Beware Of Scams
How To Recognize Scams
1. Beware of individuals or businesses that do not have a verified “Google My Business” (GMB) account. If there is no GMB account, it is most likely a scam. Scammers may take your deposit and become unreachable once you arrive in Thailand. Unfortunately, there is little recourse to get your money back.
2. Look for reviews on the individual or business’s Facebook (FB) page before paying any deposit. If there are no reviews, be cautious and reconsider paying any money upfront.
3. Similarly, check for reviews on the individual or business’s page on TripAdvisor (TA) before paying a deposit. Lack of reviews is a red flag, and it is not worth the risk.
4. Be wary of individuals or businesses who respond instantly to all your messages. Legitimate event organizers are usually busy organizing events, and it is not possible to reply instantly to every message. Instead, prioritize their efforts on ongoing events to ensure maximum client satisfaction. A business that prioritizes taking deposits over client satisfaction is likely a scam.
5. It is advised not to trust videos sent by individuals claiming to be party organizers, as they may have been stolen and used for malicious purposes. Scammers often use these videos to gain the trust of potential clients, but it should be noted that legitimate party planners value the privacy of their customers and would not publicly share photos or videos from their events. In order to protect the privacy of clients, they would only keep such videos as souvenirs shared among trusted friends. If someone claims to have obtained these videos with the agreement of the clients, it is recommended to verify this information by requesting contact information for these clients to confirm. Scammers may have obtained these videos through unethical means, which will be further discussed in the “Scam Tips” section.
6. They do not have a legal company. Do not get it wrong, it is standard procedure for a bachelor party planner to charge clients without VAT. Meaning getting transfers on a private account in order to avoid paying additional taxes and echoing these very high rates on clients. However, this is not normal for ANYONE or ANY ORGANIZATION to operate without having set up a legal structure in Thailand. This would be a clear sign that you are dealing with a scammer. If you are still in doubt, please ask the organization you are dealing with for their ‘’company affidavit’’ or ‘’register of commerce’’, updated less than 6 months ago. If they can provide it, and you are still a victim of a scam from them, you have official info to seize justice and bring them to court (doesn’t mean they are not a scam but allows you to sue them if you have enough time and money to do so, in case of scam). Note especially their ‘’License number’’ or ‘’VAT number’’, this would help you to trace their company ID.
7. They offer too cheap rates for the required service. Quality service doesn’t come cheap. However cheap rates can be announced by scammers in order to push for a deposit to be paid. It is true that deposits must be paid early in order to book services such as girls, yachts or villas (2 weeks to 1 month in advance usually). But if it comes at an unusual low rate, you can be sure this is a scam. Let’s throw some figures for you to have an idea: a party girl / bikini babes in Bangkok @ less than 6,000thb = scam. A party friendly yacht in Pattaya or Phuket at less than 22,000thb = scam. A party friendly villa in Pattaya or Phuket for less than 22,000thb = scam. Always, please keep in mind, you get what you pay for. You pay the right price for the right service, you pay cheap for low quality service, and if you pay cheaper than cheap, it is a scam.
8. They do not have any registered office in Bangkok. Along with the scammers without a company license, if they cannot welcome you in their office when you arrive, that means that they are a scam. They will tell you that you can come to visit them and will actually provide a dummy address, this will be your role to verify that the address is indeed real and theirs.
Who Are The Main Scammers?
It is a concern for many that there are fake organizations scamming individuals. The motivation behind these scams is often the unwarranted trust and tools provided by legitimate organizations. Many scammers imitate the structure and services of the leading private party planner, but do not deliver any services and eventually disappear. Although some scams can easily be recognized, others are harder to identify as they may have been former employees of the legitimate organization. The high turnover rate in Thailand, with individuals frequently switching jobs, has contributed to the problem. The legitimate organization has taken legal measures to protect against these malicious individuals who abuse the employment system to steal information. In the past, there have been mistakes in allowing interns and employees access to the database without proper legal protection against theft and plagiarism, leading to the current unfortunate situation.
- In 2008, the first scammer in the market was a British individual named “Jermaine”. He attempted to copy the business model of a party planning service by launching his own website “www.bangkokbachelors.com”, but with a significant difference – no services were provided after a deposit was paid. At the time, the only other legitimate party planning services were “www.thailandbucksandhens.com” managed by David, an honest British businessman, and “www.chillievents.com” managed by Steve, both offering reliable services in their respective locations. Jermaine took advantage of the confusion and was active for a longer period than expected. He asked for a deposit and kept in touch with his victims until they arrived in Thailand, making it impossible to reach them. As a result, many people would contact the legitimate providers monthly, upon their arrival in Thailand, asking about the services they had paid for. It was challenging for the legitimate providers to explain that they were not responsible and that their clients had been scammed. They also had to make it clear that they were separate organizations. Jermaine, like most scammers in the area, did not have a Google My Business, Facebook, or TripAdvisor presence and was not a legal entity. David and Steve, along with the legitimate providers of “www.thailandbucksandhens.com” and “www.chillievents.com”, decided to take action against Jermaine as the police were unresponsive unless a large sum of money was paid, which was not an option for the legitimate providers. They believed that corrupt police could be even more dangerous than individual scammers as they abuse their authority to reinforce scams in Thailand. The providers then created a new website, the “Association of Party Planners in Thailand,” to reference reliable providers and raise awareness about the growing number of scams, starting with the Jermaine scam. Unfortunately, the website is no longer active as the designer left for another industry, citing the difficulty of fighting against scammers in Thailand. Jermaine was eventually found by the authorities and deported from Thailand for scamming practices and is banned from entering Thai territories for the next 14 years. Despite this, it has been reported that he is still trying to reach new victims through social media platforms with the help of a Thai individual who is fluent in English. However, by following the advice provided in the previous section, individuals can stay safe and avoid becoming victims of this scammer.
- A second scammer appeared on the market. Sebastian approached a party planning company with a proposal for a partnership involving his alleged gogo bars in Nana Plaza. The party planning company introduced him to the owner of the only party bus in Thailand, as they were in the process of acquiring it and looking for partners. However, it was revealed that Sebastian was not the owner of any gogo bars and convinced the party bus owner to rent the bus to him for an event in Phuket. Despite not paying the party bus owner, Sebastian kept the bus in Phuket for several months. It took time for the party bus owner to retrieve the bus through legal means. The party bus is now owned by the party planning company ‘’Party Vehicles Bangkok’’ Party Vehicles Bangkok. Sebastien then started his own scam company, “Buvado,” offering the same services as the party planning company, but never delivering any services. He scammed victims by offering low rates and enticing packages, taking their deposit, and keeping communication until they reached Thailand, where they were impossible to contact. The Buvado website is still active, and the company continues to scam people. However, the party planning company provides tips for recognizing scammers to ensure safety.
- In 2015, one of the reliable market providers hired 2 students to assist with tasks such as preparing quotation for clients. It was soon discovered that the students were engaging in unethical behavior by attempting to scam the company’s customers. The students had created a fake logo (2 monkeys fist bumping each other’s) and manufactured t-shirts with the logo, which they wore and distributed to the company’s models during events. They also managed to record videos of the events under their fake brand, creating numerous videos of the company’s events with the false branding. In addition, the students stole valuable information from the company, including event photos and videos, client databases, and service providers’ contact information. Despite the company’s efforts to stop them, the two students continue to operate under the website www.mo…….ons.com and use the stolen information to scam innocent clients. They are definitely the most malicious individuals to watch out for, as they might still be in operation at the time you are reading this article.
- A fourth scammer in the market is a French individual named Chris. Chris and the author of the text used to be friends until Chris copied their business with the intention of scamming people. Chris was extracting information from the author for over two years under the guise of a friendship, without the author realizing his intentions. Once their community became aware of Chris’s actions, he was immediately removed from social groups. This caused Chris to focus even more on his scamming scheme and improve his website’s search engine optimization in an attempt to scam as many people as possible in a short amount of time. Chris operates in the same manner as the other scammers, offering extremely low rates to attract victims, but with no Google My Business, Facebook, or TripAdvisor review.
Who Are The Legitimate Bachelor Organizers?
- A British gentleman named David is the best contact for an epic bachelor or private party in Koh Samui and Koh Phan Gnan. Although not highly skilled in technology, he is highly reliable in providing an unforgettable experience in Samui with yacht parties, bikini models, and party-friendly accommodations. He has a long history in the industry and offers exceptional customer service, making him a trustworthy and dependable source for such events. The website Thailand Bucks And Hens is proud to promote his services and provide traffic to his site.
- If you are targeting Phuket for your bachelor party (check the paragraph about selecting your location wisely), you will be safe with Steve from Phuketstag who has been in the scene for a decade offering reliable services for a bachelor party in Phuket.
- If you are looking for a bachelor party organizer in Bangkok or Pattaya, you can trust the #1 bachelor and private sexy party organizer in Thailand: Bachelor Bangkok, opened since 2008 with the largest range of services, all providers considered.
- It is recommended to contact K. Boy from Best Party Bangkok for private parties in Bangkok, including a bachelor party and couple fun/sexy trips. K. Boy has established a reputation as a reference in the industry.
- If one is searching for a bachelor party in any location in Thailand, “K. Tanny” may be the recommended contact. This 40-year-old Thai national, who can be reached through Bachelor Party Thailand, is known to be knowledgeable about the industry and is capable of fulfilling various requests, even the most unconventional ones, no matter the preferred location. It has been reported that she collaborates regularly with others on various sexy private events.
- If you are looking for a bachelorette party or ‘’Hen Night’’ in Thailand, there is only one reliable company organizing them in the whole kingdom: Hen Nights Bangkok. Please note that they focus on Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket with the best male strippers available in the country.
- If you are looking for party/event transportation/vehicles, there is not much choice as this company has owned and operated the main party vehicles in Thailand (operating from Bangkok) for more than 12 years. If you are asking another company, you will get the same vehicles but with an additional fee for the agent. So if you need a party transport, you now know who to contact: Party Vehicles Bangkok.
- BKK French Touch, with multiple branches and a focus on top-notch entertainment and anti-scam services, has been a leader in private event organization and planning since 2004 in Thailand. With thousands of reliable partners and a reputation as the best service provider in the industry, they have served hundreds of international and local clients, such as Google, Facebook, Netflix, and Microsoft, and have been actively fighting against scams since 2008.
