|
Skirting Bangkok Scams by Wink Dulles Worldroom.com - 15.3.01 - died that night in a Soi Nana gutter. My chest had locked -- like a seized tractor engine -- and I drowned in a visceral cavity of cardio-vascular cement. You fight it at first; real hard. Then you let go. No out-of-body experience. No bright lights at the end of some tunnel. A Bangkok cab jockey scraped my near-corpse off a garbage-strewn back alley and slalomed his taxi against an onslaught of veering, oncoming one-way traffic to a Bumrungrad Hospital. After a few million cc`s of epinephrine and salbutamo -- and some guy in a white coat who knew how to do a drum solo on my sternum -- I was back among the living. The poison was Scopolamine, though the doctors also could not rule out Rohypnol or Gamma Hydroxybutyrate (GHB) -- "date rape" and knockout drugs that have become ubiquitous at Thailand`s rave parties and are now part of the arsenals of the country`s crooks and con artists. In a bar, someone had seen my wallet and decided to discreetly freshen my drink with a lethal dose of the knockout drug. Scopolamine is what bad guys (and girls) use to incapacitate tourists and business folks. It`s spiked into drinks or cigarettes as a powder, or is used as an aerosol. In Thailand, prostitutes spread knockout drugs on their breasts like paraffin on a surfboard. But hookers don`t have degrees in anesthesiology, and sometimes the "mark" pays a high price. In the Thai resort town of Pattaya alone, some 50 foreign punters died during a recent one-year period of cardiac arrest after allegedly smooching with spiked mammaries, according to the Bangkok Post. The use of knockout drugs is a popular scam used against foreign visitors, but hardly the only one. Gem of a Scam The most common, successful and perhaps ingenious rip-offs in Thailand are gem scams. The latest gem scam to hit Bangkok involves a tuk-tuk driver luring an unsuspecting visitor to a local temple, where the victim is befriended by a well-dressed local "worshipper." The "worshipper" just happens to be an off-duty Tourist Policeman or an official with the Tourism Authority of Thailand. ID is even shown. The con man then explains to the would-be victim(s) how the Thai government subsidizes Thailand`s overseas students by allowing them to purchase high-quality gems at reduced rates and untaxed for sales overseas. The good news? Tourists can now also take advantage of the program and make a wad of cash. The mark is then driven to a "registered" jeweler where the stones are bought. The hitch? The stones can only leave Thailand through the postal service, in accordance with the "integrity" of the government program. No worries - until the delighted victims arrive home to a parcel of cute little marbles. Knockout drugs have become ubiquitous at Thailand`s rave parties and are now part of the arsenals of the country`s crooks and con artists. Innovative Schemes Also in vogue are e-mail scams. Last July, a German resident of Bangkok was collared by the Royal Thai Police Central Investigation Bureau as the brains behind the "Thaee" matchmaking scam. Thaee was invented as a beautiful young Thai office secretary of modest means looking for the good life abroad and soliciting donations over the Internet. One American sent the German US$1500 to arrange for "Thaee" to visit him in the U.S. He showed up at the gate; she didn`t. Another rip-off in vogue these days is the "mustard scam," which occurs in fast-food shops. A member of a ring of crooks targets a diner and "accidentally" squirts mustard on the victim`s shirt. A second thief , pretending to aid the victim, rubs the stain in with a napkin. Now the guy`s mad, and distracted enough to get pickpocketed. The "magnetometer heist" takes place at airport security check-ins, again perpetrated by a gang. Just before stepping through the magnetometer after placing your belongings on the belt, a con artist alerts you to a ticket envelope on the floor. You pick it up, but by the time you discover it`s not yours and finally step through the magnetometer, your stuff is gone. Taxicab schemes in Bangkok are infamous, and many of them are quite legal, actually. Newcomers to Bangkok will often be whisked away toward downtown from the airport on the elevated toll way (an additional 40 baht) rather than the often uncongested lower expressway. Drivers often take longer routes to destinations. And you should never enter a taxi if there`s anyone else except the driver inside. And don`t be surprised if the taxi driver has a breakdown and asks you to get out and help push-start the car. Say "bye-bye" to your luggage. Getting Help Luckily, unlike some other countries in the region, the Thais are quick to act upon misfortunes of foreign visitors. The Tourist Police (hotline: 1155, ext. 1; 24 hours) are very effective in handling most incidents. If you`ve been had by fraud in Thailand and don`t discover it until you`re back home, go to http://www.mfa.go.th/foreign/default.htm. This will permit your embassy in Bangkok to represent your interests. The Royal Thai Police web site is http://www.police.go.th. Or write: Operation Center, Central Investigation Bureau, Royal Thai Police Headquarters, Building 8, Room 304/1, Unridunant Rd., Patumwan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand. The Central Investigation Bureau can also be contacted by e-mail (cib@police.go.th). To avoid being a victim of scams, heed the following tips: Carry only a few hundred dollars in cash. Carry traveler`s checks, instead. Do not change money on the street. Never accept food or drink from strangers. Never play the role of Good Samaritan. If you come upon an accident scene, real or otherwise, do not stop nor offer assistance. If someone stops you for directions or for change, keep right on walking. To reduce the risk of street scams, walk with a cane or umbrella. Innocuous, perhaps, but the message is clear to the bad guys. Do not discuss plans, accommodations, finances or politics with strangers. Wear a cheap watch and no jewelry. In bars, always watch your drink being poured, and don`t leave it unattended. Don`t drink alone. |
|
| aus der Diskussion: | Waste or make money in Thailand |
| Autor (Datum des Eintrages): | BodyG (14.03.01 23:28:58) |
| Beitrag: | 533 von 611 (ID:3103348) |
| Alle Angaben ohne Gewähr © wallstreetONLINE | |