Russian ****** scam

[ikeman155]

Is this a "heard from a friend" type of thing, or has it genuinely happened to someone. I would find it VERY hard to believe that the billing system at a starwood hotel would allow for anonymous, large and superfluos items to be simply padded onto the bill.

I mean this isn't a couple of hundred baht described innocuously on the bill for a porno channel, Its 3K (+ VAT?) that must have a line item, cost and description entered into the system and be totally accounted for by the company (what if you pay by credit card).

Sounds dubious to me, and something people shouldn't be spreading around unless it happened directly to them or they have proof.

 

[after H0urS]

as far as i can see the scam is alleged to be joiner fees???

is it possible/necessary to scam someone who stays at a hotel such as this and 'pulls' a ruskie - fish and barrel more like

 

[johnny j]

no need to explain it. we deserve pampering too...

what a neat scam es:

 

[tinaa]

>>Then again, had a gym membership card there a few years ago and was given full access to the pool and beach. It cost 20K a year back then.

I was a member also for a few years until new mgmt took over and doubled the fees. The membership did allow access to the pool, beach etc. Maybe the fees have dropped back down and this is their in.

 

[Pompal 09.]

Then why is the thread called "Russian H00ker Scam"...???

 

[Mr. Derp!!!]

or thai security guards not interested in stopping blonde blue eyed fair skinners
or maybe they are toooo interested in them?

 

[ELF]

I was stopped in Koh Lanta, and had to pay 500 baht to bring a Swedish girl to my bungalow, which I found strange, but at least they’re not discriminating.

 

[phil8656]

Think I've worked it out. Being a nosey git I've just been to Le Meridien News Of The World style. I asked at reception some prices for January for my "friend" coming and discreetly asked the girl what would happen if he wanted to bring in a lady from outside. She said he would have to pay 2500 baht for every night.

So I would guess the 3000 baht added on to bills would be the 2500 joiner fee to the hotel and a 500 baht commission goes to the "spotter/snitch" for reporting the guy taking a lady to his room.

Had a wander around and nothing much by the pool but there were a couple of hot blonde ladies on sunbeds on the beach but not having a telephoto lens sorry no pics...anyway they may just be innocent tourists ;-)

Don't think I'll be using their Spa for a massage though...all for 50 minutes>>>

Tradational Thai...1790 baht
Sport massage...2080 baht
Oriental Fusion Massage...1970 baht

 

[elijah F]

Because it hints that it is ONLY and ego boost and in fact paying for nothing.

Is buying a 4k bottle of wine an ego boost ?? Or is it you really enjoy that bottle ?? Is a nice restaurant an ego boost ?? Or is treating yourself to a sueforum.xxx meal, in good surroundings, natural every once in a while. Different people would see those two things totally differently.

 

[flippendo]

I think that, based on my experience, there was not a connection between the price of the massage and the skill of the masseuse.

For example, in Patong, you pay more for a massage from a shop on Beach Rd. than you do at a shop not near the Beach. In Patts, you pay a higher price for a massage from a shop on Walking Street, Beach Rd. or one of the busy side sois off those streets. So the price has more to do with the location than the massage you are getting. Same in BKK, as you pay more in the busier Sukhumvit locations. And you will def pay more, if the place has got a grand facade, marble floors, mahogany front desk, attractive girls to greet you at the door, nice furniture, a top sound system, etc. All of which has value to some people, but is not the massage.

In BKK, I have been told that you can get the same massage in Pratunam for 150 Baht that you will pay 500 Baht for in Sukhumvit, because the shops in Pratunam cater to Thai clientele, not tourists. But the Thais are not going to accept an inferior quality of massage than a farang tourist!

I would hope that the consistency of the quality of massage would be better when you are paying 10 times as much. I know in the cheaper places, not every girl is good, and sometimes you have to shop around to get a really good one. But I have had some pricier massages, and they were OK , but not the best ones.

I think that that it the main reason. I mean if it really doesn't matter to a person whether they pay 200 Baht for an hour massage, or 2000 Baht, then why not pay the higher price? I think there are loads of people in that income bracket, where it simply doesn't matter.

There are some for whom it matters, but they want the pampering, and the extra measure of deference that goes along with a higher price. Because for some(not you Paul..555..), it makes them feel good about themselves. It is the "I worked hard for my money, I am successful, I deserve the best treatment" mentality. Nothing wrong with that. If that is what rings your bell, and you have the money, then go for it.

But, as MC, confirmed, you can get the same massage from a gal with more experience, in Kamala for the regular, non-luxury rate. You might also get a gal who looks like a Sumo wrestler, can't speak two words of English, and has a feisty attitude. And, quite frankly, if she is the best masseuse, then I don't care about that. Cute girls are rarely the best masseuses. Speaking English has nothing to do with massage. And if a person is delivering the best service to me, I can even put up with a wee bit of attitude, sometimes(but then they have really got to be sueforum.xxx!).

 

[victoria d]

I agree that massage is one of the last thing that has really held its' value in the West.

However, even though the TGs think are farangs are rich, most of us really are not. You, on the other hand, are. Anyone who can afford to stay in a posh NYC hotel at silly hundreds per night, and get a one hour massage for $160 on top of that has got more money than they know what to do with. Must be nice!

So, yeah, for you rich guys, what is an extra 3500 Baht for a 400 Baht massage? Just a hundred bucks that was burning a hole in your pocket anyhow.

BTW, when last in Patts, I was getting a one hour massage with the nice music, in a quiet upstairs room, a few blocks from my guesthouse, for 120 Baht, and the girl was as good as any I've ever had. But I guess not having to walk those few blocks back to my room would be worth the extra 1900 Baht!

Or I could have gotten the massage just downstairs from my room, and two doors over, but then I would have had to deal with the girls soliciting me every time I walked by, and get upset with me, if I decided to patronize a different MP than theirs.

 

[momof2girls]

Thats was my hole point,again if you dont look like a young Sean Connery:yes:as you do........:yes:

 

[Gtry.]

can't be worse tahn the english girl who worked bangla for a while pretending to be a backpacker down on her luck etc.

 

[Pompal 09.]

that is exactly what i am saying
i am not discounting the skills of some of the massage girls in normal massage places, some are quite good
i just prefer a massage in a much more relaxed setting with all the luxuries

 

[Pathik]

But if you stay at a hotel and it has a joiner fee, then it is going to be on your bill. I imagine it would just say "joiner fee?" Or maybe something more innocous like "room service?" Perhaps someone who has stayed at such a hotel and paid the joiner fee could tell us what his bill said.

 

[asking and answering]

i would not pay the 160/hr for the massage and that is why i find the 60/hr for the massge a good deal

 

[jimmyjfox]

But again isnt that part of it.. Paying to have a certain minimum standard, that your not going to be guaranteed with a cheap street massage ??

I have had street massages where they clearly didnt know what they were doing, slap on a bit of oil, give him a bit of a rub down.. Someone with very limited training or feel for the job.

I would expect that any of the higher end spa places are going to be recruiting from a more well trained and experienced pool of staff. So as well as all the pampering, spa feel, robes etc. Your not wasting valuable holiday time by getting a less than average experience.

Say you have a 1 week vacation, and maybe time for only one or two massages, surely it makes some sense to make sure your getting a good minimum and in pleasant surroundings. Thats the exact kind of people who would pay 1x00 for a massage in the hotel spa, thier time is limited, and valuable, the holiday already cost them a high price, why waste time with having to shop around to get quality ?

 

[Russell]

They have an employee at ground floor before each elevator accessing the rooms so no need for any spies or girls reporting visitors to the room.

As for blonds in the lobby, I have never seen any. I haven't been there this year, but in the past they had a visitors fee of 1500 baht to access the hotel.

While the place has become pretty Russian the last couple of years, it is also family oriented, I would be surprised if ******s are working the lobby or the beach. This friend of a friend story while titillating may have gotten it wrong.

 

[<barbierox>]

wow what a load of BS. and this hotel is owned by the ................ is it not...

 

[Ana C]

>>So I would guess the 3000 baht added on to bills would be the 2500 joiner fee to the hotel and a 500 baht commission goes to the "spotter/snitch" for reporting the guy taking a lady to his room.

Case "almost" closed. Now someone needs to find out the fee for Svetlana and her time.