Thailand forum

I find it strange that you dont go into more detail on point 3 , which is surely the worst thing that happened to you ?

Your first two points , I can think of a lot worse scams going on these .

In fact your second point is used by near every hotel in Thailand .

Bottom line , if things like this annoy you , then you should have done it independently , and not through a tour company .

IMHO

About point 3 (tour not as described), here are the details:

"In March 2008, I visited Pattaya and I took a 7 days/6 nights Cambodia package tour (by road) for 31,000 Baht with Maneerat (copy of receipt available). The tour was supposed to go from Pattaya to Siem Reap, Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville, and Koh Kong, and then return to Pattaya. The price was supposed to include tour guides and all meals in Cambodia (copy of the tour program available). Here are the major mishaps:

1. Siem Reap (2 nights): Before I paid for the tour, Maneerat showed me the brochure of the hotel which I was supposed to stay in Siem Reap. It is an almost brand new hotel called Monoreach Angkor Hotel (I have the brochure). However, when I arrived in Siem Reap (on March 7), the Siem Reap travel agent sent me to stay in Neak Pean Hotel, which is a very old hotel (although the front was renovated to look new).

2. Phnom Penh (2 nights): When I arrived in Phnom Penh by boat (on March 9), the driver hired by the above Siem Reap agent drove me to the hotel booked. However, the hotel didn’t have the booking record. Since the hotel was full, the driver and I had to look for hotel accommodation, wasting the very limited time I had in the city. In addition to the hotel mishap, it turned out that the driver was just a driver, not a tour guide. He just dropped me at attractions without any explanation of the attractions (a tour guide would walk with me and provide a fair amount of explanation).

3. Sihanoukville (2 nights): This was the most awful part. In Phnom Penh, I asked the driver about arrangements in Sihanoukville and Koh Kong. He said he and the above Siem Reap agent were only responsible for the Siem Reap/Phnom Penh part of the tour and he knew nothing about the rest of the tour, except providing me a public bus ticket to Sihanoukville. I was frustrated. I called and emailed Maneerat to find out arrangements for the rest of the tour. According to the tour program, I was supposed to spend 1 night in Sihnaoukville and 1 night in Koh Kong, with a guided tour in both places. To my great dissatisfaction, Maneerat informed me through emails (I still have the emails) that I would NOT visit Koh Kong and I would spend the last 2 nights of the tour at Holiday Palace Resort in Sihanoukville. Furthermore, there would be NO tour guide, NO transport to the hotel, and NO meals (except breakfast provided by the hotel) while I was in Sihanoukville. When I arrived in Sihanoukville, I was on my own! Thus, the package tour was not a package tour at all, not worthy of 31,000 Baht!!! (For your information, hotel accommodation in Cambodia is around 750 Baht/night. If there is no tour guide for all or a good part of the tour, anyone who pays 31,000 Baht for a 7 days/6 nights tour is being cheated.)

4. Return to Pattaya: This part is unbelievable. When I was in Sihanoukville, I emailed Maneerat about transport arrangement back to Pattaya. Maneerat assured me 3 times (in 3 emails; I still have the emails) that an agent would pick me up at the hotel lobby at noon on March 13 and take me back to Pattaya. On that date, I waited, but no one came to pick me up and there were no messages for me. So I was stranded in Sihanoukville for one night (fortunately, I was able to find my way back to Pattaya myself). Thus, Maneerat failed to complete my tour. A few days later on March 18, I emailed Maneerat about this transport mishap, but I heard nothing from Maneerat, let alone an apology.

This horrible Cambodia tour more or less ruined my holidays. Maneerat clearly has failed to deliver its promised services and the tour was just a ripoff (only the one-day visit to Angkor Wat qualified as a guided tour)."

Happened to me the first time. But after a couple of trips you do learn about it. Along with the visa, the currency exchange and a mini bus FULL of mozzies.

Sound like you got off lightly. lol

:)

31,000 Baht, a ripoff considering the poor quality of the tour.

3-star hotels only. If I were to pay for hotels myself, the rate per night would be US$25-30. As I said the tour was a ripoff. So beware of Maneerat when you are in Pattaya (and spread the news if you would)!

expatrodney, thanks for this! You did me a solid with this tip on a good travel agency--with phone and address details! Terrific!

I'll definitely be calling Khun Nuch for my future travel needs.

hunghung, i'm sorry to hear about your experiences,
and thank you too for your tip.

It does seem strange that if small meals were included in the package cost, so should've a bigger need like a Cambodian visa.

Scare tactics abound are particularly apparent in Cambodia where the thinking is extra small.

Generally, if a tout anywhere tells me i have only one choice, and i really ought to hop-to before it's too late, I pretty much know then and there I've got better options and so move away.

If however one is stuck situation, best thing I find is to leave it temporarily. Let the cute little caricature of real person currently in your face just
stand there. He won't take it as personal slight for ending the conversation abruptly, as any one of us is just a moment away from being a crazy foreigner anyway. So what difference does it make by being polite?

Off to side now, take a minute. If you don't smoke, start. Then come back fresh into the attack with a clearer picture and perhaps a renewed appreciation for the human race.

Also, I make it a point to ask around for second opinions. As if I'm up for brain surgery, I ask around and I look for the older guy who has been through it all before and is less likely to try and scam me cause he doesn't want the potential hassle.

Git jiggy widit, too. Have fun with it, is what I mean, as these types feed on our frustrations, which doesn't help our cause which is not for any special treatment but for fair trade, only.

expatrodney, thanks for this! You did me a solid with this tip on a good travel agency--with phone and address details! Terrific!

I'll definitely be calling Khun Nuch for my future travel needs.

hunghung, i'm sorry to hear about your experiences,
and thank you too for your tip.

It does seem strange that if small meals were included in the package cost, so should've a bigger need like a Cambodian visa.

Scare tactics abound are particularly apparent in Cambodia where the thinking is extra small.

Generally, if a tout anywhere tells me i have only one choice, and i really ought to hop-to before it's too late, I pretty much know then and there I've got better options and so move away.

If however one is stuck situation, best thing I find is to leave it temporarily. Let the cute little caricature of real person currently in your face just
stand there. He won't take it as personal slight for ending the conversation abruptly, as any one of us is just a moment away from being a crazy foreigner anyway. So what difference does it make by being polite?

Off to side now, take a minute. If you don't smoke, start. Then come back fresh into the attack with a clearer picture and perhaps a renewed appreciation for the human race.

Also, I make it a point to ask around for second opinions. As if I'm up for brain surgery, I ask around and I look for the older guy who has been through it all before and is less likely to try and scam me cause he doesn't want the potential hassle.

Git jiggy widit, too. Have fun with it, is what I mean, as these types feed on our frustrations, which doesn't help our cause which is not for any special treatment but for fair trade, only.

expatrodney, thanks for this! You did me a solid with this tip on a good travel agency--with phone and address details! Terrific!

I'll definitely be calling Khun Nuch for my future travel needs.

hunghung, i'm sorry to hear about your experiences,
and thank you too for your tip.

It does seem strange that if small meals were included in the package cost, so should've a bigger need like a Cambodian visa.

Scare tactics abound are particularly apparent in Cambodia where the thinking is extra small.

Generally, if a tout anywhere tells me i have only one choice, and i really ought to hop-to before it's too late, I pretty much know then and there I've got better options and so move away.

If however one is stuck situation, best thing I find is to leave it temporarily. Let the cute little caricature of real person currently in your face just
stand there. He won't take it as personal slight for ending the conversation abruptly, as any one of us is just a moment away from being a crazy foreigner anyway. So what difference does it make by being polite?

Off to side now, take a minute. If you don't smoke, start. Then come back fresh into the attack with a clearer picture and perhaps a renewed appreciation for the human race.

Also, I make it a point to ask around for second opinions. As if I'm up for brain surgery, I ask around and I look for the older guy who has been through it all before and is less likely to try and scam me cause he doesn't want the potential hassle.

Git jiggy widit, too. Have fun with it, is what I mean, as these types feed on our frustrations, which doesn't help our cause which is not for any special treatment but for fair trade, only.

I do most of my Travel and accom by Google search, budget accommodation search etc etc.

These days with the Internet there is nothing you cannot find out, if anyone is travelling anywhere do your homework, search with Google or etc and you will be forwarned, its that easy to cover your R'c