Thailand (TH)

One of Bangkok's longest-running and most reported tourist scams. A tuk-tuk driver, "friendly local", or stranger approaches and claims a major attraction (Grand Palace, Wat Pho, Emerald Buddha Temple) is closed today for a special ceremony or royal event. They offer a cheap or free tuk-tuk tour of alternative sites that invariably ends at a gem shop or jewellery store claiming to hold a "government export sale" or "duty-free day for foreigners". Gems sold are typically low-quality, synthetic, or outright fake and virtually worthless. Losses range from hundreds to tens of thousands of dollars. Thai authorities arrested 38 people across 14 jewellery shops in Bangkok and Phuket in a single 2025 raid, including international organisers. Airports now display warning screens in English, Chinese, Korean, Arabic, and Russian: "NO SUCH THING AS A GOVERNMENT GEM SHOP".

Criminal syndicates advertise well-paid jobs in Thailand or neighbouring countries for IT, customer service, or marketing work — particularly targeting people who respond to online job ads or are recruited via social media. Victims travel to Thailand and are then smuggled across the border into compounds in Myanmar (particularly Myawaddy/KK Park area), Cambodia, or Laos where they are held against their will and forced to run online fraud operations targeting people worldwide. In early 2025, 260 people from 19 countries were rescued and identified as trafficking victims in Mae Sot, Thailand. The UN estimated over 120,000 people are held in Myanmar compounds and 100,000 in Cambodia. This is a critical human trafficking risk for anyone seeking overseas work.

A contact initiated via a dating app, Facebook, Instagram, or a "wrong number" message develops into an emotional relationship. After building trust over weeks, the scammer introduces a cryptocurrency, forex, or gold trading investment platform showing spectacular fake returns. The victim is encouraged to invest progressively larger sums. Withdrawal requests trigger demands for "tax payments", "unlock fees", or "government clearance" — none of which result in real funds being returned. Thailand-based and Thailand-targeting syndicates run this scam at industrial scale.

Unregulated agents advertise guaranteed approvals for retirement visas, education visas, Digital Nomad/Destination Thailand Visas, or work permits — often without requesting or reviewing eligibility documentation. Some agents hold your passport for weeks. Thailand immigration is administered by the Immigration Bureau; no third party can guarantee an approval outcome. Fraudulent applications can result in visa refusals, deportation orders, and entry bans.

Callers impersonate Thai police, immigration officers, or customs authorities and claim you have a pending arrest warrant, a detained parcel containing contraband, or a money-laundering case. They demand payment to a private account or request your banking credentials or OTP to "resolve" the matter and avoid arrest.

Listings using stolen photographs advertise below-market rental prices in Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai, or Pattaya. The "agent" or "landlord" communicates only via LINE or Facebook, refuses in-person or verified video viewing, and asks for a booking fee or deposit by bank transfer before any lease is signed or the property is seen.