Compulsory stops at gem outlet and other Bangkok, Thailand Tourist Trap Tips

Enjoyed the many reasonable prices backpacker group day tours from Bangkok. But almost all will end up at a gem outlet for an hour or so before sending me back to my drop off points. If you are protest, you will be told that these outlets subsidized the tours or it is requirement by the Thailand Tourism Board.

Whatever the reasons, just accept this as part of the package although time is precious. If you are in a hurry, just get a cab back. Otherwise, enjoy the aircondition after a hot day of tour, any free refreshment provided and check out the prices without buying. No one will be foreced to buy anything, we usually do not as our form of protest.

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If your train is cancelled and there are "agents" at the train station, well dressed and ready to help to find alternative transport and take you to their company office, beware. You will end up getting charged extra for this "service" provided. Worst, the train information assistant have this arrangement with these "agents" by introducing them to you.

So better to find out where are the travel agents and go directly to their office without a third party agent.

Similary, if you are walking on the street, if a taxi cab, tuk tuk driver or "promoter" offers to take you to a nice restaurant, entertainment center, etc, you can be sure that you will be paying more as the venue you are going to will have to pay a commission to the person taking you. So again, better to go directly yourself.

Above are considered "legit" way of making money and so if you, like me, ended having to pay this extra service, do not fret. Be careful the next time.

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If you are planning to go to Malaysia on an overnight bus all the way without stopping, any backpacket travel agent who can do so if you are paying more is taking you for a ride.

Unless, you joined a tour, all backpackers are put into a system for the journey south of Bangkok. You will arrive at Surat Thani at 3-4am in the morning, redistributed into other buses or vans depending whether you are going to Phuket, Krabi, Koh Samui, Hatyai, Butterworth (Malaysia). Then when you arrive at Hatyai, again you are "redistributed" into minivans and cross the Malaysian border no longer on the Super VIP direct bus you were promised and paid more for. You spent several hours of waiting as your paid ticket is being transfered from agent to agent and driver to driver.

Just be prepared to be "handled" like checked-in luggage. So get the cheapest price at Bangkok so that you do not feel that you have been "cheated". Another option is to take the train or fly instead of the human cargo transport.

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