Card Scams
Card scams can involve being befriended by a local and asked to join in a friendly game of cards. Once you have won a few times, the stakes increase and your winning streak disappears. These scams can have serious consequences – local gangs have been known to force victims into withdrawing large sums of money from ATM machines (or risk fingers being cut off) in order to pay these card game debts. There are many sad stories told about why you should join in a game of cards, such as to help the family earn enough money to pay for a hospital bill or medical operation. Avoid getting involved. Gambling is illegal in Thailand.
Narayanasamy Mohan and Thevarajah Gnanaraj, both born in India but in possession of UK Passports, were taken into custody along with 134 cloned credit cards, a card scanner and 122,000 Baht in cash, along with a laptop loaded with more than one thousand more credit card numbers ready to scam. Much of their equipment was found hidden above an air conditioning grille in their hotel room