Thread: Scamming farang ?

Last month in Bali Around 8.00PM I had a well dressed lady and her young boy approach me.

She was in a bit of a state and told me this story about her Husband being pissed up and leaving her stranded in Bali with fok all money to get back to Java.

I looked at her for a while to suss her out and felt her story was genuine. I then slung her some coin for the bus fare of the Island.

When I give her the money she broke down in tears and hugged me like I was her Daddy.

Shit happens sometimes and its good to help out a person in genuine need.

Originally Posted by terry57

When I give her the money she broke down in tears and hugged me like I was her Daddy.

Shit happens sometimes and its good to help out a person in genuine need.

You sure she didn't reach round and dip your wallet full of whiskey vouchers out of your back pocket ?

^

Nope,

That did not happen, I didn't have any whiskey vouchers in my back pocket.

Just helped out a person who was quite obviously in the shit.

Originally Posted by toddaniels

Heck when people bum my lighter I tell them, "5 baht" as I hand it to them; then follow up with, "You know they sell lighters in this country right?"

There's a line.

You're just a miserable bastard.

Originally Posted by terry57

^


Just helped out a person who was quite obviously in the shit.

Very laudable, it can be hard to judge at times

Originally Posted by kingwilly

Originally Posted by toddaniels

Heck when people bum my lighter I tell them, "5 baht" as I hand it to them; then follow up with, "You know they sell lighters in this country right?"

There's a line.

You're just a miserable bastard.

I usually give it to them, lots of spares in the car/mosai, and avoids getting into chat mode.

Originally Posted by terry57

Shit happens sometimes and its good to help out a person in genuine need.

Yes it is mate. The problem is scammers are aware of the feeling genuine people get helping someone out and use it as a tool, much like BG's with their "Mama needs an operation" bullshit stories to extract lump-sum cash off gullible Farang. It makes it hard to know when someone could really use a hand or they're just taking the piss...

And as a side note to this thread, over the years I've either chipped in when the hat was passed around or paid entirely for one-way tickets home for at least 6 guys I knew, some of them well and some of them passingly, that had all overstayed their resources. Most of them got back on their feet once they got home, got clean, and touched base with reality again. Total amount ever repaid?. Not one cent.

We live and learn.

Originally Posted by Headworx

Total amount ever repaid?. Not one cent.

Really ?

Disappointing. No offence, but you must have some wildly different friends than I do.

There's nothing surprising about farangs pulling scams on other farangs, the desperation some have to stay in Thailand is amazing sometimes.

How else can anyone explain the farang drug dealers who we read about every few months, seem like they have a 100% chance of getting caught but have fun until they do. Same with the bank related frauds, if someone risks a Thai prison by doing a crime to finance their stay here, that's desperation.

Originally Posted by slim

a short fat guy
with a London accent sat down and told me this long winded story about soi cowboy
no wallet 2,000K in a UK bank account and how he needed 300 or 400B for phone credit so he could call the bank in the UK.I said sorry I can't help he then called me a "fu5king c5nt as he was walking off. I'm pretty sure I did the right thing.

I didn't know Smeg was back in Thailand

Originally Posted by The Big Fella

A guy on the KSR once came up to me as I was sat having a beer and blatantly said he was skint and any chance I could buy him a beer. He got three before I had to leave.

Same guy who has approached me on 3 separate occasions with the same story over a 3 year period. Last time I saw him he was pissed lying on the pavement and a soi dog went over, cocked its leg and pissed all over him

Originally Posted by Fluke

About 5 ft 6 , cropped hair , North London/ Turkish descent , well dressed for an ex-pat , chubby, but not obese , 30 ish ?

No...........he has around the beer stalls on Sukhumvit around 1am to 6am. I had a fight with the [at][at][at][at]

Originally Posted by Chico the Fox

If the guy goes to the embassy they will let him make an international call for free, no?

No........the embassies are sick of farang scammers too

Originally Posted by toddaniels

I heard from friend of mine who spends a lot of time in the McDonald's next to Robinson's across from Times Square on Lower Sukhumvit that there's a older foreign guy who comes in; orders some food, then check his pockets and pretends he can't find his wallet. Then he begs from other foreigners to cover the meal.

Smeg always does that in McD's before his students turn up to be taught English there

Many men come to Thailand on holiday or as sexpats for the cheap sex. However, drinking and whoring (even in Thailand) quickly separates them from what cash they had saved up.

So then they are broke and still have a few days left on holiday (or until their next pension check is deposited) and so they come up with "scams" to tide them over.

I would probably direct them to a Wat so they could perhaps gain some real nourishment.

RickThai

Originally Posted by Fluke

Theres an old Thai guy in CM who walks around dressed as a farmer and goes up to felangs and tells them that hes stuck in CM and needs some money to buy a ticket to get back to his village , he asked me once again the other day . I told him that hes been asking me for two years and hasnt anyone given him money in the last two years for a ticket home .
He just said that yes they have......and that he keeps coming back

Yes, I remember him well. The first time ( for me in Chiang mai ) he approached me was back in 99. I put 5bht in his hand and said "chok dee".

13yrs later ( on a return visit ). I see him again, much older now with a wispy beard. I looked at him with a wide grin "haven't you made it home yet?"

Must admit I kinda enjoyed seeing the little dodger still pawning his grift.

more and more bull shit scammers in Asia every day

Originally Posted by ribblerat

I find a simple and curt Fuck off is normally suffice my self ....

Not at satisfying as cutting them off mid flow in the street by shouting "Fuck off, or I'll kill you", about an inch away from their face; assuming you maintain the release mechanism for that special mental vault of concentrated fury.

Obviously, it depends where you are and who they are, and what the context and body language is. Country v city; indoor v outdoor; daytime v night etc...
In my experience people on the street essentially have alienated too many people or make bad choices and drag trouble around with them. I've been on my uppers in the far east once or twice, but the ability to make friends and maintain a good rep means never having to approach a complete stranger with a violin.

Originally Posted by tmifune

Originally Posted by Fluke

Theres an old Thai guy in CM who walks around dressed as a farmer and goes up to felangs and tells them that hes stuck in CM and needs some money to buy a ticket to get back to his village , he asked me once again the other day . I told him that hes been asking me for two years and hasnt anyone given him money in the last two years for a ticket home .
He just said that yes they have......and that he keeps coming back

Yes, I remember him well. The first time ( for me in Chiang mai ) he approached me was back in 99. I put 5bht in his hand and said "chok dee".

13yrs later ( on a return visit ). I see him again, much older now with a wispy beard. I looked at him with a wide grin "haven't you made it home yet?"

Must admit I kinda enjoyed seeing the little dodger still pawning his grift.

Saw him again today , not looking too good today .

daily, at almost every 7-11...
if they cant scam you (e.g. bank) they try to arse you...