ANA Tour thieves

[hillbilly]

A friend of mine recently used the travel agency whose office photo is shown below. He gave them about B70,000 for a package tour for him and his girlfriend to go to China. Also left his passport with them.

Then it turns sour...



This travel agency located in our village (Sammakorn, Ram Soi 112) is one that we have used in the past with good results. Never had a problem.

TIT. They took his money, passport and vanished. Come to find out that he was not the only one. One other 'farang' in our village got taken for B200,000!

The police became involved but nothing was going on. I eventually started going to the shop in the evenings to steal the mail. Finally, came up with the owner's name.

The police said it will take time...

[kingwilly]

^ FFS, terrible news.

but surely if they have stolen pasports, it goes to the embassies to get involved and it becomes more than just a local plod investigation??

[NickA]

I've used them twice before, both times for 100k baht plus.

The ladies are quite big and fat, but that's all I can remember. Unfortunately I guess this is the equivalent of a "closing down sale" in thailand.

[NickA]

I can understand them taking the money, but they could have at least had the decency to return his passport somehow.

[MeMock]

what 'village'?

[NickA]

IF I was going to England this year, as I normally would be, I would probably have just handed over 100k baht to them.

[NickA]

what 'village'?

our village (Sammakorn, Ram Soi 112)

that village

[MeMock]

Oh cheers nick.

where the hell is that?

[Butterfly]

One other 'farang' in our village got taken for B200,000!

By the look of that shop, I wouldn't give them 1000 BHT for a deposit, they have that "Thai miserable little business" written all over.

What kind of idiot hand them 100k, let alone 200k ?

[dirtydog]

what 'village'?

I can see why you sold your newspaper, reeding and probably riting aren't your strong points are they

[MeMock]

Nope, I sold it because of the $$$

[Jarvis]

The exact same hapenned with these ****s to my mate...too the sum of 80,000bht. That is gone, as well as the price of a new passport.

[John]

Even if it does not help anymore: it is a basic rule worldwide to give money for the service - so to give the full amount for the tickets and not without.

Sure they might ask for a deposit before to cover their expenses. Would you pay a house completely before they even start to work - never I guess. Who has the money is the king who has to get anything back is always the beggar.

In this world if you don't get cheated you have luck. This has nothing to do with Asia. Just think of Enron in the USA... And as far as I know from a doctor in Sweden - the people putting you to your final rest will mostly take out the gold of your mouth before. So this game of cheating stops pretty late. The world is like this... ;-)

[TizMe]

Doesn't everybody buy tickets online these days?

[Bexar County Stud]

I would think the perps wouldn't be that hard to track down. Business registration, permits, tax docs and the like.

But it took a farang stealing mail to find their names? TIT, LOL

[Norton]

It may not help but I would send off an email to the TAT giving details.

They may have more motivation than the cops to do something and possibly records on this agency.

[email protected]

[Marmite the Dog]

I'm with John on this one.

Why on Earth would you give them any money until the tickets have been issued? I have never been asked to do that by my travel agent.

[NickA]

True, when I bought from them it was just a 1,000 baht deposit and i never gave them my passport.

[CharleyFarley]

Can't think of one occasion when I've been seperated from my passport.

Even in the UAE we used to fly in/out to renew visa.

[Marmite the Dog]

Can't think of one occasion when I've been seperated from my passport.

Mine's with my travel agent now.

[Mathos]

I have NEVER come across any Travel Agent asking for a passport?

Sorry about anybody losing money with the *****

Sympathies with you lads, but don't let any body have your PP even the guys renting out m/cycles etc, give them a photocopy if you really must. Nobody has the right to hold onto your passport unless it be police for instance, and so far as I know they are meant to inform or even pass the same onto your countries Embassy until any problem is cleared up.

[NickA]

don't let any body have your PP even the guys renting out m/cycles etc,

especially if they say boyo at the end of each sentence.

[Marmite the Dog]

I have NEVER come across any Travel Agent asking for a passport?

I asked my travel agent to sort out a visa for me, so I felt I ought to give them the passport.

[Wayne Kerr]

^ Aye, never had a problem. Hey Mathos, loosen up a bit old chap, the old knicking the passport trick aint that popular in Thailand, more likely to happen in a "civilised" place like Malaysia IMO.

[Mathos]

^ Aye, never had a problem. Hey Mathos, loosen up a bit old chap, the old knicking the passport trick aint that popular in Thailand, more likely to happen in a "civilised" place like Malaysia IMO.

You could be bang on right Wayne... I may be over-reacting!

A PP is a vital document though and it's handing over to people who do not have the status to hold onto the same let alone ask for it is not something I would personally do or reccomend.

Just a thought if any of you lads paid the TA by Credit Card, the loss will be down to the card company if you have been fleeced. If it was cash of course then you have been whacked good style.

Hope you get sorted lads it annoys me to hear of people being screwed like that!