How to Avoid Being Scammed in Phuket - Top Tourist Scams to Dodge during a Trip to Phuket

One of the most common scams in Phuket seems innocent from the outset and involves locals asking tourists to snap photos. As soon as you return the camera after taking the photo, however, the locals are likely to drop it and then blame you for "breaking" it. Demands for recompense follow soon after as the scammers attempt to embarrass travellers by causing a scene and thus compelling tourists to hand over some cash to diffuse the situation. The only way to avoid this type of incident is to refuse to take photos of locals unless they are known to you personally.

Travellers who are staying at SAii Laguna Phuket or any other hotels on the island, taking advantage of Phuket resort deals, will discover that taxis are not the most budget-friendly mode of transportation for getting around. As popular global taxi apps including Uber are not available in Phuket, visitors have to rely on local cab companies or independent taxis and drivers. Driving without a meter is a trick some Phuket taxi drivers use to overcharge foreigners into paying more so it is crucial to ask the driver to turn on the meter as soon as you board the vehicle. It is equally necessary to use taxis that are metered and to have some idea of the distance you need to travel by consulting Google Maps.

Dubious individuals will often approach those who are queuing up outside an ATM machine and offer to help tourists avoid local bank taxes or fees. They will often use a card skimmer to note down the information on your credit or debit card and watch you carefully to determine the PIN code to take funds out of your account later the same day. Some scammers will come up behind ATM users and offer assistance in using the ATM machine. The only way to combat both scams is to refuse help or assistance of any kind when withdrawing money from ATMs.

Those who plan to hit the beach bars and nightclubs in Phuket must be aware of this scam, which involves two or three friendly girls or boys. Chatting up strangers at the bar, this fake friend group will suggest a better bar close by and invite the unsuspecting traveller to join them for a cocktail or meal. After reaching the venue and enjoying a few drinks, the tourists will find that the cost of a drink is 5 to 10 times higher than usual but feel compelled to pay. There will often be bar bodyguards who are in cahoots with these fake groups and force foreigners to withdraw cash from a nearby ATM or demand payment. The strategy that tourists can use to avoid this type of scam is to always check the price of drinks before ordering a round at every bar and also refrain from relying on local tips for the best bars in town.

This elaborate scam involves locals dousing tourists with white paste from a balcony or building above a busy street and other cohorts joining in to help the traveller "clean up" the "bird poop" from their clothes. While this is going on, they will often pick the pocket of the unsuspecting tourist whose attentions are diverted. Keeping your valuables hidden away is crucial in such instances when one should ideally also refuse assistance from locals.