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Thai Con Artists ruin holidays


clubsiam
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This is the kind of response that give internet forums a bad name.

Think before you post next time please.

 

If I may quote your "Introduction"....

 

I was a Thai Visa member but the heavy moderation(deleting of posts) is not my idea of a internet discussion.

How many moderators do they have over there I wonder.......

 

So, you move over here and decide that you will immediately appoint yourself as a Mod and tell me what I can and cannot post???

 

Nowhere did I condone the practice nor did I make unsubstantiated "allegations" against individuals or Government entities!!!....just posted "My" opinion on the subject on an Internet discussion Board

 

Still think it is a matter of Cavaet Emptor....

 

I don't have an axe to grind, as I can honestly say that in 20+ years of travelling to the Kingdom I have never been dumb enough to fall for these scams. In fact, I don't think I even know anyone that has :dunno::grinyes::dunno:

 

I am well documented as being a Dumb Cnut and I have purchased the odd Diamond though....cos "My" scammer "is different"...

 

Good luck with your projects

 

Cheers DS :grinyes::neener::beer::neener::grinyes:

 

 

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Some good posts here.

My Erawan Conman photo site has over 600 hits, so hopefully I have prevented at least a few people from having their trip ruined.

I do think the Tourist Police are involved and most likely some at the TAT are letting it continue too.

The TAT has 900 employees in a 20 story building. With the Thai Gem Scam being their #1 complaint, I would have thought sombody in a position of authority would order some signs erected at these places or a warning on that TAT welcome video played on incoming flights.Instead the video encourages tourist to look for the excellent deals on Thai gems.

Somthings fishy there with the TAT management. Agreed?

I like Thailand and just don't like to see people save up for a holiday and have some con artist ruin it.

Who would guess that the scam is so involved with so many in on it?

30 or 40 scammers working in plain view of the Erawan Staff, BTS Security, Gaysorn Security, Central World Security, Tourist Police, Thai Police, and all the vendors etc. in the area.

All the above mentioned see this group plying their craft day after day, year after year.

I think that says allot about how the Thais really feel about visitors.

 

GEM SCAM PHOTO ALBUM

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21533131@N06/

 

 

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You could say they are not doing enough, but I don't think that necessarily implicates TAT or the tourist police. Take for instance the farang begger who is at it day after day, year after year by the sky train making a killing scamming well intentioned tourists and even Thai's thinking they are helping him get a plane ticket home. Surely no one is going to make a conspiracy theory that TAT & the tourist police are behind that. That's just one example.

 

As someone mentioned, allowing the gang of Thai's to tell everyone the palace is closed so they can get them on their tuk tuk is one of the most apalling of them all. It ruins a lot of people's day, and should they later learn it is a scam, casts a negative impression on the country that such a sacred place is allowed to be disrespected like that.

 

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The Tourist Police and the TAT see the incredible profits to be made so their natural reaction would be..... how can I get a piece of the action?

Not, how can I help these foreigners...

They certainly have the budget and capability to warn visitors but instead, are indifferent to the plight of the novice tourist.

 

 

 

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Just because something is out in the open doesn't necessarily mean it is part of a larger conspiracy to fleece tourists. My farang beggar example should be ample evidence of this. I am waiting for someone to say he is a plant and on the TAT payroll so I can get a good laugh.

 

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the farang beggar is a plant of the nationalistic PPP so that they can claim that there are no foreign quality tourists in lower Sukhumvit, which is of course absolutely true!

NO quality tourist stays at lower Sukhumvit! that's why all the gem scammers are at locations, where the real quality tourists stay like Erawan, Silom, around Oriental/Shangrila, Grand Palace area and not at lower Sukhumvit!

and that's why a lot of our fellow board members are not at all affected by those scammers and therefore give a shit as they never make it outside their lower Sukhumvit Ghetto!

the scammers for the big money of the quality tourists and the beggars for the coins of the lower Sukhumvit tourists!

that's the real Thai scheme! comprende?

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Just because something is out in the open doesn't necessarily mean it is part of a larger conspiracy to fleece tourists. My farang beggar example should be ample evidence of this. I am waiting for someone to say he is a plant and on the TAT payroll so I can get a good laugh.

 

50 jewelry stores, systematically fleecing novice travelers for the last 30 years is different that a Dutchman looking for some beer money.

 

Does that Dutch beggar have it's own Wikipedia page I wonder? :content:

 

Browse around in here for some solid info on the scam. It's pretty interesting.

If you take the time to read some of it, I think you will agree with me. It's way more than a few independant touts trying on a tourist here and there. It's big money.

 

Thai Gem Scam info here.

Wikipedia webpage on Thai Gem Scam: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_gem_scam

 

Gem Scam link: http://angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/Scams/Sapphire.shtml

 

NOTE:

I'm a full time resident in Bangkok.

I didn't go looking for these people. I bought a DSLR camera last year and started playing tourist. Everywhere I went I got approached...constantly.

It's out of control out there.

This is not good for tourism and Thailand.

 

 

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