Disclaimer: Photos are for illustration purposes only.
Thailand is one of our favourite places to visit but just like many other countries, there are various conmen hanging around hoping to dupe some unsuspecting tourists into falling for their deceptions. In case you didn’t know, one of the most infamous and sophisticated scams happening in Bangkok is known as the gem scam.
Source: Travel Scams
A quick search online will give you lots of info about it. So, remember to do a little research before going anywhere, even if you are a frequent traveller there! Just recently, a Malaysian netizen shared her personal experience where she and her friends almost fell victim for the notorious gem scam in Bangkok.
“We were at the Pratunam area heading towards the morning market when a super friendly Thai guy approached us and informed us of places of interest around the area. He told us that Bobae market nearby had lots of cheap shopping at wholesale prices so naturally we assumed that it would be as happening as Chatuchak market.”
Source: Eric Gabriel
“Of course, we were interested by this but he told us that Bobae market would only open around 10.00am and introduced us another temple where we could go and pray for luck, which was only open today. We were happy that we had managed to meet such a nice person and foolishly believed him when he told us how to get to Bobae market. He even flagged down two tuk-tuks for us which only cost 40THB (RM5) and would take us to the temple before reaching the market.”
She said that along the way, the journey took 30 minutes and when they reached the temple, it was empty and look deserted. However, when they didn’t want to go in, the driver forced them to enter the temple. Having no choice, she got down from the tuk tuk and entered alone, where she met a well-dressed man who instructed her how to pray.
Source: Eric Gabriel
Once she got back on the tuk tuk, the driver thought she had not went in and even threatened them saying, “If you didn’t go in (the temple), I won’t bring you to the market!” She told him that she had so he started driving.
Just when they thought their next destination was Bobae market, the driver told them that it was not open so early, so he was bringing them to another place, a jewellery store. They protested but the driver said he would bring them there for free because if they went in for five minutes, he could get a free petrol coupon.
Source: 2bangkok
“When we reach the jewellery store, it looked rundown and we had absolutely no interest in buying any jewellery. The driver kept trying to force us to go in but in the end he had no choice but to send us to the Bobae market that was our original destination. He dropped us at a market which looked really old and that was when we decided that we wanted to go back as we had enough.”
Luckily for them, they managed to find a tuk tuk after a while and arrived safely at Platinum Mall in 15 minutes. That was when they realised they had been scammed but fortunately they did not lose much money, only 500 THB (RM63). After doing some research, they discovered that they had almost become victims of Bangkok’s gem scam which has been going on for more than 20 years.
Source: Youtube
If they had entered the jewellery store, the salesperson would have told them that they had a special scheme by the government where gems were duty-free that day. Supposedly if you had bought any, you could make a huge amount of money once the jewels are sold off in your home country. However, when you receive the package which is mailed to your address, you will find that the jewels are actually worthless but it is already too late to do anything.
Multiple layers of conmen are involved and sometimes they even hire foreigners to convince unsuspecting tourists to fall for the scam. Many even warned that sometimes, they would lock the exit unless you bought something, then only are they willing to let you leave. So scary!
You may think you won’t fall for such scams but these tricksters are super smooth. So, remember to use your common sense when travelling and always be alert for any deceptions!
Also read: Thai Woman Scams Men by Marrying Them and Disappearing After Receiving Dowry
