Bangkok Travel Advice

This magnificent city offers you a wide variety of excitement and inspiring temptations, among these shopping and sightseeing pleasures in an abundance. For your experience to remain pleasurable it is vital that you attend to a few words of advice:

• Beware such people who approach and try to offer you help on the roads, at intersections, near big hotel, shopping areas, the Grand Palace and other sight-seeing spots etc.
• They are usually well-dressed, friendly, speak little or good English, but all of them have one thing in mind … TO SCAM YOU.
• These people are called “Guide-Phee” or “Illegal Guides”, working in cahoots with Tuk-Tuk drivers (Taxi), unscrupulous hotel staff and shop assistants.
• Avoid taking assistance or even let them hail a “Tuk-Tuk” (three wheeler taxi) for you to go to places like Tailor Shops, Gems & Jewelry Centers, Seafood Restaurants, Temples, Government Export Sales or even Travel Agencies as per their recommendation.
• In case, you ended-up at the shops they recommended, you would likely be tricked, smooth-talked, ‘over-charged’ (ripped-off) and forced to accept “inferior quality products” at the end. These shop owners simply add 20-40% commission above the normal prices for the gang members. Neither your credit card company nor Thai police would be able to help after the purchase have been made.
• The best is to call the shop you planned to visit by yourself (not even by your hotel staff) and get the direction or ask for pick-up service.
• Take the above-mentioned advice and your vacation will certainly be spared from ‘nightmare’ perpetrated by con-artists. You may learn more about this in yourthaiguide.com.

By your faithful host
Step One Tailor