Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [78]
Vieng Travel (0 2326 7191; www.viengtravel.com; Trang Hotel, 12 Soi Lad Krabang)
DANGERS & ANNOYANCES
You are more likely to be charmed rather than coerced out of your money in Bangkok. Practised con artists capitalise on Thailand’s famous friendliness and a revolving door of clueless tourists. Bangkok’s most heavily touristed areas – Wat Phra Kaew, Wat Pho, Jim Thompson’s House, Th Khao San, Erawan Shrine – are favourite hunting grounds for these scallywags. The best prevention is knowledge, so before hitting the ground, become familiar with the more common local scams listed in the boxed text, below.
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COMMON BANGKOK SCAMS
Commit these classic rip-offs to memory and join us in our ongoing crusade to outsmart Bangkok’s crafty scam artists. For details on the famous gem scam, see the boxed text on Click here.
Closed today Ignore any ‘friendly’ local who tells you that an attraction is closed for a Buddhist holiday or for cleaning. These are set-ups for trips to a bogus gem sale.
Túk-túk rides for 10B Say goodbye to your day’s itinerary if you climb aboard this ubiquitous scam. These alleged ‘tours’ bypass all the sights and instead cruise to all the fly-by-night gem and tailor shops that pay commissions.
Flat-fare taxi ride Flatly refuse any driver who quotes a flat fare (usually between 100B and 150B for in-town destinations), which will usually be three times more expensive than the reasonable meter rate. Walking beyond the tourist area will usually help in finding an honest driver. If the driver has ‘forgotten’ to put the meter on, just say, ‘Meter, kha/khap’.
Tourist buses to the south On the long journey south, well-organised and connected thieves have hours to comb through your bags, breaking into (and later resealing) locked bags, searching through hiding places and stealing credit cards, electronics and even toiletries. This scam has been running for years but is easy to avoid simply by carrying valuables with you on the bus.
Friendly strangers Be wary of smartly dressed men who approach you asking where you’re from and where you’re going. Their opening gambit is usually followed with: ‘Ah, my son/daughter is studying at university in (your city)’ – they seem to have an encyclopaedic knowledge of major universities. As the tourist authorities here pointed out, this sort of behaviour is out of character for Thais and should be treated with suspicion.
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If you’ve been scammed, the tourist police can be effective in dealing with some of the ‘unethical’ business practices and crime. But in general you should enter into every monetary transaction with the understanding that you have no consumer protection or recourse.
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SIGHTS
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Ko Ratanakosin, Banglamphu & Thonburi
Welcome to Bangkok’s birthplace. The vast city we know today emerged from Ko Ratanakosin, a tiny virtual island (‘Ko’) made by dredging a canal around Mae Nam Chao Phraya during the late 18th century. Within this area you’ll find the glittering temples and palaces that most visitors associate with the city. Ko Ratanakosin’s riverfront setting is also home to several museums, markets and universities. All these sights are within walking distance of each other and are best visited early in the morning before the day comes to a boil.
Adjacent Banglamphu suffers from an extreme case of bipolar disorder, encompassing both the most characteristically old-school Bangkok part of town as well as Th Khao San, a brash, neon-lit decompression zone for international backpackers. Depending on which one you fancy, it’s not difficult to escape the other – another of Banglamphu’s charms. The bulk of Bangkok’s classic buildings are found in this area, as well as lots of authentic Bangkok cuisine and culture.
Directly across the river is Thonburi, which served a brief tenure as the Thai capital after the fall of Ayuthaya. Today the area along the river is easily accessed