News Forum - Tourists beware of cannabis scam at Phuket’s Freedom Beach as couple falls victim

[Thaiger]

A couple visiting Freedom Beach in Phuket, Thailand, fell for a cannabis scam while enjoying their holiday. The scammers manipulated them into trying cannabis, causing them to lose control and become disorientated – they were rescued by a good samaritan before any harm was done. According to today’s report by Khaosod, the incident occurred when … …

The story Tourists beware of cannabis scam at Phuket’s Freedom Beach as couple falls victim as seen on Thaiger News.

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[Guest1]

freedome beach, paradise beach and nui beach are, in my eyes, to avoid anyway.

Not because of cannabis with whatever added to it (did the hospital check the blood of the victims?), but because of the "entrance fees".

People own the land before the beaches (which are public), so to get to the beach, they charge money. And they really complain, as soon as you come from the waterside to the beach. Like people from The Meridian, too . That beach (Karon Noi beach), also the one in front of the  Andaman White Resort near the airport, despite they calling it "the hotel  is laying on a private white beach", they are all public. Just the owners of the land blocking the access! And if you come from the sea or over the rocks, they send their "security" and try to charge you or scare you away.

We did that about a decade ago, once, in a group and with a big longtail.

Unlucky for the securities, one in our group was a young RTP from a northern province. He pointed out, that the beach area is not their area to guard.

End of story. Oh wait:

After 30 more minutes, two Phuket RTP in Uniform showed up. Not to talk to the hotel staff, but to "our"  officer and the longtailer. Who then suddenly  remembered, that he had to be back with the boat soon. Instead of the full day, we rented the longtail to cruise this 5 beaches, we just managed to get to one beach.

But there is no mafia on Phuket. No beach mafia, no taxi mafia, no extorting BiB mafia. And no overpricing and bribery. All modern myths, to damage the reputation of Phuket. Dschingdsching

[Marc26]

1 hour ago, Guest1 said:

freedome beach, paradise beach and nui beach are, in my eyes, to avoid anyway.

Not because of cannabis with whatever added to it (did the hospital check the blood of the victims?), but because of the "entrance fees".

People own the land before the beaches (which are public), so to get to the beach, they charge money. And they really complain, as soon as you come from the waterside to the beach. Like people from The Meridian, too . That beach (Karon Noi beach), also the one in front of the  Andaman White Resort near the airport, despite they calling it "the hotel  is laying on a private white beach", they are all public. Just the owners of the land blocking the access! And if you come from the sea or over the rocks, they send their "security" and try to charge you or scare you away.

We did that about a decade ago, once, in a group and with a big longtail.

Unlucky for the securities, one in our group was a young RTP from a northern province. He pointed out, that the beach area is not their area to guard.

End of story. Oh wait:

After 30 more minutes, two Phuket RTP in Uniform showed up. Not to talk to the hotel staff, but to "our"  officer and the longtailer. Who then suddenly  remembered, that he had to be back with the boat soon. Instead of the full day, we rented the longtail to cruise this 5 beaches, we just managed to get to one beach.

But there is no mafia on Phuket. No beach mafia, no taxi mafia, no extorting BiB mafia. And no overpricing and bribery. All modern myths, to damage the reputation of Phuket. Dschingdsching

Agreed I don't deal with that crap

I just did a big MB ride around Phuket 

Plenty of nice beaches to stop at without any hassle like above 

 

Although with the hotels you can walk right through them to the beach

 

 

By the way, same thing happens in Hawaii with big hotels on beach 

[Marc26]

On the flip side

You can walk into a lot of hotels in Phuket(and Thailand) and use their nice pools if you buy some drinks and food

 

I really like Dusit Thani hotels.

 

Stopped in one in Krabi after a long MB ride

 

Just walked to the pool and grabbed a lounge chair

Ordered food and beers 

[palooka]

23 minutes ago, Marc26 said:

On the flip side

You can walk into a lot of hotels in Phuket(and Thailand) and use their nice pools if you buy some drinks and food

I really like Dusit Thani hotels.

Stopped in one in Krabi after a long MB ride

Just walked to the pool and grabbed a lounge chair

Ordered food and beers 

If the system allows it so be it.

[Fanta]

Drugging and robbing tourists but using ganga - same same but different. 

[Guest1]

5 hours ago, Marc26 said:

 

Although with the hotels you can walk right through them to the beach

 

Meridien is charging / asking you to pay almost 2ooo baht, if you are trying to do that. Because then you can use their facilities!

Never ask at Andaman White Resort for it. But assumingly the same, since they even advertise "Privat Beach"! Le Meridien only named it "secluded".

And Phuket RTP Bosses calling it (charging) legal, since the law, that all beaches are public has the flaw, that landowner before this beaches have no obligation, to have a way or to give passage for free.

No brown envelopes involved!

[Guest1]

4 hours ago, palooka said:

If the system allows it so be it.

Oh, on Phuket the hotels developed this system even further, during covid. Day passes with part of it available for drink and food payments.

And Club Med is offering day passes for "ages", 

[Marc26]

17 minutes ago, Guest1 said:

Meridien is charging / asking you to pay almost 2ooo baht, if you are trying to do that. Because then you can use their facilities!

Never ask at Andaman White Resort for it. But assumingly the same, since they even advertise "Privat Beach"! Le Meridien only named it "secluded".

And Phuket RTP Bosses calling it (charging) legal, since the law, that all beaches are public has the flaw, that landowner before this beaches have no obligation, to have a way or to give passage for free.

No brown envelopes involved!

I always thought the law was they had to let you through but you couldn't use their facilities 

 

But as you say, brown envelopes prevail 

[Marc26]

14 minutes ago, Guest1 said:

Oh, on Phuket the hotels developed this system even further, during covid. Day passes with part of it available for drink and food payments.

And Club Med is offering day passes for "ages", 

I don't ever even acknowledge I'm not a guest 

 

I just sit down and order drinks and food right away and never been asked 

 

I would definitely pay if they have a "spend" system/program 

[Skip]

LOS has morphed from "Land Of Smiles" to "Land Of Scams"

And if you assume to use a hotels private accommodations as if you are a guest you are stealing from other guests who have paid.

[palooka]

11 hours ago, Skip said:

LOS has morphed from "Land Of Smiles" to "Land Of Scams"

And if you assume to use a hotels private accommodations as if you are a guest you are stealing from other guests who have paid.

But if you are paying for everything you buy then you are not stealing anything.

Maybe you are keeping locals employed, waiters, kitchen staff etc, who may not be employed if the sales drop off.

Management are not stupid.  Crowds attract crowds.  If it is crowded it must be "good" attitude.

Works for me when I select where I'm eating.

Yes if it gets out of hand and the true guests cannot jump in the pool or order their martinis OK there is a case for containment.

Post Covid most of these places are still suffering big time.

[Marc26]

13 hours ago, Skip said:

LOS has morphed from "Land Of Smiles" to "Land Of Scams"

And if you assume to use a hotels private accommodations as if you are a guest you are stealing from other guests who have paid.

Yes if there is a lot of people at the pool and you are taking up a chair that a guest needs, you are stealing that chair

 

I agree with you 

 

 

I've only done this in big 5 star hotels with plenty of chairs available 

 

And have always spent more than a lot of guests did

 

Waiters have always been happy with the tip

[HolyCowCm]

22 hours ago, Marc26 said:

I don't ever even acknowledge I'm not a guest 

I just sit down and order drinks and food right away and never been asked 

I would definitely pay if they have a "spend" system/program 

I have been doing that in Thailand for well over 30 plus years since the first time I came here. First time me and my buddy just wanted a cool swim in CM. Grab a towel and act like you belong while ordering a drink. 

[Skip]

Stealing is stealing... there is no degree to it... just like ethics and morality

[gazmo16]

1 hour ago, Skip said:

Stealing is stealing... there is no degree to it... just like ethics and morality

But equally scamming is scamming and for hotels to portray the beaches as private/exclusive to their hotel are falsely representing the truth and if payment is required on top to gain access to the free beach than this is part of the fraud act so the hotels are just fleecing the uneducated. They just have bigger pockets to pay off the RTP when confronted with their dishonesty.

[Skip]

17 hours ago, gazmo16 said:

But equally scamming is scamming and for hotels to portray the beaches as private/exclusive to their hotel are falsely representing the truth and if payment is required on top to gain access to the free beach than this is part of the fraud act so the hotels are just fleecing the uneducated. They just have bigger pockets to pay off the RTP when confronted with their dishonesty.

Playground reasoning at it's finest... "but Johnny did it first".  One doesn't make the other right.

[Samlee]

You can't trust anyone nowadays. Thailand has changed so much since I arrived in 1984.

[gazmo16]

10 minutes ago, Samlee said:

You can't trust anyone nowadays. Thailand has changed so much since I arrived in 1984.

Hopefully you've at least seen some changes for the better in that time ,discounting honest politicians,  cops and a few other professions obviously 

[Skip]

1 hour ago, gazmo16 said:

Hopefully you've at least seen some changes for the better in that time ,discounting honest politicians,  cops and a few other professions obviously 

Actually "NO"...the Thai societal values have declined much like the rest of the world due to many influences including but not limited to social media... bias news reporting... lousy government... corrupt public figures... just to name a few.  There was a time that LOS meant Land of Smiles... now not so much.