It’s almost inevitable: getting scammed during your travels in Southeast Asia. It’s usually not a big deal, just a few euros. However, sometimes it can involve significant amounts. Many scams have been used for years, so you can recognize them when you’re being duped. To prepare well for your trip to Southeast Asia, we’ve selected the eight most commonly used scams.
#1 Tuk-tuks
Let’s start with the most common scam. Some tuk-tuk drivers use various tricks to earn a little extra. Always agree on a price beforehand. If you don’t, you might end up paying an absurdly high amount. Also, they often want to show you a shop along the way, typically selling tailored suits, silver, or offering tours. The tuk-tuk driver gets a commission for every tourist they bring there, and these shops may use aggressive sales tactics. Lastly, never believe a tuk-tuk driver who says the temple you want to visit is closed or the hotel you’re heading to is full. This is almost never true. They want to take you to another place where they earn money or gasoline for bringing customers.
#2 Delhi Belly
This is by far the meanest and most annoying scam. You eat somewhere and halfway through your meal, you start feeling unwell—cramps, sweating—you immediately think you’ve got the infamous ‘Delhi Belly’. The waitress is very helpful, brings water, asks how you’re doing. Of course, you’re not well, and she quickly takes you to the nearest clinic. There, you receive good care, and after a couple of hours, you feel fine again. Then comes the bill. Now you have to pay a ridiculous amount for the medicine and assistance. Dealing with this situation is tough, but if you start feeling unwell, seek out a doctor yourself!
#3 The Card Game
You often encounter this in Vietnam. You meet a teacher who invites you to his home for a meal. Nice offer, so you go along. There, he tells you how good he is at blackjack and before you know it, he’s explaining the game and teaching you the code that almost guarantees a win. Later that night, you’re so enthusiastic that you join him to quickly earn some money. He lends you some money, and you start making a profit. Then you use your own money, but suddenly that special code doesn’t work anymore, and you start losing. Some people even put their debit card on the table as collateral and end up withdrawing a significant amount. In short, if it sounds too good to be true, it often is.
#4 Getting Rich with Gemstones
You find this everywhere, usually involving men from India who want to make you rich. It’s very simple but apparently, people still fall for it. They sell gemstones that are very cheap because, well, everything is cheap in Asia. You can easily sell these stones back home for double the price! You can already see those 50-dollar bills in your wallet. Quickly, you buy some of those gemstones, but when you get home, you find out they’re worth the same, or worse, they’re just expensive glass.
#5 Fortune Tellers
Fortune tellers often say, “I will tell you how old you will be” or something similar. These men and women with their magical powers are hard to resist. Before you know it, you’re saying, “okay, tell me more!” You follow them to their booth/office where the magic will begin. It often starts with writing down three wishes and your mother’s name. Then you tear up this piece of paper and throw it away. Meanwhile, they’ve already switched it, and miraculously, they can now tell you your mother’s name. Wow, this is amazing, you think, and you want to know more. That’ll cost you $25, but hey, what does it matter? After all, you only get this chance once…
#6 Renting a Scooter or Jet Ski
Renting a scooter or jet ski is highly recommended because it gives you the ultimate freedom to go wherever you want. However, be careful. Take photos of the vehicle beforehand with the owner present. If you don’t, he may later claim that you caused that scratch or dent, and you’ll have to pay a hefty sum again.
#7 Pingpong Show
Firstly, we strongly advise against going here. It all sounds quite interesting, and you can hardly believe something like this really exists. Trust me, it exists, but it’s not as fun as you think! Besides, they often say you only have to pay for the drinks. Then, when you want to leave, you get the bill for everything you’ve seen. We left after 10 minutes but still had to pay $30 each. Not paying isn’t an option because they immediately bring in people to intimidate you.
