Airport Travel Scam
Mr Ingram says they wanted £7,500 ($12,250) - for that the police would try to get him back to the UK in time for his mother's funeral on 28 April.
Apparently this is a "Zig-Zag Scam" - first time I've heard of it.
You get accused of theft in a duty free shop - and interrogated - and basically setup to bribe your way out of a trip to the Bangkok Hilton.
So - keep your eyes sharp and maybe avoid duty free in Thailand's airports to be on the safe side.
Reply to this Thailand used to be such a nice destination. 😞
So - keep your eyes sharp and maybe avoid duty free in Thailand's airports to be on the safe side.
They will probably be doing that scam in other parts of the airport soon.
Reply to this This brought to mind another Thailand airport scam, which is described
here.
J.
Reply to this .....and basically setup to bribe your way out of a trip to the Bangkok Hilton.
I am getting seriously turned off Thailand. I wasnt worried enough about the political upheaval to avoid Thailand, but this scam news is a real turn off.
I know somebody who used to be a prisoner in the Bangkok Hilton. He said, the police are very ''convincing'' when it comes to getting people to sign those cofessions about things they did not do, and that are in Thai with no translation into English.
Reply to this This is SCARY. I know of few things around, but not that. Thanks for the info...will be careful as I'm going to use the airport few times every month from September.
Reply to this Scary is right - to think I nearly transited through Bangkok at the weekend. I would've filled in time looking through Duty Free too....
Reply to this We saw this this morning. It's just another of those things that is going to put tourists off going to Thailand. Political upheaval, protests, airport closures and now scams at the airport.
It's potentially ruining the economy. It's very sad.
We're going home via KL this time, instead of Bangkok. Not really because of the problems, because it's cheaper. But things like this aren't exactly reassuring.
When we carry money in a money belt, Kris wears it through airport security. We don't send it through the scanner or take it off at all.
It doesn't set off the beepy thing. No more than my belt does.
Do other people send it through the scanner?
Reply to this Do other people send it through the scanner?
I always send it though the scanner. I always presumed that staff at that part of the airport are trustworthy. Nothing from my moneybelt has even been stolen at the scanners.
Reply to this I always put my wallet (and camera) in a small bag that I use for carry-on luggage, and put it through the scanner but immediately check inside when the tray appears on the collection side of the machine. I'd be amazed if there weren't cameras over the staffs' shoulders, but even if the culprits are identified it doesn't reflect well on the airport's administration for them to take further action.
J.
Reply to this Hi Guys,
The scanner scam is not a new one...and it does happen all over the world. So if you need to put your wallet, mobile phone,etc on a tray, just put it inside your carry-on luggage. Next step, wait that everybody ahead of you is through the metal detector...even if there is a queue behind you...and only than you send your belongings through the scan...it will come at the same time as you and you can keep an eye on it.
Now an easier way...I always send my son ahead to keep an eye on everything....easier...
Reply to this Hey guys !!
yeah u right...it happens all over the world...dont get put off by Thailand...i've had some capital times there 😊
Reply to this Why would you take your money belt off? If it only has paper money / passport / non-metallic contents it won't set off the security scanner. If you have coins, take them out.
If you have something valuable you think might set off the scanner, take it in your hand and walk through the scanner. If it sets it off, put it in a tray and watch it go through the scanner till it comes out the other side and you can recover it.
One of the problems we were warned about in China, although it never happened to us, was putting bags through scanners at the railway stations. We were told that, after you put your bags on, someone would distract you and when you got past the scanner, your bag would be gone. As I said, it didn't happen to anyone we know but is worth being aware of - and not just in China.
Reply to this Why would you take your money belt off?
They tell me to take it off. The one I have at the moment has a metal buckle on it to. Sometimes I have to take off my shoes too. Last time they wanted me to take off my sweater(I was wearing something under it, before anybody asks. :D) I know I could buy another moneybelt with a plastic clasp on it, and there are endless things that can be bought to increase security of our stuff....,
But, I do put the moneybelt and small things like hair clips in one of the small trays. I watch it as best I can. Usually I get to see it going in and then comming out again. The only time I lost sight of it was at the international airport in Delhi. I had to go into a cubicle so the security woman could pat me down while my stuff was going through the scanner.
Reply to this "But, I do put the moneybelt and small things like hair clips in one of the small trays. I watch it as best I can. Usually I get to see it going in and then comming out again. The only time I lost sight of it was at the international airport in Delhi. I had to go into a cubicle so the security woman could pat me down while my stuff was going through the scanner."
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The only thing I put in the small tray is my plastic bag of liquids, shoes and belt if necessary and my jacket. I put cell phones, keys, wallet and change in my check in bag, zip it up and send that through. I have a money belt that I keep for "just in case" but I have only used it once in 12 years and that was in Myanmar.
I do carry a small pouch, about 6X10 inches, with me that has a lock on it (like a night deposit bag.) Something like this but not exactly:
Being retired now, I only choose hotels that have security boxes and throw that locked bag into the safety box or safe. When I pass through security checks at the airport that same locked pouch has my spare cash, folded money belt, spare watch and extra cell phone in it - locked! If some security guy wants to steal something he has to work at it and it won't be a quick steal!
I keep an eye on my carry on bag in the airport and keep it locked. While on the plane I even keep my bag in the overhead storage bin locked too! I have been very lucky over the past dozen years and so far I only lost a cheap key chain in Manila. I forgot my key chain attached to my belt loop, I put that in a tray with my shoes and the chain "disappeared" but at least I still had the keys! I try to watch my gear as it goes through the scanner too. When you have to stand on the box for a hand scanner check I try to face the scanner during the pat down.
Reply to this I agree with Sir Halberd, Thailand is not that bad.
If the police insists that you are guilty, then ask them to call tourist policeman and sign nothing; There is a team of specialized policemen, who is called tourist police, their job is to help foreign tourists.
Reply to this I dont think it is quite that simple Indra. You will be intimidated and pressured into signing something. Even the consulates could not get European citizens out of the country during this scam, until they payed the money that was being demanded. It would be nice to be able to rely on the tourist police to make sure we are treated fairly, but it simply does not happen like that.
Reply to this IC.
I believe that you have had your own experience with that bad policemen in Thailand.
However, during 1+ year living in Thailand, I had been caught 2 times by traffic policemen for minor violation, and they released me simply because I spoke in English and insisted that I did nothing wrong, also asked them to explain the case in correct English.
Reply to this Well, it seems that Thailand, which I knew, has been changed.
The last time I stayed in Thailand was December 2008, and I had one week trip to Bangkok on May 2009, to my eyes, so far it was just the same like it used to be, but below news tells differently: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Abhisit-Asks-Airport-Officials-Ma-t289290.html
Reply to this There have been a lot of scams, before 2008 too. But, that duty free one is just a degree more frightening than the others for me.
Is seems to me like one that would have been hard to avoid, if I had not been warned about it. I think it is really scary, because it could happen to even the most careful person. I mean, who doesnt browse in the duty free when they have time to spare at the airport. And the police just dont have any shame if they are arresting people like this without any real reason, and then scamming them. It shows they care nothing about international scandal, so we are not safer, just because we are foreigners.
Reply to this 
