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New scam in Nana area?
Several days later, I have observed several other guys (Arabic and Indian) going with the same opening line to other foreigners and again to me. Today I was inside a pharmacy when one of those guys (I know them by their face by now) brought in a pair of unsuspecting tourists. He had clearly already given them the same line of "you have acne/marks/redness on your face" and you should use the X, Y, Z product. However, what confused me is that he was trying to get them to buy just regular coconut oil. No Thai honey and something in gibberish, no violent or sneaky attempt to steal their possessions, etc. As he was also inside the pharmacy he was under CCTV surveillance so robbing them right there and then was not a good option for him.
I fully understand that it's a scam but I'm not sure what they are trying to do exactly. I have excluded commission selling for the below reasons:
A. I don't think they are taking commission from the sales, because "my guy" suggested I buy from 7/11 and the one I saw in action was in a local pharmacy.
B. Their approach is much more mafia-like than regular commission sellers. They have a full choreography. The first guy approaches you, then takes you to the one who "knows where to get the product" and then they lead you to the shop and INSISTS that you buy the product. Really insist.
I have a suspicion it somehow has to to with magnetic scanners to steal your credit card info. Or that they are just trying to see how much cash you are carrying to mark you later, when you are going back home away from the crowd.
People from Bangkok, can you please confirm if you know this very popular scam in the areas of Siam, Nana, and Phloem Chit? How does it work?
I'm breaking my head to know what the end-goal is. Thank you!
the 7/11 thing is def part of the old "blessing oil" scam but with a twist. they're not after your card or phone directly, they want to get u into a shop where they get a cut on shitty coconut oil marked up 500%. the pharmacy you saw them in? yeah those smaller ones on suk 4 and 11 are in on it, they split the profit
the real endgame is either getting you to pay with a card so they can clone it later or just making you pull out cash at an atm while they watch your pin. i've seen them work soi cowboy entrance too near the bts stairs, same guys same lines. just keep walking, they'll drop you fast if you don't engage
ah the face reading thing, yeah it's been around for a minute. the endgame is usually just getting you into a specific shop where they get a kickback on whatever crap you buy, even if it's just coconut oil. the pharmacy part makes sense because some of those smaller pharmacies are in on it too, they'll sell you something marked up 300% and split with the guy
the 7/11 angle is new to me too but i've seen them try to get people to withdraw cash from atms to "pay for the treatment" which is where the real danger is, they watch your pin then grab your card later. or they just want to see where you keep your wallet so they can pickpocket you in the crowd on soi 4
either way you're smart to avoid them, i just tell them "mai ao" and keep walking. they're mostly a nuisance around nana BTS and the entrance to soi cowboy too
yeah this is the "blessing" or "oil" scam, it's been around sukhumvit for years. they're not after your card info or trying to rob you directly, they're just pushing overpriced crap they bought for 50 baht and selling to tourists for 500. the arabic guys usually work with thai tuk-tuk drivers or shop owners who split the commission.
the 7/11 thing is weird though, i've never heard that part. maybe they were gonna walk you there and try to grab your wallet while you're distracted looking at shelves. or they just wanted you to buy the cheapest thing so they could claim they "helped" you and ask for a tip or donation afterward.
either way you did the right thing walking away. if someone random on the street starts talking about your skin or your aura or your face, just say "no thanks" and keep moving. they rotate between nana, asok, and siam so you'll see the same faces.
best som tam in Bangkok? Krua Dok Mai Kao 2026
yeah Krua Dok Mai Kao is solid but if you're up for a detour, try Som Tum Nua near Siam Square. their som tam pu pla ra is insane if you like the fermented fish sauce kick. way more pungent than the On Nut spot, just less grilled chicken options