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PROPOSALS

Proposals


1. Credit Card Companies

Many victims reported paying for their jewellery with cash, however when cash advances from credit cards are included, the majority of transactions involve a credit card. Given the prevalence of this scam, the Group feels that credit card companies should fulfill their duties towards protecting consumers.

Proposal 1.1: Require telephone authorization for all purchases or cash advances over $USD500 in Bangkok, except for international hotel chains.

Purpose: All purchases reported by Group members involved sums of money that were far in excess of their normal purchases. Several members report calls from their credit card companies AFTER the purchase is authorized, asking them to confirm their authorization. This proposal will allow the credit card companies to verify the authorization and inform the customer of whether or not complaints have been registered with a particular merchant or not. The proposal should not add less than 1 minute to each transaction.

Proposal 1.2: Change registration process for shops having a credit card machine to remove machines from stores with high complaint rates (higher than 5 disputed transactions per month).

Purpose: The problem jewellery stores generally do not have their own credit card machines, usually using a gold store for such transactions. By allowing for easier removal of credit card machines, rogue jewellery stores will have less opportunities to target credit card paying customers.

2. Courier Companies

All victims reported that their jewellery was shipped out of Thailand via EMS Courier Services, most likely due to cost advantage and relationship with Royal Thai Postal Service.

Proposal 2.1: Require that all packages from new customers be held for 24 hours minimum before being shipped. Once a new customer ends two-week probationary period without any complaints or requests for tracking/returning packages, its packages would be sent normally.

Purpose: To delay scam jewellery purchases and allow for faster refund for scam victims. The requirement would apply only to new customers, creating a disincentive for closing stores and re-opening under new names.

Proposal 2.2: Allow for retrieval of package after departure from Bangkok, through coordination with other courier/postal services.

Purpose: Once complaint/request for return is received, package should be sent back as quickly as possible, avoiding Customs seizure. This will reduce the time it takes for a scam package to be returned to Thailand, enabling a quicker refund for the scam victim.

3. Embassies

Proposal 3.1: To coordinate and share cost of printed warning, to be distributed to all incoming foreigners by Thai immigration authorities (see Proposal 4.2).

Purpose: To ensure that all tourists who read the warning are properly informed about the scam and, more importantly, how it is perpetrated. Must include the typical lies used by scam artists and other characteristics, so that foreigners can clearly identify a scam in progress and reduce their likelihood of being scammed.

Proposal 3.2: Coordinate information package distributed to all foreigners who file complaints with their embassies.

Purpose: To ensure that all foreigners, regardless of nationality, are given accurate and timely information on how to recover their money, complete with contact numbers and information.

Proposal 3.3: Improve warnings in country guides published by home countries, with details on “how” scam works and characteristics of a scam.

Purpose: To ensure foreigners are appropriately warned and prepared before their arrival to Thailand.

4. Government of Thailand

Proposal 4.1: Reform of Tourist Police, eliminate corrupt officers. Training for officers and translators in handling tourist complaints. Clarity in Tourist Police mandate and limitations.

Purpose: To allow the Tourist Police to genuinely protect and investigate on behalf of tourists, and ensure consistent information and standardized procedures are followed in dealing with gem scams and other tourist crimes. This includes broader powers of arrest and investigation.

Proposal 4.2: Thai immigration authorities distribute printed warning (see Proposal 3.1).

Purpose: Warnings regarding the gem, and other scams, should be included with the Arrival/ Departure card documentation, to ensure every foreigner is informed.

Proposal 4.3: Tourism Authority of Thailand distributes multilingual posters/ leaflets in hotels and guesthouses detailing the how the scam works and how to avoid it.

Purpose: To increase awareness to tourists before they reach the Tourist Police offices.

Proposal 4.4: City of Bangkok regulates tuk tuks, requiring meters and photo identification.

Purpose: Ensure safety and integrity of tuk tuks, reducing potential for abuse and complicity in gem (/other) scams.

Proposal 4.5: Ministry of Commerce to require a 1M baht deposit to open a jewellery store, refundable after one year with no more than 5 complaints registered with the Ministry.

Purpose: To prevent the rapid (unofficial) closing and reopening of the same operation at different locations and to provide a pool of money to refund victims of fraudulent stores.

Proposal 4.6: Change Thai law to force a minimum 70% refund for all jewellery purchases in Thailand, not only Jewelfest members.

Purpose: Ensure adequate consumer protection for jewellery purchase, protect integrity and reputation of Thai gem industry.

Proposal 4.7: Change Thai law to allow for refunds to be processed as well as pressing charges.

Purpose: To eliminate necessity of having to choose between recovering money and pressing charges. Eliminate requirement to withdraw complaint and surrendering all receipts in order to obtain a refund.

Proposal 4.8: Change Thai law to freeze the assets of gem store owners charged with criminal offences that cannot prove the assets have a legal origin.

Purpose: This would align with act B.E. 2354 used for the suppression of offenders in relation to narcotics offences.


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