Thailand is a beautiful country, but it doesn’t mean that they do not have any flaws. Scams happen almost every where in the world and it’s no surprise. However, lets focused on the most common scam you might encounter while traveling around Thailand. You may be an easy target if you are not familiar with these scams.
1. Taxi Scam
Guarantee you will stumble upon a taxi driver that will try to scam you when you are in Bangkok. Whether its in the city or at the airport. What happen is you tell the taxi driver your destination and they will ask you to pay a fixed rate instead of using a taxi meter. Never get in taxi car without asking the taxi driver to use the meter. If you do not ask for the taxi meter to be turned on and you hop in; chances are you’ll be paying a ridiculous amount of money. If they refuse to turn on the meter then you can walk away and wave down a different taxi. However, there’s also other ways taxi drivers can scam you. Taxi driver will use the meter, but they will ask you for a different price once they have arrived at your destination. Another scenario, the taxi driver will purposely drive around town pretending to have difficulties finding a hotel/place. The longer the drive the higher the meter goes. It is important to always have google maps turned on when you are taking a taxi. Don’t be afraid to speak up to the taxi driver if you sense you’re in the possibility of getting scammed. Taxi drivers in Bangkok knows almost every hotel and destination.
2. Red Songthaew/Red Taxi
Red taxis are more commonly found in Chiang Mai. This type of scam rarely happen, but it is still important to be aware of red taxis. Most of the red taxi will have a sign that says 30 baht/person on the truck. The best way to not get scammed is by not asking how much the ride will cost. If the driver agrees to your location then hop in the back of the truck. Ride fare is 30 baht/person as stated on the truck. It may take longer for you to get to your destination because red taxis do pick up customers along the way. However, if you happen to ask the driver “how much” and then you’re given a price higher than 30 baht; chances are you’re getting scammed. If your destination is out of the city, the it is best to take Uber taxi.
3. Tuk-tuk
Tuk-tuks are almost everywhere in Thailand. Tuk-Tuk scam is so common, but yet hundreds of first time visitors fall for the same old trick again and again every single day. Tuk-tuks are usually parked in front of landmarks, hotels, shopping malls and other touristy places. They will ask for a ludicrous fare for a short distance. Make sure to always ask for the fare if you decide to take a tuk-tuk. If you do not ask “how much” for a ride and decide to hop in, the driver will have the opportunity to scam you once you’ve arrived at your destination. Never stop at any location that the driver recommends as those are places where you will most likely be scammed. Hop in and hop off at your final destination.
4. Police scam
Police scam is very common in Thailand. If you do not plan on riding a motorbike or car in Thailand then you have no fear for this scam. However, if you do plan on driving a motorbike or car then you will most likely encounter this type of scam. The Thai police officer are conducting checkpoints around Thailand looking for foreigners driving without a license or helmet. These are excuses for officers to pull you over. Not everyone drive with a license or wear a helmet in Thailand. If they suspect that you are a foreigner then they will pull you over to the side and pay a fine. The fine is usually 200-500 baht, but some will say that you have to pay a 1000 baht fine for not having a license or helmet. One tip, never take out your wallet or expose your cash to the officer. If they see that you are carrying a lot of cash on you then they will try to get the most out of you. If you’re caught without an international license and had to pay a fine; you will receive a paper ticket that lets you off for 3 days. What this mean is you don’t have to pay a fine if you get pulled over again on the same day or other days up to your 3rd day. What you can do to avoid this situation is to apply for an international drivers license before you travel to Thailand. Go to the nearest AAA insurance company to complete an application and pay the necessary fee. It only takes roughly 15-20 minutes to have it processed.
There you have it. You can’t always avoid these kind of scams, but it does help to get yourself familiar with the common ones. Despite all the scams, Thailand is still a beautiful country to visit with lots of delicious authentic food and amazing sightseeing. Good luck and have fun. Always be aware of your surroundings.
You can read more articles like this by clicking here.