Today I headed down to Phloen Chit area to buy a backpack and apply for my travel visa to Vietnam. I arrived about 11:30 and knew the embassy was closed from 11:30 to 1:30 so I went to get my backpack and eat lunch first.After eating I hoisted my new empty backpack onto my shoulders and headed in the direction of Wireless Rd (where the Vietnamese embassy is located). I reached a crossroad where I thought Wireless Rd was. I was standing on the corner trying to see a street sign to tell me if I was at the right intersection when a nicely dressed Thai man approached me and said "This is Wireless Rd." as if he was reading my mind.He asked me what I was looking for and I said the Vietnamese Embassy. He pointed me in the right direction and we got to talking. He said he worked at the bank across the street. His English was very good.He told me the Embassy was closed now for lunch and I told him I knew that. He also told me that the Embassy doesn't take applications in the afternoon and only in the mornings. (Not according to their official website) Warning bells started going off in my head.Next he told me that processing time for non-Thai people is over a week but for Thai people only a couple of days.Then came the scam....He told me the best way to get the visa is the expedited way through a travel agency. But don't trust the ones here (as he gestured behind us) ... he knew a really good one and proceeded to write down the address for me. I thanked him and then he warned me about tuk tuks that hang out in front of hotels. The tuk tuks in this area are good because there are police here.He then starts to call one for me. I tell him no thanks and said I would go find the Embassy now. He told me again they were closed for lunch. I told him that I knew that and just wanted to find the place so I would know where to go tomorrow. He got a bit of a pissed off look on his face and walked away.I laughed to myself as he stormed off. With just under an hour before the Embassy opened I decided to treat myself to a foot massage. I then walked to the Embassy, filled out and dropped off the forms, paid the cashier and was told to come back tomorrow to pick up my visa. :)The Lonely Planet was right .. if a Thai person speaks better English then you .. and you never met them before. BE WARNED.Scammer: 0

Paul: 1

Cool..........

Nice job Paul.... Thumbs Up !

Very good Paul!!!

One drop of poison infects the whole vat of wine ...à«ç§à»ç´

Well i never! Since i arrived here for the very first time 10 weeks ago i haven't believed anyone about anything. Taxi drivers driving the long way round, girls with more than one boyfriend recieving money every month for doing nothing and paying 400 baht to enter an island the locals only pay 40 baht to enter.

Never trust anyone.

Special thanks for Lonely planet.... Well done.

ALso if some one walks up to you and the first thing they say is ''My friend'' he's gonna **** you over.

beej: The thing that I hate MOST of all is when tuk tuk drivers call me "boss". Maybe it's the stupid ingrained white guilt but I can't help but picture black slaves calling the white man "boss".

But yes .. you are right ... "my friend" never leads to something good.

**** me!! the lonely planet was right about something!!

Well done, you listened to the warning bells and the 'my friend' is the biggest.

RascalKing: I also hate the boss term but it is amazing how such terms remain part of the popular lexicon with those wanting farang dollars. Didn't used to be used at all from memory 20-25 years ago. Given the historical context it is also interesting when you think about how nationalistic and independent thais are.

The funny thing also is right at the corner there are half a dozen travel agents all of whom will relieve you of an extra about 500 baht on top of the visa charge so that you don't have to walk 200 metres down the road!

"My friend'' <<<< I would thought that an indian calling me. It just remind me of when I was addicted to Yahoo chat and there were millions of Indian who kept calling me "my friend" and then wanted to see me on cam to check out what I was wearing...

sounds familiar.....

it's especially something I see with "my friend" why does everyone use that who speaks english?

and way to go fellow namesake! 555 us paul's smarter then the average tourist! 555

Lonely planet works in a weird way somehow..

It worked when I went to Cambodia..the scammer failed ..but instead the guy yelled behind my back... "You..Thai woman have big pu$$y"

how did he know that? I didnt take my pants off!!

I usually ask them where I can get a suit, a massage and some gems !!