If you’ve never backpacked the region before, scams in Southeast Asia are probably something you’ve already added to your list of anxieties.
Throughout the years, backpackers have fallen prey to a wide range of ingenious (and some not-so-ingenious) crooks. We want to make sure this doesn’t happen to you!
To save you from becoming a victim, we’ll help you get clued-up on the Southeast Asian scams happening right now!
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Should I Be Worried About Travel Scams In Southeast Asia?
Honestly, most people in Southeast Asia aren’t trying to scam you. Sure, some will be out to make a few extra dollars from a hapless backpacker but very few have truly nefarious intentions and there’s no need to be suspicious of everyone you meet. Most people you meet will just want to practise their English or just make a novelty foreign friend!
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Southeast Asian Travel Scams To Watch Out For!
1. “I Wanted to Go to the Club Not a Brothel” 💋
Unless you know Bangkok like the back of your hand, you’re an easy target for this common scam. Once you’re in a taxi, your driver will tell you that the bar or club you asked to visit is closed. Being local and no doubt having lived in Bangkok ‘all their life,’ they suggest an alternative.
Often this alternative couldn’t be further from what you originally requested… Usually situated on the very edge of the city and with enough sex workers to keep you busy for days (yes, even you!), it’s not exactly the hangout you were after.
Once you’re there, a taxi back to your hotel will cost you an arm and a leg (not literally of course – you haven’t quite fallen into a cult gore movie)! At this point, you have little choice but to pay up. Undoubtedly, the bar or /club you wanted to go to has been open the whole time and the nightlife is booming. Gutted.
How To Avoid:
Always insist on being dropped off where you agreed. Do not let the driver take you elsewhere. Use ride-sharing apps like Grab or GoJek, so your trip is logged, mapped and the price is set. It’s always worth going out with other backpackers too. There’s safety in numbers.
Other Taxi Scams To Look Out For:
1. “This is getting expensive quick!” Rigged meters are a thing. They rise at an extortionate rate and before you know it, a 15-minute taxi ride will cost you more than a week’s accommodation.
How To Avoid:
Know roughly how much a taxi should cost in advance. If the price is rising way too fast, ask the driver to stop. Pay what you owe and get out. Using apps like Grab or GoJek is the best way to avoid this happening completely!
2. “We don’t use the meter at this time of day.” If a taxi driver tells you this, it’s probably a lie. If they have a meter, they’re probably expected to use it. By offering a fixed rate, they’ll charge you an exorbitant price because they can practically see the trail of dollar bills you’ll leave in your wake.
How To Avoid:
Ride-sharing apps are the best way to avoid this. But if you must get a taxi, insist on the meter. If they refuse, wait for another taxi. This is especially true at Bangkok airport where they pull this trick on new backpackers every day.
2. Getting Driven Around the Bend by Tuk-Tuk Drivers 🛺
We’ve all been driven around in literal circles by tuk-tuk or taxi drivers trying to increase the price of the meter. Unless you’re in a major hurry, there’s no point getting too het up about it. Often when you don’t know where you are going, it’s hard to tell if you’re being taken for a ‘ride’ or not, so keep the peace and don’t make accusations unless you’re 100% sure!
Especially in Thailand, you should watch out for being told that your temple of choice is ‘closed’ or that your preferred guesthouse is ‘full.’ Taxi drivers very often want to take you to a tourist destination or hotel where they get a cut.
You should also expect similar treatment if your tuk-tuk ride is super cheap. Pay just 20THB for a ride from Khao San Road and you’ll end up visiting gem shops, tailors and travel agents who, you guessed it, pay your driver a commission or offer them petrol tokens! You get what you pay for.
How To Avoid:
Use ride-hailing apps like Grab, or GoJek to set your destination and get a fixed price ahead of time. If that’s not possible, agree on a price before getting into a cab or tuk-tuk and politely but firmly refuse if they offer to take you anywhere other than your destination. If a driver is making you feel uncomfortable tell them to stop, so you can get out. And, don’t be a cheapskate. If a tuk-tuk driver offers you a stupidly low price, they’re planning to take you for a ride!
3. The Famous Gem Scam 💎
This has got to be the most talked-about scam in Asia. It’s on travel forums and there are warnings about it in Lonely Planet. (Hands up if you remember travel guidebooks?! ??) After all that publicity, it is hard to believe that it still works – but it does! Most common in India, in particular Agra, the gem scam begins when you meet a friendly local…
After gaining your trust, they offer you an opportunity to make a lot of money by investing in a precious cargo of jewels. They explain that their gemstones are worth a lot of money if sold in another country – conveniently your country – but that they themselves cannot afford the high taxes to export them out of India. However, if you were to buy them for a ‘cheap’ price, you can export them easily under your duty-free allowance and then sell them for massive profit!
The scammers will assure you that once you arrive at the airport of your destination, an agent will meet you and help you to sell the jewels for quadruple the price. Mostly, they want an upfront payment for the gems. But sometimes they ask you to carry the gems for them, leaving a ‘financial guarantee’ of a credit card number and signature – this is because you’re under great trust not to steal them!
Obviously, there is no ‘partner’ at the airport to meet you and the precious stones turn out to be coloured glass. Meanwhile, your travel budget has shrunk or your credit card skimmed. What a surprise!
How To Avoid:
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Unless the intended purpose of your trip to Asia is to make investments, don’t do it! Stick to backpacking and have the trip of a lifetime instead!
4. Dodgy Food & Overly Helpful Waiters 🍲
This has got to be one of the meanest travel scams around. Unlike many, this one doesn’t require a gullible or greedy backpacker – just a traveller with a natural appetite. The scam begins as you eat your dinner in a friendly local restaurant. As you munch away on your chicken Jalfrezi, rice and naan, all of a sudden, what you may at first believe to be Delhi belly hits you. Nausea, dizziness, the list goes on…
The waiters are incredibly helpful, rounding you up and taking you to a local clinic around the corner, where you’re given tablets and water. Just three hours later and the sickness has passed and apart from feeling a little weak, the situation has miraculously turned around. And then, the clinic’s whopping bill is placed in your hand. It will undoubtedly be extortionate, easily blowing your average monthly backpacking budget.
After some discussion and working a few things out, it becomes clear that the restaurant was involved the whole time. Your food was tampered with to bring on the fast-acting Delhi belly. The waiters and clinic are in on it together…
The tough part is what to do next… refuse to pay the bill? Pay up and leave without a fight? It’s a tough one. Leg it we say!
Alternative Scam
A very similar scam that can happen anywhere in Asia involves you eating in a restaurant and waking up a few hours later with no money, no valuables and absolutely no memory of what happened. Yep, you were drugged and robbed. Always report this scam to the police – they might not (read: probably won’t) do anything but you’ll need the paperwork to make a travel insurance claim.
How To Avoid:
While rare, this one is tough to avoid. If a friendly stranger offers to take you to a quiet restaurant, turn down the invitation. Only eat in busy establishments and use traveller recommendations as well as sites like Tripadvisor to find the best eateries!
Proper travel insurance is popular among backpackers because it helps protect you from the worst effects of scams and other travel mishaps!
5. Bother at the Border 🛃
This scam isn’t such a bank-breaker but will certainly damage your pride. Backpackers beware when crossing the border, don’t try and cheat the system and skimp on the price. Many shops and travel agents will lure you in saying, ‘you make visa here, cheap and easy!’ These false claims are always proven untrue when you reach the official immigration control and other backpackers are paying half the price!
How To Avoid:
The first rule of border crossings: We don’t talk about border crossings. Always get your visa on arrival at the border, not before. Know the visa requirements for the country you’re entering and never accept help from someone who approaches you out of the blue. If you insist on using a visa agent, make sure they’re reputable and work for a well-recommended company!
6. Fake Fortune Tellers With Bushy Eyebrows 🔮
They appear out of the shadows with the tempting call of “I will tell you the name of your future wife.” These unusual-looking characters with their mystical ‘powers’ are hard to resist and the words “go on then” slip out of your mouth before you even realise. They lead you to their ‘office’ where the magic begins.
The usual technique is for you to write down three wishes and the name of your mother on four pieces of paper and then scrunch them up. Your mind will then be read by this mystical creature who will miraculously know your mother’s name… oh the paper-switching trick! If you get suspicious and duck out at this point, expect to pay the whole fee (often they ask for up to 5,000THB!).
It’s almost worth continuing to hear the name of your future sweetheart purely for the comedy factor! Just like any horoscope, medium or psychic, the only thing that this bunch are professionals at is sweeping statements, generalisations and cold reading!
How To Avoid:
Politely refuse in the first instance. That’ll confuse the fortune teller who presumably only approaches people they know will say yes…
7. The Elaborate Card Game Scam ♠️
The Vietnamese card scam is one of the rarest but most elaborate hoaxes to be found. It begins with a friendly local inviting you to their house for dinner. While there, they tell you about a recent run of misfortune at the local casino that involves a cheating businessman and a dodgy dealer.
Then comes the proposal. Your host offers to teach you their mad gambling skills so, between the two of you, you can clean up on the blackjack table. Before you know what’s happening, the cards are out and you’re getting a crash course in card counting using a ‘special code.’
And then as if by magic, a businessman in a suit turns up with a suitcase full of cash ready to play. The roleplay begins. Your kind teacher will loan you a couple of hundred dollars to play and off you go on the crest of a money-making wave…
Finally, on the cusp of winning thousands of dollars, your opponent demands you show him the money. Oh, dear. What kind of backpacker carries that amount of cash? (Let alone actually owns it!) But you’d be surprised. Some, caught in the game, greedy for the winnings, cough up or put their credit card on the table as a guarantee. It is now that the ‘special code’ fails and hey presto, you’ve lost the lot! You get marched to the ATM to pay your debt.
How To Avoid:
Don’t gamble with locals. It really is that simple. If a friendly stranger offers you a game, politely but forcefully turn them down.
Also read: Tips for Travelling Vietnam.
8. Motorcycle Maintenance 🏍️
Most adventurous backpackers seeking the thrill of speed and a feeling of freedom end up hiring a motorbike. They get you away from the crowds and into unspoilt countryside in a matter of minutes.
But beware… These friendly motorbike hire men with their smiling faces and suggested routes often have an ulterior motive.
Whilst they distract you, they have their fingers crossed that you don’t look too closely at the condition of your rented steed. Then, when you arrive back, having felt the wind in your hair and gaining a farmers tan, they will charge you for every nick, scratch and dent on the machine.
How To Avoid:
Only rent motorcycles from reputable companies or from someone your hostel recommends. Examine the bike closely before you ride it and take photos of all pre-existing damage. If you can get the owner in the picture, even better.
9. Drugs Are Bad ❌
Bangkok prison is not a place any backpacker wants to spend the night, you only have to read the blurb of ‘Damage Done‘ by Warren Fellows to know that much! However, tuk-tuk drivers and shopkeepers alike know the power of persuasion. As they tempt you with drugs to ‘heighten your Full Moon experience’ or ‘chill you out man’, they will also be striking up a convenient conversation.
“Where you stay? Ahh, my brother stay there too! What room? Ahh, you neighbours!” This is usually an elaborate lie, which will then give him the ability to tip off the police as to where you and your drugs are staying. Then comes the ominous knock on the door, a search of your room and ultimately, handcuffs. If you end up being sucked into this scam, there’s very little way out.
How To Avoid:
Avoid drugs offered to you on the street. Even in countries like Thailand where weed has been decriminalised, buying drugs from someone who approaches you out of the blue is always a bad idea. Some drug-related offences in Asia still carry the death penalty – and whether the law would choose to enforce it or not – is it worth the risk?
10. The Slow Boat Is A-OK ⛴
A common method of transport from Northern Thailand to Laos is the serene slow boat, floating along the Mekong as you travel through paddy fields, unspoilt traditional villages and fishing communities. Not only is this method the perfect way to find your new best backpacking friend, but it’s also a few days’ break from the crazy driving and winding roads of Southeast Asia.
However, bus drivers waiting at the port have other, ‘better’ ideas. They try anything to get you on their ‘VIP bus’ (which is often a public bus full of mangoes, fish and occasionally livestock, with no air con and sometimes no seats!), warning you of everything and anything from being robbed at Pak Beng (the stop-off village) to catching deadly malaria in the middle of nowhere.
Of course, you won’t get a refund on your boat ticket. Go with your gut, if you’ve committed to the slow boat, hop on! Don’t listen to the touts trying to empty your wallet. Instead, begin your latest adventure up the Mekong. You won’t regret it.
How To Avoid:
Enjoy their creative lies but continue with the slow boat regardless. It’s one of the most popular methods of transportation for backpackers travelling between Thailand and Laos.
11. The Baby Is Hungry 👶
The baby milk scam started in Cambodia but has been reported in Vietnam and Laos too. It’s one of the easiest to fall for and goes one of two ways:
1. A woman carrying a drowsy-looking baby will come up to you while you’re having a drink or dinner and explain that she can’t afford to feed her baby. She’ll ask you to buy some milk powder from the local shop. The milk powder is super expensive, so it’s no wonder she needs help paying for it! Once you’ve given her the milk, she returns it to the shop manager who puts it back on the shelf and pockets the money you paid. The woman gets a small cut. And the baby? We’ve heard reports the babies are drugged to keep them drowsy and docile all day.
2. A young child approaches you while you’re having a drink or dinner. They explain that their sibling is young and starving, desperately needing baby formula to survive. You follow them to the shop, buy the overpriced milk powder and guess what? The child returns the milk powder to the manager who puts it back on the shelf, pockets the money and gives a small cut to the child.
How To Avoid:
If someone asks you for baby milk to feed their child or sibling, firmly refuse. It can be distressing to see child beggars or drowsy babies but there’s nothing you can do. By falling for this scam, you’re perpetuating the use of child beggars and doping babies.
ChildSafe has a bunch of great resources for travellers and is worth checking out before you leave for your trip!
12. A Shifty Money Exchange 💰
Most common in countries like Vietnam that offer ridiculous exchange rates and where carrying millions of dong isn’t unusual for backpackers, this scam happens right in front of your eyes. As you exchange your dollars, pounds or euros, the changer will quickly count out millions in the local currency. They’ll do it in plain sight and slide the stack of notes over to you. Confident they counted it correctly, you return to your accommodation only to realise you’re a few hundred thousand short. Those deviously quick hands deceived your eyes and now it’s too late, there’s nothing you can do about it!
How To Avoid:
The most obvious way is to not change money. Use your travel card to withdraw local currency from ATMs. If the ATM asks, always opt to withdraw money in the local currency – you’ll get a better exchange rate.
But if you have to exchange money, do so at a reputable changer. Always count the money yourself a second time and if in doubt, do it a third. If you need to challenge the changer, do it calmly and politely. Even if you think they were ripping you off deliberately, it’s best to let everyone pretend it was an accident.
13. Dodgy ATMs 🏧
There are several ways dodgy ATMs can pick your metaphorical pocket in Southeast Asia.
1. “That ATM looks a bit shady.” And it probably is. You go to use a battered, tired-looking ATM. With trepidation, you insert your card, type in your PIN and request your money. You breathe a sigh of relief when the machine spits out your money and returns your card. Only, a few days later, you realise your bank account is empty because the machine skimmed your card and a camera watched you type in your PIN!
How To Avoid:
Don’t use sketchy-looking ATMs. Always cover the pad when typing in your PIN and try not to keep large amounts of money in the account you’re withdrawing from. Using a bank like Starling allows you to block your card temporarily from your phone if anything does happen.
2. “Is that note real?” It’s more common in Cambodia but can happen anywhere, this is when ATMs dish out fake banknotes!
How To Avoid:
Examine your money as soon as it comes out of the machine. If there’s a fake, hold it up to the camera and note down the time so you can complain. Try to use ATMs attached to banks while the bank is open, so you can go in and make your complaint straight away.
14. Let Me Help You Down The Sand Dune 🏄
Sandboarding or sledging on the Mui Ne Sand Dunes in Vietnam offers an excellent day out – until you realise you’ve no longer got your phone or wallet! It all starts with some friendly locals showing the ideal body position while you’re on the board or sledge. They’ll move you around and in the process, pickpocket you. Before you’ve realised your stuff is missing, they’ll shove you down the slope (on the board or sledge, of course, they’re not monsters) and runoff. By the time you get back to the top fuming about your stolen stuff, they’re nowhere to be seen.
How To Avoid:
Don’t accept help from strangers while sledging or sandboarding. If they try to touch you, firmly refuse and walk away from the area. Spending the day with other backpackers helps too – the more of you there are, the less likely you are to be messed with!
A Round Up Of Scams In Southeast Asia
Now you’re armed with extra knowledge on some of Southeast Asia’s most common scams, you’ll know how to avoid them!
Sometimes though, no matter how much you prepare, you will fall victim to a scam. It might be for just a few dollars or it might be for more. At the end of the day, as long as you’re safe, that’s the most important thing. Don’t put yourself at risk trying to get your money back or avoid being scammed!
And most of all, remember that Southeast Asia is generally a super safe place. Most of the people you’ll meet will be kind, caring and honest. So, have fun, stay safe and enjoy your travels!
Have we missed a Southeast Asian travel scam from our list? Let us know in the comments!
Nikki Scott | Founder & Editor
Nikki is the founding editor of South East Asia Backpacker and The Backpacker Network. In her early twenties, she left her home in the North of England on a solo backpacking adventure and never returned! After six months on the road, she founded a print magazine that became legendary on the Banana Pancake Trail. The rest is history.
Take care when you arrive with the ferry in Chumphon at night. It’s dark and you don’t know where to find the VIP-Bus to Bangkok when you have a combi-ticket. Unknown thai man lead you to the local bus. No AC and you need much longer time to reach Bangkok. Maybe they try the scam not only here. So keep cool and your eyes open. Ask other backpackers and don’ hurry. 🙂
Thanks for the warning Harty!
How is that a scam? What did the man get from you taking the local bus? He didn’t get any monetary gain, so it isn’t a scam. Sounds like he was trying to help you.
“Fake” Fortune Tellers. Ahahaha
Vietnam is so infamous with tourists scams so is the mother of all scams, Thailand, yet millions flock into Thailand and some stupid enough to think so highly of Vietnam, end up, they are fooled!
This article makes s.e.a seem like an awful place to be, so vile & so vicious!
Well, at least I’m glad to tell u that, Malaysia & Singapore would be the safest and most normal settings for anyone without having to worry about any of those things, simply put.
Number 6 haha
Watch out for the dudes with tweezers trying to pull “bugs” out of your ears in India. I hated that shit.
Everything Ha Long Bay now… So sad
The card game scam happens in Cambodia too. Happened to me last month in Phnom Penh. Luckily I’m not at all interested in gambling so never put any money on the table.
Omg so many dodgy scams! Useful info on what to be aware of. Defo wanna avoid the brothels lol
The baby formula one is in Vietnam too.
The baby milk powder scam in Cambodia, not as bad as the others you have listed here, but still a scam… happens alot in Siem Reap
I was befriended by a local in Ho chi Minh city who seemed to know a bit about my birth place. The woman took me to her house and we played cards. As soon as allegedly $33,000 put on the table during the black jack game I folded and run. I suspect my hotel sold my details as they had a copy of my passport. They try get you with greed,I feel naive for getting myself in this situation but thankful I got out. They provided me with a nice lunch lol The thing to remember is if it feels to good to believe it most likely is. Be safe!
Guys when your going on vacation remember to pack the brain too!!
I was scammed in phuket with the motorbike scam. The man started pointing out random scratches and was telling us to pay as he had our passport. We decided to complain to the police which was helpful when we were at the station but when they reached the motorbike hire man they completely turned their face on us. Luckily the hotel we were staying in had a very nice manager who sorted it out for us and helped to pay only 500tbh instead of 5000 tbh
Delhi Belly scam? You guys kidding me?
I have lived in India all my life and have never of something like that. This is someone’s wild imagination. A stomach infection does not show up instantly. And even if it does, do you trust just any doctor who practises across the street.
After being drugged and scammed by “friendly” Malaysians in a blackjack, I’ll never visit a Southeast Asian country again! I was offered lunch and “tea” then offered a game of blackjack with a “rich Singaporean businessman”. Next thing I know I’m out $5,000! I had just arrived in KL for the today en route to Europe and after the “tea” felt a bit confused, agreeable and lost concentration. I thought it was a bit of jet lag and heaps of walking all day. Not the case…Please BEWARE of overly friendly Asians- they just aren’t that kind.
Great Tips! Thanks for the share.
thanks for the tips! going for a SEA trip in Dec, 🙂
Great tips, I’m heading to SE Asia in October and this is very enlightening. I’m defiantly going to have to recommend this in my blog to anyone planning to travel to SE Asia.
Do not rent jet skis anywhere in Thailand unless you want to roll the dice. Watching them happen day in and day out for several years, I can say you have about an 80% chance of being scammed, then physically assaulted when you don’t pay up. Google “Thailand jet ski scam” and have at it.
The police are in on this scam and get 20% of the money collected. The city officials are also in on it, especially in Phuket and Pattaya.
The scammers have gone as far as taking photos before you rent it to prove it is OK, then literally sending the card off to a nearby photo shop where they photoshop the old problems to look new, so you have to pay for them. It is incredible the lengths they are going to.
You can pay as little as 5000b or as much as 40,000b, it just depends on how much they think they can get from you. And they DO beat people up sometimes. And if you go to the police, who are in on it, you still have to pay. You can google that as well. The violent stuff happens more in Pattaya, but it happens in Phuket a little too. They are even following people back to their rooms AFTER they pay and attacking them anyway in Pattaya.
Best to just not rent them anywhere. No one will help you.
There is a scam here in Sihanoukville Cambodia, where they will rent you a scooter, then while it is in your care, and since they have spare keys, they will come and steal it from you in the middle of the night and hide it somewhere. Then when you tell them the scooter went missing they will demand a thousand dollars to replace this “stolen” property.
They do this in Thailand too. Never, ever, tell them the hotel you are really staying at. Find another place across town and tell them you are staying there. And never let them hold your passport. Give them a copy. Don’t let anyone have the real thing, because then they have you.
The scooter scam worked on a guy I knew in Thailand. He made the mistake of leaving his passport with the hiring company. One day he left his scooter parked somewhere and when he came back it was gone. He thought that perhaps the police took it as he may have parked in an illegal parking spot and they would return it back once he reported the incident or the scooter may have been stolen. Unfortunately, when he did report the theft, the police could not fid the scooter. So, he went back to the company who demanded 20,000 Baht or he won’t get his passport back. Ofcourse he paid the amount and got his passport back. I also have to note that the guy was also drunk when he parked the scooter.
Don’t forget the Koh Phangan jet ski scam!
We hired them for 30 minutes and upon our return a scratch the size of a sewing needle was ‘discovered’ and we were asked to pay 45,000 baht or get arrested. Upon attempting to call the tourist police we were told there were none currently on the island. By this time the thai police turned up ready to arrest us unless we paid. We had no choice.
Never hiring a jet ski in asia again.
Nice post, I have written an article on scooter rental scams in thailand, check it out at:
thanks
That Delhi Belly scam does sound pretty aweful! I guess you can have you wits about you but if they decide to use it on you, there is not a lot you can do about it.
When I was travelling in Southeast Asia, I managed not to get caught up in any big scams and we did get local buses over boarders between Thailand and Laos and Laos and Vietnam. I did get a bit annoyed by the extra few dollars they wanted becuase we crossed into Thailand between 15:00 and 16:00 for overtime though! We just threw some coins to them and got out stamp after a bit of a stand-off.
The gem scam is like offering you to buy swamp land. The food scam is really scary, I guess there is no way to know ahead of time avoidance tactics.
i was told my TWO fortune tellers that i would die young…go figure!
i’m shocked by the delhi belly/clinic scam – thats just ridiculous! i guess its smart to carry that kind of mediation with you (and maybe some gatorade).
thanks for sharing! I have traveled (and even lived) in asia and still wasn’t aware of some of this stuff!