Every time I am in Bangkok, tuk tuk drivers try to hit me with this scam.  I often like to go to the movies at SF Cinema City MBK late at night.  They have shows that begin at the 10:00pm hour.  All of MBK is shut down tight...closed and dark.  There is one small door on the first level of MBK on the side of Phayathai that is left open for people to come in and take a direct elevator up to the 7th floor.  The rest of MBK is closed off to the public. 

Inevitably, though, as I am walking from the BTS station around the building to this door, tuk tuk drivers swarm telling me that it is closed.  They swarm and they follow me all around continuing to point to the dark building and the closed store windows.  They keep offering to take care of me and take me where I need to go (do they run gem scams at night?)  Eventually, when I get to the small door, they walk away.  It can be a little scary and intimidating to walk past them/with them...in the dark... but the door is there and you can go see movies.  Once you get inside, the 7th floor is swarming with people, but it is a little isolating before that.  

The last time I was in BKK, I brought a friend (her 1st time to BKK) to see a movie there and she was scared and kept telling me that it was closed and maybe we should go with the nice tuk tuk men who will take care of us.  I convinced her to press on and when we finally got to the door, she was relieved.

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