I Nearly Got Scammed in Hua Hin

I thought that I would mention this Thai girl (family) scam that nearly caught me out. I am 62 years old just to paint a picture and I have visited Thailand for over 12 years, sometimes three months at a time. I was also married (now
divorced) to a Thai lady for 5 years who lived with me in my country but that's another story.

The scam that happened to me went like this: At the time I was staying for a few weeks in a hotel not far from the beach in Hua Hin, a place that over the years I know well and feel very relaxed to be in. Having just woken from an afternoon
nap I decided that a late afternoon stroll would be in order so at around 5 PM I set out to walk to the beach. On the other side of the street was a row of street vendors and a few 3-wheeled bicycle rickshaws that are used for tourists in
Hua Hin. As I strolled along contemplating my surroundings, one of the guys that operate the rickshaws who was positioned next to a food vendor called me from across the street asking if I wanted to go anywhere on his rickshaw. I politely
motioned that I did not need a ride at that moment but nevertheless he waved and beckoned me to cross the street to talk to him which I did. I guess that he wanted to practice his English which as I was just ambling around at the time was
fine by me. We chatted for a few minutes and it was then that I noticed that the nearby street vendor, a lady in her mid 40s, had come over in to our discussion so now 3 of us are chatting away amicably. Eventually she asked if I wanted an
omelettes and rice which I did so me and the omelette lady continued talking and chatting away.

Next appears the street vendor's niece, a smart girl about 20 years old, and she stands by her auntie all very shy and demure. Auntie explains that they have travelled from Khon Kaen and her niece is learning how to cook omelettes.
Auntie explains her niece speaks very limited English.

During the conversation auntie seemed an ok person and I thought that she would brush up well and I arranged to see auntie at a local music bar that evening. Ok so far.

I meet aunty as arranged in the evening and her niece is tagging along so we have a good evening dancing and socialising and about 12 o'clock I suddenly realise aunty has gone and I am left alone with her niece, a 20 year old girl
who speaks limited English. So with the bar staff as interpreter I find auntie had to go somewhere. I ask her to phone auntie but she can't as auntie held her phone while she was dancing so she would not lose it and has mistakenly taken
it with her. She doesn't know how to get back to where she is staying and can't remember auntie's phone number.

I am not in to young girls at all. Yes, really, mid 40s auntie was young enough for me.

So I ask the bar staff the best thing to do and we come to the conclusion that she waits for aunty at the bar and I walk back to my hotel. She is looking very sad and a bit lost so I give her 500bht to cheer her up.

I am walking back to my hotel and as I get there I find that she has followed me so now she doesn't know where to go and believe it or not it starts to rain and she is standing there getting wet and very sad. So I have no choice
really. She stays with me for the night. Nothing happened apart from watching TV and a snuggle up. In the morning I gave her another 500 baht and breakfast and she reckoned in the daylight she can find her way to auntie.

Later that evening I have a conversation with the night porter. He asked if I had a young lady stay with me and he said that on the night she was with me her family, auntie, and farther, appeared angrily about 3 AM looking for me and
the young girl basically accusing me of abducting her and the night porter defended me (500 baht) and would not let the family in so somehow or other they found out my hotel. Yes, of course the rickshaw man asked me where I was staying and
yes my room number as he knew the owner and would try to get me a discount.

Later whilst chatting to my ex-wife on the phone (we are still good friends) and she worries about me :). Ex-wife said it's a scam. What happens is the family make a noise banging on the hotel door saying that you have defiled their
daughter or niece and want some kind of compensation or police will be involved and around 10,000 baht would do the trick.

Oh well ho hum we live and learn Papa.

Stickman's thoughts:

Scan? I don't see a scam here. Frankly, you allowed yourself to get in to a situation that might have become awkward.