Searching for a room online is convenient, and scammers use the same channels. Some take the photos and details of a real apartment or dormitory, post them as their own listing or page, and pose as the owner or manager. Once you transfer a booking fee or deposit, they stop answering. This guide is for foreigners renting in Thailand: how these scams work, the red flags, a checklist before you pay, and the official channels to use if you have already transferred money (channels checked on 25/10/2026).
How rental scams usually work
Thai PBS Verify, the fact-checking desk of Thailand's public broadcaster, warns students looking for dormitories about the same pattern:
- A fake listing or page built with the photos and details of a real dormitory.
- A friendly chat offering an available room at an attractive price or promotion.
- A request to pay first: a booking fee, a deposit or another advance payment.
- Pressure: "last room left" or "someone else is about to transfer", so you have no time to check.
- Silence after payment: the contact disappears, or you find out later that no booking exists.
A low price, a beautiful room or photos of a real building do not prove that the person you are talking to is the real landlord.
Red flags: stop before you pay
| Red flag | What to do |
|---|---|
| You are asked to pay before viewing the room, or told a viewing is not possible | View the room first. If you are not in Thailand yet, ask someone you trust to view it for you |
| The price or promotion is far better than similar rooms in the same area | Compare with other places nearby and ask why |
| "Last room left" or "someone else is about to pay" | Do not decide under pressure; the more you are rushed, the more you should check |
| The receiving account is not in the name of the landlord, the building or the company | Stop and ask for documents you can verify; an account number alone proves nothing |
| The same photos appear in other listings with a different name or address | Run a reverse image search with Google Lens |
| The page or profile is new, has few posts, or keeps changing its name, address or phone number | Check its history and search for the building name together with its address |
| The phone number or website does not match what other sources show for that building | Call the building on a number you found yourself, for example on Google Maps |
| You receive a link to fill in, an app to install or a request for an OTP code | Do not click, do not install, never share an OTP |
Checklist before you transfer any money
- You have seen the room, and it matches the photos in the listing.
- You contacted the owner or manager through a channel you found yourself: the dormitory office, the condo's juristic person office, or the number on Google Maps, not only the number the advertiser sent you.
- You have seen the landlord's ID card and a document showing they own or manage the room. If you deal with an agent or a manager, ask who appointed them.
- The account name matches the name on the landlord's ID and in the contract, or the name of a building or company you can verify.
- You have a written booking note or contract in a language you understand, with the amount, what it is for, the move-in date and what happens if either side cancels.
- You are not deciding under pressure. Thailand's Ministry of Digital Economy and Society sums it up in four rules: don't click links, don't believe, don't rush, don't transfer.
- You keep the listing link, chat screenshots, phone numbers and transfer slips.
Already paid? Act within hours
- Ask for the receiving account to be suspended. Call the AOC hotline 1441, which takes reports 24 hours a day, or the emergency hotline of the bank you paid from. Have the receiving account number, the amount and the time of the transfer ready.
- File a police report within 72 hours. The Thai police reporting site and the Bank of Thailand explain that a temporary hold lasts up to 72 hours, after which the police notify the bank to continue it. You can report at any police station or online at www.thaipoliceonline.go.th. When we checked, the online sign-up form asked for a Thai name, a Thai ID card number and the laser code on the back of the card. If you do not have a Thai ID card, go to a police station with your passport and your evidence.
- Get help in your language. The Tourist Police hotline 1155 runs 24 hours a day with service in 8 languages, including English and Chinese.
- Collect evidence. The police list: pictures that identify the scammer's page or account, links to that account or listing, the whole chat, the scammer's bank account number, and your transfer slips. Do not delete the chat.
- Report the listing to the site where you found it. On RentKrub, use the "Report" button on the listing page.
- Follow your case through the "track status" menu of the online system, or with the investigating officer.
Watch out for a second scam
Victims are often contacted by pages claiming to be police, lawyers or "recovery teams". The Royal Thai Police say the only official online reporting channels are hotline 1441 and www.thaipoliceonline.go.th; they do not take reports through Facebook pages or LINE chats. The Central Investigation Bureau adds that police and government agencies have no policy of asking people to transfer money to pursue a case or get money back. Anyone asking you for an "unlocking" fee is a scammer.
The law, and getting money back
Deceiving someone with false statements to obtain their money is fraud under Section 341 of the Thai Criminal Code (Section 343 when the false statements are made to the public). Fraud other than Section 343 is a compoundable offence (Section 348), and Section 96 says the case is time-barred if the victim does not file a complaint within three months of learning of the offence and who committed it. So do not wait while the other side keeps promising a refund.
A 2025 amendment to Thailand's Emergency Decree on technology crime lets the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) return frozen money: AMLO publishes the accounts in the Royal Gazette, and victims file a claim with evidence within 90 days of that notice. The detailed procedure is in a ministerial regulation in force since 12/08/2026, and a police report is one of the documents that supports a claim.
If the other side is a real landlord and the problem is the contract or a deposit refund rather than a scam, you can complain to the Office of the Consumer Protection Board (OCPB) on hotline 1166.
Safer room hunting on RentKrub
- Look for the Verified badge. Listings with the badge passed a document check for ownership or management rights, and their address matches the listing. Unverified listings show "Not verified yet, please check before paying". That does not make them untrustworthy, but use the checklist above before you pay.
- RentKrub never collects payments or deposits on behalf of a property. If someone asks you for a booking fee and says it is a RentKrub step, stop and contact the team at contact@rentkrub.com or 02-744-2399.
- Compare the amount with the listing. Each listing has a "Costs" section with the deposit and the advance payment. If you are asked to pay a different amount, ask why before paying.
- Suspicious listing? Click "Report" and choose "Suspected scam / asked to transfer money before viewing". The team reviews it and contacts the owner; confirmed issues lead to suspension, and your details are not shared with the owner.
Start with rooms you can actually go and see:
- Map search: drop a pin near your office or campus and pick a radius of 1–5 km
- Rooms near BTS, MRT and ARL stations
- Rooms near universities and schools
- How verified listings work
This article is a plain-language summary, and agencies may change their channels. If you are unsure, call 1441 or, for help in English or Chinese, the Tourist Police on 1155.
