Pattaya Clinic Scam Lesson
I’d like to tell you about another part of my scammer girlfriend. As my relationship with May was slowly drawing to an end, it’s strange how the mind works sometimes. Even though you know you’re being taken for a ride, you still carry on to try to be some sort of rescue hero. Maybe I’ve just got a soft heart, and I’ve had to learn the hard way.
May And The End Of The Relationship
My girlfriend and I must have been together for around three months, I guess. Between jobs in Australia, I had a good four weeks to kill time in Pattaya. I could drink every day. I used to see older expats drinking every day and drinking hard, but I knew eventually I had to go back to work, and it is thankfully easy for me to stop, so no problem.
A lot of the time, I like to stay away from alcohol as I could feel myself getting depressed and anxiety setting in. Quite often, I would usually ask my girlfriend May what she wanted to do today, as it was getting a bit annoying spending every minute of the day together and having thoughts in the back of my mind about her true genuine feelings about me. I chose to ignore these and just went with the flow, realizing it wasn’t going to last forever.
Clinic Visit Begins
One morning, she asked me if I wanted to go to the clinic to check everything in the downstairs department. She said we could both go, and her friend told her about a good clinic near Walking Street.
None of us had any symptoms or anything, but on this occasion it was something to do, but boy, did it cost me a fortune.
The Setup At The Clinic
The day came, and we both headed slowly to the clinic. I let my girlfriend do the talking, as she had organized this whole scam through her friend, who was probably getting a cut of my cash too.
After talking to the receptionist and her colleague, my girlfriend asked me what I wanted to check. I said, “Just check everything, blood, urine, etc.”, as I presumed it would only be costing 300 baht, because I’d seen another clinic advertising this full checkup at the same rate.
The doctor took me through to a small room and asked me if I had any symptoms, to which I replied, “No, I just want a full checkup, thanks.” He then proceeded to do a blood test, urine test, and a swab, and then asked me to sit in the waiting room for the results.
Very conveniently, the waiting room was just outside of where the doctor was looking under a microscope. I sat with my girlfriend, who was also waiting in the seating area, as she was finished first.
After around 10 minutes, the doctor said all checks were done and handed a piece of paper to the receptionist with our results and the bill. What it actually said on that piece of paper was probably very different from the final price and results, though. Looking back, it probably said what they were going to spend my cash on after they had scammed me.
Blood In The Urine Claim
The receptionist said, “Results for blood, okay, and swab, okay, but you have a little blood in your urine.”
I was quite shocked and was wondering if it was serious or not. The receptionist called for the doctor to come, and he conveniently brought a swab screen with about a dozen tiny spots of blood spread out over the glass microscope test thingy. I thought, “Well, that’s not very good, is it?” and spoke to my girlfriend about it.
She said, “You will need medicine.” To which I replied (rolling my eyes), “Yeah, probably.”
The receptionist proceeded to type up the bill, and I couldn’t believe it when she finished bashing as many numbers into the calculator as possible and then turned it around for me to see. It came to 8,800 baht.
Please remember how much of a learning curve this was for me. Looking back, I’m so disgusted with myself, and I learned a hard lesson on that day.
Medicine And Another Appointment
I paid the lady over the counter, took my medicine, which was a rainbow of colors and around 20-30 tablets. Once she handed them over, she told me that I had to come back next week to do another test and see if things had improved. She didn’t write on the bag what medicine I had, and there was no price on the bag either.
I paid up and, being very annoyed at this point, left the clinic and began to think, “I’ll just take these pills and see what happens.” They were probably just a bunch of vitamins and harmless to me, but here was me thinking I genuinely had blood in my urine and needed help.
Second Clinic Visit
A week passed, and we headed back to the clinic. My girlfriend was probably secretly rubbing her hands together in anticipation of yet another huge payday.
On entering the clinic, I was met with several big smiles. They must have been thinking, “Here comes that sucker again.” I tried to remind them why I was in for a re-test for urine, after taking all these pills for the last week, but soon enough my girlfriend stepped in to remind them what I was here for.
I walked through and did a urine sample, and the doctor asked me to sit again while he examined my sample hidden around the corner. I remember saying to my girlfriend, “I hope this doesn’t cost a fortune again.”
Another Expensive Result
Five minutes later, the doctor asked me to come into the back room and look through the lens of the microscope. Lo and behold, there were little specks of blood, and it was exactly 50 percent less spots on the glass than the last time.
Looking back, this was obviously a setup, and everyone was in on it except me. I find it unbelievable the lengths that my girlfriend and the clinic staff went to simply to scam me out of money. And I’m sure they went home to their families with a clear conscience.
Yet again, I paid the clinic another 8,000 baht, and unbelievably, was told that I would need to come back for yet another test. They must have thought the cash cow was ready to be milked dry on a weekly basis.
I genuinely thought at this time that I must have some issues with my blood, as a respectable business would never scam someone, right?
The Penny Finally Drops
Fast forward, and I returned to the clinic a week later. Same procedure, and everything happened the same as it did on the first and second visits. The doctor once again asked me to come and have a look through the microscope. This time, I just see two small specks of blood on the glass.
The penny finally dropped. I thought to myself, “This can’t be right. I have no symptoms and I feel fine.” Anyway, being very naive back then, I gave them the benefit of the doubt and paid them another 6,000 baht, as I appeared to be improving, and once again thought to myself, “A clinic would not try to scam someone, they are professionals.”
Well, I got that right, anyway, because as it happens, they were professionals. But professional scammers.
A Real Clinic Confirms The Scam
I left the clinic and was cursing under my breath. I said to my girlfriend, “This has all been a load of nonsense, and I have been set up by you.” I then said to my so-called girlfriend, “I want to go to another clinic and see what they say, get the same test and just see what the results are.”
We went to Soi Buakhao, and I went to a clinic to get the test again. I told them the whole story and showed them the medicine, to which the doctor replied, “There isn’t a name on the medicine, and I can’t tell you what they are.” He then told me to return in 20 minutes.
No prizes for guessing correctly: no signs of any blood, and I was all good.
I walked out of that clinic, threw the fake medicine into the nearest trash can, and left my girlfriend also standing next to that same trash can.
I learned the hard way. I assumed that a professional business, such as a legit clinic with people wearing white coats who looked like professionals, would not dream of pulling off a scam like this. How wrong I was.
I still visit Thailand and return to Pattaya and have fun, but I am a much wiser man these days, and scams such as I’ve explained in this story don’t happen to me now. I suppose it’s a case of buyer beware. I hope others will learn from my story.
Backpackers First Taste Of Pattaya
Backpacking Southeast Asia
It was in the middle of 2009. I was fairly fit, pretty okay looking, and was a lot younger than I am today. After a failed relationship in the UK, I decided to quit my job, rent out my house, and travel around the world backpacking for a year or so. My first stop was six months in Southeast Asia.
I’d been to Thailand before on a two-week holiday, visiting the islands in the south, and I instantly knew that I wanted to spend much more time in Thailand. When I landed in Bangkok, I made my way to the familiar Khao San Road. All the smells, sounds, and sights took me back to my holiday three years prior.
Backpacker Circuit Before Pattaya
The first few months traveling was spent on the well-trodden backpacker circuit. The scene was great, and I was having the time of my life, meeting girls from all over the world (Australia, Canada, Europe, etc.) and had no problem getting closely acquainted with them most nights, while playing on the beaches and spending lazy days in a hammock.
After spending Christmas and New Year’s Eve drinking to excess at the Full Moon beach parties, it was early January 2010. A friend whom I’d worked with a couple of years ago had emailed me and said that he had seen me on Facebook in Thailand, and now he would be in a place called Pattaya during January and February, and would I like to spend a few days with him in Pattaya?
I had not seen him for ages and jumped at the chance to catch up.
Arriving In Pattaya By Minibus
I’d done a lot of research prior to my trip about the different countries and places I was planning to visit, but Pattaya was not one of them. So I did not know what to expect. All I knew was that it was famous for girls and had an area called Walking Street, which seemed to be the main attraction. It didn’t sound like my sort of place, but I thought, “When in Rome.” Plus my friend was keen for me to join him to show me around the city.
Dropped In The Wrong Place
It fitted in with my plans, as I was on route to my next destination, which at that time was Cambodia. So after a night stopover in Bangkok, I took a shared minibus to Pattaya.
It was a cramped minibus with no air conditioning and a very hot day. I got chatting to a local Thai guy in the minibus and told him my friend was staying at a hotel in Soi 7-8, and could I be dropped off there by the driver? After 90 minutes or so of driving, the minibus pulled over, and the Thai guy said, “Just walk a little down there.” But then some of the other foreigners said, “We are far from the center of town.” But I thanked them, as I thought I was being dropped off by my hotel.
I tried to ring my friend, and he said that he was waiting for me. As it turned out, I was dropped off nowhere near my hotel and had to take a motorcycle taxi. He knew exactly where I needed to go. He charged me 100 baht, probably twice the rate, but I probably would have paid double just to get there.
After popping into a 7-Eleven to get some change for the driver, I walked along Soi 7. It was the middle of the day and very hot. I almost jumped out of my skin when I heard a deep voice calling out, “Hello mister, where you go?” A tall ladyboy tried pulling me into her bar. I politely declined, and much to my relief, my friend and his group were walking towards me.
First Beer In Pattaya
The first thing he said to me was, “You look like you need a beer.”
“I definitely need a beer,” I said. I told them about my journey, and they laughed and said, “Get used to it for the next week, this place will blow your mind.”
It was such a contrast from the white sands, palm trees, and bamboo bungalows that I had experienced in the last couple of months. I felt slightly intimidated and nervous about what this city had to offer.
Pattaya Regulars Show The Ropes
The guys I met up with were all at least double my age and weight. They looked like the typical mongers and were all regulars to Pattaya for the last few years. This was fine by me, as I don’t judge others.
One guy was married to a bar girl who was pregnant at the time. Another guy was a “butterfly”, who would fly off when he wanted some entertainment. They took me to Soi Nana Plaza and to a small bar they had made their base for a couple of weeks.
It was such an eye-opener, what was going on around me and the stories that I was being told by my new friends about how it all works in Pattaya. Basically forget the backpacker scene here, if you want to play, you need to pay. They laughed.
Exploring Pattaya Nightlife
Each night, we started at a regular bar, then we all went off exploring lots of bars and go-go bars on LK Metro, Walking Street, and Beach Road. I didn’t know where to look half the time, and the girls had my attention, and vice versa, but up until this point, it was all just longing stares.
First Bar Fine Experience
So five nights in, and my friend asked if I wanted to meet a girl. I wasn’t too sure, as I told myself I shouldn’t be wasting my funds on this kind of entertainment.
As you know, in Pattaya, if someone rings a bell in a bar, they have to buy everyone in that bar a round of drinks. Luckily, a random customer rang the bell five times in a row, so the drinks were flowing nicely, and I thought to myself, “Okay, why not? Let’s do this. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
I told my friend which girl I would like to meet, and he did all the organizing with the bar. The girl walked straight up to me, and it was apparent she spoke no English whatsoever. We had a few smiles back and forth, but she seemed really nice.
Morning After The Bar Fine
I decided that I was going to take this girl back to my hotel for more drinks alone in my room, and of course, this was followed by some aerobics, which was quite a nice experience. I had been fairly drunk and by now I was exhausted and fell into a deep sleep.
I was a little surprised because when I woke in the morning, the girl was still with me, asleep. I woke her up. She had a shower and used my toothbrush, which I thought was very strange. I wanted her to leave, as I needed to get some hangover food inside me. So I gave her a nice sizeable tip, thanked her for her time, and she went off on her merry way, as they say.
Later, I met up with my friends and they all laughed at my neck, as I had some marks, and they all knew how they got there, if you get my point.
Awkward Return To The Same Bar
It was once again evening time, and we found ourselves in the same bar. The same girl walked straight up to me. It made me feel quite awkward, as I had said it was a one-off experience which I did not plan to repeat. I tried not to make eye contact with her.
She then walked off, and I knew something was up. The bar manager lady came over and asked, “What’s wrong?” I said nothing was wrong, but I didn’t want any company right now.
I wasn’t aware of the “losing face” thing at the time, and it caused a bit of friction in the bar. So it may have looked as if I came across a bit rude to her, which was not my intention. I now know that if I was in the same situation today, I would not return to the same bar, which instantly takes this problem of a girl losing face out of the picture.
Leaving For Koh Samet
Anyway, the next day I left Pattaya in a minibus and was heading to the island of Koh Samet, which again was more my type of scene. My friend and his new girlfriend, and two other guys and his Thai wife, found some nice cheap beachfront bungalows. I was back in my Thai paradise on a lovely warm beach without a care in the world.
We had a great three nights there on the beach, enjoying great seafood and amazing sunsets. Then it was time for me to say my goodbyes and move on to Cambodia. The others went back to Pattaya. I thanked them all for looking after me and showing me the ropes of Sin City.
Looking Back On Pattaya
I look back now and see Pattaya as a great place and a very different scene to the one I had experienced compared to the rest of Thailand. Now that I am 10 years older, I totally see the attraction of Pattaya. It has exactly what I will be looking for in around 20 years when I will be looking to retire, but I also fully understand why it has its reputation from those who have not been there and the stigma attached to regular visitors who travel alone.
Bangkok Bank Money Forgotten For Years
This is a somewhat unusual story relating to my last visit to Thailand, which took place in December 1982 and 1983. I spent about eight weeks traveling in Thailand, which was probably quite a different experience to the present day.
Opening The Bangkok Bank Account
On the day prior to my return back to the UK, I had some unspent money left over. And like many other travellers, my intention was to return later that year in December 1983. With that in mind, I opened an account at the Bangkok Bank, Sukhumvit Road branch, and was allocated an account number and given a passbook. The deposit was for an amount of 20,000 baht.
These were the days before debit cards, and of course, this was 38 years plus.
But time being a jet plane and moving too fast, I never went back to Thailand that year, or ever again.
At some time in the 1980s, I went to the London branch of the Bangkok Bank and was informed that as the account was in Bangkok, I would have to deal with that branch only.
Trying To Trace The Old Account
About 15 years ago, a friend in New Zealand visited the Sukhumvit Road branch to inquire on my behalf, and was told that the account still existed.
Unfortunately, due to a decluttering exercise I had a few years ago, I cannot find the passbook. I still have the account number somewhere.
I must emphasize that no further transactions, deposits, or withdrawals were ever made on the account.
I admit to letting the situation slide, my fault entirely, agreed. It’s obviously not a large amount of money, but nevertheless it’s my money, or that’s the way I see it.
Question About The Lost Money
Can you offer any suggestions or advice as to the possible retrieval of this money, or would you see it as written off?
Phuket Lobster Food Poisoning Lesson
I have a story for you which is a bit different. My name is Shane. I am a 34-year-old from Australia.
Friends Return From Thailand
Two of my friends took a short trip to Thailand in 2011 and asked if I wanted to join them. I wasn’t interested in traveling at the time, so I said no. Once they got back, they told me stories of Bangkok, Phuket, and Koh Samui, and how amazing and carefree it was compared to Australia.
The following year, they booked another two-week holiday to Thailand and asked me if I wanted to go. I had just broken up with my girlfriend, so thought, “Why not? What do I have to lose? And it might cheer me up.”
Arriving In Phuket With Back Pain
We arrived in Phuket, there were six of us all together. We stayed at the Patong Beach Hotel for about two weeks.
We arrived in the evening, and on the first night the guys went out, but I stayed in the hotel room, as I had a slipped disc injury in my lower back which had flared up really badly the day before we left Sydney. So from the nine-hour flight and the hour drive from Phuket Airport to Patong Beach, I was in so much pain I couldn’t stand or walk without pain. So I just stayed in the room and went to bed.
The following morning, I went to the nearest pharmacy and got some painkillers. The best thing was that the painkillers they gave me were double the strength of the prescription ones you get back home, and even better still, I could simply buy them over the counter at a fraction of the cost. I thought the holiday had already started as a win.
With the pain masked, we went out to discover Phuket, and I was amazed at the differences from back home.
Bangla Road Nights
The first night I had out, we started at Bangla Road and drank our way through the street. This was the case for the next two weeks, and I loved every night of it. I experienced the girl scene also, which I had heard about, but I didn’t take any notice of it, since I knew it was all fake and they just wanted my money anyway.
The point of the story is what happened on the last night before I went home back to Sydney.
The Final Dinner
Every night out, the six of us would go our separate ways and do what we felt like. But on the final night, we all had dinner together at what looked like a nice hotel restaurant. I thought, “It’s the last night, so I’ll have some of the lobster that I saw when I was walking in.”
I ordered the lobster, and I ate it, and didn’t think anything of it.
Food Poisoning Before The Flight
After dinner, we went to Bangla Road for one last night of partying. 30 minutes after dinner, I felt something funny, and ran back to the hotel, where I spent the rest of the night and morning with the worst food poisoning I had ever experienced.
And it continued the whole flight home back to Sydney, where I spent the majority of the nine hours in the aircraft in the bathroom.
Moral of the story: don’t eat the lobster that’s on display to pull you in.
Thailand Still Remains Favourite
In saying that, I have traveled all over the world, and Thailand is still my favorite place. I’ve been back three times since and can’t wait to go back again.
Regards, Shane.
