Of course there are also bad ones. But you see them everywhere in your own country. If you take the tuktuk, be clear where you want to go, make a good price agreement and make it clear that you want to go directly to the specified place. And if you take a taxi, make sure the meter is turned on. I wish you a lot of holiday fun in beautiful Thailand.
It can be tough on TB to write, as in your first response, that you (or your wife) have put it in its proper place, and then proudly say that you haven't paid a penny yet, and now there still having fun….
But as a tourist I wouldn't follow such advice.
Only then will you turn a mosquito into an elephant.
You don't have to be intimidated, and you can say something, but keep it calm and don't decide for yourself whether or not you will pay him (or her) afterwards.
If you end up somewhere else, I would advise tourists to remain calm. Make it clear to him that you are not interested in the products and ask to take you to the agreed place. He(she) may insist for a while, but if he sees that there is no point, you will be taken to your requested seat without any problems. Always pay the previously agreed price upon arrival.
That way you will experience the least problems and you will only be a little later at your destination and it will remain a mosquito.
Making a noise and putting the Tuk-Tuk or Taxi driver in his place in public and in front of “friends” is a very bad idea.
By the way, it won't make any impression, certainly not from a compatriot (on the contrary), and can end badly.
In any case, whatever happens, always pay the previously agreed price, and do not leave without paying, because you have decided so for yourself .
Your last reaction is already a lot milder and is something that is useful to a tourist.
“If you take the tuktuk (or Taxi), be clear where you want to go, make a good price agreement (or meter at Taxi) and make it clear that you wish to go directly to the specified place” and I would add to it – and pay the amount provided afterwards.
Thai are indeed generally friendly and helpful, but if you assume that the mafia practices do not exist, because you have not seen or heard them yourself, I wonder if you sometimes go to a different Thailand than where I stay.
Even outside the illegal gambling circuit (although I don't understand what this involves).
I also wish everyone a happy holiday here, because although this is a negative reaction from me to a certain situation, there are also many positive things to experience here and that is why I stay here.
Keep it safe.
The intention is not to act tough at all. That's something you think. Do you enjoy not paying? Sorry, but you misunderstand me. I still enjoy it when I think back because of the way my wife reacted (something I had never seen from her before) and the driver's subsequent reaction. By the way, I never said that we didn't want to pay and I never gave anyone this advice. You twist my words. Your words, you were lucky and it could end badly, seem to me as if every tuk-tuk driver is violent. And that is absolutely not the case. I don't see your response as negative. I'm sure it is well-intentioned and many will benefit from it or ignore it. Furthermore, I want to leave it at this, otherwise we will have a chat session and that is not the intention.