Getting scammed while travelling in overseas countries...

Kidkinobe

Please note, this is a long post and scribed by a guy that left school at 15 to go work on a construction site, therefore my education is limited and I in no way proclaim to be a some kind of genius writer. And if you do read and don't like, don't be a dick and walk away. On the other hand, if you do have experiences of getting shafted by a dodge person, please share and make it as long and as boring as you want.

One of my many stories about getting scammed while travelling overseas happened just recently in Bangkok, and since this is a travel forum its the most appropriate place to put it so people that do enjoy travelling can read and learn and be aware of different and unexpected situations you might find your self in..
It was my last day in Bangkok, I was due to fly to Siem Reap later in the evening so had no plans for the day, just taking it slow, packing and stressing about the time it might take me to actually get to the airport.
For example, a clear run in a taxi from BKks main airport into the city takes about an hour and costs maybe 20 Euro, plus 6/7 euros that you have to give to the driver enroute to pay for tolls, off course there is never a clear run in Bkk as the cities main thoroughfares are always congested. But an hour is a good time, my worst trip took me 2.5 hours, that was only 5 weeks ago.

So I was stressing about what time I should leave for the airport knowing in my heart and soul I needed to leave sooner rather than later if I wanted to guarantee my place on the flight to Siem Reap, where I am right now, in case anyone was wondering where I am right now.

That morning, Ma Bum (proununced Poom) brought coffee to my room, she was front of staff that worked in the hotel where I ended up staying, I say 'ended up staying' because I was staying somewhere else until I met Ma Bum on Tinder and we sort of hooked up and she got me a good rate in her hotel which just happened to be on the same floor as my room. Her contract offered her free accommodation and food but crap wages, approx 550 euro a month. To put that into perspective, Ive taken Ma Bum out for dinner and a few drinks, not much, just a nice evening out and it cost almost 2 hundred euros for the two of us with food, drinks, taxis etc, of course there were evenings we ate street food and one or two beers for 10 euros for both of us. Ma Bum gives herself 200 a month for odds and ends such as entertainment an taxis and fancy shampoo for her long dark hair, the rest is squirrelled away to take back to Surin.

Ma Bum is a solo mum aged 32, from Surin, tall for an Asian and very attractive, loves her phone, if it isn't in her right hand, its in her left hand, She has a pretty cruisey number, she just makes sure everyone is happy, both staff and customers but she is on call 24/7 for four weeks and then gets 5 days off to return home, 6 hours on a bus or under an hour on a plane, which sounds ok, but since you have to be at the airport a few hours in advance to check in and since the traffic is so unpredictable, taking the plane is also near a 6 hour trip.
Im back to Bkk again in a few weeks to stay in Ma Bums hotel and then she is taking me to Surin for her 5 days off to stay in her pretty flash house and get around in her pretty flash car.
As we sipped on our coffees I asked Ma Bum where I could get passport photos, as required for a visa on arrival into Cambodia, as well as 30 US dollars.
Ma Bum is a no nonsense kind of chick and gave me that look that said "don't ask me stupid questions' while saying, you have phone, you have wifi, you have google' I sniggered like a little 5 year old boy knowing she had walked right into my stupid question, she smiled back knowing that her reaction was over the top, women eh...
I had found my passport photo place on google earlier in the morning and there was one 10 minutes walk away. And soon after, off I went.
To get there I had to cross one of the main roads in Bkk...remember that traffic I mentioned earlier, crossing the road could take 5 minutes at the nearest intersection and there I stood waiting for a break in the cars.
The secret to crossing the streets in Asia is simple, just find a break in the traffic so you can start walking and then just steam right through cars bikes and tuk tuks. the drivers of vehicles can see you and theygauge the speed you are walking, they then either slow down to allow you through, the people on motorbikes watch your steps and gauge where you will be before they reach you, they then alter their course to avoid you either skirting in front of or behind you...This always works for me, but not this particular morning..
At this junction they have a barely visible zebra crossing. I was meant to wait for the light to go red before I cross, but even with the light red, traffic still goes through so I took control and went for it and made it safely across.
Feeling proud of myself and walking up the street I spot a cop maybe 30 meters ahead just standing on the foot path along side his bike looking in my direction, this is unusual I thought to myself, as you never see a lone cop just standing by himself waiting for trouble to come his way, they are usually out looking for it.
I made an instant decision, there and then, do I swing left and enter this mall or do I keep going straight as I knew something was not right, I over looked my gut instinct and kept going.
Hello Sir, you speak Thai the small little man in the brown suit with aviators said to me.
"Nid Noy'I replied (a little bit)
He continued in English. You crossed the street on a red light.
Sorry, I am colour blind.
'In Thailand you must wait for light before you cross'
OH FFS was running through my head but I wasnt going to get into an argument knowing I could never win and my charm never seems to work on men.
How much you want I asked rolling my eyes...10,000 baht, I laughed and gave him a look.
First time offence is 2000 baht he responded with.
I pulled out any cash I had in my wallet which was about 1200 baht, 40ish euro, luckily it was my last day and I was intentionally letting my wallet run dry of cash and having done the maths should have had enough to last me until I jumped on the plane out of their.
He took the cash and we both went our separate ways, I needed to find an ATM before I got my passport photos which just added another hassle but while I was looking scanning for an ATM it dawned on me that I should have feigned some kind of medical event while this cop had his penis up my bottom, you know, like suddenly grab my chest and fall to my knees in agony as if having a heart attack..Im going to try that next time some Thai cop bends me over, just to see how that turns out...

Hoboo

Just wondering, where are you right now?

Purple Mountain

Hoboo wrote: »

Just wondering, where are you right now?

In that dingy room with two fit women on either side.

Kidkinobe

Hoboo wrote: »

Just wondering, where are you right now?

Siem Reap...

Hoboo

About to decline some weed in case paranoia sets in

Purple Mountain

Sounds like Ma Bum is bumming off you too much so to speak.

Tails142

Was just telling someone in work today how I got scammed at every turn the first time I went to Bangkok, it was unbelievable looking back, they are masters at it. Was a bit more wise the second time we were there at the end of our trip. Fun city though, would go back again.

Kidkinobe

Tails142 wrote: »

Was just telling someone in work today how I got scammed at every turn the first time I went to Bangkok, it was unbelievable looking back, they are masters at it. Was a bit more wise the second time we were there at the end of our trip. Fun city though, would go back again.

Its not the place it was 20 odd years ago, its still a fun city if you find the right places which are out of the main tourist traps which are off down the side streets maybe a 20 minute walk from So 4 or Cowboy street.
And the prices now are like a night out in Dublin and if you go mad, even more expensive than Dublin.
I was there for a month before I came here and spent most of the time down towards soi 20 and 22. The bars down that way are more friendly and cheaper and heaps more fun, the ladies aren't as cut throat nor scanning your wallet to see how much cash you have, they could sit with you for hours sipping on a beer while playing connect 4.
As it happens, Im quite good at connect 4 as I was raised on it and then when my own sons came along, connect 4 became another game of choice in the evenings.
One of my best evenings in Bkk was spent playing connect 4 with 6 gar girls in a dingy little pub down soi 20. These were real country girls with crooked teeth and over weight and I don't even know how they made a living.
I got to know them over a few night as it was on the way from my hotel to the BTS and would pop in for a beer and a chat, they were just so laid back and friendly.
This one particular night we got into connect 4 and they were most impressed at my skills, I started off sitting outside with 2 ladies and beat them both, we went again and again and again, lots of draws but I was still leading, word spread around the bar and within time,I was surrounded by all 6 ladies competing against me at the same time, it was a blast. Then it got serious...I jokingly said that if I won the next game all ladies were to come home with me but if I lost, I was to buy them all a beer, that was such a tense game and all the fun side of it vanished, I think they really believed that they would all have to come home with me if I won.
They won and shrieked with joy, I have never seen anyone so happy, of course I was the only guy in the bar and their only chance of making 50 cent for their nights work with the beer I had to buy them. (they get a cut of the price of the beer if a customer buys them a drink) The drinks were brought in and finished and I left the bar happy as Larry..Thats the way the bars used to be back in the day in the tourist traps, friendly and fun with no expectations, but now its just a business transaction, you give them money, they do what you say and then they leave.
The city itself is just chaos, Im back there again in a few weeks and hating the thoughts of it..But on a promise with Ma Bum..

mazwell

Kidkinobe wrote: »

Please note, this is a long post and scribed by a guy that left school at 15 to go work on a construction site, therefore my education is limited and I in no way proclaim to be a some kind of genius writer. And if you do read and don't like, don't be a dick and walk away. On the other hand, if you do have experiences of getting shafted by a dodge person, please share and make it as long and as boring as you want.

One of my many stories about getting scammed while travelling overseas happened just recently in Bangkok, and since this is a travel forum its the most appropriate place to put it so people that do enjoy travelling can read and learn and be aware of different and unexpected situations you might find your self in..
It was my last day in Bangkok, I was due to fly to Siem Reap later in the evening so had no plans for the day, just taking it slow, packing and stressing about the time it might take me to actually get to the airport.
For example, a clear run in a taxi from BKks main airport into the city takes about an hour and costs maybe 20 Euro, plus 6/7 euros that you have to give to the driver enroute to pay for tolls, off course there is never a clear run in Bkk as the cities main thoroughfares are always congested. But an hour is a good time, my worst trip took me 2.5 hours, that was only 5 weeks ago.

So I was stressing about what time I should leave for the airport knowing in my heart and soul I needed to leave sooner rather than later if I wanted to guarantee my place on the flight to Siem Reap, where I am right now, in case anyone was wondering where I am right now.

That morning, Ma Bum (proununced Poom) brought coffee to my room, she was front of staff that worked in the hotel where I ended up staying, I say 'ended up staying' because I was staying somewhere else until I met Ma Bum on Tinder and we sort of hooked up and she got me a good rate in her hotel which just happened to be on the same floor as my room. Her contract offered her free accommodation and food but crap wages, approx 550 euro a month. To put that into perspective, Ive taken Ma Bum out for dinner and a few drinks, not much, just a nice evening out and it cost almost 2 hundred euros for the two of us with food, drinks, taxis etc, of course there were evenings we ate street food and one or two beers for 10 euros for both of us. Ma Bum gives herself 200 a month for odds and ends such as entertainment an taxis and fancy shampoo for her long dark hair, the rest is squirrelled away to take back to Surin.

Ma Bum is a solo mum aged 32, from Surin, tall for an Asian and very attractive, loves her phone, if it isn't in her right hand, its in her left hand, She has a pretty cruisey number, she just makes sure everyone is happy, both staff and customers but she is on call 24/7 for four weeks and then gets 5 days off to return home, 6 hours on a bus or under an hour on a plane, which sounds ok, but since you have to be at the airport a few hours in advance to check in and since the traffic is so unpredictable, taking the plane is also near a 6 hour trip.
Im back to Bkk again in a few weeks to stay in Ma Bums hotel and then she is taking me to Surin for her 5 days off to stay in her pretty flash house and get around in her pretty flash car.
As we sipped on our coffees I asked Ma Bum where I could get passport photos, as required for a visa on arrival into Cambodia, as well as 30 US dollars.
Ma Bum is a no nonsense kind of chick and gave me that look that said "don't ask me stupid questions' while saying, you have phone, you have wifi, you have google' I sniggered like a little 5 year old boy knowing she had walked right into my stupid question, she smiled back knowing that her reaction was over the top, women eh...
I had found my passport photo place on google earlier in the morning and there was one 10 minutes walk away. And soon after, off I went.
To get there I had to cross one of the main roads in Bkk...remember that traffic I mentioned earlier, crossing the road could take 5 minutes at the nearest intersection and there I stood waiting for a break in the cars.
The secret to crossing the streets in Asia is simple, just find a break in the traffic so you can start walking and then just steam right through cars bikes and tuk tuks. the drivers of vehicles can see you and theygauge the speed you are walking, they then either slow down to allow you through, the people on motorbikes watch your steps and gauge where you will be before they reach you, they then alter their course to avoid you either skirting in front of or behind you...This always works for me, but not this particular morning..
At this junction they have a barely visible zebra crossing. I was meant to wait for the light to go red before I cross, but even with the light red, traffic still goes through so I took control and went for it and made it safely across.
Feeling proud of myself and walking up the street I spot a cop maybe 30 meters ahead just standing on the foot path along side his bike looking in my direction, this is unusual I thought to myself, as you never see a lone cop just standing by himself waiting for trouble to come his way, they are usually out looking for it.
I made an instant decision, there and then, do I swing left and enter this mall or do I keep going straight as I knew something was not right, I over looked my gut instinct and kept going.
Hello Sir, you speak Thai the small little man in the brown suit with aviators said to me.
"Nid Noy'I replied (a little bit)
He continued in English. You crossed the street on a red light.
Sorry, I am colour blind.
'In Thailand you must wait for light before you cross'
OH FFS was running through my head but I wasnt going to get into an argument knowing I could never win and my charm never seems to work on men.
How much you want I asked rolling my eyes...10,000 baht, I laughed and gave him a look.
First time offence is 2000 baht he responded with.
I pulled out any cash I had in my wallet which was about 1200 baht, 40ish euro, luckily it was my last day and I was intentionally letting my wallet run dry of cash and having done the maths should have had enough to last me until I jumped on the plane out of their.
He took the cash and we both went our separate ways, I needed to find an ATM before I got my passport photos which just added another hassle but while I was looking scanning for an ATM it dawned on me that I should have feigned some kind of medical event while this cop had his penis up my bottom, you know, like suddenly grab my chest and fall to my knees in agony as if having a heart attack..Im going to try that next time some Thai cop bends me over, just to see how that turns out...

Tldr seriously go to after hours for your attention

Kidkinobe

mazwell wrote: »

Tldr seriously go to after hours for your attention

Have you experienced any scams over seas?

mazwell

Kidkinobe wrote: »

Its not the place it was 20 odd years ago, its still a fun city if you find the right places which are out of the main tourist traps which are off down the side streets maybe a 20 minute walk from So 4 or Cowboy street.
And the prices now are like a night out in Dublin and if you go mad, even more expensive than Dublin.
I was there for a month before I came here and spent most of the time down towards soi 20 and 22. The bars down that way are more friendly and cheaper and heaps more fun, the ladies aren't as cut throat nor scanning your wallet to see how much cash you have, they could sit with you for hours sipping on a beer while playing connect 4.
As it happens, Im quite good at connect 4 as I was raised on it and then when my own sons came along, connect 4 became another game of choice in the evenings.
One of my best evenings in Bkk was spent playing connect 4 with 6 gar girls in a dingy little pub down soi 20. These were real country girls with crooked teeth and over weight and I don't even know how they made a living.
I got to know them over a few night as it was on the way from my hotel to the BTS and would pop in for a beer and a chat, they were just so laid back and friendly.
This one particular night we got into connect 4 and they were most impressed at my skills, I started off sitting outside with 2 ladies and beat them both, we went again and again and again, lots of draws but I was still leading, word spread around the bar and within time,I was surrounded by all 6 ladies competing against me at the same time, it was a blast. Then it got serious...I jokingly said that if I won the next game all ladies were to come home with me but if I lost, I was to buy them all a beer, that was such a tense game and all the fun side of it vanished, I think they really believed that they would all have to come home with me if I won.
They won and shrieked with joy, I have never seen anyone so happy, of course I was the only guy in the bar and their only chance of making 50 cent for their nights work with the beer I had to buy them. (they get a cut of the price of the beer if a customer buys them a drink) The drinks were brought in and finished and I left the bar happy as Larry..Thats the way the bars used to be back in the day in the tourist traps, friendly and fun with no expectations, but now its just a business transaction, you give them money, they do what you say and then they leave.
The city itself is just chaos, Im back there again in a few weeks and hating the thoughts of it..But on a promise with Ma Bum..[/QUO

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Kidkinobe

mazwell wrote: »

Kidkinobe wrote: »

Its not the place it was 20 odd years ago, its still a fun city if you find the right places which are out of the main tourist traps which are off down the side streets maybe a 20 minute walk from So 4 or Cowboy street.
And the prices now are like a night out in Dublin and if you go mad, even more expensive than Dublin.
I was there for a month before I came here and spent most of the time down towards soi 20 and 22. The bars down that way are more friendly and cheaper and heaps more fun, the ladies aren't as cut throat nor scanning your wallet to see how much cash you have, they could sit with you for hours sipping on a beer while playing connect 4.
As it happens, Im quite good at connect 4 as I was raised on it and then when my own sons came along, connect 4 became another game of choice in the evenings.
One of my best evenings in Bkk was spent playing connect 4 with 6 gar girls in a dingy little pub down soi 20. These were real country girls with crooked teeth and over weight and I don't even know how they made a living.
I got to know them over a few night as it was on the way from my hotel to the BTS and would pop in for a beer and a chat, they were just so laid back and friendly.
This one particular night we got into connect 4 and they were most impressed at my skills, I started off sitting outside with 2 ladies and beat them both, we went again and again and again, lots of draws but I was still leading, word spread around the bar and within time,I was surrounded by all 6 ladies competing against me at the same time, it was a blast. Then it got serious...I jokingly said that if I won the next game all ladies were to come home with me but if I lost, I was to buy them all a beer, that was such a tense game and all the fun side of it vanished, I think they really believed that they would all have to come home with me if I won.
They won and shrieked with joy, I have never seen anyone so happy, of course I was the only guy in the bar and their only chance of making 50 cent for their nights work with the beer I had to buy them. (they get a cut of the price of the beer if a customer buys them a drink) The drinks were brought in and finished and I left the bar happy as Larry..Thats the way the bars used to be back in the day in the tourist traps, friendly and fun with no expectations, but now its just a business transaction, you give them money, they do what you say and then they leave.
The city itself is just chaos, Im back there again in a few weeks and hating the thoughts of it..But on a promise with Ma Bum..[/QUO

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Bye.

fritzelly

Hoboo wrote: »

Just wondering, where are you right now?

One can only hope in some Bangkok prison after having forced myself to read that and no punchline

Kidkinobe

fritzelly wrote: »

One can only hope in some Bangkok prison after having forced myself to read that and no punchline

If you want punchlines, go to the jokes forum...this is a thread about getting scammed over seas...which is not really anything to laugh about..

steve-o

Aye, is that you, Uncle Colm?

afkasurfjunkie

The scam here is paying €200 for a night out in Bangkok.