First thing that comes to people’s minds when you mention Thailand is the sex workers then it’s the scams. And scams in Thailand aren’t just offline either they are online as well. In the Online Dating world in Thailand there are a lot of scams in fact you’ve probably fallen for one or two and you don’t even know it! Ever had a girl insist on going to some fancy restaurant and you throwing down thousands of baht only to have her never call you again. You might think that she just wasn’t interested in you but you could have also have been scammed without you realizing it.
Most Internet dating scams in Thailand are really not that sophisticated and they rarely bite you for much money either but anyone can fall for them so look out.
My Buffalo died and my Uncle is sick
Most Farang are wising up to this scam even though it’s been talked about over and over again. Even though sometimes it’s true but in some circumstances there is no one actually sick and she lives in the city without any buffalo. Mind you saying the buffalo is sick or dead isn’t really talked about much these days because of machinery and less and less people working on the land. Actually this kind of story is more common offline than online but the online version is just the same. She prays on guys who live overseas because she know the guys overseas are more willing to send money to her than the guys already living in Thailand. Once befriended she will learn things about you and know exactly what it is you like and play on you, you’ll think you’re very special to her so by the time she hits you up with the Uncle is sick routine and asks for 10,000 baht you’ll be happy to send it over. A girl doesn’t have to play too many guys at once to make it worth her while 1 or two 10,000 baht scores a month and she doesn’t work anymore except for the time and effort she puts into parting you with your cash. Avoid this scam by having nothing to do with someone when they say one of their relatives is sick or there is something wrong with the buffalo.
Tickets to the show scam
This scam doesn’t happen very often and is an adaptation of a common scam run in America. Firstly you get a message from a girl that often reads “I have two tickets to the ____ concert would you like to go with me?” Hey that sounds like a great offer right? Wrong. The girl then goes on to tell you the real conditions which are basically for you to buy her an expensive meal at a restaurant like Fuji or Thai’s favorite place MK restaurant and in exchange you can go to the show with her. She will insist on getting the free meal first where you spend almost $100 for her and her friend(s) then something mysteriously happens to the free tickets either she lost them or they became void and you’ll never see that girl again. To avoid the scam always ask for dinner after the show
Dinner Date Scam
This is probably the oldest scam in the book and one that people don’t even really think is a scam but it is. This kind of girl is similar to one that goes to the club with no money and get’s guys to buy her drinks. In Thailand it works by a girl having interest in you then you ask her to dinner and all of a sudden she rocks up with a few of her friends and you’re expected to pay for everything. This is one of the most common scams there is because in many cases she’s really not interested in you at all she’s just playing you for a free meal. Avoid this scam by asking to only meet with her at the restaurant of your choosing and if she brings a friend make sure it’s agreed that you are all sharing the costs and play the “friends” card first until you can go back for another date. Typically dinner date scammers don’t go for a second date unless you’ve paid for the first.
Money for the bus Scam
This is a classic scam one that is gaining traction and has been used against Thai guys for a long time. How it works is you’ll get a message from a girl saying that she likes you, typically the girl is young and good looking but the chances of it actually being her are slim, some people use their own photo’s to pull the scam off. You may chat for a while even on the phone and she says she has a problem at home whatever it is, but doesn’t ask you for any money. She lays it out and says she’d love to come and stay with you for a while because she has nothing to do or problems at home whatever it is. So some hot 20y/o something wants to come stay with you a while and make your sexual dreams come true, sure who wouldn’t go for that? But the catch is she lives in a very remote part of Thailand hundreds and hundreds of kilometers away from you and she has no money. In order for her to come and meet you you’ll need to send 1000 baht so she can come to you. Well it’s only 1000 baht she can’t be scamming me or she’d ask for more right? Think again, you will send the money then the next thing she is on the phone to you telling you that she doesn’t feel comfortable going alone and that she will send the money back to you. You try to talk her into still coming as for sure this is no longer a scam. She suggests that her friend goes with her as well. Hmmm might have problems having her sleep with you, so you think that’s a bad idea until she tells you that her friend also likes Farang and wants to sleep with you too. Bonus you think so you send another 1000 baht to her bank then you never hear from her again! This scam is technically legal because you are giving her the money so they get away with it. Anyone asks you for money for the bus hit the delete button.
