Touting : Please Say "NO"
When a stranger approaches you and invites you to a jewellery shop, please say "NO".

The Tourism Authority of Thailand is cautioning travel agents and tourist not to be hoodwinked into patronizing rip-off jewellery shops.

Tourists must be careful not to be taken in by strangers who approach them on the streets, offering to take them to the "best buys" in town.

First time tourists are the easiest targets of these conmen, often unlicensed tour guides or tuk-tuk drivers collaborating with jewellery shops.

A typical scenario: Tourists are approached by conmen who stake out popular tourist sites. These conmen will tell the tourist that the Thai Government is granting a waiver on jewellery tax to promote tourism. They urge tourists to take advantage of the "last day of promotion" to buy jewellery at greatly reduced prices and convince them that they can sell the jewellery at double the price when they return home. However, you will find that this is not true as the jewellery is often of inferior quality and the prices inflated at times.

TAT takes this opportunity to announce that neither TAT nor any Thai government department supports, subsidises or operates any jewellery shop. Tourists are recommended to purchase jewellery from members of the Jewel Fest Club.
More details on the Jewel Fest Club can be found in the Shopping Advice section of Travel Tips.

General Tips

• Be wary of unauthorized and unsolicited persons offering their services as guides. Use only reliable licensed travel agents for guides or tours. Full information is available from the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) counters.

• Travelers should observe common-sense precautions regarding their personal safety and that of their belongings. For example it is unwise to make public display of money or jewellery.


• Visitors planning to stay in the Kingdom for any length of time are advised to notify their embassies incase of accident or if their families need to be contacted. It is also advisable to keep a photocopy of your passport in case of loss or theft.


• Penalties for drug-related offences in Thailand are very severe. Never get involved in drugs.


• Visitors requiring assistance relating to safety, unethical practices, or other tourist-related issues may contact the tourist police (Tel:1155).