Whew!!! Our first day in Bangkok is over, and the threat of getting scammed has been taken down a notch from Code Red to Code Yellow :) I'll be brief because we're really tired right now, but basically we were caught in a scam 9 hours after we arrived in Bangkok. It all started with our first walk down a typical busy, dirty, and unbelievably crowded Bangkok street when a man approached with wonderful news. "Today is the last day for government supported fashion week...so 7 days out of the year the government subsidizes Tuk Tuk drivers to drive people all over the city for 20 Bot (75 cents US)...take this opportunity to see all the beautiful temples and city of Bangkok." Well, I had heard Thailand was known for the land of smiles, and this man was smiling and friendly beyond belief. My gut instinct said 'don't trust this guy,' but we still managed to jump in a Tuk Tuk (with a driver who appeared equally sweet) and begin our day taken around Scamkok. To make a long story short we ended up visiting many temples (rather quickly though) AND stores where jewels and clothing were being sold. The tuk Tuk driver informed us that we didn't have to buy anything (or that's what we thought he said), and if we just took a look he would receive a government gas credit for taking us there. We thought this was fair since we were paying him less than a dollar to drive us all around Bangkok. I cannot explain how detailed this scam really was, because after 24 hours of constant rumination the threads of the scam are still being woven as I write these words. In the end we ended up buying some tailored suits for a great price (in US dollars), but felt so cheated, betrayed, and utterly shocked at how all these people were intimately linked to the scam, AND that we didn't see it coming!!! We read post after post and page after page online after we returned back to the guesthouse that this clothing store and events leading up to it (Tuk Tuk driver getting commission) were common day encounters for travelers in Bangkok. I cannot begin to explain what it feels like to be cheated and scammed...it's like torture of the mind.
Today we went back to the store to try on our new tailored suits and luckily they looked, felt, and fitted wonderfully. We could finally breathe a sigh of relief knowing that even though we were scammed into clever brainwashing, the clothing is worth the price we paid for it.
So now I am enjoying Bangkok after a hellish first 24 hours there. Even the food tastes better!
Okay, seriously time for bed.
Oh, the message learned from this experience: be vigilant and constantly aware of any situation where people are more than extending an extra hand. What's the motive?
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