RECENTLY, news about shady scams at the Bangkok International Airport have been making its rounds in the virtual world.

The gist of it is that a salesperson would slip something into your shopping bag at duty free outlets. You will then be detained by airport security officials for shoplifting and asked to pay a sum of money to be released. If the claims are true, then it's fairly alarming.

And when Bernama news agency reported one such incident, the stories became a little more real. It must be remembered though, that such a thing can happen anywhere in the world. You just need to know what to do at the time.

Here are some tips from the Tourism Authority Of Thailand in Malaysia on what you should do when caught in a similar situation.

◊ Do not assume that duty-free shops give away free gifts. If you see something you have not bought being put together with items you have paid for, please clarify with the cashier or shop personnel so that misunderstandings would not arise. Always make sure that the items in the bag are the ones stated on the receipt.

◊ All duty-free shops are monitored with CCTV cameras, so if goods are 'accidentally' taken out of any outlet without payment being made, security personnel from the control room will immediately notify the shop concerned for necessary action.

◊ Should you be accused of shoplifting, do contact the Royal Malaysian Embassy for help or ask the police to put you through to them. You can also contact the Thai Tourist Police at 1155 to get an English-speaking officer to help you. In fact, you can dial 1155 for any emergency, medical and otherwise.

If you feel that you have been victimised through this incident, you should make a police report in Malaysia or make a report with the Royal Thai Embassy (or whichever embassy is relevant) once you get home.

As for Thailand, the local Tourism Authority Of Thailand office cannot investigate without an official complaint.

However, it must be noted that in cases where the Malaysian Embassy officials are called in, victims have been given a proper explanation of the 'offence' they have purportedly committed. The Malaysian Embassy would ensure that justice is done and that no Malaysian is unfairly prosecuted and persecuted.

-The New Straits Times