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Free flights to Thailand - Scam or not?


Winthorp

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When I was in Pattaya three and a half months ago there was this guy outside a store on Walking Street spinning a wheel and people were "winning" flights, any ways I had a go and lo and behold I also "won" entry to a draw for a free trip to Thailand. I went into the store and gave them my email address and was rather suspicious of the entire setup. They told me it was to encourage tourism because of the decline in numbers, with Government support.

 

Afterwards I asked the tourist police at their WS setup what the deal was with it. They told me it was a scam and there no such thing as a free lunch! And that they'd fly you over but you'd have to stay at their accommodation etc. which was much more expensive than normal and this way they recoup the flight cost out of you.

 

A few weeks later I got the email telling me I had won and to contact them within 10 days to claim it, now I never did contact them as it seemed suspicious to me; however I got thinking about it again since and wonder what exactly is the story with it? And have any board members here got suckered in or is it actually legit?

 

The email directs you to this address http://myamazingthailand.org/ and the shop was called "The Thai Tourism Development Centre".

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You already got your answer from the tourist Police person you spoke with as far as how legit it is. I doubt any BM is going to fess up to getting scammed too.

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Sounds like a con to me..last time i stopped for a couple of cute girls in bangkok wearing amazing thailand t-shirts asking me to complete a survey..engaged in the harmless exercise and got chatting and found out that they wanted me to go see some timeshare property..i declined although regret not asking for one of the girls' numbers hehe :Oops1: .

WELCOME TO THAILAND: "People don’t want to be millionaires — they want to experience what they believe only millions can buy."

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When I was in Pattaya three and a half months ago there was this guy outside a store on Walking street spinning a wheel and people were "winning" flights, any ways I had a go and lo and behold I also "won" entry to a draw for a free trip to Thailand. I went into the store and gave them my email address and was rather suspicious of the entire setup. They told me it was to encourage tourism because of the decline in numbers, with Government support.

 

Afterwards I asked the tourist police at their WS setup what the deal was with it. They told me it was a scam and there no such thing as a free lunch! And that they'd fly you over but you'd have to stay at their accommodation etc. which was much more expensive than normal and this way they recoup the flight cost out of you.

 

A few weeks later I got the email telling me I had won and to contact them within 10 days to claim it, now I never did contact them as it seemed suspicious to me; however I got thinking about it again since and wonder what exactly is the story with it? And have any board members here got suckered in or is it actually legit?

 

The email directs you to this address http://myamazingthailand.org/ and the shop was called "The Thai Tourism Development Centre".

I believe this setup is run by a well known Australian (not Canadian) con artist.

I remember there being a thread on Secrets about this, naming the guy and his past "exploits".!

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If it looks to good to be true.... it probably is! Especially in Thailand!

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If it looks to good to be true.... it probably is! Especially in Thailand!

 

So true...I employ this tactic with ladies also.

The best looking ones are usually the ladyboys!

 

To the original poster thanks for making us aware of it.

My Youtube Channel about everything Thailand - TravInThailand


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Sounds like a con to me..last time i stopped for a couple of cute girls in bangkok wearing amazing thailand t-shirts asking me to complete a survey..engaged in the harmless exercise and got chatting and found out that they wanted me to go see some timeshare property..i declined although regret not asking for one of the girls' numbers hehe :Oops1: .

 

I got stopped by a dude doing surveys too on my first trip, he then pulled out three envelopes and told me to pick one. Surprise surprise whatever one I picked I won and some lady came over to "verify" I had won. Then were trying to arrange me to go in a taxi to the big white buildings you can see just above the Pattaya sign you can see from Beach road. I declined but they were trying their best to get me up there. In teh end I just turned and walked away.

 

I smelt a scam and from reading the OP I get the same smell. The BIB are correct,

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This kind of scam have be around for a long time, just different versions and all over the world. You get something for free and you have stay a special place, holiday trip or you have to go to meeting where they are trying to sell you a timeshare - apartment or sometime like that. :)

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It could be a part of a porpular fraud over asia, where you get an email or phone call saying u won something. To claim the price you'll need pay/transfer a sum of administration fee. You're unlikely to be able to contact them again after you made the money transfer. :Circle_Sharks:

It's better to pay now then to pay later. Nothing is free.

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When I was in Pattaya three and a half months ago there was this guy outside a store on Walking street spinning a wheel and people were "winning" flights, any ways I had a go and lo and behold I also "won" entry to a draw for a free trip to Thailand. I went into the store and gave them my email address and was rather suspicious of the entire setup. They told me it was to encourage tourism because of the decline in numbers, with Government support.

 

Afterwards I asked the tourist police at their WS setup what the deal was with it. They told me it was a scam and there no such thing as a free lunch! And that they'd fly you over but you'd have to stay at their accommodation etc. which was much more expensive than normal and this way they recoup the flight cost out of you.

 

A few weeks later I got the email telling me I had won and to contact them within 10 days to claim it, now I never did contact them as it seemed suspicious to me; however I got thinking about it again since and wonder what exactly is the story with it? And have any board members here got suckered in or is it actually legit?

 

The email directs you to this address http://myamazingthailand.org/ and the shop was called "The Thai Tourism Development Centre".

:Hello: the scam was there in Jan & Feb, we walked pasted them most nights there always seemed to be winners .it was obvious that it was a scam :Ignore: , if it looks to good to be true it probably is`t, we just laughed. :001_Thank_You5:

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As a general rule if anyone comes up to you offering stuff in Thailand it will be some sort of overpriced scam. Aint nothing free.

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As close to a SCAM as possible. The lure of free flights (probably at airports and times you would not choose) along with overpriced accommodation you would not choose either. But people still fall for it.

This is the guy behind it apparently (credits to a Secrets Board poster, cannot remember his name)

 

post-34901-1298517246.jpg

 

post-34901-1298517258.jpg

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I watched this from a bar opposite , and it all depended on the person who paid to have a go, I asume you had to pay to spin the wheel , after watching you could tell who would be a winner, couple of tipsy guys , no winner , guy with his wife , winner!!

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Funnily enough when i was there in April, i saw this place advertise for farang staff, so i applied and interviewed...

 

Whilst the legitimacy of the cheap flights does have plausible legitimacy, it is most definitely a scam. The accommodation options are not in guest friendly hotels. I remember that Camelot was one of them (near The Vault). They get a kickback from the hotel

 

The Guy running it here is a big Fat English guy with growths on his face. I was wise to it early on, but 'entertained' them for 15 minutes. The other interviewees were weird little guys who looked far more easily to be scammed than i was.

 

Sent the Guy an email a week later and still havent heard a response.

 

So if you're prepared to lose €100, feel free to go in. But far more better ways to drop €100 on Walking Street

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I span the wheel when I was there in February, had seen the advert on Pattaya TV so wanted to see what it was all about, didn't pay anything. There is no free flight because you have to pay the tax and stay in their accomodation which is expensive as someone said.

 

I had an email about 2 months ago telling me I had won a free flight but to qualify I had to stay in their hotels and to get the return flight I could only stay 10 days or for as long as I was paying their hotel rates.

 

They also asked in the email if I was interested in becoming an agent for them promising earnings of 2-300,000 euros a year!!! Details of this are on their website and being an agent means buying hundreds of these flights from them!! So is it a con?

 

Definitely 100%

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An old saying but Oh so true

 

"If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is"

 

nuff said!

'I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day. '

 

~Frank Sinatra

 

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Its been going on for so many months now, does anyone know of anyone who has flown with them. ??

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$AFBADGE.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...

Closed. Now for rent

 

The website I linked to in my original post has also been suspended; I wonder how many people got suckered in? I suppose most will be too ashamed to admit it and take it on the chin.

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