Unreliable tuk tuk drivers and other Bangkok, Thailand Warning Or Danger Tips

When I took a tuk tuk ride during my visit to Bangkok in September 2007, I was well aware of their reputation for failing to deliver tourists to their requested destinations.

I therefore decided that my tuk tuk ride would be solely for the experience value – I didn’t need to be anywhere, so I’d jump in, see the sights and see what happened!

I agreed a fee of 20 Bahts (0.30 GBP) in advance with the driver for him to take me to the giant standing Buddha at Wat Intharawihan, the Golden Mount and then back to the Grand Palace. I could always ask him to stop at any other interesting sights en route.

The journey started as planned. I visited the giant standing Buddha while my driver waited outside for me for 5 - 10 minutes.

However, when I returned, he told me that the Golden Mount was closed until the afternoon and he would instead take me to another small temple nearby. At this temple, the room containing the “Lucky Buddha” was closed, but a man outside kindly offered me the opportunity to buy jewellery (available today only!) that I could sell back home for 5 times the price!

The next stop was an unscheduled one at a factory, despite me repeatedly telling the driver I wasn’t interested in visiting a factory. I refused to get out, so the driver reluctantly drove on.

We stopped at another small temple where the man who was responsible for its upkeep tried to sell me a variety of tours (which had to be booked that day – the last day of the sales!).

My driver was intent on getting some commission one way or another, so he drove me to a “fashion shop”. I again refused to get out and browse. The driver pleaded with me to do so, in order that he would get a “coupon” for having taken me there. We discussed it for a few minutes and eventually reached an impasse. He established that I wasn’t going to go inside the shop, and I established that he wasn’t going to drive me back to the Grand Palace. I handed him a 20 Baht note and walked back to the palace. No harm done – it was a great experience at very little cost!

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One of the common scams aimed at tourists in Bangkok is to tell them that a particular attraction is closed…and then attempt to lure them elsewhere for a small fee!

I encountered this a number of times during my visit to the city in September 2007.

The first time I came across this scam (and fell for it!) was on the Monday morning that I went to visit the Grand Palace. An official looking man in a yellow uniform standing outside the grounds of the palace told me that the Grand Palace is open only for locals on a Monday morning. Hadn’t I noticed all the locals in the yellow shirts? Yes, I had. Well, they were all making their special Monday morning visit to pray at the Grand Palace. I should return at 1pm when tourists would be allowed to enter.

So, what was I going to do for the next few hours while I waited for the palace to open? Not to worry…the ever-helpful “official” was on hand to recommend other sights to see….the giant standing Buddha at Wat Intharawihan, the Golden Mount, the Thai factory outlet…

And how would I get to these sights? Again, the official would be only too happy to beckon over a passing tuk tuk driver and arrange for him to take me there for only 40 Bahts.

Now, I wasn’t going to be fooled into jumping into a random tuk tuk on a stranger’s recommendation, but I did believe him that the Grand Palace was closed to tourists.

So instead, I hailed my own tuk tuk and arranged a fee of just 20 Bahts (avoiding the 20 Bahts commission for the helpful official!) and set out to see the sights.

This is when I encountered the scam for a second time. Apparently, just like the Grand Palace, the Golden Mount was also closed to tourists on Monday mornings. So, instead of taking me there my driver would take me on a tour of small, lesser-known temples where helpful locals would attempt to sell me various things, all of which were available at these “low prices” for that one day only!

If you are told that an attraction is closed, check for yourself and you’ll probably find that you’re being lied to!

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This is a scam that you will almost certainly encounter in one form or another while you are in Bangkok.

Some locals are extremely keen for tourists to spend their money while they are in their city, and will be only too happy to point you in the direction of opportunities to do so. Commonly, this involves ”one day only sales”.

The exact story will be different each time, it might be jewellery, it might be tailored goods, it might be Thai souvenirs. One common factor will remain though – you must buy TODAY!! or you will miss out on the bargain of a lifetime.

The most common story told to me was that the Thai government opens up its tax-free shops to tourists on just seven days each year…and, as luck would have it, today was one of those seven days. In fact, by an amazing coincidence, it seems that FIVE of those seven days occurred during my week long stay in Bangkok in September 2007. What are the odds?

One man urged me to rush off to the “Export Centre” immediately to buy myself a nice cheap suit. He would even arrange a tuk tuk to take me there. I declined. Another man insisted that I go to a particular factory to buy some gems and jewellery, which I could sell back in the UK for 5 times the price. I again declined, despite his insistence that if I waited until tomorrow I’d have to pay 195% tax!

Some of those who targeted me even claimed not to be local, just friendly fellow tourists passing on their money saving tips. One man said he was from Singapore, another lived in Sydney. They were extremely keen to ensure that I didn’t miss out on these supposedly rare sales!

Don't be fooled by these fake "sales".

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Whilst walking by the Royal Field, close to the Grand Palace, during a visit to Bangkok in September 2007, I came across another scam to extort money out of visiting tourists.

It was nothing too serious, just another method by which enterprising locals attempt to earn a few Bahts from their foreign guests.

There are many birds flocking around near the Royal Field. Industrious locals can be found trying to sell bags of bird food to passing tourists. However, they don’t like to take no for an answer. Instead, they ripped open a bag of seeds and practically forced it into my hands. They then encouraged me to sprinkle it on the ground where dozens of birds had already gathered around me.

I tried to give the bag back, but eventually relented and threw it to the birds. I knew that it was going to cost me, it was just a question of how much!

I was asked (rather optimistically!) for 150 Bahts (about 2.50 GBP). Considering that I could have had a good meal in Bangkok for half that price, it seemed a little steep for a small bag of bird seeds! Instead, I offered them a 20 Baht note, which was waved away as they continued to ask for 150 Bahts. I smiled, declined, put the note back in my pocket and walked on. I had walked only a few metres before I was tapped on the shoulder and told “ok, 20 Bahts”. That was one of my few successful bargaining experiences!

You will probably encounter various situations like this in Bangkok, where locals will try to earn a small sum of money from you. Just keep your cool, be polite and hand over a sum that you feel is appropriate (if anything at all).

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