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Travel Agent warning-entrance of Coco Palms, Mae Nam

Replies: 10 - Last Post: 14-Jul-2005 22:26 Last Post By: steve252

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Lyndy

Lyndy avatar

27-Jan-2005 22:05
Posts:  56

Travel Agent warning-entrance of Coco Palms, Mae Nam

I forgot to post this earlier and after reading a post on the India TT, it reminded me to warn others of this dishonest agency and the mafia controlled transport con at Samui and beyond!

We had a lovely 6 nts at Coco Palms on Mae Nam Beach, Samui and the night before our departure we asked the owner's father of Coco Palms how much we would need to pay for a taxi to Nathon Pier to pick up a ferry for Surat Thani. He advised us to use the travel agent just along on the driveway entrance to Coco Palms. He said the agency would sell us a transfer to Nathon, a ferry ticket and an air cond deluxe non-stop bus to Phuket for 450 baht pp which was good value. Not a bargain, but OK.

We went down to see the agent , a middle aged Thai woman, confirmed VERY clearly what we wanted (a direct deluxe bus service with no stops) and she agreed and confirmed what we had been told by the owner of Coco Palms. We paid our money and waited for our pick up early next morning.

No problems, we were picked up in a mini-van, taken to the Nathon Pier & given tickets for the ferry and bus to Phuket. When we arrived at the DonSak wharf we looked for our deluxe air cond bus. Not to be found. We were loaded onto a cramped old rust bucket with 50 others. Some of us had seats, some did not. When people complained they were told "bad luck".

Anyway after a hour or so we arrived at a crappy little cafe on the outskirts of Surat Thani and we were dumped there and told our deluxe bus would be along later. When we complained, we were abused by the owner of the cafe, then taken by mini-bus to a travel agent in Surat Thani-no name on the building and dumped there. We met a guy who had been ferried back and forward all day, waiting for a bus to take him to Phuket. Eventually a mini-bus with the windows & doors broken & rusted arrived and we were told this was our bus to Phuket. The driver was very tired and it was obvious he had driven from Phuket that morning. When we arrived in Phuket after a dreadful cramped ride, we were taken to a travel agent on the outskirts of Phuket right near to a big Tesco Market and told we had to pay 100 baht each to get to our hotels. We just started walking and caught a taxi at Tesco to Karon for our lovely Inn on the Beach Hotel.

Do not use an agency in Samui. You will get ripped off.

You can just get a taxi or bike to Nathon, buy a ferry ticket then buy a bus ticket at Donsak. There are government buses which will take you non-stop to Phuket. We were wiser on our return journey and just rolled up to Phuket bus terminal and bought a ticket to Krabi town then hired a song thaew to Ao Nang.

If you're not sure, just ask another traveller. Don't trust these scheming rotten scoundrels who prey on even savvy travellers ( like to think I'm one!)
Good luck.

"She had a ruby on her tummy and a diamond big as Texas on her toe, wo. wo."

tezza

tezza avatar

27-Jan-2005 22:17
Posts:  7,978

1

Good info Lyndy. This scam is pretty common. Thanks.

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steve252

steve252 avatar

27-Jan-2005 22:49
Posts:  1,263

2

You can just get a taxi or bike to Nathon, buy a ferry ticket then buy a bus ticket at Donsak. There are government buses which will take you non-stop to Phuket.

better still, there are direct Gov.Bus services from NATHON to Phuket! (in all probability, the same bus as the one you're referring to - but book/board in Nathon and you're guaranteed a seat, wait until Don Sak and it could be full)

likewise, direct Gov.Bus services from Nathon to Bangkok and to Hat Yai - ie direct, cheaper, quicker, and less hassle than going via Surat Thani

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bwanabrad

bwanabrad avatar

27-Jan-2005 23:13
Posts:  99

3

Lyndy - l suggest you report them to the TAT and the tourist police as well. Every little bit of pressure on them helps to change their minds about offering the same level of ' service, ' in the future.

Tuesday

Tuesday avatar

28-Jan-2005 05:27
Posts:  488

4

How is this a "Mafia controlled transport con"?
It's crappy service and being lied to about the quality of your transportation, which does suck.
I only arrange flights through travel agents after having this sort of bad experience a few times.
The sad thing is, there are good travel agents who have great deals, bad agent just looking for a quick buck, and good agents who try to give a fair deal but can't control the actual service providers.

Never be afraid of anything.

CITIZEN821

CITIZEN821 avatar

28-Jan-2005 09:07
Posts:  8

5

When I find myself in this kind of situation (and have many times) I find a pub, have a few beers and sit back and enjoy the ride. Your in Thailand,which beats being at home no matter how f-ing bad the ride.

Cheers
Your friendly mahout.

billp

billp avatar

28-Jan-2005 12:17
Posts:  3,312

6

In my experience, transportation packages offered by Songserm Travel are OK. It's a reputable agency operates the ferry boats to Samui.

westwood

westwood avatar

28-Jan-2005 22:01
Posts:  10,544

7

We had similar going from Koh Samui to Bangkok by cheapest bus-ferry combination, particularly the bit about waiting at the cafe. Wasnt the worst ride we've ever had. C"est la vie!!!

We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public.

sticky

sticky avatar

13-Jul-2005 21:07
Posts:  2

8

I had a similar experience, taking a boat/bus package from koh tao to kuala lumpor.
it was also advertised as luxury bus, which it wasnt, and said we would be getting to KL about 6 hours earlier than when we got there.
it was fine until we got to surat thani, where we ended up sat on the pavement infront of a cafe - a little office next door.
wores was to come though:
We were all celled in one by one (in my case with my girlfriend) to speak with the owners wife in the little office, where she tried to rip us of for hundreds of dollars.
Basically she said that we needed US$500 cash in malasian ringit to get into the country - and then tried to sell us those ringits at twice the normal rate. We basically told her where to go.

She told us the conversion rate in Bhat/Ringit - hoping that we would not know she was lying

Bend it, Cheese it

Lyndy

Lyndy avatar

14-Jul-2005 21:41
Posts:  56

9

sticky- I suggest you post this under a new topic as it will not get read this far back on the TT. The mongrels who try these scams on should be damn well kicked from one end of Asia to the other. Lucky we soon learn to distrust most business people & taxi/rickshaw/bus people we meet! Sad & sorry tale & glad yopu told them what to do!

"She had a ruby on her tummy and a diamond big as Texas on her toe, wo. wo."

steve252

steve252 avatar

14-Jul-2005 22:26
Posts:  1,263

10

it was fine until we got to surat thani, where we ended up sat on the pavement infront of a cafe - a little office next door.

and I bet this was the place: pic #1 | pic #2

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