Bangkok Scams: The Common Ones and How to Avoid Each

Which Bangkok Scams Should You Worry About?

The Bangkok scams that catch visitors are small and predictable. They cluster around three things: the taxi, your cash and strangers who become your friend in under a minute. None of them are violent, and all of them are easy to beat once you know the script.

This guide covers the scams that people who have lived here for years keep warning about, how each one plays out and what to do. If you want the wider picture on crime, night safety and health, start with our guide to whether Bangkok is safe for tourists. This page is only about the tricks.

The short version: insist on the meter, never show your wallet to a stranger, check any "it's closed" story yourself, and keep small notes. Save 1155, the Tourist Police number, before you land.

Airport Taxi Scams: Meter Refusals and Wrong Change

The first scam most visitors meet is at the taxi rank. Some drivers, even in the official airport queue, refuse to turn on the meter and name a flat fare instead. Two long-term Bangkok residents who filmed their warnings at Suvarnabhumi both say this still happens.

What to do, in order:

1. Take a ticket from the taxi queue machine and keep it. It shows the driver's name and taxi ID, and it is your record if anything goes wrong. Do not hand it over. 2. Ask for the meter as soon as you sit down. If the driver refuses, get out and take the next car. 3. Open Google Maps and follow the route, so you can see the driver is going direct. 4. Pay with small notes close to the fare.

That last step matters more than it sounds. One trick is to take a large note from you, swap it for a smaller one out of sight and then claim you underpaid or hand back the wrong change. If you only ever pass over a 100 or a few 20s, there is nothing to swap.

This is the main reason so many arrivals now book Grab or Bolt from the start. Our guide to taxis and Grab in Bangkok compares prices, and our Bangkok airport transfer guide covers the other ways into the city.

The Stranger Who Asks to See Your Money

A friendly stranger starts a chat, asks where you are from and then asks to see what your home currency looks like. It sounds harmless, but it is a setup, and the only safe answer is no.

One long-term resident says this trick started in the city's tourist areas and has now moved into the arrivals hall at the airport. The rule is simple. Never open your wallet for a stranger, however polite the request.

A close cousin is the stranded traveller. Someone tells you they lost a ticket, or they cannot pay for a meal, and asks you for money. The same resident's advice is to walk away. You do not need to explain or apologise.

The "Grand Palace Is Closed" Lie

This one is famous and still running. Someone near the Grand Palace tells you it is closed today and offers to point you somewhere else instead. That somewhere else is a shop, and the shop pays them commission for every visitor they deliver.

The fix is to walk to the official entrance and look for yourself. Reports put opening time at 08:30 and entry for foreign visitors at 500 baht (July 2025), so check both before you go. Our Grand Palace guide covers the dress code and the best time to arrive. The same advice works anywhere in the Old Town: if a stranger tells you a place is shut, check the gate before you change your plans.

Tuk-Tuk Overcharging

Tuk-tuks have no meter. Every fare is a negotiation, which is why creators who rank Bangkok transport tend to put tuk-tuks and taxis at the bottom for overcharging. Others still love them for a short hop, and a ride is part of the fun for many visitors.

Both camps agree on one thing. Settle the price before you climb in, not at the end. If you want a fixed price, Grab and Bolt list one before you book.

Cash Tricks at ATMs and Exchange Counters

Not every money problem is a scam, but several cost visitors in a similar way.

Thai ATMs give you the cash first and the card second, the reverse of what most UK and US visitors are used to. People walk away with the money and leave the card in the machine, and on a short stay it is close to impossible to get back. Wait for the card every time.

When the ATM offers to charge you in your home currency, decline and choose baht. Foreign cards pay a flat fee of about 250 to 350 baht per withdrawal (checked October 2026), so read the screen before you confirm. Withdraw 3,900 baht rather than 4,000 and you will get smaller notes, which ties straight back to the taxi advice above.

If you bring cash to exchange, large US notes such as 100s and 50s get a better rate, and notes with writing, tears or stains may be refused. Our guide to ATM fees and money exchange in Bangkok has the full detail.

Fake TDAC Sites and Other Online Traps

Some scams start before you fly. Every foreign visitor files the Thailand Digital Arrival Card online before landing, and it is free on the official site. Copycat websites charge for the same form. If a site asks you to pay, close it and find the official address.

At immigration, have your length of stay, hotel address and onward ticket ready. Long-term residents suggest giving tourism as your only purpose if you are on a visa exemption or tourist visa, because mentioning work or volunteering brings more questions.

Touts on Khao San Road

At night on Khao San Road, touts work groups of visitors and try to steer them into adult shows. It is pressure rather than danger, and a firm no is enough. If you go, our Khao San Road guide explains what the street is like now and when to visit.

What to Do If You Get Scammed

Call the Tourist Police on 1155. The number works anywhere in Thailand. If you are still at Suvarnabhumi, there is a Tourist Police station on the arrivals level.

Keep anything that identifies the person or vehicle: the taxi queue ticket, a Grab receipt, a photo of the number plate. Then let it go and enjoy the rest of the trip. Almost every Bangkok scam is the kind of loss you shrug off by dinner, and the habits above stop most of them before they start.