I know that I’m writing quite a fair few posts about dangerous or scam-laden elements of South East Asia, and I’d just like to make it very clear that I loved everywhere I visited (except Sihanoukville) and would return in a heartbeat.
My motivation for writing these posts is that I really, really wish I’d known about these scams when I was travelling. Otherwise incredible experiences were dulled by some of these events, and I want to make sure others know about them. Everyone’s heard of the tuk tuk gem scam, or ‘the Grand Palace is closed’ one, but not many people realise a tuk tuk scam operates in Siem Reap too.
It started as soon as I stepped off the bus at Siem Reap’s bus station. I was exhausted from the earlier visa fiasco at the border, and wanted nothing more than to get into a hostel and sleep for forever. The terminal in Siem Reap is a fair distance away from the town, so you have to catch a tuk tuk. After a month in Thailand I was feeling pretty confident about my tuk tuk bargaining skills, and I quickly chose a driver who agreed to a reasonable price.
He was charming, kind and delivered me to my hostel without any delays. He told me that many tuk tuk drivers in Siem Reap were giving honest guys like him a bad name.
I told him I planned to visit Angkor Archaeological Park the next day, and he said he’d happily take me there and act as a guide around the 3 main temples I wanted to see (Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and Ta Prohm) and bring me back for $15. I happily agreed.
He arrived at 4.30am, full of smiles and chirpy as a canary, and drove me and another girl the 4 miles from Siem Reap to the park entrance.
This is where the scam kicked in.
Once we’d bought our tickets to enter the park – which cost $20 for one day’s admission, we went back to the tuk tuk to get started. However, our driver had had a sudden change of heart. Rather than the $15 fee we’d agreed on, he now wanted to charge us $85 – each.
As a budget backpacker I could never have afforded that price – and it was exorbitant – this was just for the three main temples! At this point the sun was starting to come up and I started to panic. Our driver knew could see how desperate we were not to miss it, and played us like idiots. We renegotiated the price, it was now $30 each – double what we’d first been told, and I was fuming, but I had to see what I’d travelled all the way to Cambodia to see – the sun rise over Angkor Wat.
I missed the sunrise.
This is the biggest regret I had during my time in Cambodia. Once we’d agreed on the new price, hostility brewing in the darkness, our driver took as long as he could possibly take to drive us to the temple. He even stopped for a cigarette break – a miracle seeing as it’s a ten minute ride – mumbling that he hated tourists – we were rich white people, why were we so stingy?
As soon as we arrived at the (already light) Angkor Wat, he demanded we pay him. I refused. I gave him $5, much to his fury, and said I’d pay the rest once we’d finished the tour. The other girl paid him the $30 in full.
With that he threw us out of his tuk tuk and zoomed off as quickly as he could, leaving my friend penniless and me close to tears.
I looked at Angkor Wat, it was mind blowingly beautiful, but I was too pissed off to care.
For someone who’d only ever travelled to Europe and the Americas before this, it was completely incredible, exotic and breathtaking.
But I couldn’t appreciate it. All I could think about was how we’d been conned and unceremoniously ditched.
We approached a guard, who I recounted my story to. He told us it’s a common scam. Unscrupulous drivers agree on a low price after befriending tourists, bring them to the park very close to sunrise, wait for them to buy the entry ticket, then try to charge them a huge fee. Many will pay up in order to see the sunrise, knowing that it’ll be extremely difficult to find a spare tuk tuk driver roaming around. If you decline to pay, like we did, they’re more than happy to ditch you (normally after taking some money) and then drive back to Siem Reap, pick up another customer, and make another day’s worth of pay.
After sitting around for half an hour reflecting on how gullible I’d been, a young driver, who introduced himself as Mr Tom, approached us, and offered to take us round two temples of our choice for $10. He didn’t have any tourists with him, and as we had no other choice, we accepted.
After visiting Bayon, we went to find him, only to realise he was gone. We hadn’t paid him yet, so we just assumed another couple of tourists had taken his fancy and he’d ditched us. AGAIN. I couldn’t believe our luck.
By this point I never wanted to see another tuk tuk driver again. But when a young man shouted ‘MR TOM SENT ME!’ I turned round to see yet ANOTHER driver. He told us Mr Tom had gone to collect his son from school, and we were to use him instead. Utterly flabbergasted and beyond confused, we let him take us to the last temple, Ta Prohm, and then back to the hostel. True to his word we were only charged $10, but what should have been an incredible day ended up being panic-stricken, exhausting and had made me very wary about Cambodia. Angkor Wat was stirring, jaw-dropping and a must-see, but I wish I could’ve avoided the scams.
How to not get scammed
- Choose a driver who has been arranged by your guesthouse, they won’t then suddenly up the price, or ditch you.
- Don’t be fooled by low prices, drivers want to get money, one way or another.
- Inside the temples, be wary. Stay away from small, cute children who follow you/approach you in the ruins. They’re often pickpockets, or will beg you endlessly for money. Tell them you have no money, they’ll soon find someone else to hassle.
- Don’t take incense sticks off anyone inside the temples. They’ll hand you a stick, show you how to make a quick prayer, and then try to charge you $5 for the stick. Walk away.
- If you want to see the sunrise, leave with good time. You do not want to miss it.
- Seeing the sunrise or sunset will cost more, around $3.
Gallivanting Georgia 
Will be there in June, so thanks for the advice I will put it to good use,
Hi Greg, I’m glad you found it helpful! I’m sure you’ll have an amazing time, it’s beautiful.
I am sorry to here of your miserable day
I am glad you advised people to use the services by a guesthouse
Please this is not an advertisement
My new guesthouse is linked to my tour website touringcambodia.com and this way I can introduce people to local activities and when using my website i become somewhat RESPONSIBLE for their welfare.
I take my work seriously and CARE for my guests.
I have traveled to more than 42 countries and have been lucky enough not to have been scammed very much, but it does happen to the most cautious of us.
Don’t be scared of making a deal with people but be sure you know what you are getting for your money.
If you get a hassle from a tuk-tuk driver and he wants more money have a couple of bucks in your hand and give it to him and just WALK AWAY
Don’t fall into the trap, just don’t pay. Don’t feel guilty either.
Yet remember that tipping is not out of fashion and if you feel you have received service beyond your expectations please show your appreciation, and also recommend. Try to promote the positive.
Above all have fun travelling I have been doing so since I was 18 and I am now 61
best wishes and happy travels.
Scrolling through the comments tells me this problem is timeless! Having just had my excursion to Angkor Wat soured after asking our tuk tuk driver, who we’d agreed 20 dollars for a direct route to the temples away from the main complexes for a DAY, said “no” to our request to take us to one more temple 1 minute back up from where we had just driven after only 4 hours of being out and seeing 5 temples. With initially vague excuses slowly mounting up to talking to us like the clueless, gullible white tourists we are, he sat himself on his bike and asserted that his price was cheap, our destinations far and it takes 10 hours for the earth to revolve on it’s axis. At this point my girlfriend went ballistic; I call bullshit on anyone who says girls can’t handle these situations. He told us to walk to the 1 minute away temple and he’d wait, so we called his bluff. He followed, and we would’ve just given him ten dollars and told him to bugger off – but we only had twenty. So back we went, he won, but not before we vented our disbelief.
Wow, that’s terrible. I didn’t even realize that these scams existed. I went to Ankor Wat last year, and didn’t have any problems. My guesthouse arranged for a driver to pick me from the bus station, and he ended up being my driver for the week. The guesthouse didn’t pay my tuk tuk driver for the transfer, so I did feel pressured to pick him for my sightseeing. He was reliable, and things worked out fine. I don’t recall all the prices, I’m pretty sure I paid $18 for the sunset + the main circuit.
Yeah $18 sounds about right. Who would pay $85! I think I just got really unlucky, most people seem to get through fine, but as long as there are tourists, there’ll be scams.
Don’t worry about missing sunrise, the one we saw was crowded and hazy. We found that in the evening right before the temples closed was the best time – ambient lighting, good temperature and no people! That’s a bummer about the scams, fortunately we didn’t run in to any.
We’re headed there next week…thanks for the heads up
WHAT Unbelievable. I hadn’t heard of this particular scam.
We were shunted around between a couple of different tuktuks when we first got into Siem Reap (“This is my brother!”) which made me a bit wary, but thankfully that wasn’t a scam.
We did use a driver arranged by or guesthouse and had no problems
We thought we were doing well avoiding everyone who approached us at the temples, but in one dark corridor an old disable man came up and pressed incense sticks into our hands. That was an expensive ($10) blessing.
This happened to us just yesterday, August 13, 2015. Price is now up to $20, and seeing how many $20 the man got, he must’ve conned quite a lot of people. However, we only gave him $1 because we already donated to the real Buddhist monk a few corridors down the hall. Don’t be afraid to say no, they’ll usually just find someone else to con.
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Hello. I am now presently in siem reap with family. No tuktuk scams for me but another type just as irritating.
We asked our driver to drop us off at a restaurant to take out food. A little girl approached selling post cards for 100B since i think she heard i asked the waiter if they accepted thai baht. When i refused to buy any, saying no, she asked ‘why no?’. I didnt mind her. Waiting for our food with my family in the tuktuk, a woman approached me selling books. The killing fields and first they killed my father. She aked 6 dollars for each. I said im not interested. She lowered the price to 3 usd per book. I said no, not interested. She said ‘not interested to know history of cambodia?’ .I guess she was bugging me since i was already reading a book about angkor wat while waiting.She said ‘ you not buy, i have no business today’. Seeing i wouldnt budge, she went to the tuktuk where my family was. This time, she was convincing my husband. Timely enough, i got our food and boarded the tuktuk. She was selling the books for 12 usd to my husband. I said ‘dad, she was selling it to me for 3 usd a piece’. My husband was already holding the books that time. The woman said, as if mocking me ‘ oh daddy, she selling me the books for 3 usd!’. I was amazed at her nerves! I took the books from my husband, handed them back to her and told her, ‘sorry. No business for you today.’ Then we drove away . But not without hearing her saying something in cambodian i cant understand and her hearing me say ‘BITCH’. Im sorry. But her nerves rocked me. Later, my husband told me he was about to buy the books since the woman said i told her to go to him and ask him to choose what he liked. She lied ofcourse.
Oh well. My experience overall is good. Cant let one person ruin it.
Take care you all.
Oh c’mon, people. If you understand that they’re just trying to feed themselves, you won’t be so frustrated with the scams. Be aware of them, since it’s going to happen fairly consistently. Just say “no” and laugh. There is really no point in becoming annoyed at all. Of course, I say this after almost punching every tuk tuk driver who ever accosted me. Next, I just need to say that your friend should not have given up that $30 so easily. The more gullible and conciliatory tourists there are, the more scams there will be. Personally, I would have said “screw the sunset” and just nonchalantly walked away from the driver and strolled to Angor myself, laughing about it all the way. I can empirically guarantee that the driver would have followed me down the road and finally agreed to not only our original price, but, at my insistence, a lower one for being a jerk. If not, let him drive off. I do realize that at 4 am, this is easier for a male to do, but there were two of you. Lastly, never pay for a service until it’s been rendered: that just seems to me to be common sense. If every tourist is a smart negotiator and stands their ground instead of avoiding a little confrontation (which is, needless to say, unlikely to become violent), it’ll make all our lives, as fellow travellers, easier. They only pull scams that work, so do your best not to let them work.
I got scammed after getting off the Poipet-Siem Reap bus. They had Tuk Tuk drivers for everyone assuring the rides to our hostels were free. Then after a few minutes they told me it was free only if I choose a tour to Ankor Wat the next day at outrageous prices. I refused and they demanded 200 baht. I should have got a sim card because my hostel offered free pickup service but after the long 3rd class train from Bangkok and bus to Siem Reap. I just wanted to get to my hostel. Next time I’ll know better.
I have recently returned from Siem Reap and toured Angkor Wat, I was lucky enough to find an honest and educated young tuk tuk driver who speaks good English and is very informative on the history of the temples, he also has suggestions on the best itinary and puts in long days. His name is LOEUM DANY [Mr. Chet] Phone No.[855] 12 60 95 05 give him a ring and you won’t be disappointed.
me too! I just came back from Siem reap, and had Dany as my driver for 4days. I really really had a great time with him and I just googled his name now, and found this scam article. At first, I thought this is about Dany(because of the google!), so very shocked and doubted, but now, I’m so relieved knowing it is because of your post!!
I know he is very good person, he’s very patient with my poor English (I’m Japanese), so it couldn’t be him!!
I strongly suggest to all to have him as your driver!!
Wow…that sounds horrible! I didn’t even know of such scams…I was looking for a place to post online to recommend my tuk tuk driver for future travelers and found your site. We just got back from Cambodia last week and I guess we got really lucky since we found a young, English-speaking tuk tuk driver in Old Market and then ended up staying with him for 3 days straight! His name is Kann and he was great! He recommended itineraries for us and was very enthusiastic to talk to us about life in Cambodia. If anyone is going to Siem Reap and is looking for a tuk tuk driver, I highly recommend him. Kann’s contact info is key_kann@yahoo.com or [855](0)012516802
Going there tomorrow. Thanks for the warning!
Wow, I too did not know this tuk tuk scam existed. I have been to Siem Reap twice and have used the same driver both times for 3 weeks. Speaks relatively good English and is very honest, goes out of his way to make your stay a great one.
His name is Va and ph no. is 855 929 135 76
Shocked to hear about the scams. We plan to go Angkor wot tomorrow but not fussed about sunset as we have 2 kids with us. Was in Phnom Penh for 6 days before and never encountered this with tuk tuks – we negotiate a price and they never once asked to be paid before end of trip one way or return. We paid anything from $1 to $20 (that was for a whole day prison and killing fields – maybe a bit much but he was so nice waiting hours for us giving us face masks for the dusty roads, talking to us about the trouble in pp and we reckon the extra $$ means nothing to us but a lot to him). Thanks for the warning about the scams – we will be extra vigilant and not pay anything until end of trip (or long walk for kids back to siem reap!)
“Those extra $$ means nothing to us but a lot to him”…
Oh PLEASE!
Because of “charity” tourists like you, easily spending those extra $$ cause don’t mean nothing to you, all of us become rich white people, but stingy.
A fair price for a fair job!!!!! My $ (I don’t have an extra one…) for me means as much as for the person I pay.
But oh, it feels so nice giving an extra dollar to a poor asian guy… for….. BEING NICE! SINCE WHEN BEING NICE SHOULD BE PAYED??? I’m traveling for a long time now and I really feel how the true kindness of people is lost, because tourists reward kindness with money. So little places left that are still unspoilt.
People, please be wise travelers… Please investigate a cost of living in a country you are traveling and pay a fair price, without abusing and without overpaying. And if you have an extra dollar, why don’t you donate it to real projects improving real lives (not the charity that only creates a vicious circle of rich/poor).
Ok first of all, I am Asian and I have known what it’s like to be poor when my own family struggled to bring 3 kids up despite having ok jobs but unfair pay (that’s what the protests are about in Phnom Penh increasing the pay of factory workers from $80/month). To him, the few extra $$ could mean the difference between providing just the basics for his family (roof over their heads, food, etc) to having a few extras (sending his kids to school something most people in the western world take for granted). It’s not about “feeling nice giving extra $ to the Asian guy” but being able to be in a more fortunate position to help financially. I am not rewarding him for his kindness with cash (if I was I would have just given him a good tip at the end of the trip rather than “overpaying” without knowing whether he was going to be “nice”) but just being mindful of what a difference an extra $ could mean to his family. I know there are many budget travelers but there are also many who are not traveling on a shoe string. Budget travelers are not going to be perceived as “rich but stingy white people” IF they are paying a fair price but just people with better bargaining powers. The people who provide these services are not naive and know that even in the western world some have more disposable income than others.
Btw forgot to ask… What is your definition of a fair price? Fair for them or for us? what is your idea of fair relative to? I consider $20 very fair compared to most developed countries since u won’t find anyone to drive u and your family around and wait for u all day for that price. Fair to them may just mean being able to put food on the table for their family for that day. Also there are that many tuks tuks around that a lot of these guys are not guaranteed a ride from one day to the next so who can blame them for making as much as they can while they can? If I can help someone send their kids to school (however briefly) or allow for them a have a couple of “luxuries” then I don’t mind being a “charity” tourist at all. I have travelled extensively and as an adult I have returned and lived and worked for over 10 years in a few undeveloped asian countries and as a result have experienced “real lives” in Asia (even as an outsider). Believe me, those lives of everyday people are just as real as those “real projects” which we should be contributing to – for those with extra $$ off course.
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This is why girls don’t make good negotiaters. How can you let someone change an agreed on price after reaching the destination? When someone does that to me I flat our refuse. I don’t waste time arguing with them either. When I hand them the ammount of money that was agreed on earlier and they continue to argue I tell them to they can either take it or leave it. If they continue to run their mouths and argue instead of reaching out to take the money I will just drop it on the ground in front of them then walk away. Never let a tuk-tuk wait on you either. Just get a new one at each destination and bargain agian. It’s cheaper. Also, why would you let a tuk-tuk charge you individually. I bet I could have done the same trip with a group of friends and only had to pay $8 for transportation.
I’m a girl and I’m a great negotiator. What an asshole move to just drop the money on the ground so they have to bend down and pick it up. That really sounds like an utterly insulting thing to do, and simply demeaning. I guess you’re looking for praise for your behavior, so here you go: you’re great at being a dick.
I have never heard of this scam, and this is the third time I’ve been in Cambodia for the last four years. The only problem I’ve ever had with a tuk tuk-driver was one guy in Phnom Penh who didn’t know where the Royal Palace or Riverside was.
I know it says everywhere that you should negotiate the price up front, but I’d advice against that. Basically, you usually don’t know the distance, and anything could seem reasonable then. I’ve done it once or twice, and both times I ended up paying more than I would have. I just see how long the drive is, and then I give them what I see fit. Never once has anyone argued, they just take the money and get on with it. Of course they might look a bit disappointed or angry, but after living in Phnom Penh for three months now, you learn the difference between being the average tourist and a more experienced tuk tuk-er. So do they.
In regards of what I see fit: I’m a Swede, and in Sweden I usually go by bus or train. Since coming to Cambodia, my transportation cost has gone up. I don’t think I’ve ever gone below 2 dollars, because that just feels like it’s not worth the hassle for the driver. I’m all for not over paying, I haggle a lot, and usually get far below the asking price, but you should try to be considerate. I’m a student so I don’t have a lot of money, but I can still show them some respect.
As for beggars, I per usual don’t give them anything, unless they’re old women, pregnant or women with children. You never know what the money will go towards, so be careful. It should not be a profit to putting a kid on the street. It’s better to give people food, water and fruit, as well as books, pencils, or some small toys for children. Be careful again though, these might be sold later on, so always open a package of food before your give them.
When haggling, go below what you would like to pay for the item, and slowly work your way upwards to your limit. If you’re doing well, you shouldn’t reach the limit at all. If they seem to not want to go down, just walk away. Many times they’ll call you back. If not, go somewhere else or come back later.
Don’t be gullible, don’t give in too easily to pity parties, and don’t be afraid. Do be firm, friendly and always laughing and smiling. Try to keep the tone light. Don’t be rude. One driver who I respectfully declined a drive from told me how he’d seen me walking past many times, and how I always act friendly and happy. I always give them a smile and a shake of the head. He contrasted this to tourists who just walk around like they’re so much better than everyone else, he even added in a small performance to show me how they act. Seriously, many tourists are giving barangs a really bad reputation, please don’t be one of them.
Remember, these are people you’re dealing with. People who are just as inclined to react positively to respect and a smile as you are.
Well said Stephanie, I totally agree with you, show respect and acknowledge them with a smile and a simple “no thanks”, how hard can that be. : )
Hi there, that really sux to have something like that happen to you, and in such an amazing place I know what you mean that it killed the vibe for the day. I have been to Angkor Watt last year and will be returning next week. Wene I was there last year we didn’t have any problem of that sort, however we did have a tuk tuk driver get angry at at because they always hasstle to get you to hire them the following day, and we told him we wanted to find another driver for the next day he got really upset and angry about it, and we just wanted to help someone else that may not have had much work for the week, also because he didn’t seem to know anything about the history of Angkor we wanted to see if we could find someone more knowledgeable. The standard price seemed to be $12 for the small circuit, and $15 for the big circuit wich includes temples further out. I was told by many cambodians while i was there that a whole family can eat for a doller a day, so to tip $1 or $2 is generous, so to scam for $85 each like that just seems very nasty and greedy. People like that dont really seem to undertand that there are many types of tourists with many types of financial situations. I am not rich and travel on a tight budget. for me and a lot of others we work very hard for years and save up for ages to be able to travel. So of course we try travel cheap but without stepping on anyone’s toes of course. So sometimes I have felt like locals in Thailand Cambodia and countries in south east Asia have tried to take advantage and over charge or scam me, but i have found from experience that haggeling is like a game they play with almost any exchange of money, and if you play the game keep smilling ans keep it friendly with out getting agressive you canusually get a fair deal. most of the people in south east Asia I have met and come across ( like 98% ) are so friendly and down to earth, seems like no matter how poor they are as long as they can eat they are generally happy. I find them overall much more happy and friendly than most western country’s, like Australia, USA, most of Europe etc. I think its because they are much less materialistic and they don’t get put under as much stress as we do in western countries ( generally speaking of course ) for example I have been in Thailand for two months and have never seen a Thai kid cry, were as in malls supermarkets etc back home I’m likely to see halv a dozen kids crying for a toy or chocolate bar there parents won’t buy them. Any way getting of subject. Hope after that the rest of your trip was good
Actually Cambodians can be much more greedy and materialistic than people in the West. Live in Phnom Penh for a while and you’ll see what I’m talking about. Cambodians LOVE luxury goods, the highest end of everything! $15 or $20 is a fair price. A clean apartment can be rented in Siem Reap for $60 per month. One day’s work and he can pay 1/3 of a months rent. He probably wanted $85 to take his mates out to Karoke and splurge on beer and shagging hot hookers, or a new iPhone……probably didn’t want that money to help his sick mother. More than likely he was scamming you for beer and hookers……that’s what Cambodian guys do for fun. I’ve seen Angkor guides blowing $400 night at the club buying shots to impress their friends.
Actually Cambodians can be much more greedy and materialistic than people in the West. Live in Phnom Penh for a while and you’ll see what I’m talking about. Cambodians LOVE luxury goods, the highest end of everything! $15 or $20 is a fair price. A clean apartment can be rented in Siem Reap for $60 per month. One day’s work and he can pay 1/3 of a months rent. He probably wanted $85 to take his mates out to Karoke and splurge on beer and shagging hot hookers, or a new iPhone……probably didn’t want that money to help his sick mother. More than likely he was scamming you for beer and hookers……that’s what Cambodian guys do for fun. I’ve seen Angkor guides blowing $400 night at the club buying shots to impress their friends.
I’m sorry you had such a bad experience. Mine has been the exact opposite – I spent several hours yesterday and several hours today with a really fun, friendly and wonderful tuk tuk driver. He was arranged through my guesthouse – so I think that makes all the difference. I highly recommend using Ang – he’s become a new friend. HE IS GREAT. His facebook is https://www.facebook.com/ang.tuktukdriver
Just got my wallet stolen today in Angkor wat – either was those children who didn’t leave me alone pick pocketing or the tuk tuk driver as I think it fell out my pocket while returning.
I am in Siem Reap again now. Ben, there is a huge difference between “pick pocketing children” and I THINK IT FELL OUT OF MY POCKET!! If that’s the case, then you only have yourself to blame… My son did the same thing in Phuket, and only blamed himself!!
That’s pretty bad. I went to Cambodia in April 2015 solo (I’m a 40 yr old guy). I was told to carry yourself with authority so that’s what I did. Convince them that you know the deal and won’t be easily shafted. Try and read their body language. If you can get a referral of some kind – even better. Sometimes though you are just really unlucky – I always say that there is one disaster on every trip. I can only guess that it might be a bit more difficult for women in Cambodia. Cambodian attitudes toward women are a bit old-school and this may have been a factor in what happened to you.
Myself, I hand picked my tuk-tuk guy just waking around Siem Reap at night and he was a gem. I had to get another guy for day 3 at Angkor Wat and I found him at a street food place (chugging beers with his buddies on their break – lol) – he wasn’t as good as the first guy but he was OK. For anyone else going watch out for “gangs” of kids – they are like monkeys and they’ll make a grab for your wallet. Also watch out for bogus “tour guides”.
All in all it was an awesome place. Just remember that it’s a lot different from home and their lives are a lot different to the one you have been used to.
Luckily we just lost 3 dollars but this due to discussions in the first place as well as second and third! This means: First we approached someone in the city of Siem Reap to do a day trip (close to our hotel). After discussions we agreed on 17 USD. Fair enough!
He brought us everywhere on time and at the last stop (Ta Phrom – West Gate) he told us that he will wait on the east gate. So far so good and we also talked quickly about an additional job for him for going to the landmine museum afterwards (up to 5 USD I would have had paid I guess)…
Arrived on the East Gate we waited for 50 minutes and I (we were 3 guys) decided to check on the West Gate again and of course he was nowhere to find. During the first 50 minutes and after my return to the East Gate a tuk tuk driver (Jamie) tried to sell himself several times and at the very very very very end we agreed on a ride for 15 USD (Landmine museum & ride back to the city).
I already had a very bad feeling about the whole thing as I truly expected to see our first driver again. And of course he showed up at the end of our road (our hotel is placed at the dead end of an ally) a few hours later. He started screaming at us that we cheated on him, that we are liars and so on. He wanted to go to the police station that I was absolutely fine to go to, so I told him. Anyway after like 20 minutes of discussions and some great assistance of the owners of a cafe called “Missing Socks Laundry Café” we wanted to finish this madness by giving him 10USD. He accepted but told us to f**k off and that we should leave Cambodia right now.
So we ended up paying USD 25 for the whole trip, which is not too bad, I guess. But this could happen to other people in a bigger scale. As you may agree on a higher price with the first driver or pay more to the second driver and what you go to pay at the final discussion as he will yell at you for sure quite aggressively!
– I am 100% sure that these two drivers are one team! So watch out
+ NEVER EVER EVER pay upfront.
+ Don’t agree on meeting on the East Gate at Ta Phrom while being on West Gate) as it makes no sense at all! The entry to the very heart of Ta Phrom starts from East going West and ends just on the Westside of Ta Phrom. Maybe say that you will be back right here in 1 hour
+ If you end up without a driver just ask other tourist to help out. Maybe you can find a lovely tuk tuk driver that brings you back to the city center with his customers.. I still believe in good
+ To avoid all this, book with your Guesthouse, hostel or Hotel.
just scam them back. We also have this problem and agreed in the new price when we arrived we got off and paid the half price of the normal fee and went into the hotel. he could do nothing and earned it.
Very good review, I love it!