Gem scams still rampant in Bangkok:
I HAVE just returned from a trip to Bangkok and would like to point out that scams are still rampant in the city, in particular, gem scams. A quick check on the Internet showed that these scams dated as far back as the 1950s and, today, it is still very much alive.
A typical scam begins when a tourist visits a shopping mall, especially Central World. There is a four-face Buddha located outside the building in front of Isetan.
A local will then approach the tourist. He may pass himself off as the inspector of the statues or as a professional such as a lawyer. He will then tell you that you should visit the lucky Buddha temple as it is only open once a month.
If the tourist is agreeable, he will call for a tuktuk to send the tourist to the temple and back for just 40 baht. He will then inform the tourist that gem stones in Thailand carry great value and that a wholesale shop is open to the public and is offering a 30 per cent discount.
He will encourage the tourist to visit the mining area after praying at the lucky temple for it is not often that the wholesaler opens his shop to the public and great bargains await the buyer.
Furthermore, he will add that local retailers such as Lee Hwa purchase their stones from them and that the stones will fetch high prices back home over time.
With his convincing ways, there is a high chance that tourists who are not familiar with precious stones and the country may be enticed by the deal.
The tuktuk driver will take the tourist to the temple and, while in the premises, another person will come along and speak to you in Thai.
He will appear to be surprised that you are not Thai and chat with you for a while on his background before talking about the gem wholesalers.
He is likely to produce receipts, or show rings that he had supposedly just purchased before praying at the temple and urge you to proceed to the shop before it closes.
Regardless of whether the tourist asks the tuktuk driver to go to the shop, the latter will bring the tourist to the shop and admit that he is given a petrol voucher for bringing the tourist there. The latter is encouraged to just go in to have a look. Thereafter, the owner of the shop will take over with the sales pitch.
A friend of mine who relayed this incident to me said that they are very convincing and a tourist may be enticed to buy one or two pieces for himself.
The greedier ones may purchase more of up to US$5,000 as claimed by the retailer as the Thai government will impose tax if the amount exceeds US$5,000. Furthermore, the retailer is offering a 30 per cent discount store wide.
During my visit there, I was unwillingly taken to such a shop. However, I remembered the advice given by the locals to not trust anyone who approaches you with fantastic deals. As the old saying goes: ‘If it is too good to be true, it is.’
Many of us do bear that in mind but forget all about it when faced with such a scenario.
My friend bought a ring for himself and found out through a geologist here that such scams are very common and that the stones are genuine but are usually overpriced.
A test confirmed that the stones were natural but were treated to enhance their colour and hence carry no real value to the stone. A Google search of ‘thai gem scams’ will reveal many similar stories from websites such as http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/Scams
Many of these gem scams go unnoticed as it does not make economic sense to return to Bangkok just to demand a refund.
Some retailers will get the tourist to sign a form stating that no refund is allowed and there is very little recourse that can be done after the transaction is completed.
I urge all travellers to do some research on the country of their visit before they arrive there and to report any scams that happened to them to the local authorities in the hope that follow-up action can be done to reduce the number of scammers on the streets.
The fact that the gem stones are genuine but overpriced means that the local authorities cannot do much legally unless the stones are fake and hence it becomes a criminal act. In some cases, the officials and police officers are corrupt, while others may refer you back to the retailer to resolve the issue on your own.
Be street-smart and do not allow strangers the chance to approach and sweet-talk you into a bargain. If in doubt, simply walk away and ignore them, or request information from the tourist police or the local tourism board before making any purchases. Remember the golden rule: If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. In cases targeted at tourists, it always is.
Mark Ian Lee Tze Wayne
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Yup, that was written by yours truly, and published in the ST Online forums on Wed, 28th March.
Today we have another person writing in about a scam that happening right here. These people are probably a little silly. The scammers cannot be in a rush. If they are, they won’t be convincing. Just read on and you’ll learn about it. We should all share with one another what all these fuckees are up to in the hope that people locally and from all over the world will not fall for them.
Here it is:
I refer to Mark Ian Lee Tze Wayne’s letter, ‘Gem scams still rampant in Bangkok’ (ST Online Forum, March 28).
I would like to bring to attention that there is a scam involving home-theatre sets in Singapore.
It goes like this: While parking your car at a carpark, a van will drive over in front of your vehicle. It occupants will then approach you to sell a $5,000 home-theatre set for just $300. They will show you a home-theatre set that is still in its packaging. They will also show you a catalogue picture.
If you refuse to buy it at $300, they will reduce the price to $50. They will also push you to pay up quickly by saying they are in a hurry.
What is surprising is when you still refuse to buy it at $50, they will ask how much you have with you.
I replied that I had only $10. To my surprise, they were willing to sell it to me at that price.
With such scenarios, I am convinced that the packaging contains nothing worth more than $10, let alone a $5,000 home-theatre set.
When I refused to buy it even at $10, they drove away.
Tan Wee Chean
