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So i have a few hours left before I head out on the over night bus then boat trip to the island of Ko Pha-ngan. So I thought I would share a few more stories about the last day or so.
So last night I was having a few beers with some people I had met down on Ko San Road. The last few nights a little kid that is fourteen has been bugging us to buy candy or what he calls sweets off him. Anyways this kid is 14, speaks perfect English and is a little genius. He comes up to you with this card for you to read and it's the whole sob story I need money for my education. So once your are done reading the card he brings out a piece of paper and says to ya "let's play Tic Tac Toe. you win I give you sweets for free, I win you buy from me" So four of us each played the kid twice and none of us could beat him. Next he goes I will play you double or nothing with a thumb war. They kid weigh 80 pounds soaking wet so I was like fine let's do it. The kid beats me 2 times in a row. So yeah in 5 min the kid won like 45 Baht(just over a dollar) from each of us. Then when you give the money and try and get your change back he suddenly speak no English. This kids was definitely a character.
Anyway the scam: So I have read the lonely planet and have heard all these stories about all the different scams and most of them are pretty obvious, and I thought their is no way I am going to fall for any of them. Well I was wrong and I definitely fell for one but caught myself halfway through. This morning I was walking through some of the less tourist area and ended up talking with a Thai tuk tuk driver and he told me all about the scam. How it works is they have someone confront you on the street while the tuk tuk driver waits out of sight. So for me that person was that really nice lady I had met on the street the other day. So that person talks to you about random stuff gains your trust and then just starting telling lies. They tell you it's a Buddhist holiday and because of the holiday tour as the TAT(thailand Tourist Agency) are cheap for today and today only, Next they tell you about a few attraction and how because of the holiday there are no entry fees. Then finally she tells you that certain Tuk Tuk drivers you can trust, they have a special shirt. So by the end of the 30 min conversation you think this lady is just being nice to you. So she waves for a tuk tuk and who comes rolling out, her husband whom has been waiting the whole time. So the attractions that she was talking about are all small things that you can see for free. The TAT approved travel agent she was talking about actually charges more then double for any trip. And finally they drop you off randomly at the suit shop, with many sales men who pressure you into buying. But when you are at the attractions random guys walk up to you and tell you how good the suits are at this certain shop up the street, and somehow you end up at that shop. Then at another attraction a guy tells you about the famous trek up north, then the next stop is the corrupt travel agent. So today the random tuk-tuk driver I was talking with was telling me that the travel agency and the suit shop gives them one coupon for 60 Baht worth of gas for taking you there and and five more coupons if you buy anything. Then the tuk tuk driver gives a cut to the lady on the street, and to the random guys that talk to you at the attraction. The tuk tuk drivers take the gas coupons and sell them for 50 Baht worth of cash. So if in the day they get one or two people to buy a suit, then end up making way more money then they would have just on normal trips. So I didn't get talked into buying a suit but I ended up putting 1000 Baht( 30 Cdn) as a deposit on a trek which I now know is ridiculously over priced. So I lost 30 Cdn and learn a very valuable lesson that if a Thai girl talks to you on the street she only wants your money.
Also thank you everyone for the e-mails and comments on the site, getting adjusted has been hard and the e-mails really help. I was mostly writing this blog so I could remember all the detail of my trip, but it's pretty cool that so many people are interested and are reading it. Over 70 people have been consistently reading them. Anywas I am off to the beaches on the islands.
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Aunt Lizzy
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We all get scammed one way or another at times in our lives! It's the only way you'll learn the culture of people who have had a much more difficult time in life then us. I think they call it "Survival of the fittest" So, when a pretty girl bats her eyes at you run like hell sweety. That goes for the ones in Canada too! LOL. Your trip sounds fantastic. Loneliness will fade as you get used to your surrondings. This is a great adventure that you'll never regret. I'm waiting for the next installment. Besides, I'm unemployed again and I'll live vicariously through your travels. P.S. When you get back home the Bonsers should have an inground pool installed and you're more than welcome to join us. Have fun Jos!