17 costly scams to avoid when you travel in Asia

Expect scams when yous travel, and a lot of them. After a 6 month trip in Asia, I found myself getting ripped off many times. Here are 17 scams and how to avoid getting trapped in ane. As much as we all love travelling to exotic places in Asia whether for a gap year, vacation, buisness or fifty-fifty for a honey moon, y'all should be enlightened of  what's waiting for y'all. Some locals are friendly and very helpful, some merely encounter you as a pile of cash walking. So go on these in mind if yous want your trip to go as a breeze without bringing back domicile any bad souvenirs.

1. The Tea Ceremony Scam

You're walking in people's square  looking at all the impressive compages, it'due south your second or 3rd solar day in Shanghai, China, your friends have warned you already that it's not equally safe as you might call back, and but when you see everyone has their unfriendly face on, a Chinese girl approaches you and asks you to take a picture of her friends, an substitution of thanks and a strike for small-scale talk, only when you walk abroad, they inquire you to bring together them on their tea ceremony as they are academy students coming to Shanghai from some other urban center.

At present if you lot are like me, and so this time your marvel might cause yous problem, the reason being you will accompany them to this nearby tea house, and presently enough you volition be tasting different tea samples, before y'all leave they will pressure y'all into ownership your favorite one, but when the beak comes, it might striking yous similar a lightning, or you might not even exist certain if you're being scammed or not since you're not familiar withal with the new currency rates  so you have two options either resist or requite in and pay the extravagant function of the pecker that would price you non less than 700 RMB (110USD).

How to avert the scam: You refuse the offer since the showtime with a simple no, and never show hesitation so they won't bother you with more than lies trying to convince you.

2. The Uncertified Guides Scam

While visiting the forbidden city in Beijing, the Grand palace in Bangkok, or Angkor what in Siem reap, yous volition meet people asking you if you would similar a guided tour, to mess with them ask if information technology is for gratuitous, because if you don't and you evidence a curious confront you volition have a bundle of information that might not even be truthful costing yous a ridiculous amount of money. What you lot should practice instead is caput to a tourist information office then ask for an official guide, if you don't encounter i and then keep note that the existent guide would have a flag with a grouping around him dissimilar the false ane who simply targets individuals.

How to avoid it: The same rule of thumb applies, decline the offer with a uncomplicated no.

3. The Special Massage Scam

This scam is often performed on solo western-looking men who only happen to be walking on the famous Nanjing road, Shanghai, a local Chinese would endeavour to lure you lot into post-obit him or her, after they tell you lot the cheapest cost you can imagine for a happy catastrophe massage. Actually this one shouldn't fifty-fifty exist listed among scams because if yous fall for information technology , you're the one looking for trouble, and trouble yous will detect my friend. Two or three large men will walk yous to an ATM and take all the money you have,either that or you will accept a policeman who non just will interrupt your happy time but also extort all your money claiming you're doing illegal stuff.

How to avoid it: Keep walking, a house no would suffice.

four.The Student Fine art Gallery scam

This one is but another version of the tea house scam. You'll be approached by people on the street who often claim to be students. They volition tell you about their studio and ask if y'all want to take a await at their paintings. Once inside, with their sales tactics they would pressure you into buying their outrageously overpriced artwork.

How to avoid it: Tell them yous're in a rush, or that you don't similar fine art. Or go and bank check out the fine art if you lot want without making any buy.

5. The Tuk Tuk Scam

Yous're taking a walk trying to notice something dissimilar than what you've been seeing in khaossan road, a few blocks away, some local person spots you and approaches you or gestures you to ask you lot a question, you're here for the experience and y'all don't want to close yourself off and miss every interaction with a seemingly friendly looking Thai and then yous respond their common questions, they ask you where are you lot going and they inquire yous how long have y'all been in Thailand to see if they can go you in their net, subsequently they would call a tuk tuk to show you lot three or iv different attractions, sounds all expert until at present and for the few cents you give the driver, you think you're lucky but that will soon change if yous plan all your trip with the travel agency y'all will take to go in,and fifty-fifty when you don't, you'll be forced to check out some stupid suit store where y'all have to deed interested for zero.

How to avoid it: As presently as some tuk tuk driver offers you a ride for as cheap as 20 baht or less i/10 the real price, merely ignore him.

six- The Taxi Ride scam

When in touristic places, never catch a taxi right away, walk away from that zone and then catch one, you merely saved yourself from a rip off, for either they won't utilise the meter and give yous a fixed price that is double or triple the real one or would utilise a modified meter that runs faster than normal ones or even take a longer way they phone call "shortcut" to maximize the fare to your destination.

Tip: Try getting an idea from someone else of how much the fare would exist before taking a taxi.

vii. The Cheap Restaurant Scam

Naturally, near of the scams happen effectually famous attractions, this ane is quite rare but very unsafe, here is the scenario, a immature guy would be trying to enter the Grand palace in Bangkok, around noon a local would approach him and ask him if he wants to try some local food, the traveler declines just the Thai person insists and adds that if he accompanied him to his favorite restaurant he could eat for a cheaper price, with sympathy the traveler approves and later observe himself drugged with the worst consequences imaginable, losing all his money, not but what he had on him but likewise what he has in his bank business relationship. In Malaysia, you lot might be offered cookies and have the same outcome happen to you.

How to avoid it: this is when a very old advice from you mom is skilful to listen to, don't accept nutrient from strangers, strangers who approach you and not the other style effectually.

8.The Go Go Bar Scam

If you want to explore Bangkok deeper and exit at night in places similar Silom, the carmine district of the city, you will have endless people showing you their crazy menus, they would throw words similar, ping pong prove, no cover.. if you lot ask any question they would add that you will only pay a beer and enjoy the different shows, once inside and afterward yous've seen enough disgusting stuff, though you might lie to yourself that information technology was worth the beer, you will get upwards to pay your tab at the counter just simply to discover your 60 baht beer turned into a 2000 baht bill, when you shout that it wasn't what you agreed on with the first guy, they say that watching the show is non included, they may get tearing if you show fear or hesitance to leave the place.

How to avert it: Act that y'all're giving them all the money you got plus what you agreed on of grade, so leave immediately.

9.The Travel Agencies Scam

I remember talking to a french guy in some van while travelling in Thailand, he had his two week trip all planned out with an middle popping amount of money which included simply the transportation and basic accommodation, 30k baht.

How to avoid information technology: Never take a deal like that fifty-fifty if they put information technology as packages and endeavour to convince y'all that it's cheaper. believe me it's non, because a ii weeks holiday in Thailand would only price a person at effectually 7k baht.

10. The Border Scam

Passing through the border from Thailand to Cambodia, yous will arrive at an immigration office that won't accept the 20 dollars official fee fifty-fifty if there information technology is clearly written on the office wall, they would aim for 40 dollars, and see if you lot lose patience and give them what they desire.

How to avoid it: Stand your basis, refuse and be patient and repeat to them that you volition pay twenty dollars but like it is shown in the Cambodian regime website.

11.The Motorbikes Maintenance Scam

When you go to the islands you will rent bikes since information technology is a very convenient way to travel effectually, all the same, even experienced drivers out in that location have had bug when they would return the bike, either the owner would betoken out some scratches, new or old, and would accuse y'all for the replacement of damaged parts which cost a fortune sometimes. Your best option if he already got you real passport and having signed some contract is to lower downward the cost equally much as possible.

How to avoid it: If you wanna avert this from the start, go to places where the bikes don't wait brand new , preferably a identify where they can prepare the scratched with no additional fees. if yous tin't find it then give them an expired passport or at least a re-create of your passport but never the real 1 then y'all won't exist trapped in such a messy instance.

12. The International Driver Licence Scam

In southeast Asia, you might get pulled over driving your bike even if you have your helmet on and driving safely, if this happens you're looking into some police looking for bribes. they would try to give y'all a fine if you lot don't carry an international driver licence. and would ask yous to pay a bribe labeled as a fine.

How to avoid it: You need to insist that your driver licence is indeed an international, just repeat that until they let yous go. However, That won't piece of work in Bali,Indonesia, because policemen there have pictures of the real international licences from every country, therefore, you lot should pretend to exist an expat studying or working there, so they know you're not just passing by and can cause them problems.

13. The Drug Sellers Scam

Walking out from your hostel which happen to be close to where all the action happens whether at nighttime or during the day you are going to have locals coming up to you and offering yous drugs, ever say no because if yous don't you tin can run into big trouble, Large TROUBLE, when the transaction is complete, an undercover cop would exist merely waiting for such a victim and go you to ransom him, we're talking large money here.

How to avoid it:Easy, merely ignore the temptation, information technology is not worth jail time and money you don't even own yourself, at that place is ways to get drugs but never exercise it on public.

14. The Attraction Is Closed Scam

You lot take a few hundred meters more to walk to get to the Chiliad palace in Bangkok when someone asks you, where you are going, y'all desire to be friendly and you answer, the guy at ease tells you that it is closed and adds that you tin can't go in shorts, so you naturally feel stupid because you didn't do your homework, with a disappointed look on your face up, he suggests you other attraction options to see, how helpful right, and of a sudden you see a tuk tuk waiting for yous who will on his turn perform the scam #v on y'all.

How to avoid it: If you lot don't meet for yourself that the allure is closed, information technology is not, Moreover, well-nigh famous temples provide extra clothes for visitors if they need to cover anything.

15. The Short Change Scam

Since converting the Dong to Dollars is not quite simple, Vietnamese people take advantage of the state of affairs and would shortchange you in money whether it is a taxi, a street seller, a shop or a eating house.

How to avert it: Never hop on illegal taxis, those guys have countless scams up their sleeve, and remember to accept your fourth dimension counting your alter back.

16. The V.I.P. Omnibus Upgrade Scam

Many people get ripped off In Laos when they pay a VIP omnibus to accept them from town to town, the autobus comes but it wouldn't be VIP or a fifty-fifty sleeper. Double-decker stations sell VIP tickets later on they convince you to become for an upgrade from the bones fare. but they put you on the cheapest one they can get anyway. As a consequence, you may be standing for hours before you reach your destination, it may even break down in the middle of nowhere and be asked to push button it,

How to avert it: ask people who are also buying tickets to buy y'all a sleeper or buy information technology with the hostel or hotel you are staying at.

17. The Gem Scam

Buy precious stones from Asia and make profit past selling it back dwelling house, sounds just similar the movies correct, the bad news is that those sparkling Gems y'all bought for no less than 2500 USD is actually imitation, and the receipt, money dorsum guarantee and certificate of authenticity can't get more fake.

How to avert information technology: If a stranger is disarming to buy valuable stones, but say No.

A Note Before You lot Take Off To Asia

With all this in mind, you tin can now go enjoy the best time of your life, a trip to Asia is what you've been dreaming of for quite some fourth dimension already and it's time to live the chance.

It goes without saying that, mutual sense is what'due south going to warning y'all if you're looking into a scam in action, retrieve to ask for the toll first, and that following a stranger somewhere might plough into the worst souvenir of your whole trip.

Travelling to strange land is risky and if you lot're nonetheless unsure well-nigh taking that decision these three books will convince you that it's all worth it more that I can.

"Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns yous into a storyteller"- Ibn Battuta"

Featured photo credit: raybay via unsplash.com

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Source: https://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/17-costly-scams-asia-you-can-easily-avoid-you-read-this.html

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