The scams you will come across during your next trip to Thailand are pretty harmless, other than loosing a couple hundred baht. However, you can learn how to avoid all of these scams by reading this post!
Let me be clear though, this is definitely not something you’ll experience everywhere in Thailand. Thai people are incredibly warm, welcoming, and genuinely kind, and most of the time you’ll feel that right away. These types of scams tend to happen in more tourist-heavy areas, especially around places like the Grand Palace and Wat Arun, where visitors are easy targets.
With that said, it’s still safe to say that Thailand truly is the Land of Smiles. The culture, the people, and the overall experience far outweigh the occasional scam you will experience. You just need to stay aware and travel smart. We spent a little over two weeks in Thailand and didn’t fall for any.
Table of Contents
The One With The Tuk Tuk Scam
This is probably the most popular scam that you will run across during your trip to Thailand. They are extremely common and part of every day life in major cities like Bangkok and Chiang Mai.
Overcharging is the most common scam for tourists. In Thailand, Tuk Tuk’s are much more expensive than Taxi’s, Bolt’s and Grabs as they are seen as a tourist experience (they are great fun). Tuk Tuk drivers typically will charge tourists double or even triple of what is deemed reasonable. Depending on how far you are travelling, they should only be a hundred baht more than a Bolt or a Grab.
The way to avoid this scam is to negotiate price before hopping on. Also be aware that grabbing a Tuk Tuk in heavily touristed places such as Grand Palace and Wat Arun will be heavily inflated.
Another type of scam that will come from the Tuk Tuk’s involve taking you to a “special shop”. The shops are not special, infact they are shops in which the driver earns commission from. Some of these shops are tailors for suits, jewlwery or suivineer shops.
Another very well known scam is the “the temple is closed today” for a public holiday or something… the truth is, it is almost always open. When we travelled to Bangkok we went a day before a holiday and it was made aware by all the staff/ticket workers that was the case.
The One On The Corner Scam
We did not fall for this one, but it did happen to us.
This scam typically starts when someone approaches tourists near a busy area, often while they are waiting to cross the street or heading toward a well-known attraction like Wat Arun. The person will casually ask where they are going and then provide false information, for example, claiming that the ferry is extremely expensive.
They then offer an alternative, such as a cheaper private boat tour that conveniently ends at the same destination. To make it seem even more legitimate, they may offer to arrange a very low-cost Tuk Tuk ride to the “meeting point.”
Shortly after, a Tuk Tuk driver will magically appear, reinforcing the setup and making the situation feel coordinated and trustworthy, when in reality, it’s all part of the scam.
Although it is nice to have people give possibly good advice on things, it is likely leading to some sort of scam.
The Ones With The Taxi Scam
This one is always a very common tourist scam.
One of the most common taxi scams you’ll come across is the “meter not working” situation. The driver will tell you it’s broken and offer a flat rate instead, which is almost always much higher than what the ride should actually cost. Our advice? Just take a Grab or a Bolt, they are almost always cheaper.
Another thing to watch for is drivers taking longer routes on purpose to increase the fare. It happens more than you’d think. The easiest way to avoid this is to keep Google Maps open on your phone. Once they see you’re following along, the route usually becomes a lot more direct.
Again, this can all be avoided by using Grab or Bolt. They are much better than Taxi’s and have protection options for the riders.
The One Attraction That is Closed Scam
This is one of the most common scams in Thailand, especially around major tourist attractions. A random person will approach you and casually tell you that the site you’re heading to is closed for the day due to a ceremony or renovations.
From there, they’ll quickly offer an alternative, usually an overpriced tour, attraction, or shop where they earn a commission for bringing you in.
The One With The Damaged Scooter Scam
This one is common when returning an undamaged scooter and the shop tries to blame the renter for uncaused damage. Most of the scooters at the rental shops are already damaged from other tourists and the shops tend to keep charging renters for the same damage. The shops also leverage your passport and the cash deposits for them.
Always be sure to take lots of photographs and vidoes of the scooter upon pickup.
Be Alert and Have Fun
Thailand is the land of the smile, but it is also home to many scams. It is a very safe country and easy to travel in. Always remeber that some people will always try to get a little extra money out of you, but most people will not.