Some foreigners who travel to Thailand for a short holiday in Pattaya often consider that they have become the victim of a Thai girl scam. They have found themselves in a situation where they have either lost some money, personal property such as a watch, laptop, passport, credit card, gold chain or been deceived in some way that has caused them emotional trauma.
On many of these occasions it has been the foreigners’ lack of understanding of Thai customs and culture that has led them to be victims of a Thai girl scam. Now I am not advocating that there are no such scams to be found in Pattaya Thailand or anywhere else in the world but in many cases the foreigner’s lack of preparing himself for his visit to a country with such a diverse culture is the catalyst for misunderstanding.
It is this misunderstanding that can lead a newbie traveller into awkward situations that sometimes have a negative outcome. Then the foreigner considers he has been scammed. Would you jump from an aircraft before checking that your parachute is in order?
Likewise, would you travel to foreign country without first researching the potential hazards and pitfalls? It is not easy to understand Thai girls and their way of thinking. There are some known scams to prepare yourself for. I can think of at least three common scams that you might encounter in Pattaya if you are in the wrong place, with the wrong people at the right time.
Here is one type of scam you might like to note. Single travelling males should be careful about bringing unknown women to their hotel rooms or homes. Druggings, whereby the woman coats her nipples with the drug or drops something into your drink to put you to sleep to assist with the theft of your belongings, is not uncommon.
Unfortunately, they sometimes put a little extra into the drink to make sure you are knocked right out. There are reported cases of the little extra inadvertently killing the victim. It’s possible that in a few of those cases the drug administered was incompatible with the victim’s heart condition or medication the victim was taking at the time.
While the rate of theft is remarkably low, it does occur. My advice is to learn a bit about Thai culture, customs, and potential hazards before you book your flight to Thailand. The more you learn about the people and their ways of going about their everyday tasks, the less potential there will be for misunderstanding.
When a Westerner comes to Thailand he brings with him his way of doing things, his culture, his customs. On occasions the Westerners’ way of doing things can clash with their hosts’. If you do find yourself in an awkward situation try to stay calm. Try not to display anger. In Thai culture it is impolite and unwise to display anger. If you are planning a trip to Pattaya, familiarize yourself with the culture, the customs, and the pitfalls and you will have an unforgettable holiday.