Destinations › Thailand › Phuket › Scams
Phuket, Thailand
19 reported scam patterns travellers run into in Phuket, what they look like, and how to sidestep them.
Card skimming at isolated cash machines, and cards taken out of sight to be processed at bar counters, with the cloned card used after the visitor has left.
Bills on the main nightlife street carrying drinks, covers and hostess charges that were not ordered, with intimidation rather than an itemised recount offered when they are questioned.
Men presenting laminated identification as police or immigration officers around the main beach strips, demanding to inspect documents and currency, and imposing an immediate cash fine.
Gem and tailor shops reached through a tuk-tuk driver's detour, selling synthetic stones and poor-quality suits with a resale or wholesale pitch attached. The driver is paid per passenger delivered.
Jet-ski and scooter operators producing a damage bill on return for wear that was already present, with the renter's passport held until it is paid in cash. Enforcement sweeps recur without the practice stopping.
Jet-ski and scooter rental operators claim pre-existing damage at return and demand large cash "repair" fees, sometimes with intimidation — photograph every scratch with the operator present before setting off.
Branded bags, watches and electronics sold as genuine rather than as copies in the beach-strip markets, priced high enough to support the claim.
Change short-counted at beachfront stalls and bars, relying on unfamiliar note denominations and a queue forming behind the customer.
Desks in the arrivals hall presenting as official airport transfer services, selling a fixed-price transfer at several times the metered fare with no authority to do so.
Island-hopping and snorkelling trips paid for in advance that run with a smaller boat, fewer stops and none of the equipment described at the point of sale.
Drivers announcing that the attraction a passenger named is shut today, and substituting a route that stops at shops paying them a commission.
Unmetered taxis and tuk-tuks at the airport or Patong Beach quoting heavily inflated flat fares.
Beach vendors or "helpful" locals pressuring tourists into overpriced boat trips or excursions.
"Free prize" timeshare pitches in Patong, Kata, and Karon require sitting through a 90-minute presentation in exchange for a "prize" that turns out to be a worthless contract or unusable voucher.
Some jet-ski operators rent out a unit with a nearly empty tank while the fuel gauge is rigged to display full.
Donation collectors with clipboards and laminated documentation working the beach promenades and restaurant entrances.
Men attaching themselves to visitors at temples and hilltop viewpoints, narrating unasked, then presenting a fee once the walk is over.
Beachfront restaurants adding unlisted charges or rounding bills up without itemization.
Bag-snatching by motorbike passengers targeting phones and bags on busy Patong streets.
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