NEW! Codeword
13 July 2012
FREE weekly issue 18 8
Local Information Sudoku Property Marketplace Tearjerker
fool me once...
as hua hin grows will the scammers try to muscle in?
hua hin, THAILAND Most tourist hotspots around the world suffer from small groups of criminals intent on relieving honest people of their hard earned cash and valuables in some way or other, and this week’s ‘urging’ by diplomats from ten, mainly European, nations to the Thai government to tackle extortion and scams against foreign tourists in the kingdom is a reminder that we should all be on our guard against this possibility. Hua Hin does not have the same problems as the busier Phuket or Pattaya resorts do, but nevertheless scammers will still lurk here, both Thai and foreign, and there have been some notable, and unfortunate stories about these over the years here. Our headline evokes an old saying - ‘Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me’ - and we are hoping that this front page will help prevent anyone being fooled the first time. The Thai government have responded to the diplomatic message by promising to ‘devise measures to tackle the issue in a swift manner’ but to a large extent it is a very difficult problem for a country like Thailand to overcome without a sea change in both cultural attitudes and financial capabilities. We believe that while we have to hope that a change will eventually come, it is the duty of us all to inform and help ourselves and others in avoiding these situations. Information is king in this respect, and whether that is passed on by word of mouth or through internet forums, or via the pages of ours and other publications, it will always help. If you have been the victim of any criminal activity why not help stamp it out by warning others on the AWOL Forum of how it was carried out (although please stop short of naming individuals).
soi selakam
Papayita Bar
classics 80’s 90’s Happy hour until 9pm all beers 55 b spirits 80 b cocktails 100 b
GET RACING FROM ONLY 400 BAHT! OPEN EVERYDAY 10.30AM - 7PM, LATE NIGHT BY APPOINTMENT Call 032 547 199 (Office) or 081 817 3000 (Mobile) Soi 2, Phetchkasem Road opposite Hua Hin Airport
www.gokarthuahin.com