The best time to visit Chinatown in Bangkok is this weekend as everyone is getting ready for the Chinese New Year. All of the streets are decorated and people are out and about buying food and other items that are needed for ceremonies that will take place soon. Lots of photo opportunities for sure. To make it easier to walk around, they will be turning some of these roads into Walking Streets from 6 p.m. on Sunday 22nd January until 4 a.m. on 24th January. Unfortunately, some foreign tourists might never get a chance to see the festivities. This is because the scammers are out trying to divert you to their tailor or jewellery shops.
I went to Chinatown on the subway getting off at MRT Hua Lamphong. From here it is only a short walk to Chinatown Gate which is on the edge of Chinatown. While I was here taking pictures, a guy came up to me and started to explain that tomorrow is Chinese New Year. He also added that the King will be coming soon. He asked me where I was from and then asked where I was going. As soon as I said Chinatown, he said, “I’m sorry, Chinatown is closed today because of the holiday”. He went on to say that he knew of a better Chinese temple and he would get a nearby tuk tuk driver to take me there for only 20 Baht.
This is of course an old scam. This is not the first time these guys have approached me at Chinatown Gate. It doesn’t just happen during the Chinese New Year. You just need to look lost or get out a map and they will come crawling out of the woodwork. On my way back, I managed to save a European couple who were being told by this same guy that Chinatown was closed today. How many other tourists have been cheated out of a main tourist attraction in this way? What can be done to stop it? There isn’t much the police can do as their only “crime” is telling a white lie. But, we can help spread the message. If a Thai person comes up to you and starts speaking good English, nine times out of ten it will be a scam. Don’t be rude back. Just politely excuse yourself and leave.
DO NOT BELIEVE ANYONE WHO SAYS TO YOU THAT A TOURIST ATTRACTION IS CLOSED. GO AND LOOK FOR YOURSELF!
From experience, the very utterance of a few simple Thai words would start to cause these people to “back-off”.
The simplest reply to the above scenario would be “Mai Aow Khap” or “Mai Pai Khap”….
It’s worked for me so far…
Another good reply would be “Pai hai pon kon ngo” (*_*)
I like this response best!
Me too. The fact that these guys have been getting away with these scams for as long as they have shows that not only are many tourists willing to believe strangers but that the authorities aren’t willing to do anything about it.
This happened to me last year, I was getting off a water taxi and a guy said it was not open yet…that it didn’t open until 5pm (it was 10am at the time).
Staying in Hotel near Nana BTS. Please advise how to use of BTS or MRT to get to China Town. Thanks
You can take the MRT to Hua Lamphong and from there less than a ten minute walk.