Beware of Somboondee seafood restaurant scam in BKK!

[Annieloh]

Sharing my bad experience here. Yesterday night myself and my spouse wanted to go Chinatown have dinner at T&K seafood which is our regular spot. Upon entering a cab, the driver move on and while driving told us Chinatown is not operating due to Buddha day and thus recommended us to another seafood place. Along the way he is very chatty and friendly and kept saying this place is much better than T&K and even recommended their so call popular dishes. When i asked him what is the restaurant name, he refuse to tell me. As we are tired and hungry, we just went with it even though i felt weird about it.

Ultimately we ordered only 3 dishes, one of which is a fish (their recommended dish), a tom yum soup and a green curry beef. True enough the bill amounts to an exorbitant price of 3500+ baht. I started to check their bill and apparently they try to overcharge us by another 100 baht or so thinking we wont check. Eventually revising the price to 3400+ baht. I notice another table sat 2 ladies and they seem to be wary of this restaurant tol so i approach them while wr are leaving. They too are being scammed by tuk tuk base on the same reasons to the restaurant. Today i visited T&K and ask if they are close yesterday. Indeed it's a scam from start, T&K is not closed at all!

So pls do not trust what the drivers say and being conned to visit this restaurant. There are a number of negative online feedback as well.
Pls be aware!!

 

[Pegasus Sinbkk]

Thanks for this warning.

Your meal should not cost more than THB1,000 at the real Somboon, as I had a similar meal.

My sis and I were almost scammed by Somboondee but luckily, we left before ordering.

http://www.bangkokgoodlife.com/dinner-at-somboon-bangkok/

 

[Hidy Ho]

Somboon Seafood is one of the better known seafood restaurants in BKK and is a good place. I normally go to the Rachada branch as it's right next to the Huay Kwang MRT station and easy to get to.

Scams involving "fake" somboon restaurants by taxi drivers is also very well known. Just google "fake somboon" and you will have a plenty of reading material. Also below is posted on real Somboon Seafood website.

http://www.somboonseafood.com/index.php/en/site/home

BEWARE!! FAKE SOMBOON SEAFOOD SCAM Now there have been groups of people who have used names similar to Somboon Seafood as a scam to confuse and mislead both Thai and foreign customers into eating at their restaurants. Such restaurants work closely with some taxi drivers who would drive customers to their place and exceedingly overcharge them. By doing so, these taxi drivers receive a huge sum of commission. Therefore, We would like to inform you that Somboon Seafood does not have any branches located near railroad tracks or at Suan Lum Night Bazaar or in any other city.
We have only 7 branches in Bangkok !​

 

[BoonMee]

this warned more than 5 yrs ago liao,still around ar ?

 

[goh6570]

thanks for sharing

 

[rVn_mUfC]

this warned more than 5 yrs ago liao,still around ar ?

I think this scam has been around for a decade at least lol.

 

[rrr2015]

and nobody report this to tourist police yet?

 

[ApeTruelove]

and nobody report this to tourist police yet?

This type is common la and nth much will be done seriously. Same as u go play watersports, they say u make spoil wan u pay, poh mata also no use the most maybe pay lesser nia.

 

[rrr2015]

This type is common la and nth much will be done seriously. Same as u go play watersports, they say u make spoil wan u pay, poh mata also no use the most maybe pay lesser nia.

i remember long long time ago there was Bangkok Gem scam, and it seems to me they managed to crackdown for good?

 

[Annieloh]

Honestly i wouldnt know if Chinatown is close or not. Everywhere here traffic is so bad, if i insisted to go and its really close, it will be a headache as well. In any case, moral of the story pls do not trust whatever they say!

 

[Pegasus Sinbkk]

Nothing is ever closed in Bangkok or anywhere in Thailand.

The usual scam artist's excuse / scams : Chinatown is closed for road washing, Grand Palace is closed for some ceremony (partially true but for rare occasions - check Richard Barrow's Twitter as he notes such closures), free tuk tuk ride to your destination if u come with me to a shop, feeding pigeons with "free" bird seeds near the Grand Palace area then you are asked to pay for the seeds, "cheap" gems on sale only for that day which you can re-sell in your home country for a lot more value, and that S'porean old man beggar asking you for money in/around town (Central World etc).

Just be aware of these scams. When in doubt, just say no thanks and walk away.

 

[gasband]

The general rule for me in bangkok is that if I am taking a taxi or tuk tuk to a restaurant or massage place, I will always try to identify whether there is a nearby landmark like a hotel or shopping centre and ask the taxi or tuk tuk to go there instead. If they ask you why you going there, just say meet friend drink coffee or whatever except your true intention.

Otherwise, just reject whenever they ask to bring you somewhere else. The good thing about Thai is that even when they try to scam you, as long you stay calm and reject them politely, they will not do anything to you. Thats what I love about Thais, always friendly until you do something serious to piss them off.

 

[chocobunny]

Recently experienced this too, unluckily enough.

We boarded a cab to srinakarin night market. And this cab driver told us that the night market will start after 845pm cuz there's some soccer match going on or something and said it's too early. I was like what?! We didn't know. Then he said he can take us to any place we wanted, as long as it's nearby in pratunam but there wasn't any place nearby we hadn't gone yet. So he said okay he will introduce a cheap and good place for seafood. And he told us the three dishes we must try are lemon fish, curry crab, and bbq prawns. Then he asked us where else are we planning to go in our itinerary, we told him chocolate ville, and he told us don't ever go there. "The food is average, and it's overpriced, only the scenery is nice." And we were like yeah we only wanted to go for the photos you know.

We thought he was super nice cuz he spoke in very fluent english, and he was so helpful, even said things like "and in bangkok, take taxi with meter, if no taxi with meter, don't take, wait for another one". Then when he dropped us off at the restaurant, he told us, "later at 830pm i pick yall up again. Cuz yall are my first customers. Today whole day i no customer. Then i bring you to the night market." We also asked if he had a number so we can contact him if we come to bkk again, he said it's his part-time job.

So yeah we went and ordered the food. We thought k nevermind, the price won't be so ex, at least cheaper than sg's or smth. But we were hell wrong.

When the bill came, it was 6600 baht, 200++ SGD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And the best part, the staff said the cab driver called to say he can't fetch us to the market anymore cuz he needs to bring a customer to the airport. The whole night we were super troubled. Yesterday also. And we were thinking wahhhh if only the driver came back to fetch us so we could tell him what happened. But we were damn wrong cuz we went online and saw this article.

Expensive lesson learnt

 

[Andrew833]

Recently experienced this too, unluckily enough.

Expensive lesson learnt

Next time before you go, read about the opening hour of the place. And those that speak very good English are out to scam ppl.

 

[five5five]

As long is "recommended" by taxi driver. Do not go. We were nearly con by the taxi driver. But decided to leave that scam place when we smell fishy as the place is pretty empty.

 

[MrTheROCK]

Food menu didnt show the price tag?

Another tell tale sign is the place vacant or at least a quarter full?

If not, prepare to pay tuition fee

 

[vbkk88]

It's pretty weird that for those who got scammed by those restaurants dun seem to check the price tag of the dishes they about to order. I always will check if it's displayed on the menu or asked them verbally how much will that dish cost. If a plate of steamed fish on average cost 500baht but it wrote 2000baht , i doubt I would even order it. Just curious. Most of us go shopping before deciding to buy something will ask the price or check for price tag but when it comes to eating , just blindly order ??

 

[turtlezhu]

Hew leaw mai Mee tang

It's pretty weird that for those who got scammed by those restaurants dun seem to check the price tag of the dishes they about to order. I always will check if it's displayed on the menu or asked them verbally how much will that dish cost. If a plate of steamed fish on average cost 500baht but it wrote 2000baht , i doubt I would even order it. Just curious. Most of us go shopping before deciding to buy something will ask the price or check for price tag but when it comes to eating , just blindly order ??

 

[MrTheROCK]

Tourists prefer to pay tuition fee. Hard scamming truth

 

[beanstalk6]

One of the numerous variations of the classic "it's not open" scam.