I am sure u have seen them or heard them. That group of Indians - let me stop here to say that I assume they are Indians from they way they dress, their mannerisms and the language they speak, but I could be wrong - that patrols the lower Sukhumvit area stopping u whilst u are walking to tell u that u must be a very lucky man. They tell everyone that they are lucky men - I have never seen them stop a woman FYI. Well as u may know I spend much more time in Silom these days, I miss Nana, and I happened to run into the crew in Silom. I freaking screamed at the guy cause I was angry for him following me to Silom, but anyway he never seems to falter when I yell at him which kind of bugs me. What is really funny though is they have a new apprentice lucky indian guy and all I have to do is snarl or growl at him and he is afraid to open his mouth around me. I love it. I wish his teachers would do the same.
This is what I don’t get though. These guys are lame ass fortune tellers is my guess. U pay them to have them tell u something good about yourself. Well I assume it is something good since they always tell people they are lucky. For once they might actually get my attention if they told me I was unlucky or that in 10 minutes I would burst into flames. That might work. So if these guys can tell fortunes then why the hell can’t they recognize me as the same guy that always yells at them, flips them off and gives them dirty looks. Hell - if they are such good fortune tellers then why can’t they sense I am coming and move out of my way since they know I hate them so much. I just don’t get it. Has anyone ever used their services. I would be curious to know what they have to say since it jsut seems like a crock of shit no matter how I look at it. If one of them touches me again when I pass by them I am tempted to punch them and ask them how lucky they feel now. Alright. Just kidding but these touts really bend me out of shape.
I know you’re just putting us on but I always wondered what that bit was about too until a friend told me that it was just a tailor tout trick to get you to ask why? That’s when they tell you that you are lucky because today you can get a special bargain on 3 suits for $100.
I was relieved because from the angry look on their face I thought they were threatening me for fooling around with their girl-friend or something. Where I come from if somebody tells me I’m a lucky man it means I’m lucky I didn’t get the snot beat out of me.
View all comments by kwai mai sabai
KMS - I am not sure that is true. I have watched them, the due with the towel and beady eyes - take someone from the street, to the coffee shop and then go through the whole fortune teller thing. Then hit the guy up for money before they predict the future. I never heard a mention of a suit.
I still hate them.
View all comments by smitty
Could be. I never actually entertained them to the point of asking them why I was so lucky. I’m not superstitious so they were wasting their time (and mine).
I got it from the Indian dude with the wild eyes and the pull-start hat but I also got the same line from a younger gangster-type Thai man. Must be a new scam that’s going around (that I haven’t fallen for).
Would be interesting to get the full story (or not).
View all comments by kwai mai sabai
This site describes the lucky man charade a traveller experienced in Khao San Road:
http://www.travelfish.org/feature/3
View all comments by KMS
you can find these lame indians scams all over the world. they even have them in my old hometown in the netherlands and here in hong kong where i live now there all over the effin place.
View all comments by Doron
Erm, not exactly Doron. A couple of blocks in lower TST at the most.
View all comments by Combover
tailors are the goneeria of society
you can always tell a good taylor by 3 general rules
1. no tout outside
2. the dont brag about how cheap they are or advertise price
3. THEY tell YOU when the suit will be ready
stick to this and your laughing
View all comments by myspace.com/penfold_xxx
Can’t argue with that.
In case any Googlers are looking for a decent tailor, I can personally recommend Gulati, on the corner of Suk Soi 3. No commission, no kickbacks. He’s not cheap, has no touts and no gimmicks. But he makes damn nice clothes.
I believe he’s dressed all the recent (past 15-20 years) Prime Ministers of the UK, as well as Presidents of the USA. But don’t let that put you off…
View all comments by Bangkok Bad Boy
If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s that everyone has a tailor who they will recommend over the next man’s. And there’s no telling ‘em the quality ain’t that good, or the cut is shit, or the material will be shiny in a year, or that having your name embroidered on the shirt cuff is naff, or that the collars are too stiff. No telling anyone. Even shabby sex toursits suddenly have the sartorial eye of Alexander McQueen after a visit to a tailor. But high powered executives are not immune either, especially if they think they’ve found a shop nobody else uses, got a bargain, got a jump on the hoardes. This confidence in their own judgement, or need to rationalise a purchase, bears no relation whatsover to the actual product, so CAVEAT EMPTOR folks.
View all comments by Combover
Yeah… Here it goes.. another victim writting about this Indian scam in Bangkok… Unfortunately, I am the supersticious one and I have felt like an indiot… Loosing THB 6,000…
They must be still laughing at me.. I feel terrible and a complete idiot…
Thanks to this site, I am now aware how idiot I was today…
I just feel so bad…
View all comments by One more Victim....
omv - since no one knows who you are it would be great if you would write up exactly what happened and email to me or post it in the comment.
these people are bad and I was always wondering how they actually got money out of people and how they could get that much.
care to explain?
would help prevent others from the same mistake.
thx
View all comments by smitty