Getting closure after being swindled in Bangkok

Before going to Bangkok, we were warned by our friends (and by many disgruntled tourists on Tripadvisor) not to trust anyone*. So throughout the trip, we had our guard up and it paid off: once we even got out of a taxi in the middle of the street because the driver turned off his meter and tried to convince us that our destination did not exist (Kao San Road). Alas, we got a little taste of the shenanigans on our last night in the city, eating dinner at Somboondee. Honestly, we enjoyed our experience so much that we didn't even know we were scammed until we did the retrospective research to write these Thailand blog entries. And though it sucks to be cheated and to feel foolish, there's nothing we can do but have a laugh about it and hope that we'll be wiser in the future. Armed with all the forewarning, we knew it would take a pretty clever scam to outwit us both but we weren't ready for this elaborate, collaborative masterpiece which we hope you will appreciate as much as we do.

Thien and I went out to explore our Saturday night dinner options in Chinatown. On our way, we met a kind man who asked us if we are lost. No we replied, we're heading toward Chinatown. "Didn't you know"- he replied, "Chinatown is closed on Saturdays."

First of all, that's crazy. Chinatown never closes because it's Chinatown- it's basically a universal law. So immediately, warning bells went off and we were skeptical, but the man continued to make recommendations for dinner. Do you like seafood he asked, and proceeded to draft a note titled Somboondee:

1 is a fish, 2 is a crab and I believe 3 is a car wheel or omelette. The rest is beyond me. Unconvinced, we thanked him and continued to walk toward Chinatown. It did seem quieter on the way, so we started to wonder if we were just being close-minded about the man's recommendation. Then a block later, a man wearing a patrol uniform came over and asked if he could help us. His uniform is what threw us off. We told him we were on our way to Chinatown and he told us it was just a few blocks down but it was closed on Fridays. Surely then, Chinatown must be closed! We inquired about Somboondee and he looked surprised. Somboondee is the best he said... who told you to go there? We told him and he said that if we wanted to go, the best way to do it would be via a tuktuk (which we had avoided up until this point). He told us to look for the ones with the official sticker on the front window- they work for the government and are not allowed to negotiate for higher rates. Then he told us we shouldn't be paying anymore than 40 bahts for the ride and hauled one that happened to be passing through (flawless timing).

The location seemed to be pretty remote. Also, it looked empty, which was alarming for being "the best" but we were committed and ordered dinner. Hands down, I had the best tom yum soup of my life. The rest of the meal was also pretty good too, but we were surprised when the bill came out to be $60 (a good 30% more than what I was expecting). Apparently, the scam is the seafood. They tell you the market rate and give you an inaccurate estimate of the portions. Anyway, what can you do? The fish was eaten, and so we each paid the extra 10 bucks and concluded that though it was pricey we still enjoyed it.

Unsurprisingly, since we didn't speak Thai and didn't have much to offer, we weren't able to catch another tuktuk for similar rates so we opted to check out the MRT which was located nearby. We returned to our hotel satisfied, safe and sound. Like I said, we were none the wiser until we started this blog and stumbled upon the scathing reviews of Somboondee online (which claim that each one of the players get a cut of your dinner bill).

We don't want you to have a perpetual mistrust of strangers or paranoia of being cheated (that's no way to travel or live), so we hope you'll be amused by the cunningness of our cons and remember to go instead to Somboon, not Somboondee (unless you want tom yum soup-it was so good). These things do happen, even when you are diligent, but as long as you are safe, still financially intact and in good company, you still have many blessings to appreciate. Besides, it does make for a good story!

*Obviously, we know that Thai people are very honorable, honest and hard-working; we can say that wholeheartedly because of the kind strangers that helped us along the way during our stay in the city. While there are some out there looking to take advantage of unsuspecting tourists, a few bad apples should not spoil the entire experience nor reflect poorly on the people as a whole.