Scams and Violence in Thailand

Hi,

If you take the bus from Bangkok Ekkamai to Pattaya, foreigners will be asked to pay an extra 20k for checked baggage, even though it’s already been paid for and listed on the ticket. They don’t even weigh it—a woman just demands you pay again, and if you refuse, she goes to get security colleagues who yell at you and threaten not to let you board. We later found out at the hotel that this is a well-known organized scam. The company is ROONG REUANG COACH, and we were about fifteen people—all foreign tourists—in the same situation. For Thai passengers, they didn’t ask for anything.

Then in Pattaya, violence and corruption rule. The next day, we learned the city is classified as "scarlet" (high-risk). A hotel guest was attacked with a knife by four Thais on a scooter—they stole his bag with his bank card and cash inside, luckily not his passport. A large hotel near ours was just shut down administratively for pedophilia. On Apple Maps, many reviews warn about how dangerous the city is. I’ve been coming to Thailand regularly for over 30 years, but I barely recognize the country since COVID. The "Land of Smiles" is turning into the "Land of Scowls," and a form of racism is emerging. For us, this will be the last time—next stop, Vietnam, and even China, which pleasantly surprised us.

Finally, China and the U.S. are advising their citizens against traveling to Thailand due to violence. Right now, most tourists here are Indians and Russians—together, they make up the majority—along with some from the Gulf (Qatar, Dubai, Oman).

Let's just say you'd be wise to avoid Samui, Phuket, and Pattaya if you want to steer clear of the worst excesses of overtourism and its impact on the behavior of a small segment of the population.

If you run into any trouble, don’t hesitate to call 1155—it’s the tourist police number. They’ve already nipped plenty of issues in the bud.

I see these incidents in the news, but I have to say that so far, I’ve only encountered the same smiles and kindness as before. It’s funny—back in 2012, Vietnam didn’t leave nearly as good an impression on me, and browsing the dedicated forum now and then, I saw I wasn’t the only one...

We really need to stop idealizing this country that I know very well. When I read some posts describing it as paradise on earth and so on, reality always comes back to bite. Yes, mass tourism has its effects. We just spent 6 weeks traveling across Vietnam and we're going back for another 6 weeks this autumn—we simply loved it, and the Vietnamese mentality is truly amazing. But they also have their flaws, just like China, which I rediscovered after 20 years. I fell in love with everything there, and I'm heading back for a month this autumn because it's such a vast country.

Good evening, You’re really unlucky—you’re collecting scams! First in Vietnam (Hoi An) and now in Thailand!

We just spent 6 weeks traveling across Vietnam and we’re going back for another 6 weeks this fall. We simply loved it, and the Vietnamese mentality is truly amazing.

Except for that restaurant in Hoi An?

We really need to stop idealizing this country that I know very well. When I read some posts saying it’s paradise on earth and so on, reality always comes back with a vengeance. Yes, mass tourism has its effects. We just spent 6 weeks traveling across Vietnam and we’re going back for another 6 weeks this autumn—we simply loved it, and the Vietnamese mentality is truly amazing. But they also have their flaws, just like China, which I rediscovered after 20 years. I fell in love with everything there, and I’m heading back for a month this autumn because it’s such a vast country.

No worries, I stopped idealizing Vietnam after my first trip (especially the north) and the Chinese as soon as I met them (shouting like they’re deaf, spitting everywhere, cutting in line, and giving you a blank stare when you say hello).

Yeah, everyone has their own feelings and experiences. Anyway, for us, it's over for this country, and others in our hotel feel the same—we’ll be spending our money elsewhere. 😉

Yeah, shows we’re not ones to hold a grudge—we actually found a really great restaurant run by an amazing family, super tasty, and with the menu prices clearly listed at the entrance. 😉

the land of smiles becomes the land of scowling

This really backs up what I’ve noticed—and it surprised me after everything I’d read and heard. I got that vibe in Bangkok and Chiang Mai, especially in some of the really touristy spots. I’ll talk more about it in my travel journal when the time’s right.

So, to be continued... :)

Over 21% more French travelers in Thailand for the first four months of 2025 compared to the previous year.

Either the French love suffering, or things are getting so sketchy back home that it's better to go *anywhere* else? 🙂

Lol, I’ve been coming to Thailand for 35 years—this is my 53rd visit right now. I’ve seen the country evolve over all these years, so yeah, I think I can step back and give an opinion. That said, everyone does what they want and goes where they want. I’d even say to those who’ve never been: come at least once to get your own idea. Forums are great, but it’s better to see for yourself.

This afternoon, I went to check out Pattaya Beach to see how it’s changed since my last visit. How can I put it? It looked like an open-air dump. I don’t remember seeing this much trash on the beach before. I’ll take some photos this week and post them here so you can really see the change. It’s the low season—mostly older (even *very* older) white men alone or with young (even *very* young) Thai women. Same thing tonight at the Big C supermarket. I’ve never been here at this time of year before.

In 2024, there was a +29.4% increase in French tourists in Vietnam—the biggest growth after the British. And in the first quarter of 2025, French visitors were up +28% compared to 2024. Since the 45-day visa exemption, the British, French, and Germans have been flocking to Vietnam, along with the Chinese, who are turning away from Thailand. Vietnam sets record for international tourists in 2025 For the first time, Thailand sees fewer Chinese tourists than Vietnam

Hi, I don’t get how you can generalize an issue (the one you mentioned at the start) to an entire country when it’s actually very localized to a notorious city whose bad reputation has been well-known worldwide for ages. Something else bothers me too: the fact that you’d choose such a sensationalist and clickbaity title...

That’s your interpretation—I’m not generalizing at all. I even say everyone should come and form their own opinion; everyone will have their own feelings about it. After that, you question what you want—if it’s clickbait like you say, then why do you click? We’ve got to stop being more royalist than the king. When something’s good, you say so, and when it’s not, you say that too. There are places in Thailand I like and others I like less.

We shouldn’t be more royalist than the king—when it’s good, we should say so, and when it’s not good, we should say that too. There are places in Thailand I like and others I like less.

👏 👏 👏

I think I had a really great trip to Thailand. I saw the "Good" and the "Not so good." I said it, I’m saying it again today, and I’ll say it again tomorrow.

That said, yes, the places mentioned aren’t the best choices for criticism given their vibe and reputation, which speaks for itself. It didn’t even cross my mind to go there.

Hi, Small scams have always existed in Thailand. Generally, they’re not easy to detect and are often financially painless. It’s one of the charms of the Land of Smiles: getting scammed, but gently😉. Sometimes, though—more rarely—the scam is blatant, and that’s really unpleasant, like booking a VIP bus ticket at the VIP price and ending up traveling in a local, rickety bus (that was over 20 years ago).

As for the vibe in Pattaya, I don’t see what you can expect from a city that developed largely thanks to the sex trade. And this despite prostitution being illegal...

Just to clarify, I first went to Thailand about fifty years ago. Back then, it was a cesspool that attracted pedophiles, junkies, and criminals on the run from all over the world.

Personally, I think the country has improved a lot.

Hi, Thanks for sharing your experience. 🙂

I hadn’t been to this city in ages precisely because of that, but I thought things might’ve changed for the better, so we decided to check it out in 2025. Well, now we’ve seen it. On the other hand, we really liked Isan near the Laos border.

It’s really important that not everyone paints an idyllic picture of Thailand. Lots of tourists mean inflated prices and overcrowded hotel pools, among other downsides.

I hadn’t been to this city in ages precisely because of that, but I thought things might have changed for the better, so we decided to check it out in 2025. Well, now we’ve seen it. That said, we really liked Isan near the Laos border.

I’ve only been to Thailand three times—the last trip was through Isan seven years ago—and I don’t remember any violence or scams targeting the (few) tourists.

Hi,

Yes, Isan is much more peaceful and pleasant. These are the parts of this country that I love.