Scammed in Bangkok
Thailand may be the land of smiles, but Bangkok is the land of scams
Before I went to Thailand, I pictured paradise—friendly people, famously safe, easy to get around. Because of that, I never thought to look up scams. Big mistake.
On my very first day in Bangkok, I had my itinerary ready. First stop: the Golden Mount. I was jetlagged, sweaty, and completely starry-eyed. I mean, I had just taken a boat through the middle
of the city as public transport—that alone blew my mind. As I wandered the streets, glued to my phone trying to navigate, a man stopped me.
On my very first day in Bangkok, I had my itinerary ready. First stop: the Golden Mount. I was jetlagged, sweaty, and completely starry-eyed. I mean, I had just taken a boat through the middle of the city as public transport—that alone blew my mind. As I wandered the streets, glued to my phone trying to navigate, a man stopped me.
It was 10 a.m. He told me the Golden Mount was closed until noon. (Spoiler: it wasn’t.) He smiled, waved over a tuk tuk, and offered me a whole “special route” to kill time—five stops, all for 100 baht. Naïve and overheated, I believed him.
Off we went, zigzagging through the chaos until we pulled into a sketchy alleyway. “Oldest temple in Bangkok,” he said. Inside, a monk beckoned me to sit. He started with small talk—where I was from, what I did—then suddenly launched into a spiel about Armani suits. Apparently, as a bartender, I “definitely needed one.” He insisted I should check out this place around the corner (odd for a monk to be promoting this). I nodded politely, then slipped out.
Back in the tuk tuk, we headed to Wat Benchamabophit, a genuinely beautiful temple. After exploring, I returned to the driver, who insisted we make “a few quick stops” first. I said no, but he ignored me. Still, he was so cheerful that I thought, hey, 100 baht is nothing—I’ll even tip him later.
Next stop: a “tourist center.” Inside, a travel agent grilled me about my plans—Chiang Mai, an elephant sanctuary, maybe Chiang Rai. He drew up a package, insisting it was a “special deal.” I told him I’d think about it, then later discovered his prices were double the going rate. When I walked out, my tuk tuk driver’s mood flipped from friendly to frosty.
He drove me to a massive souvenir shop. Upstairs was full of trinkets; downstairs, rooms of jewels. Feeling awkward, I turned to leave—and that’s when I saw the sign:
“If a tuk tuk driver brought you here against your will, please let us know. This is a scam.”
My heart sank. My “kind” driver wasn’t being generous—he was hustling me for commissions. (Yes, I know. How naïve.)
He drove me to a massive souvenir shop. Upstairs was full of trinkets; downstairs, rooms of jewels. Feeling awkward, I turned to leave—and that’s when I saw the sign:
“If a tuk tuk driver brought you here against your will, please let us know. This is a scam.”
My heart sank. My “kind” driver wasn’t being generous—he was hustling me for commissions. (Yes, I know. How naïve.)
I debated reporting him but decided against it—I just wanted to get back to the Golden Mount. When I climbed back into the tuk tuk, he wasn’t just cold anymore. He was pissed. I kept quiet, checked Google Maps reviews of the shop, and sure enough: page after page of travelers describing the exact same scam. Fake jewels, pushy salesmen, complicit tuk tuk drivers.
When we finally returned to where he picked me up, I handed over the original 100 baht—no tip—and walked away quickly before he could argue.
That day, I learned that Bangkok is a masterclass in scams. And my tuk tuk adventure had combined almost all of them at once:
- The Closed Attraction Scam – Someone tells you a site is closed, then offers an alternative “tour.”
- The Tuk Tuk Scam – Drivers take you to shops where they earn commissions.
- The Fake Tourist Center – Overpriced tours disguised as “special deals.”
- The Jewelry Scam – Fake gems sold at inflated prices, marketed as easy profit.
- The Tailor Scam – “Authentic” designer suits for dirt cheap… except they’re not.
- Tuk Tuk & Taxi Overcharging – Unless you agree on a price (or demand a meter in a taxi), you’ll get ripped off.
That day, I learned that Bangkok is a masterclass in scams. And my tuk tuk adventure had combined almost all of them at once:
- The Closed Attraction Scam – Someone tells you a site is closed, then offers an alternative “tour.”
- The Tuk Tuk Scam – Drivers take you to shops where they earn commissions.
- The Fake Tourist Center – Overpriced tours disguised as “special deals.”
- The Jewelry Scam – Fake gems sold at inflated prices, marketed as easy profit.
- The Tailor Scam – “Authentic” designer suits for dirt cheap… except they’re not.
- Tuk Tuk & Taxi Overcharging – Unless you agree on a price (or demand a meter in a taxi), you’ll get ripped off.
This isn’t meant to scare you away from Thailand. Outside of Bangkok, I hardly encountered scams at all. But in Bangkok, there’s one rule I wish I’d known sooner:
If someone stops you on the street and tells you where to go—there’s a 100% chance it’s a scam.
If you are looking for a Thailand itinerary, check out this post!