COMMON SCAMS IN KOH SAMUI

Like many other tourist destinations, Koh Samui has its fair share of scams that you should be wary of. 

Koh Samui travel, as with any other venture to any foreign land, can be hampered by scams. The wary tourist is well advised to pay heed to warnings from others who have done Koh Samui travel and have actually had become easy, unknowing prey to “friendly” people out to make easy money.

Holiday Club and Time Share Scams

Koh Samui travel is an easy setting to get scammed since Koh Samui is a prime tourist holiday area. Being such, Koh Samui has a good number of time share and holiday schemes that could easily attract the unsuspecting but willing tourist into putting his hard-earned cash into such a system. On the street, a visitor is first asked to accomplish a “questionnaire” or a “survey”. Afterwards, using his contact information provided in the questionnaire, he is called and informed of winning in a “legit” draw that involves the seemingly “legit” survey he’d participated in. He is then asked to collect his prize. When he arrives, the scam artists use intimidation and pressure to get him to invest money as initial deposit on a holiday club, a property offered for time-share or to attend an orientation seminar on such. This is undoubtedly hard-sell, but some victims are left with no other choice but to pay up in order to get away from such scammers. Koh Samui travel would be much more pleasurable if you won’t have to experience the trauma from such rackets.

Boat/Jetski Insurance Scams

If you choose to do Koh Samui travel, then you’d also somehow wish to enjoy the ocean for which the location is famous for, and what better way to do this than to rent a boat or a jetski. Unfortunately, this fact provides a ripe opportunity for both locals and foreign nationals to prey on unwitting visitors. Their method of operation is simple: they approach you with offers for boat or jetski rentals. They bargain with you, and then let you use the equipment. When you decide to return it, they “inspect” the equipment and come up with a list of damages, which might have already been present in the equipment even before they had it rented out to you. They claim insurance does not cover the damages, so the cost would have to fall on you. Make sure that you emerge from your Koh Samui travel refreshed and not victimized by such scammers.