I have been watching the show, Scam City, here on the Thai TV and while it's a good show, it also makes me wonder how all the foreign tourists get around all the time. I mean, when you're going to another country it can be a bit scary. Sure everyone says that Thai people are nice, HOWEVER this does not mean there aren't people here that can and will scam you out of everything you have. Having lived here for awhile as an exchange student, I know how to get past the most common scams you'll run into. After all, I might know Thailand, but I still look like a Westerner so I am a frequent target of scammers. So if you're planning your trip to Thailand, keep a look out and follow these tips.
1. LEARN THAI
You don't have to understand the whole language, but by speaking Thai with the locals, you'll probably be less likely to get scammed. Simple phrases such as "How much?" (tao rai?), "That's expensive." (paeng), "Make it cheaper." (tuk gwa), and numbers will go a long way. You can find Thai language books at your local library or book store, but there's always online lessons you can take for free too. Some even have sections that have vocabulary just for tourists!
Knowing some Thai will not guarantee you won't get scammed, but it certainly does help. And it also prevents you from looking like a typical American-tourist-stereotype. ;D
2. DON'T TAKE DETOURS
This is mostly for if you're taking a taxi or dtuk-dtuk, but even if you're walking I wouldn't recommend it. Try to make sure you know where you are going well in advance. If your driver says he can take you to here, there, and then here for shopping, simple say "mai ao (ka/krap*)", which basically means "No thank you." I say this because there have been a number of incidents where the drivers will take you to shops that give them extra money if they do so. Once you get to said shop, the people there might expect you to buy something, even if it's super expensive.
I'm not saying you should not take a Thai taxi (They're fun! 8D), but just use caution as they will sometimes take you to places you don't want to go. That and they'll make you pay extra, but that's for number 3.
*ka/krap - boys say krap, girls say ka
3. PRETEND YOU'RE POOR
Get used to saying things like, "That's too expensive." (nan paeng maak) because there are two kinds of prices in Thailand; the Thai price and the Westerner price. And the Westerner price is always more than the Thai. Unlike in Western countries, Thailand's price systems are not monitored too well, so the workers can bump up the price if they really felt like it. This goes for just about everything, including taxis. Well with taxis you might get more lucky than with dtuk-dtuks that don't have a meter. This is why knowing your numbers will come in handy. If the price is listed, read it yourself before asking for what you want. If it isn't, ask a Thai person who is NOT working at the area. Once you know the price, go up and get what you want. If your bill turns out to be more than you expected, simply say "ruu ni ...(price)... laeo" (I already know this is ...(price)...)
Overall though, it's best to ask before buying how much something is. If you think it's too expensive, tell them so and start to walk away. If they really want business, they'll call you right back. This worked for a friend of mine, so I think it should work for you as well.
4. KNOW THE PRICES
This continues off of what I was saying before. However, I feel I should let everyone know what exactly a good price for certain things are. So for Thai street food, you should not be paying anything more than 20 baht for simple foods. More complex ones, like fish, can sometimes be 50 or 70 baht, but I don't recommend eating those anyway. Dtuk-dtuks should only be at the most 30 baht if you are only driving a short distance (something that would take you 45-60 minutes to walk). If you're going anywhere further, then I am not sure. But I once saw an English guy hand over 150 baht to a dtuk-dtuk driver, so certainly not quite that much for any distance! Basic clothes (like T-shirts) should only be 100-120 baht, but if you're buying something more elegant expect to pay a lot more.
I ran out of other things to add, but if you have something specific to ask, just ask me in the comments. I'll reply back as soon as I can.
5. AVOID THAI "GIRLFRIENDS"
This is more for people (guys more specifically) staying here for an extended period. However, I feel I should add it anyway as a warning. Now to start off, I'm not here to try and control who you date, but I have heard of Thai girls who hook up with Western men (sorry ladies, I haven't seen Thai men do this) just to get to their money. The same can be said for some women in the West, but real Thai girlfriend scammers take it to the extreme. They can have between 3-5 boyfriends at the same time without any of the guys knowing they aren't the only ones with the girl. She will use them to pay for her various expenses to the point where she doesn't have to work herself. It's a nice trick, but the guys that fall for her certainly have gotten the short end of the stick.
In a gist, I realize Thai girls are very attractive for Western men, and I, especially as woman, cannot tell them what to be into. But again, just use caution and you should be good.
In general, Thais are very nice to tourists. They enjoy seeing you around and watching what you do (not to sound stalkerish) and may even try to practice their English with you. Still, my Thai grandmother told me once that some Thai people are not good, so it's important you keep yourself safe while traveling. I wish you the best of luck and I hope you will enjoy the blog in the future. :3
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