THAI PM LISTS BANGKOK INTERNATIONAL SCAMS

An official news release issued recently, following Thailand's Prime Minister inspection of the Bangkok International Airport, said:

Mr Abhisit spared no-one during the one-hour inspection, when he called for an overhaul of security at duty-free shops and believes reports that a variety of scams are flourishing at the airport.

Problems identified included:

Entrapment — departing passengers are falsely accused of shoplifting at duty free shops and forced to pay substantial cash to gain their release.

Unlicensed taxi drivers flourish, and there are accusations that even official taxis are a security risk. Recent TV news reports focused on accusations that rogue taxi drivers attempt to introduce a sleep-inducing drug to the air-conditioning while transferring to the city. The allegations are being investigated by the Land Transport Department.

Baggage theft in secure areas involves airport ground handling employees. Pilfering checked-in luggage is rampant.

Shoplifting scams involving illegal use of foreign interpreters and volunteers inserted into an official police investigation. They are assigned by police in direct contravention of the country’s labour law

Illegal sale of limousine transfers and tours sold openly in the baggage clearance area, before the customs checks, despite letters of complaints from travel agency associations to the AoT.
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Now even the Thai government is acknowledging problems. Remember AVOID KING POWER DUTY FREE where the big scams were reported, triggering this inspection.

Links

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/w ... 590584.ece
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2009/06 ... 106228.php
http://www.andrew-drummond.com/2009/06/28/809/ (Long one - lots of info)

So, you copied and pasted that from TTRWeekly website. I never read about the PM talking about all these 'scams' in such details before.
Come to Thailand and use your common sense and youll be fine.

Thailand is great so don't be put off going. Although when I first went traveling there I got off the plane jetlagged and very 'green' and hopped in the first cab that offered itself to me. Turns out I ended up paying of 5x the going rate. Always look for the cabs that look a little older where the drivers don't have people employed to bring you over as soon as you leave the airport - you'll save loads!

Siam Jai wrote:So, you copied and pasted that from TTRWeekly website. I never read about the PM talking about all these 'scams' in such details before.

Never heard of TTR - just because you never read about these scams means you missed news releases from your P.M.'s office. Sources were the Mass Communication Organization of Thailand and Public Relations Department (Thai Government).

Siam Jai wrote:Come to Thailand and use your common sense and you'll be fine.

Agreed, Thailand offers a great experience. The one experience you need to avoid is shopping at King Power Duty Free - the Bangkok airport monopoly.

DakLak wrote: Recent TV news reports focused on accusations that rogue taxi drivers attempt to introduce a sleep-inducing drug to the air-conditioning while transferring to the city.

I'm trying to work out how someone might manage to pull that off without drugging himself in the process as well. Does he wear a SCUBA tank or just hang his head out the window as he drives?

The Thai government is trying to improve it's Bangkok Internationals reputation by arresting over 1,000 illegal drivers and tour guides operating out of the airport.

They admit they have a long way to go.

For a full report: < http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/1-000-Unl ... try2998443 >.

what a welcome..
so when i arrive, avoid all touts, get into a beat up taxi, pay only one fifth of the price asked of me, keep the windows down to breath in the fumes, on second thoughts risk the chance of the aircon drugging. and enjoy. Smile its thailand !!

next they'll be warning if she's too good looking she is not a she and is possibly a he
as ever watch your back !!

back in june 2003, i got charged way too much from the airport (500 baht), but at the end of a 12-15 hour flight I'll happily pay over the odds to get dropped off exactly where i wanted to be
yeah i gave him 600 baht a nice tip.. have the afternoon of young man.
but sod it !! whats a tenner to a westerner


ps. and on the way out don't buy duty free

Well after reading that lot, any ideas I may have harboured about going to Thailand for a couple of days have been well and truly scuppered! And it sets me wondering if I can expect the same from neighbouring countries.

Tell me Cambodia and Malaysia ain't like that too.

Don't governments (read Western govs) usually put out a "Government warning" for people travelling to country XXX?

Whistler, it may be 6 or so years since I was in the area, but I saw very little of that. Ok. I practically lived on Khao San Road out of chronic travel tiredness, and never left Bangkok, but on that road, I never heard of those goings ons.

Ok. Don't go into the duty free shops. That solves one problem.

2. use only official cabs from the official cab stands. Most airports have them.

When arriving at Bangkok’s airport, travelers should use only taxis from the airport’s official taxi stand, cars from the airport limousine counters, or airport buses. All major hotels in Bangkok can also arrange to have a car and driver meet incoming flights. It is uncommon for Thai taxis to pick up additional passengers. Travelers should be wary of drivers seeking to do so, and should never enter a cab that has someone besides the driver in it.

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_t ... _1040.html

Thats from the official warnings site- I usually discount some of the more paranoid statements, but this one just makes sense. I do it in every airport all over the world, if they have official taxi stands. The prices tend to be more regular, and the odds of being robbed go WAY down.

3. Being ripped off by taxis is a travellers bane. Sometimes you just grin and bear it, unless you have local knowledge, and then you have some kind of edge. Don't call off a country because the taxi cab drivers are normal.

I don't know about Cambodia, but Malaysia is usually quite civilised! I found no such troubles as were described here, and I was there for a long time, and went to more than a few places.

Indonesia is another story.... You grow to expect things like that there.

Thailand is a beautiful country, and many people are just wonderful there. Its too bad a few bad apples spoil the image.

Whistler, i been in Thailand for more than ten years and very rarely have i had any problem with taxis. As mentioned above when arriving at the airport use your common sense and take an official registered taxi costing extra 50Baht. Many travellers who have problem with airport unofficial airport taxis is cause they dont want to pay the extra official 50Baht commission ( 1 Euro!).

As for unofficial tour guides, there are millions of posts on the Internet stating 'Do not take the advice of strangers in Thailand who come out of nowhere offering advice/services'. All common sense really. Do not get caught stealing at duty free shops then claim your innoncence after having to pay a large fine instead of going to prison for a year.

I been to Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos many times. There is no difference there, so long as COMMON SENSE prevails.

Siam Jai:
Good to see that you agree there are scams at the airport.

Now we await action on the King Power racket and the other few thousand illegal cabs and 'guides'.