Scams and counterfeits

Well...Thailand and many SE Asian countries are famous for their scams and counterfeit products. When you run into a scam, be assured you are not the only one and be assured, you have been followed and lured into wherever you find yourself from your first step out of the hotel. It can start with a simple Tuk Tuk ride, visiting local temples. You will hear a lot of "promotion", "government sponsor", "holiday or special day", "thai prices" etc etc. This doesn't mean you have to get out of the Tuk Tuk but just be prepared to be brought into places you didn't plan out which can be quite an adventure.

What you need to understand about places like Bangkok is that everyone tends to work together somehow and everyone profits a little bit. They all have to make money some how and feed their families but this doesn't mean you must be too naive and let them sell you fake materials, products, suits, jewelry etc. They are very organized and very smart and be assured that if you agreed on a very cheap (10-30Baht) Tuk Tuk ride, that you will end up in a Tailor shop somewhere being offered to buy super quality suits. I am not saying that all of them are like that, but for someone with no understanding of fabrics and fashion, you can end up paying a lot of money for something that will last you one wash! The same applies to jewelry and certain travel agencies. Too many people each year get ripped off, paying high prices and being assured it was the best choice to later find out they have been terribly scammed and victims of organized "crime". Many tend to head back to the place they got scammed with tourist police backup, you can try but it won't make any difference!!! You will never see your money again, the only thing you can do is give them a bad name through forums and social networks.

So if you are into fake products, sure, let them bring you around but make sure you know what you are spending! If you are into expensive resorts and transportation methods, again, it's up to you to make that decision but you will most definitely end up in the same place as other tourists who paid half of what you paid. There is no need to rush your vacation, sit down, get information and compare prices.

Kao San area has plenty of travel agencies, which doesn't mean they are all good. Again, take your time and compare. When you have found a place in which you are welcomed and greeted and helped with friendly staff and you think the prices are reasonable, then there is no reason why you shouldn't book or spend your money there. Just always make sure they have some sort of a licence which proves that they have been granted authorization from the government to be selling tickets, reservations etc to tourists.

The TAT logo and name is property of a government section dedicated to tourism in Thailand. They give a travel agency a licence to be able to sell tickets to tourists. The logo is copyrighted and it is illegal for travel agencies to represent that logo or the name without permission. So if you are being told its a government travel agency, there needs to be proper documentation for such statement.

Hope that helped,

Kev