On Sundays when I visit the Gurdwara, the bus drops me off just past The Grand Palace.
Location of Grand Palace
If you visit the Grand Palace, it is very likely, that near the entrance you will be approached by someone wearing a uniform and looking very official who will tell you that The Palace is closed for a couple of hours except to local people. He will then offer to arrange a tuc-tuc to take you to some other places of interest in the area,whilst you wait for the palace to re-open. The Palace does NOT close during the day but these people can be very plausible. Just politely decline their advice and make your way to the entrance and enjoy the wonderful Grand Palace.
Inside The Grand Palace:
Other scams:
The 30 Baht Tuk-Tuk Ride
You may come across a tuk-tuk driver who offers to take you wherever you want to go for just 30 baht. The catch — you've got to come with him first to either a gem store or a tailor. The driver gets a cut of anything you buy. Unless you have tons of time to waste or were in the market for overpriced gems or a new suit from an unknown tailor, it's definitely not a good deal for you!
The Meter's Broken
If you get into a taxi and the driver tells you that the meter is broken, get out of the taxi. The meter isn't broken, the taxi driver is trying to get you to pay more than the meter rate for your ride, and usually a lot more. Arguing is futile, and bargaining will only get you a price slightly less astronomical than the one the driver quotes you to take you wherever you want to go. The only exception — Phuket, where there are so few taxis everyone is at their mercy and rates are astronomical!
Two-Tiered Pricing
Some merchants will automatically charge foreign tourists more than they charge local Thais, whether they are selling fruit in the street, hotel rooms or t-shirts. Unfortunately there is rarely anything to be done about this scam, other than just walking away and finding another person to buy from.
If you know of any other scams, please do comment here and let others know.
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