Jay T.

This platform advertises that they pay $11.00 - $18.00 per hour.

I have never received more than $7.00 per hour. They do have a powerful marketing operation. But whenever I have a problem I am referred to some part of the website, there is no support for the teachers. This partly explains why so many teachers quit. The other reason for this is that the students seems to just take advantage of the $1.00 trial offer and never sign-up for classes.

The worst of it is that teachers (who teach for Amazingtalkers) pretend to be students and sign-up for the $1.00 trial, 25 minute lesson. Once the lesson ends, these teachers then send solicitations to the provider of the 25 minute lesson and try to sell them mentoring programs.

The Amazingtalkers company seems to promote this practice.

This set of villas and restaurant are a scam.

They have hidden fees that they add to your bill. They add 6% as a sefrvice fee and then there is another fee they call "tax". Tax is interesting concept in Bali. Most restaurant advertise X amount for a particular dish, as does the Glass House Restaurant. But when you go to pay your bill it will always be approximately 13% than advertised.

In August of 2022 I wandered into Bangkok Buddy Travel Services, in Bangkok, and met the owner, Tanya.

I paid Tanya 41,000 Baht to obtain a retirement visa (Later I learned that 25,000 Baht is the going rate). Tanya told me I would receive the visa and a Thai bank account bank card. The bank account is necessary because holders of a retirement visa are to keep $18,000., in a Thai bank account. Tanya explained she would put the money in and take the money out and I wouldn't have to pay anything.

We agreed that I would have my visa by September 21st and she would send my passport and all other documents to me on Koh Phangan Island. So, I left Bangkok and headed to the island.
Tanya, never sent anything to me. We spoke on the phone and shared text messages for nearly six months. I called the tourist police after three months of this. They went and visited The Bangkok Buddy office. But Tanya easily talked her way out of that visit. The police did not ask to see the passport or inquire as to whether or not I had over-stayed my tourist visa, which at this point I had.

Finally, after five months of Tanya's excuses I travelled to Bangkok and visited the tourist police office, located next to the National Stadium. A few police officers and I piled into a police car and went to The Bangkok Buddy office. We walked into Tanya's office where she warmly greeted up with a smile. The police officers and Tanya spoke in Thai for a few minutes. Tanya now was claiming that she could complete the process and obtain my visa by the end of the week. We finally agreed that she would have until Thursday at 12:00 pm. The mattered because I needed my visa back before I left Bangkok on Saturday.

On Thursday morning I texted Tanya asking if there was good news? She then told me that the police told her that I should deal directly with Tanya and not further involve the police. She then sent me another message instructing me to come her office alone. I went directly to the tourist police and we climbed back in the squad car and off to Bangkok Buddy we went.

The three tourist police officers began to speak with Tanya. Tanya had my passport and agreed to give my money back. But then there was a lot of back and forth between Tanya and the Thai police in Thai. At one point she came around from her desk and started talking about getting me some other type of visa. She told me I couldn't go back to the US because I will be trapped there. Then her phone rang and I heard her say: "yes, come here right now".

Finally, she took out the money she was to pay me back. We took turns counting the cash. I put the cash and the passport in my pocket and went for the door. Once outside her office, I thanked the police for there help. As we were shaking hands goodbye, two Royal Thai police officers showed up in full uniform, the one who Tanya told to come right away. As they entered her office I got outa there as fast as I could.

What were these Royal Thai police officers supposed to do? Beat-up the tourist police and maybe me too? I was grateful to get my money back. Unfortunately, all this police assistance didn't prevent me from being banned from Thailand for one year. If you are thinking about using Bangkok Buddy Travel Services brace yourself for a wild ride.