Made any travel mistakes lately?

[luxury-lizard]

@Warks - my sympathies - we've had a similar experience in Thailand (and other Asian countries) - which is why we don't travel there anymore - it's not the financial impact but the hassle and that horrible feeling of being duped when you know you should have known better.

 

[GDSman]

Never been on AC - this is a QF/ WS situation….ive validated with QF lost luggage and they already knew (as did I) that bag didn’t get loaded in MEL. After all, I was only there for 3hrs…can’t put them under that sort of pressure…

As I landed in YVR the AirTag showed the bag in HKG… having a lovely trip on its own…

 

[kookaburra75]

As I landed in YVR the AirTag showed the bag in HKG… having a lovely trip on its own…

As the old saying goes, "I wish I was as well travelled as my luggage".

 

[drron]

Well with nearly 200 visits to Thailand we have experienced many attempts at scamming us with no serious consequences.
The worst feeling was being stopped by 2 policemen near the Paragon centre. They stopped us and said that we had broken the law but they wouldn’t report us if we gave them 2000 baht. I was pretty quick that day saying I didn’t have any cash but I could pay with a credit card. And look there is a police station just below us. Can you please take me there. Suddenly we had not broken the law.

 

[cove]

Getting out of the MCG after the grand final we walked down to Mantra on Jolimont. Unfortunately we got scammed by an ah taxi who ran us to our apartment near Crown casino. We won’t do that again.

 

[Warks]

@Warks - my sympathies - we've had a similar experience in Thailand (and other Asian countries) - which is why we don't travel there anymore - it's not the financial impact but the hassle and that horrible feeling of being duped when you know you should have known better.

Thankfully it cost us nothing. A buck for a tul-tuk ride we needed anyway. A lesson learned. And a warning to others, a community service announcement. It has put Mrs Warks off Bangkok but hopefully not Thailand. From what I've read and seen I'd prefer Chiang Mai or that region in general so will endeavour to go there one day. Am sure it has its own scams of course!

 

[esseeeayeenn]

Thankfully it cost us nothing. A buck for a tul-tuk ride we needed anyway. A lesson learned. And a warning to others, a community service announcement. It has put Mrs Warks off Bangkok but hopefully not Thailand. From what I've read and seen I'd prefer Chiang Mai or that region in general so will endeavour to go there one day. Am sure it has its own scams of course!

I hope it doesn't put anyone off travelling anywhere.
Wherever you find affluent foreigners rubbing shoulders with less affluent local people, the local people will try to find a way to procure a small wealth transfer. I think we should remember how privileged we are, and not rush to harsh judgement.

On a deeper level, this is a product of an imbalance of global mobility.
Capital is completely mobile: big business can invest almost anywhere, and use various techniques to home shore most of the profits.
People are free to roam the globe for the purposes of tourism, but not for work.
We are privileged to enjoy much higher wages, merely because of where we were born.
People from less affluent nations can't come here to work, but we can go there to enjoy their countries, their culture and their way of life.

In short, I avoid such scams, I find them annoying, but I can't find it in my heart to judge these people too harshly.

 

[Warks]

I hope it doesn't put anyone off travelling anywhere.
Wherever you find affluent foreigners rubbing shoulders with less affluent local people, the local people will try to find a way to procure a small wealth transfer. I think we should remember how privilegeed we are, and not rush to harsh judgement.

On a deeper level, this is a product of an imbalance on global mobility.
People are free to roam the globe for the purposes of tourism, but not for work.
We are priviliged to enjoy much higher wages, merely because of where we were born.
People from less affluent nations can't come here to work, but we can go there to enjoy their countries.

In short, I avoid such scams, I find them annoying, but I can't find it in my heart to judge these people too harshly.

I think (in fact I know) that Mrs Warks was put off more by some of the sleazy Westerners (and Ruzzians) wandering the streets acting like... well you know.
I recognise the fact that in poorer countries we may be seen as walking wallets by many people which is understandable. It's quite different to our experience in Vietnam and Cambodia though where virtually no one approached us apart from "sirmadammassage?" and the odd proffering of a menu.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

I think (in fact I know) that Mrs Warks was put off more by some of the sleazy Westerners (and Ruzzians) wandering the streets acting like... well you know.
I recognise the fact that in poorer countries we may be seen as walking wallets by many people which is understandable. It's quite different to our experience in Vietnam and Cambodia though where virtually no one approached us apart from "sirmadammassage?" and the odd proffering of a menu.

Recently in Thailand, i went to a police station to report the theft of a camera for insurance purposes.
While I was there, they brought in a Russian guy.
He had been arrested for avoiding paying a tuktuk fare, and assaulting the driver when he tried to collect payment.
He spoke no English, but I heard him abusing the police in French.
I replied in French, advising him to calm down.
The officer in charge overheard, and asked me if I would serve as a translator.
I agreed.
There were some things the Russian said which I refused to translate.
He was rude, crude and offensive in the extreme.

I learned from that experience that Russians were then the most hated tourists in Thailand.
Although on my last visit I was told that crown had been taken by Israeli tourists.

 

[Jacques Vert]

They all need to remember that they are guests in someone else's country; we need to remember the same.

 

[GDSman]

As I landed in YVR the AirTag showed the bag in HKG… having a lovely trip on its own…

And the bag made it to my Niagara Falls hotel in the night - pretty decent service retrieval effort.
This morning’s mistake is sitting on 26th floor of hotel in the iHop, paying $33 for pancakes I don’t want with my eggs, and the fog completely shrouding the view I assume I’m also paying for…

 

[Warks]

Recently in Thailand, i went to a police station to report the theft of a camera for insurance purposes.
While I was there, they brought in a Russian guy.
He had been arrested for avoiding paying a tuktuk fare, and assaulting the driver when he tried to collect payment.
He spoke no English, but I heard him abusing the police in French.
I replied in French, advising him to calm down.
The officer in charge overheard, and asked me if I would serve as a translator.
I agreed.
There were some things the Russian said which I refused to translate.
He was rude, crude and offensive in the extreme.

I learned from that experience that Russians were then the most hated tourists in Thailand.
Although on my last visit I was told that crown had been taken by Israeli tourists.

There were a surprising number of Russians in Istanbul as well. My Swedish friend always refers to them as "Ruzzians".