Aussies warned about coughet scamsters

[kpc]

Australian tourists in coughet should be wary of extortion gangs, some of which are in cahoots with local police.

Australian Ambassador James Wise and his British counterpart, Mark Kent, have joined a Thai Ministry of Tourism campaign to tackle tourist scams on coughet.
Up to 25,000 Australians visit coughet each month, with Christmas and New Year the peak of the tourism season.
The main scams involve taxi and jet-ski operators in coughet and the seaside resort town of Pattaya.

Read more: Aussies warned about coughet scamsters
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I really hate the extortionate rates that coughet taxis / tuk tuks charge. Having been to coughet twice in the last 3 years, I doubt I'll be back soon. Another tip...get prices for massages, hair treatment etc written down...+1 had to pay double the cost of her hairdresser treatment than the cost first quoted :evil:

 

[JohnK]

It is not just coughet. The taxi, tuk-tuks etc all over Thailand overcharge.

I have been getting some prices for taxis to take me to golf in Chiang Mai and the price is clear extortion.

I can take a minibus from Hua Hin - Pattaya and the cost is 400THB. The drop off is in South Pattaya and to take a Songtaew to hotel ~2-3 kms and ~10 minutes they want 200THB.

 

[Sprucegoose]

Read more: Aussies warned about coughet scamsters
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I really hate the extortionate rates that coughet taxis / tuk tuks charge. Having been to coughet twice in the last 3 years, I doubt I'll be back soon. Another tip...get prices for massages, hair treatment etc written down...+1 had to pay double the cost of her hairdresser treatment than the cost first quoted :evil:

Good advice. I have been lucky so far, however the next scam is just around the corner

Take a video on your phone?

 

[Awesom Andy]

Still quite a bit cheaper than that $400 USD ride around Central Park in NYC... Perhaps similar warnings should be issued to potential visitors of the LOTFAP.

 

[Justchecking]

The solution is simple. Don't go there. I've only been to Thailand once and to be honest what was there wasn't worth the hassle or expense. I've never understood the rampant fascination for the place. It's just another country with 'cheap stuff'.

 

[Sprucegoose]

So where do we go, new zealand??

 

[JohnK]

I've only been to Thailand once and to be honest what was there wasn't worth the hassle or expense. I've never understood the rampant fascination for the place.

I can go to Cairns for a weekend of golf and spend a minimum of AUD600 for a couple of games of golf. And that is one of the cheapest destinations in Australia. Try going to Gladstone, Mackay, Perth etc.

Or I can go to Thailand for 14 days, play 9-10 games of golf, and spend ~AUD3,000.

I guess it is to each their own....

 

[drron]

The solution is simple. Don't go there. I've only been to Thailand once and to be honest what was there wasn't worth the hassle or expense. I've never understood the rampant fascination for the place. It's just another country with 'cheap stuff'.

And we have stayed in bangkok 25 times and still love the people,the food and just being able to chill out.Gave up looking at the cheap stuff after second visit as just so much more to do.
And i can stay in a genuine 5 star hotel for what it costs for a country motel room in Australia.

 

[Awesom Andy]

That's very true. My Aussie friends always ask me how I can travel so much. The fact is, being based in SIN, a long weekend away in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, etc, is about the cost of a night out in SYD/MEL.

 

[N860CR]

Seems a bit of a filler story... This stuff has been going on in Asia since our Western money started arriving. Actually... Make that going on in every single country of the world where tourists visit (including Australia).

 

[casanovawa]

Yes, there are other countries in Asia to go to instead... Just move Thailand down a few notches... Although always good to keep these things in perspective...

Vietnam is a place i will probably go back to at some point...

 

[N860CR]

Interesting how such things always appear in Australian publications/Boarder Security etc. Just more xenophobia to try to share the masses back to Cairns/Port Douglass etc.

Fortunately, most of us are intelligent enough to see through it.

 

[Sprucegoose]

Ah the rich fabric of travel.

Ive lived in Asia, of course there are scams. There are some here as well.

Use your common sense. Understand the art of the deal. Protect yourself. You will get ripped off however, I still do, they are valuable learning experiences.

The trick is to minimize the target area. I admire a good crook! The straight out stand over boys should be out of business there's nothing clever in that behavior.

 

[mella2007]

Not telling us anything we don't already know. Thailand as many countries around the world...have things to watch out for.
I'm off to coughet next week (first time) and looking forward to enjoying myself and relaxing for a few days (no jetskis will be hired however!)

 

[AVC]

I'm actually in coughet right now. And if this is the peak season, it's bad new for their economy. There certainly does not appear to be as much going on as when we've been here before.

But, our suite is roomy. There are 3 pools, and a beachside seafood restaurant is one minute away.

Too bad about the world class dial up speed internet. Oh well, you can't have everything

 

[Sprucegoose]

I'm actually in coughet right now. And if this is the peak season, it's bad new for their economy. There certainly does not appear to be as much going on as when we've been here before.

But, our suite is roomy. There are 3 pools, and a beachside seafood restaurant is one minute away.

Too bad about the world class dial up speed internet. Oh well, you can't have everything

Where are you staying?

This time is big reliance on the AUD for their bread.

 

[whatmeworry]

Not telling us anything we don't already know. Thailand as many countries around the world...have things to watch out for.
I'm off to coughet next week (first time) and looking forward to enjoying myself and relaxing for a few days (no jetskis will be hired however!)

My boss was telling me about the Jetski scam where they leave the bung at the back of jetski and the jetski would subsequently sink. Apparently jetskis are almost impossible to sink. It happened to a friend of his son on a trip, and in the end they had to negotiate a price to "repair" the jetski!

 

[amaroo]

And we have stayed in bangkok 25 times and still love the people,the food and just being able to chill out.Gave up looking at the cheap stuff after second visit as just so much more to do.
And i can stay in a genuine 5 star hotel for what it costs for a country motel room in Australia.

+1

We really enjoy BKK - been lucky enough to have stayed 8 times. Been to other places in Thailand - Koh Samui, Chaing Mai, coughet......however, BKK is the one that's draws us back.

It's been a great base camp for our adventures into Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam....next one, Myanmar.

 

[acoolbreeze]

This isn't "news".
Its "olds".
This has been going on for years.

 

[Archphoto]

My boss was telling me about the Jetski scam where they leave the bung at the back of jetski and the jetski would subsequently sink. Apparently jetskis are almost impossible to sink. It happened to a friend of his son on a trip, and in the end they had to negotiate a price to "repair" the jetski!

This is a rampant problem - the GM at the Hilton filled us in on this earlier this year, when we were there on a photoshoot. They'll insist you've "damaged" the jetski (most likely from earlier collisions) and demand payment. The problem is, the authorities don't seem to be interested - which damages the reputation of coughet even further.

It's not just TH though - I got ripped off right here in ADL with a cab ride - $35 for what should have been $15. Of course I had no idea of cab charges in AU at the time, as I drive everywhere, but in all seriousness, it happens everywhere, not just overseas. (Also been done in SIN - even requested a receipt, but he conveniently didn't add his cab number.)

I have to agree though - must have been a slow news day.