Tourist scams in Thailand: how they work and the approved way around each one

What are the most common tourist scams in Thailand?

The nine below account for most complaints from visitors. None of them depends on bad luck; each has a simple, checkable alternative.

Is the Grand Palace really closed today?

Almost certainly not, if the person telling you is a stranger on the street. The Grand Palace is open daily from 08:30 to 16:30, with tickets on sale from 08:30 to 15:30, and it closes only for royal ceremonies, which are announced on its official website. The trick is to redirect you: the "closed" palace becomes a tuk-tuk ride to a lesser temple, then a shop.

Genuine closures do happen. The palace closed from 26 October to 8 November 2025 after Queen Sirikit's death, and her royal cremation is set for 15–19 December 2026 at neighbouring Sanam Luang; closures around those dates had not been announced as of 27 September 2026. That is exactly why the only source to trust is the official Grand Palace visitor page. Dress rules and ticket prices are in our temple and Grand Palace rules.

How do the gem shop and tailor detours work?

A driver or a helpful stranger mentions a special sale: gems at a "government promotion" price for one day only, or a tailor who can make a suit overnight. You are taken there, often as an unplanned stop on a cheap ride, and sold stones or clothes at prices far above their value, sometimes with a story that you can resell the gems at a profit at home.

• Treat "today only" and "government promotion" as a sales pitch, not a fact.
• Do not buy gems as an investment on holiday; you cannot check their value on the spot.
• If you want tailoring, choose the shop yourself, ask for a written price and time, and allow several days with a fitting.
• Pay by card for large purchases, so you have a record and a possible chargeback.

Why is the tuk-tuk tour so cheap?

Because you are not the one paying for it. A tuk-tuk tour of several temples for a token fare usually includes stops at shops that reward the driver for bringing customers. You lose time, and the pressure to buy can be real.

A tuk-tuk is a licensed vehicle when it carries a yellow plate with green characters, and a short ride is part of a Bangkok visit. Agree the destination and the price before you get in, say clearly that you do not want to stop at shops, and get out if the route changes.

What should I do if a taxi refuses to use the meter?

Get out before the ride starts and take another taxi. Bangkok taxis charge by the meter, which starts at 35 THB (40 THB in a large taxi); a driver quoting a round flat price outside a mall, hotel or sight is asking for far more than the meter would show. At the airports, the official rank charges the meter plus a 50 THB surcharge and tolls.

• At Suvarnabhumi, use the public taxi rank on Level 1 between Gates 4 and 7; at Don Mueang, the ranks at Terminal 1 Gate 8 or Terminal 2 next to Gate 15.
• In the city, flag a passing taxi rather than taking one waiting outside a tourist site.
• Use a DLT-certified app, which shows the price before you confirm.
• For long trips, pre-book a fixed price per vehicle with tolls included, in writing.

How to recognise a licensed vehicle by its plate, and what airport luggage fees are legal, is explained in our guide to licensed taxis and airport transfers.

How do I avoid fake Thailand arrival card sites?

File your Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) only at tdac.immigration.go.th or in the Immigration Bureau's THIM app; the card is free. Look-alike sites that top search results charge roughly US$10–90 and collect passport data. The Immigration Bureau warned about them in 2025 and again on 29–30 March 2026, when it said at least 10% of foreign arrivals had used one.

Signs you are on the wrong site: it asks for a payment or "service fee", it accepts your form more than 3 days before arrival, or its address does not end in immigration.go.th. What to do if you already paid is in our entry requirements guide.

How do jet-ski and scooter damage claims work?

You rent a jet-ski or scooter, often handing over your passport as a deposit. When you return it, the operator points to scratches or dents, some of them old, and demands a large payment before giving your passport back. The UK Foreign Office warns that rental businesses may hold on to passports against claimed damage and advises never to hand a passport over as a guarantee.

What is the drinks-bill bar scam?

A promoter on the street invites you into a bar or show with a cheap drink offer. At the end, the bill includes charges that never appeared on a menu, and staff insist you pay. It works because visitors do not check prices first and feel outnumbered at the end.

• Choose bars yourself rather than following a promoter.
• Ask for the menu with prices before ordering, and pay for each round as it arrives.
• If a bill is disputed, stay calm, do not hand over cards, and call the Tourist Police on 1155.

Alcohol sale hours changed in 2025–26, and drinking in a venue in banned hours can now bring a fine for the drinker; see alcohol rules for tourists.

How do I check that a tour company is licensed?

Ask for its Department of Tourism (DOT) licence number and look it up. Thai tour operators are licensed by the Department of Tourism of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, not by the Tourism Authority of Thailand; a "TAT licence" is a common misnomer.

1. Get the number. Licence numbers look like 31/01200 or 14/01234. The digit just before the slash reportedly shows the licence type: 1 general or outbound, 2 domestic, 3 specific area (home and adjoining provinces only), 4 inbound.
2. Look it up on the DOT's License Check page, by number or company name. The same search covers guides and tour leaders. Licences are valid for 2 years.
3. Check the guide's card. Since 18 April 2019, guide licence cards come in six colours: silver-bronze (general, nationwide), yellow (Central), green (North), orange (Northeast), blue (South) and brown (local). Guiding is reserved for Thai nationals.
4. Still unsure? Call the DOT call centre on 0 2401 1111.

Guiding without a licence is an offence, reported to carry up to 1 year in prison or a 100,000 THB fine. More on how we assess tour operators is on our trusted services page.

What should I do if I have been scammed?

Put your safety first, then document everything and report it. You are more likely to get money back through your card issuer or the police when you have receipts, photos and names.

1. Stay calm and leave if a situation turns aggressive. No amount of money is worth a fight.
2. Call the Tourist Police on 1155 (24 hours), or 191 in an emergency. The TAT information line, 1672, can advise from 08:00 to 20:00.
3. Collect evidence: receipts, the rental agreement, photos, plate numbers, the shop name and address, screenshots of websites and chats.
4. Get a police report if you want to claim from your insurer or card issuer.
5. Call your bank to dispute card payments and block a card whose details you shared.

All the numbers to save are in emergency numbers for Thailand.