False plates covering keypad and card slot allow card cloning

From The Nation

Commercial banks and the police, are battling a new ATM theft technique in which fake keypads record pin numbers and personal information. The thieves then produce clone cards to empty bank accounts.

Thai Bankers' Association secretary-general Twatchai Yongkittikul said the fake keypads feel hard to the touch and that cardholders should immediately cancel their transaction if the keypad feels strange and notify the bank immediately.

In a TV interview yesterday, Twatchai said he believed it was a large-scale operation that involves computer experts and people with experience in plastic and rubber products, as the fake keypads looked very much like the real thing.

According to Twatchai, the technique also involved the use of false decoders, which record personal information of cardholders stored in the magnetic strip on ATM cards. The thieves then used two sets of information - pin numbers and cardholder's information - to produce cloned ATM cards to withdraw money.

Don't sign credit card bills showing farang currency

Based on an article from Thai Visa

When using farang credit / debit cards in Thailand, depending on the retail outlet, you sometimes get the bill already converted from Thai Baht to your local currency, in my case, UK pounds. This seems to becoming more common. Not all retailers do it, but many do and it is a rip off.

After I signed for a 799 Baht bill in a Fuji restaurant I took a closer look at statement I had signed.

I accept that I have been offered a choice of currencies for payment. I acknowledge that I was offered a choice to pay in THB. I understand the chosen currency is final and that this service is not offered by Visa … No Refunds.

Obviously I was not offered any such option. Never have been. I doubt very much ever will be.

The total bill was 799 baht and I had been charged £13.82. An incredibly poor exchange rate of 57.80 baht to the pound!

I left the restaurant and went to an ATM. Using the same debit card I withdrew 800 baht, exactly 8 minutes later. Checking my account online today I find £11.52 was debited from my account at an exchange rate of 69.44 baht to the pound. That’s massive £2.30 rip off

If you get a credit card slip converted to your home currency, say no thanks.

Check you memory after computer repairs

From Pattaya Secrets

My niece took her computer to a shop called Easy IT in Tukcom to be repaired, it was a 1 year old pentium 4 with 512kb of ram, it had a virus which was not fixed although they charged her 500 baht.

I cleaned the virus up but it ran real slow, I opened it up and guess what , somebody had removed the 512Kb of ram and put in a single 128k Dramm chip instead.

We went back with a friendly police man but the shop denied everything .
 

A cautionary tale: Where is YOUR data?

Thanks to jj

I trotted off to the local computer shop to buy a  40Gb notebook-sized (2.5") hard-drive as a portable back up disc. I already had access to a 'case' for a 2.5" drive. So I retrieved that case and took it back to the shop where I purchased a SEAGATE 40Gb drive.

With the sales clerk, I walked from the sales area of the store over to the service area. While the tech was placing my new drive in the case, I was browsing the laptop brochures, i.e. not watching the tech. When I returned to the tech, he was plugging the USB cables into a laptop on the counter. He proceeded to show me that the new drive appeared on the MY COMPUTER screen as an additional drive and that the green light was on on the drive box.

I drove home and plugged the 2 cables into my PC. I opened the 40 Gb drive to find it FULL of data! Thousands of files & programs, hundreds of photos, all belonging to some Brit -- I’ll call him Bert! Not being a voyeur, I didn't read his letters to Mom or open the directory labeled as 'bank acct'. I did a search for our local area code 038 and found his phone number.

Now the dilemma was what to do next. I was creating different scenarios. Could the shop have pulled a switch? I thought that the sales clerk had pulled the drive out of the display case and opened the foil-wrapper. It SHOULD have been a new drive. Did she pull a sleight of hand and slip me a "used" drive? Was it a stolen drive that some how wasn't wiped clean? How else could I get Bert’s data?

I went to a pay phone and called Bert. He seemed an affable enough guy. He allowed as how his laptop was currently at THAT shop for repairs. At least it wasn't a stolen drive! We began to speculate on what might have occurred.

On closer examination the drive numbers didn't add up. My system was saying that 19Gb of data were occupying a 20Gb space partitioned into 2 segments. WHY wasn't it reading as 19 in 40? On the phone Bert said he had a 20Gb drive. I was only showing 20Gb on what should have been a 40! So, I popped open the case and it read SEAGATE 40Gb with a test date of JAN 06. Seemingly, the new one that she pulled out of the display case and unlikely to be Bert's actual drive.

I was at the shop soon after it opened the next day. I asked to see the owner/manager/’big boss’. I explained what I had versus what I thought I’d bought. I noted that they had sold be a technically "used" drive as new! She was unimpressed. I had them plug the drive into one of their computers to show them Bert’s data. I asked them to re-format the drive. They simply walked away with that drive and returned with a new one which they installed in my case. I asked to be shown that it was indeed ‘pristine’. It was.

I still question what happened to Bert’s data. Did they deem to re-format the disk? Why had they used a disk out of the display case to mirror his drive during the repair process then fail to re-format it? Why would they then pass this drive off as new? Could the same happen to YOUR data if you went to that shop? Do you trust them with your computer and your business? Why were they so nonchalant about their error?
What did they do with Bert’s data?

The shop in question is WATTANA on Pattaya Klang opposite Foodland. I, for one, will NEVER do business there again. I wouldn’t trust them with MY data! In whose hands might YOUR data wind up?

From Pattaya Secrets

Two Thai girls were shopping at Big C at the small shops on the upper level when a girl came over to them and asked if they had seen a grey handbag that she has left lying on a bench. I had 10 Baht of gold in it said the girl adding that her falang boyfriend had bought it for her only that day.

The two replied that they had not seen it and watched the girl seeming to be in a panic ask other customers the same. Then another girl came over and started searching so the girls went over to the bench to help her and looked a little. Lo and behold, there it was fallen behind the bench but quite easy to spot so they picked it up and handed it to the very grateful girl.

There inside the bag was the 10 Baht of gold in a jewelry box and they all admired it. Four items and all nice chains with a ring also.

Here comes the scam.

After thanking the three of them for about a minute she said she wanted to reward them and would go back to her room to get them 50,000 Baht. She promised to be back in 20 minutes and to show she trusted them they could keep the 10 Baht of gold until she returned with their money.

Here is the catch. She asked them to show a little trust also. She asked if she could keep a 1 baht bracelet and 1 Baht gold chain round the girls neck for a while while she dashed back for the money.

At this point the girls started to suspect a scam and as soon as the con artist realised she legged it, closely followed by the girl that had helped them search. Of course the gold was fake and the two were working the scam between them.

They could be playing at your local store soon so watch out for a not so great act.

From Pattaya Secrets

Please be aware all bar and restaurant owners, a new scam is being perpetrated around town.

It involves bar music permits. A thai women claiming to be from a music liscensing authority has visited several bars recently in Soi6 and Soi Buakow areas, she is escorted by a Uniformed Thai policeman. She will claim that your music permits are not sufficient to play all types of music , produce paperwork that supposedly supports this claim .

She will then announce that you are fined 50,000 baht . The police officer will intimidate the Thai staff and say that this can be settled at the Soi 9 police station.
some people have paid up , others have gone to the Cop shop. At the police station negotiations take place in the reception area, where you will be threatened with arrest, however nobody has been arrested and most have negotiated a lower fine around 30,000 baht.

However the following day most victims phone the real music permit organisations who know nothing about this affair, after getting legal advice from lawyers it is now sure this is a scam. The Chonburi regional police and city hall have been notified. Officers on duty at the time of these incidents are being investigated and CCTV records are being looked at.

This is a new scam be aware, they come in the evening when all real copyright and permit offices are closed for verification, lawyers advise calling their bluff. At the police station insist on lawyer coming and asking for senior officer, not reception guys as they may be involved in the scam.

Perhaps the toe rag tailors on Beach Road have at least one good point, they give us good practise at not automatically shaking hands when one is proffered

Thanks to Swanks

This has happened to a friend and has been tried on me.

A quite large Thai man approaches you (Near the Royal Garden Plaza, for me, The beach for my unlucky friend) He walks straight up to you and holds out his hand to shake hands. The victim is not sure if he knows the guy or he's just being very friendly so he takes his hand shake!

Big mistake, the guy keeps hold of the hand and tries to put his other one round the shoulders, then on the arm. He just keeps moving all the time. The victim is just not sure what is going on! The guy is a VERY GOOD PICKPOCKET ! I refused to shake his hand but my unfortunate mate lost big bahts when he met him the same day!

He tells me the police showed no interest!

Every time I call hotels from previous visits to reserve a room they "always" without fail tell me that nothing is available "except" the suites. Even in off season. Suites are basically twice the price of a standard room.

When I get there the place is more than half empty. However after pointing this out at the desk the reception would prefer I leave than admit they were trying to milk me for more cash.

I accept the room for the one night and begin my search for something more suitable for the duration of my stay.

Unbelievable..................anyway.

Hotels that have tried this with me are:

• Pattaya Center Hotel
• Sandy Springs
• White House
• Dynasty
• Sun Beam

From Stickman

Steve Miller, a soft-spoken 39-year-old New Zealander and five-year resident of Pattaya, was shot and killed in broad daylight 10 days ago as he drove his motorbike on a quiet street in North Pattaya. What initially appeared to be just another random killing of a farang—so common in Pattaya—has, however, developed into a crime story that police might not have fully investigated if the victim’s friends and family had not hounded the boys in brown. The real story began six months ago...

By the standards of most men, Jen—a 30-year-old gogo dancer—wasn’t much to look at as she gyrated around the chrome pole. But like most things in Thailand, she was beautiful in the eyes of Steve Miller. Steve loved this country and was genuinely grateful to be living here. So the Kiwi bar-fined the dancer for the night and, eventually, bought her out entirely, moving her into his Pattaya apartment. He provided well for her and her family over the last six months, treated her like a princess, showered her with gifts, and remained faithful despite the temptations Pattaya offers all foreigners—even more so a handsome, mild-mannered young hunk with a constant smile.

Several months later, the expat was preparing to help purchase a house for his live-in girlfriend beginning by making a down-payment on the house. He had sold some property for two million baht and deposited 500,000 baht of that into Jen’s bank account so that she could qualify for a home loan. When the loan was approved earlier this month, she agreed to return the 500,000 baht, but said she must first go to Udon Thani to vote in the national election. She returned to Pattaya for a brief stay, only to return to Udon almost immediately to visit her family for Songkran. She insisted on driving home in the couple’s new car, leaving Steve no option but to tool around Pattaya on his motorbike. A week-ago Thursday, she left Udon en route to Pattaya with the understanding she would return Steve’s money the following day. That same morning, as Steve drove his motorbike from Big C toward Third Road, a passenger on a second motorbike produced a pistol, took aim, and shot Steve dead.

Jen was notified of Steve’s murder when she arrived in Pattaya. Being a dutiful if inconsiderate girlfriend, she immediately placed a call to Steve’s parents in New Zealand, shouting into the phone, “Steve dead. Come to Pattaya.” She repeated her terse statement, then hung up. The family was understandably mortified and bewildered. They learned more only when Steve’s friends called to inform the family of details surrounding his death.

Those same friends were able to piece together the financial dealings between Steve and Jen, and dug up other information as well—learning that Jen had two Thai boyfriends even while she was living with Steve. Her roommate revealed that she never loved Steve but was hardcore and a skillful manipulator, even in past relationships. Friends immediately suspected the Isaan woman’s role in the murder. They gathered what evidence they could and presented their case to the police. Jen was arrested, interrogated, and ultimately confessed to having hired a hit-man to kill Steve. Since then, the motorbike driver has been arrested, but the identified gunman has avoided capture.

At a televised news briefing—where police allowed no questions, Jen attempted to justify her crime, claiming that Steve beat her, forced her to participate in drug dealings, and stole property from her. Police encouraged her story yet produced no supporting evidence that the health-conscious body-builder was into drugs or dealing (his friends insist he was not, nor had he ever been known to strike anyone). Furthermore, the police denied any knowledge of the accused girl having 500,000 baht in a bank, or that Steve lent her the funds. However, friends presented financial records substantiating the transfer of the money from Steve’s account to Jen’s.

When family members arrived here from New Zealand, they were denied access to Steve’s apartment. Police explained they needed to take inventory of his possessions first. The family was finally allowed into Steve’s home this past Sunday, but found the place devoid of all valuables. According to the apartment manager, the previous day police had brought Jen to the apartment to collect her belongings; she took everything—including her savings passbook.

While the case now has been solved and two of the three suspects have been arrested, the question of justice remains unanswered. The glorious triumphs of police in arresting those involved in crimes generally are well promoted by police and the press; subsequently, little is reported on the fate of such criminals. Sources intimately involved in this case imply that the 500,000 baht might disappear into police coffers or may go to finance Jen’s bail, following which she may be allowed to do a runner or the matter may be delayed until forgotten by most. The family has hired an attorney to help ensure justice and return of the 500,000 baht, and friends—at their peril—promise to hound the police until all questions are answered and the killers prosecuted. While they are aware of the inherent dangers to themselves in accusing the boys in brown of misdeeds, they also know the influence that can be purchased for 500,000 baht. More importantly, they know how little value was placed on the life of a young, serene man from New Zealand.

Update 13th August 2006: I think I am going to be violently sick...

From Stickman

The case against a confessed murderer of expat Steve Miller has been dismissed. Chintana Vichachai, girlfriend of the 39-year-old Kiwi, and Narathip Kachawong, driver of the motorbike during the shooting, appeared in the Pattaya Court last week where the court decided to dismiss the case against Chintana based on lack of evidence and witnesses. The case against the motorbike driver will proceed, beginning with a preparation hearing August 28. Both previously confessed to the crime, but the girlfriend subsequently recanted her confession. 

From an article in Pattaya City News & discussions on Thai Visa

A foreigner will rent a motorbike and will sign a contract. He or she will park the bike outside of their hotel overnight and the next day the bike is gone.

They contact the rental company who inform them that they must make a report of the theft at the Police Station. This is then followed by a demand for money to cover the cost of the bike from the rental company.

In the cases we have heard about, tourists have been forced to hand over between 40,000 and 50,000 Baht otherwise the company will pursue the case with the Police.

We are sure that most bike rental companies who operate here in Pattaya are honest and law-abiding and this relates to only a small number of dishonest bike renters. In each case that we have heard about, the bike does not possess any form of insurance and the contract contains a clause that the hirer is liable for all costs in case of damage or theft.

After the case has been cleared, the bike will be mysteriously returned to the rental company and the money paid by the foreign tourist is not returned. To avoid this happening to you, we would like to suggest the following:

• Only rent from reputable companies.
• Ensure that the motorbike is correctly insured to cover damages and theft.
• Check the contract for small clauses which could leave you liable for all costs relating to damage and theft by third parties.
• Try and avoid giving rental companies your Pattaya address.
• Buy a strong padlock and chain. Lock the bike away securely

If you feel you have become a victim of such a scam, please contact the Tourist Police on 1155.

From Thai Visa

I was enjoying a beer in a beer bar on Beach Road. There were the usual interruptions every two minutes; watches, DVD's, stun guns, photo-service, roses, wooden craftwork, etc.

Two hawkers were potential thieves; one women with dozens, of red roses, did a rather crafty 'slight of hand trick' by thrusting the flowers into my chest and then attempting to steal my mobile telephone from my breast pocket. She nearly succeeded....so beware.

Secondly; a young child maybe 6 or 7 years of age offered to sell me chewing gum (1 packet) and with the other hand tried to pick-pocket my wallet from my FRONT pocket. Again nearly successful.

So, take care, if I had had more to drink I would have lost wallet and telephone.

From Stickman

I have long mentioned concerns about using internet cafes in Bangkok as many of the computers in these spots are riddled with spyware, keystroke loggers and the like, allowing the person who installed such programs to get access to any accounts you access online – your email accounts, your website accounts and God forbid, your bank accounts!

Accusations have come in about the expensive internet shop in the Nana area, you know the one, opposite Nana Plaza, has software installed that records details which have resulted in transfers being made from their foreign bank accounts. At least two people claim to have only used this particular internet café and then had problems with their bank accounts in Farangland.

Using your own laptop to connect to connections in hotels or free / pay as you go wi-fi connections is better, but still not foolproof. If you are really concerned, or paranoid, the safest way is to use your own laptop to connect to the internet directly, using a dial up connection in your hotel room. You can buy internet packages locally in many computer shops, and internet access is cheap at around 10 baht an hour. Setting up an account is very quick and easy.

From Stu

I thought you might include this scam on your website. The first time this happened I thought it was a "one off" , but the same scam was attempted on me yesterday for the second time.

I visited McDonalds in the Royal Garden Plaza on Beach Road. I received my food and offered a 1000 Bt note as I wanted some change. The serving girl handed me 80 Bt as change and just stood there. When I didn't walk away without the remaining 800Bt, after some seconds, she handed over the cash. I asked why she had only given some of the change and she clamed she was "sort cash". So why give me some change and not all?

She, as on the first time this happened, had written the name on her badge in Thai. I asked for her name (very politely) and was given the full formal name of my little thief in very strong "Issan" which I could not understand even though I can understand a lot of Thai.

I expect such scams now as a matter of course, but not in a big company like McDonalds, and it would seem, not a "one off" but involving other staff. I had a word with the manager who seemed to think it was not possible to get cash out of the till without being seen so staff would not benefit from the theft. It doesn't take a mastermind to work out that a quick call to a friend and the issuing of extra change with a small order by that friend, would get the money out of the till and into my little thief's hands!

Still...She had a lovely smile.

This article triggered a few correlations to my own experiences. I suffered losses from a similar deferred stamping technique at the postal desk upstairs in the South Pattaya's Tesco Lotus. I have also had some pretty hard glares when objecting to this policy at Jomtien Post Office in Soi 5. I have always had immediate stamps applied in Pattaya's Post Office (in the aptly named Beach Road: Soi Post Office).

Wherever you go insist on immediate stamps.

From Stickman

When I worked near Bangkok a few years ago, all my outgoing mail reached its destination. I’ve been back in Thailand for 18 months now and my experiences have been very disappointingly different. As the likelihood of mail reaching its overseas destination depends on the post office you use, I can only assume that pilfering is tolerated in some post offices but not in others.

Recently I sent three letters, all containing important material, to addresses in the UK from the post office in the domestic terminal at Bangkok airport. The bloke there just weighed the letters and wrote the amount on each one and, of course, took my money: no sign of any stamps. No doubt he waited until I was out of sight before confining my letters to the waste paper basket, probably tearing them open first, to see if they contained cash. Please warn your readers about this practice and about the post office in question. Domestic terminal, departures, at Bangkok Airport.

From Local6.com

Thai police are warning tourists of a new scam.

Members of a Thai ladyboy gang have confessed to hiding strong sedatives in their mouths and spitting them down the throats of victims during deep kissing. Then they rob the drugged tourists.

The confession came from three attractive ladyboys arrested in Bangkok last week. Police say they'd robbed a Bangladeshi businessman of more than $7,300 in cash and valuables.

Police say the victim told investigators he met the transvestites in a bar and invited them all back to his apartment.

After kissing one, he said he felt dizzy and passed out. When he woke up, his cash, watch, mobile phone and notebook computer were gone.

A police lieutenant colonel has this warning for tourists: Don't rush to kiss a stranger on the mouth or you will end up in a deep sleep.

I have never been charged in a bar but restaurants are another matter.

After a rather overcooked crab meal at the Vientiane Restaurant in Walking Street, I was further disappointed by their operation of the scam of unannounced 10/20 Baht charges on the cold hand wash towels.

The waitress was very put out as she had already opened the bag when I enquired of their policy and declined the towel.

It seems a very unfair policy on the service staff who have to do the scamming and it is they that lose their tips when customers get annoyed at this petty cheat.

Yet again I seem to be turning into Mr Angry. Am I the only only one or are there others who object to being conned for 80 baht after a 2500 baht meal.

I have noticed that some Walking Street restaurants who used to do this have now ceased citing that it proved an unpopular policy.

From Derek Fichtner

Do not get teeth whitening done in Thailand for a "dentist" associated with the Beauty House in Pattaya, Thailand.

I paid $250 US to get it done there and it hurt like heck! No kidding, tears of pain were running down the sides of my face. And then when he was finished, it hadn't improved my teeth at all!

I complained and wouldn't pay. I was so pissed off, I marched across the street to another dentist and asked them if they thought my teeth had been whitened. They called the police, and basically, I had to pay or go to jail! Glad I at least embarrassed the bad dentist, as he followed me, at my invitation, across the street to the other dental clinic.

The place is a joke!

I spoke to another dentist in the area about this, and described the laser. He said that they were probably using a laser meant for skin blemishes -- not teeth.
Beware... go to a dental hospital if you go there. Beware of The Beauty House in Pattaya... for dental work, anyway!

Beauty House is located on 2nd Road just north of Pattaya Klang

The Thai Government has decided that anonymous mobile phones are being used to trigger bombs in the South (or more likely they would like to track callers more generally). All new SIMS require the presentation of passport or ID card at purchase and all existing SIMS must be registered before the end registered before the end of the year otherwise they will be disabled.

Registration is free unless you get ripped off:

From Pattaya Pages

The Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) told the public that mobile phone SIM card registration is free of charge and can be done only as authorised shops of known mobile phone service providers.

TNA has received a series of complaints from shops selling mobile phone in the areas of Bangkok's Min Buri and Saraburi claimed they can do the registration service at a fee of 20 baht. They have also collected copies of ID card.

As security measures following a series of mobile-phone triggered bomb attacks in the south, the government asked all users of pre-paid cards to register their user identity between 1 July and end of December. Previously buying a pre-paid phone card did not require any proof of identity.

Vice Minister for the ICT Minister for the Information and Communication Technology Kanawat Wasinsangworn said these people are fraudsters and the Ministry is asking help from the police to crack down on such abuse.

There is no fee involved and registration requires no paper except writing down the 13 digits of the ID card onto a form. Mobile phone service providers such as AIS, DTAC and Orange confirmed they have never appointed any handset traders or agents to handle registration.

From Stickman (Essential reading)

I created a bit of a fuss in Sideline Bar this week. Sideline Bar is one of those upstairs bars in Patpong soi 2, one of the ones upstairs, where a variety of shows are hosted. There are a heap of guys hanging around, a door that is locked from the outside and perhaps the biggest sign of all, no chits for drinks on the tables. When I went in I asked the prices for drinks and was told 100 baht. I asked if there was a cover charge for the show and was told no. When the drink came, no chit came with it so I asked to pay for it there and then. This caused a bit of a stir but it was eventually laughed off by one of the guys who said in Thai, "you know too much". It was all light-hearted. They realised that I knew the score (variable pricing and outrageous charges for shows) and I hate to imagine what some of the other punters were charged. But, a big smile and some light hearted banter in Thai ensured that nothing ever came of it. The point being that if you do venture in to any of the upstairs bars in Patpong, look for the tell tale signs, and no bill with your drink is a classic.

This is a scam that has devastated some of my Thai relations in Isaan. It is irrelevant to Westerners but it is useful to know about so as to help neighbours, friends and relatives avoid being scammed.

The scam is based upon the fact that one way for Thais to get reasonably good wages is for them to work abroad and in this case Taiwan. Workers are offered good wages for a contracted term usually with extensions available. The downside is that there is an up front cost to en employment agency to organise recruiting and immigration paperwork. This is often quite substantial say 100,000 or 200,000 Baht. Many honest firms have set up such operations and many a Thai has been able to build a house on return from a lucrative contract.

However a few companies have been less than honest in actually paying the agreed rate. And in the extreme cases, the salary barely covers the up front charge. 

Several of my Thai relatives got suckered in by Kenda Rubber. They were charged 200,000 up front and were promised a monthly salary of 15,000. The contract was for 2 years and an extension of a year was promised. Even at the promised figures overtime and the year's extension would be relied upon to make a reasonable income.

The reality was somewhat different. The first major wakeup call was an undisclosed accommodation charge of 2500 per month. Then the major bombshell was the salary actually paid

Month 1 2000 (though only 2 weeks worked)
Month 2 6000
Month 3 7000
Month 4 8000
Month 5 9000

No further figures are available as the workers resigned themselves to a thumping loss and returned home angry, irate and screwed..

This is really a by-the-numbers scam. Most people have the exact same experience. It usually goes something like this:
    1.    You are riding in a tuk-tuk
    2.    The driver tells you that wherever you are going is closed for some reason.
    3.    The driver tells you he is specially trained to be helpful to tourists.
    4.    You are told the government has launched a promotion to sell gems to tourists.
    5.    In the course of riding around with the "friendly" tuk-tuk driver, you "accidentally" meet a well-dressed young man or an older, distinguished man.
    6.    The younger man claims he is a student. The older will claim he works for the government and shows you his government ID. (Thai IDs mean nothing. They are readily available for a small fee to anyone.)
    7.    The person you meet independently confirms the story the tuk-tuk driver told. (This is a nice touch.)
    8.    Eventually you ask to be taken to the "government" jewelry house and are told that you can make 100-150% profit by reselling the gems back home. It seems okay since the seller writes something like "if everything is not ok we will offer a full refund" and puts an official looking stamp on it.
    9.    You've now been cheated by one of the oldest and most openly practiced scams in Thailand.

The Scam

One of the most pervasive scams in Thailand is the Thai gem scam. Typically, a tourist meets a friendly Thai at a tourist attraction who eventually offers to take them to a "government" gem stone shop where the tourist is told about how they can sell Thai "blue sapphires" or other gems back home and make a 100% profit. It is all lies, of course, and the tourist ends up with a pocket full of overpriced gems. Like Thais themselves, the scam is low-key and the touts are friendly rather than pushy. A rule of thumb for Thais is that "real" Thais do not just walk up to strangers and strike up a friendly conversation. Thais typically "speak when spoken to." If you are approached at a tourist attraction by a friendly fellow who just walks up and starts speaking to you, watch out! Too many otherwise wonderful vacations have been ruined by this scam, so watch out.
2Bangkok has followed this scam online for nearly 5 five years and make no mistake--the authorities are doing nothing to stop it. No official ever dares mention the "protected" gold shops that actually run the scams. One of the tuk tuk drivers who takes victims to be scammed operates in front of the Tourist Information Centre and the local Police Station on Khao Sarn Road. The funny thing is that over the years the reports are from the same locations--only the names of the stores change. Officials claim that just changing the name of the shop prevents them from doing anything to stop the scam.

A shop owner bragged to some cheated tourists: "I'll reopen again, just like I have for 20 years!"

Who runs/is complicit in the gem scam?:

Gold shops

We do not have a person's name, but Bang (or Hang) Thong Thong Bai/Ranghang Thong Thong Bai gold shop is one of linchpins of the gem scam. It is used to cover the money trail by giving cash advances on credit cards and selling gold to tourists which is exchanged for overpriced jewels. What this means is that all the money from many gem scam shops is flowing back into this gold shop, but why isn't this shop ever mentioned in any "official" discussions of the scam? With perseverance, scammed tourists can demand police file reports on the gem shops and eventually the gem shops will have to change their names, but police outright refuse to mention this gold shop in reports.

Banks in Banglamphu

Branches of banks that operate in the Banglamphu area (where most of the scam shops are located) also cooperate in the scam--particularly Thai Farmers Bank and Thai Military Bank. Thai Military Bank has been know to give credit card machines to the scam stores so they can allow scam customers to pay by Mastercard, however the charge made is a cash advance directly from Thai Military Bank (Banglaphu branch). Tourists who think their purchases are protected because they paid by credit card are surprised to find the transaction booked as a cash advance directly from Thai Military Bank.

Local Visa and Mastercard

Neither Visa nor the local Mastercard company seem concerned that known gem scam shops have credit card machines that say "Thai Military Bank" and are using them directly on their premises.

For further details: www.2bangkok.com/2bangkok/Scams/Sapphire.shtml