Bangkok has a lot of things that will keep you entertained as you tour the vast wonders of this exciting city. However, falling for popular scams can potentially ruin your holiday fun and leave you spending your time there in bitterness and resentment. There only way to ensure that you do not fall for various scams around the city is by knowing more about them so that you can see them coming from a mile away.

Here is a list of popular tourist scams to be aware of in Bangkok.

1. Taxi Price Scams

The Bangkok transportation system scams claims the greatest number of victims. Westerners are the primary targets for this scam. Basically, the taxis will insist on being paid a price that you negotiate yourself. Unfortunately, however hard you insist on the driver using a meter to price your taxi ride, your calls will go unheeded. This is because if they do not use a meter, they can charge much more above the reasonable price.

Your only option is to polish your negotiation skills by learning some Thai or finding traveling alternatives such as renting a car or a motorcycle to get around.

2. Tuk Tuk Gem Scams

Tuk Tuks, another major mode of transportation around the city of Bangkok, are also notorious for running a different kind of scam on foreigners. Once you tell the driver where you are going, they will usually take you to gem stores or even a tailoring shop where you will be inundated with several merchandise offers until you cave and buy something.

Your ride to your destination will also be made painfully slow so that you become anxious to get out of situations such as unscheduled visits to gem shops by paying for something. You might not even reach your destination, instead having to pay more to be taken back.

3. Foreigner Pricing

If you are a foreigner in Bangkok, be prepared to pay more for some products and services because you are a foreigner. Some places will even be outright in their bias against foreigners by showing a different price for locals and another price for foreigners.

In most cases, you will end up paying more than locals, but you can better your chances of getting fair prices by embracing the haggling culture that characterizes Bangkok business.

4. The Grand Palace Is Closed Today Scam

This is one of the commonest scams in Bangkok. Practically every visitor to Bangkok wants to visit the Grand Palace, one of Thailand’s most popular attractions. However, some scammers have taken the opportunity to turn the demand by tourists to visit this amazing destination into an opportunity to make money unfairly.

Once a taxi or Tuk Tuk driver convinces you that the Grand Palace is closed, they will offer you an alternative destination, possibly a temple. However, you might also end up in a gem store or end up spending more money on a trip you had not planned for to begin with.

Final Thoughts

Bangkok can be a rough place for the unsuspecting foreigner. Many people get scammed out of their intended travel plans, money, and so forth. Basically, you should know specifically what you want from the very beginning, don’t let a stranger convince you to take strange alternatives, however appealing they might seem.

If you plan to visit the Grand Palace, do not accept alternative destination suggestions. Don’t let the friendliness of the person offering the help fool you, its usually part of the plan to fleece you of your money.