Ekkamai scam

[gogo dog]

I recently bought two tickets to Pattaya from Ekkamai. I handed over a B1,000 note and was given B100 less change than I should have been. The woman behind the counter then printed off the tickets as I counted the change twice in front of her. She gave me the tickets and then plonked another B100 down on the counter. I did not have to say a word. It was obvious she was very well practiced at this scam.

[Rabattmarkenfaelscher]

Those scammers need to find their pictures in the local papers and Pattaya-blogs. Next time please take one from a safe distance. The entire Transport-Terminal is a mafiosi-style operation in Pattaya, much like many other operations there - so they just blend in.

 

Riddle: of 500 + ticketdudes she tries that daily...how many leave without a word?

 

Greetz, beat the scammers everywhere!

 

Rabatti

Edited May 25, 2008 by Rabattmarkenfaelscher

[Mr.DreamTransport]

I always count my change whenever I get anything in LOS. I've had a few times where waitresses have given me back my change, and I counted it, and it came out wrong, they quickly corrected the mistake though, as most were waiting around to see what kind of tip I would be leaving behind. Doesn't matter where you are, or what you are buying, always count the change right in front of the person giving it to you, so there is less chance of this happening to you.

[Hardeep J]

Personally, I try and carry some lighter notes with at all times. For transportation costs it's a lot easier, as there is never any hassle then.

[scooterdog]

dose not mader where you go some is allways trying a scam

[Bush Pig]

Fuck,

I have travelled heaps by bus from Pats to Bkk and back and I can't remember if I ever counted the change.

Definately will now!!!

[Loso4ever]

People who work with money are everywhere up for a scam. Especially when they are in countries where the people are poor. It is however no excuse to do that, so better be safe then sorrow and always count your money.

[BangkapiBoy]

Personally, I try and carry some lighter notes with at all times. For transportation costs it's a lot easier, as there is never any hassle then.

 

You got the right idea. This is especially useful with baht buses.

[todd2rip]

..I understand how you feel,

being an american I do tip at times for good service or help, but

when I encounter this type of thing, I don't tip......

 

but, since this happens, I've learned not to get mad anymore...I just expect

it to happen and now I pay attention more...or give exact change at the beginning.

 

 

aki

[habitual]

One suggestion - don't hand them a 1000 baht note. That just screams - "I have more money than sense, please correct the imbalance"

[Goldfishpie]

I always get the scam with Taxi drivers saying they don't have any change. Someone did tell me once that by Thai law if they don't have change you don't have to pay (although never tried to put it to the test). I always ask them straight off if they have change. As for checking change. Yep always do that, been ripped far too often.

[cuthbert]

One thing that always makes them think , is when you give them a 1000 bt note just say in a loud voice , as you hold the note up for all to see , ' sorry got no less , can you change ? '' . Then you can be sure they will not say that you only gave them a 500 bt note ( it does happpen ) .

 

Even when pissed I always say ' sorry got no change , can you change for me ? '. If they short change you then at least everyone knows what you gave them , and it helps your argument for a refund .

 

Be wary if they put the change down in a folded wallet and go away quick , means the have already helped themselves to a tip and do not care what you leave for them .

[Esco]

Fuck,

I have travelled heaps by bus from Pats to Bkk and back and I can't remember if I ever counted the change.

Definately will now!!!

 

you knob

[mai pen rai]

I have another story about that station, maybe someone can tell me if the recognize this scam or whatever it was!

 

But I was going to the ticket counter to buy a ticket to Pattaya, that should usually cost around 117 baht, if I'm not mistaken, when a guy approaches me and asks me where I'm going, and I reply, Pattaya. He then tells me to come with him quickly, because the bus is leaving and he can get me on it, and I think to myself, okay, something wrotten going on, but I'm always too curious, so I go with him, I was fine paying him a little extra if it got me on the road sooner.

 

So I paid him 120 baht and I thought, very odd indeed, I thought I'd pay maybe 200-300 baht for this excellent service of getting on the road sooner. He points me to my seat in the bus, the bus was not marked Pattaya, but Chonburi-Rayong or something like that, maybe Chanthaburi.

 

I sit in my seat and the bus is half empty and no bus driver in sight and I'm freaking starving and thirsty, so after about 5 minutes of waiting it was obvious the bus wasn't leaving quite yet, so I head out to grab a snack, I actually managed to do it a couple of times, because first one I thought I was in a wicked rush only grabbed the essentials, Ashi black tea!

 

Anyway, now for the bus ride. We finally leave and I must have waited a good 20 minutes sitting in the bus and managed to buy drinks and snacks a couple of times while waiting. Then when on the road, we stop like every two minutes to pick up people that seemed to be expecting the bus. They get on, they get off, they get on, they get off, one time the bus was completely crowded. This made the trip take probably twice as long, because the average speed was probably 20 km/h.

 

I was going mad, then when I needed to get out, it wasn't at the pattaya bus station, it was just somewhere in Pattaya, no idea where, the guy was like, yes you! pattaya! here! now!

 

This was definitely not worth it, I would have rather waited for the "real" bus, though it might have been one hour extra, I at least could have walked around the bus station, got some food.

 

This bus kinda looked the same as the others, blue-ish kinda thing.

[7-Eleven]

Thanks for the warning GD. you really gotta be carefull in los

[Dr.Winston]

I have another story about that station, maybe someone can tell me if the recognize this scam or whatever it was!

 

But I was going to the ticket counter to buy a ticket to Pattaya, that should usually cost around 117 baht, if I'm not mistaken, when a guy approaches me and asks me where I'm going, and I reply, Pattaya. He then tells me to come with him quickly, because the bus is leaving and he can get me on it, and I think to myself, okay, something wrotten going on, but I'm always too curious, so I go with him, I was fine paying him a little extra if it got me on the road sooner.

 

So I paid him 120 baht and I thought, very odd indeed, I thought I'd pay maybe 200-300 baht for this excellent service of getting on the road sooner. He points me to my seat in the bus, the bus was not marked Pattaya, but Chonburi-Rayong or something like that, maybe Chanthaburi.

 

I sit in my seat and the bus is half empty and no bus driver in sight and I'm freaking starving and thirsty, so after about 5 minutes of waiting it was obvious the bus wasn't leaving quite yet, so I head out to grab a snack, I actually managed to do it a couple of times, because first one I thought I was in a wicked rush only grabbed the essentials, Ashi black tea!

 

Anyway, now for the bus ride. We finally leave and I must have waited a good 20 minutes sitting in the bus and managed to buy drinks and snacks a couple of times while waiting. Then when on the road, we stop like every two minutes to pick up people that seemed to be expecting the bus. They get on, they get off, they get on, they get off, one time the bus was completely crowded. This made the trip take probably twice as long, because the average speed was probably 20 km/h.

 

I was going mad, then when I needed to get out, it wasn't at the pattaya bus station, it was just somewhere in Pattaya, no idea where, the guy was like, yes you! pattaya! here! now!

 

This was definitely not worth it, I would have rather waited for the "real" bus, though it might have been one hour extra, I at least could have walked around the bus station, got some food.

 

This bus kinda looked the same as the others, blue-ish kinda thing.

 

I think that the conductors are on a commission. If you travel up-country on the buses they are always keen to get extra customers on the seats. I have even seen them stop and ask people waiting by the road.

 

The bus route to Pattaya is obviously very popular but quite a few other routes from Ekamai pass Pattaya so I think that he was just pushing for his commission a bit too hard.

 

Definitely worth mentioning as your journey will take a lot longer on one of these buses and many tourists would not know any better, Cheers

[Obsession]

Somehow it pisses me off more when someone with a non bar job like that tries to rip you off. Or in the pharmacy or wherever. I guess its because even in the uk you get ripped off in bars and taxis when you are drunk, but never usually shops.

[MONOCHROMEMAN]

Obsession,

 

I agree. Personally I expect to get ripped everywhere in Thailand. Europeans are fair game. But there is something that gets my goat more when they try it outside of the obvious places ie bars etc. And I don't go on holiday to check every single transaction I make. The opposite: I go to NOT check. I'm on bleedin holiday. So I factor in the rip off money. For the record, I first noticed the ticket clerk rip off at Pattaya bus station going to Morchit about 1998.