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Newbies Pay Too Much!!!


zanemay

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quote:

Originally posted by Zane May:

Just for me--I want to fight for and hold onto my baht. It is a challenge and it is rewarding. You can't make any woman like you with money. You can find out a lot about yourself, them and the world if you try to pay as little as possible. Not everyone's style of course, but maybe worth considering when one has time to struggle a bit.


Great post, ZM

Couldn't agree more. I think that the less you spend on a vacation the more "authentic" your experience. That's within reason, of course. When traveling at home I don't stay in 5-star hotels and don't stay in them while on vacation, either. Looking back, almost every interesting and worthwhile experience I've had while travelling abroad has been doing something on the cheap or interacting with locals whom you would never meet in more expensive surroundings. So, you're absolutely correct about paying as little as possible.

That being said, my "within reason" no longer extends to schlepping heavy suitcases to bus stations to save a few dollars laugh.gif" border="0

Your comment about the bg's is right on, as well, IMO. Personality and performance trump good looks every time.

PhordPhan

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no, it is not newbies who destroy the prices, it is people like me!

when i came here, i never took taxies, always the green busses, a few years later i moved up to aircon busses.

now it has been years since i have been in a bus.

and i tend to tip the taxi drivers better and better.

i make a lot more money than did when i came here, and i do like to spread it around.

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"Looking back, almost every interesting and worthwhile experience I've had while travelling abroad has been doing something on the cheap or interacting with locals whom you would never meet in more expensive surroundings. So, you're absolutely correct about paying as little as possible."

Not getting at you or anything but when I first came to Thailand many moons ago I stayed as recommended by the Lonely Planet in the charming Khao San Road in a 100 baht a night shithole - did I have an enriching ethnic experience? the only locals I mixed with were the bed-bugs!

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quote:

Originally posted by anonymouse:

Not getting at you or anything but when I first came to Thailand many moons ago I stayed as recommended by the Lonely Planet in the charming Khao San Road in a 100 baht a night shithole - did I have an enriching ethnic experience? the only locals I mixed with were the bed-bugs!

Ewwww!

laugh.gif" border="0 Note that I said "within reason." Bedbugs are certainly NOT within reason! laugh.gif" border="0laugh.gif" border="0

One would certainly not want to sacrifice cleanliness or saftey simply to save a few dollars.

PhordPhan

cool.gif" border="0

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quote:

Originally posted by Zane May:

Hello Carson and others,

I apologize for the aspects of my post that offended. I am defensive about costs because I don't have as much to spend as many others do. I know there are many, many more in my situation in LOS.

As you can also see from the post that mentioned the minibus from BKK to Pattaya that picks you up from your hotel. It is relatively expensive and takes a long time because it stops for several pick ups in BKK. I think the regular bus is much better than that. Limo? Don't know. Not my style. The bus has worked well for me and I never encountered difficulties that BKK Phil mentions. I have always had to take a taxi to the Ekkami station because of luggage. I buy my ticket, stick my luggage in the bus belly, arrive at BKK, take a song tao for 60-80 baht to my condo. Roughly 3 hours door to door and around 250 baht. I do it every two weeks or so.

I have been very, very happy with the women that I have been with. Very much attracted to them. They are not stunners, nor homely. Stunners, like limos, are not my style. Why am I happy? My gfs are a little "hungry." They are so sweet and perform so well it is unbelievable. Their stamina is incredible. They take care of me and stick with me. They like me. How do I know? I don't pay them much. When you drown a girl in baht you will never know if she likes you or not.

Also, when we are here for awhile we think in terms of baht, not in terms of what the USD would get us in the USA. The prices just don't compare.

Just for me--I want to fight for and hold onto my baht. It is a challenge and it is rewarding. You can't make any woman like you with money. You can find out a lot about yourself, them and the world if you try to pay as little as possible. Not everyone's style of course, but maybe worth considering when one has time to struggle a bit.

Regards,

Zane
cool.gif" border="0

I couldn't agree more! You're a man after my own heart! I too have to manage on a limited budget so I know exactly where you're coming from. Even if I had the money to throw around, I wouldn't, it's just not my style.

I too go only with girls that like my company, I know this because I don't throw my money around, they aren't with me exclusively for the money, because the money they get from me is never more than 1000 baht LT. Unless we click, and hit it off I wouldn't pay bar for a girl, I don't want to go with someone who doesn't like me and want to be there! Some girls I've known for several years, and we're still friends, so I must be doing something right!

You have a better experience all round if you watch your baht, IMHO, you are not looked upon as a walking ATM and get more respect as long as you always treat people well. There is a big distinction between this and being a cheap charlie, which I take to mean stingy. I am generous with what I have, which isn't all that much. A jai dee attitude goes a lot further than a big wallet.

You expressed it all much better than I could Zane, very well put!

DJ1999J.

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quote:

Originally posted by DJ1999J:

I know exactly where you're coming from. Even if I had the money to throw around, I wouldn't, it's just not my style.

... Some girls I've known for several years, and we're still friends, so I must be doing something right!

You have a better experience all round if you watch your baht, IMHO, you are not looked upon as a walking ATM and get more respect as long as you always treat people well. There is a big distinction between this and being a cheap charlie, which I take to mean stingy. I am generous with what I have, which isn't all that much. A jai dee attitude goes a lot further than a big wallet.

Wow DJ...

What a meeting of the minds! I heartily agree with every word!

I have been booked into resorts a couple of times by travel agents. Every one is alike. You don't know if you are in Mexico, Europe, Hawaii or Africa. The purpose (besides making sure you don't spend money anywhere else) seems to isolate you from any experience that is not completely controlled. Guards on the gates are there to make sure that no locals come around unless they are in livry. The walled compound of the Club Med on Phuket must be the ultimate example in LOS. I can imagine what those people pay! And they think they're traveling!

I was truly happy at the Nan Guest House in the city and province of the same name. Clean and 100 baht/night.

At the same price was the charming Narathiwat Hotel. Joural excerpt: I picked it out of Lonely Planet Guidebook, carefully skipping the first listing that was described as "a thinly desquised brothel." I have seen other listings like this and I always avoid them because I assume they will be noisy and that perhaps my luggage will not be secure. The guidebook said the Narathiawat Hotel was a very good deal and something about getting an upstairs room because the "trade" downstairs might keep you awake. I assumed there was a bar downstairs.

Upon arriving at the hotel, a wizened little Thai man

escorted me to the room. We went out the back of the

front building, across a walkway, and into a building

where the rooms were. We had to walk through the

entire first floor to get to the steps going up. A

woman sat or squatted in each of the doorways. Uh-oh.

But the second floor seemed to be its own world and I

asked the two fellows who were chatting there if there

was any problem from downstairs. They said none and

that hotel man locks the front door at 10:00 PM.

Okay, no problem. I went to register.

Of course every time I passed through the first floor

the women smiled grandly at me and made comments to

each other. They were all rather plain and dressed in

shorts and T-shirts. A couple were pretty good

looking, but one was fat and old and looked much the

worse for long, long wear. She smiled at me the most

broadly by far through some very bad teeth. The women

didn't seem to be very busy at this hour and they were

never especially busy that I noticed.

Later that night I sat in the walkway with the desk

man and asked him about a bus out of town in the

morning. As we talked the ugly one came and sat

across from us. The desk man gave me the information

I needed and then went off. Was he trying to give me

and the old girl privacy. Eee gad! She wasted no

time scooting from her place to moving in right next

to me. She wasted no time in advertising her assets

and skills. She cupped her fat tits in her hand and

said, "Very big. You like." "No. I don't like.

Thank you. No woman." "Make love numbah one. Me.

Very good. Numbah one." "No woman, no fuck, no thank

you," I said, entirely grossed out. As with most

Thais who are trying to sell something, she was not

discouraged. She simply started over with the breasts

and the "numbah one" business. I beat a hasty retreat

to my room. I am happy to say the girls respected the

division of the floors.

Now that is traveling!

If you are so inclined, send me an email at zanemay@yahoo.com and maybe we can keep in touch and trade more stories.

Sanuk Dee,

Zane

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your original point about newbies paying to much. most newbies only get 2-3 weeks in thailand at a time, probably only once a year, so after working hard to pay for the trip i am not going to go to the inconvinience of taking the bus to pattaya, when i can get picked up in bangkok and dropped off in pattaya, hotel to hotel by minibus for 400 bht, also you talk about price for the girls,in pattaya this year i understood the going rate to be was 1000 for gogo and 500 for bb. i often with the bb girls paid up to 1000bht, i know i could have paid 500, but i mean surely 500 bht[about 8 quid]is woefully inadequate for a girl to spend the night with you and have sex with you 2-3 times. i think that the people who live/work in thailand are probably right to have a go at people like me, but as i said we work hard and when we get to go on holliday be it thailand or anywhere else we want to have a good time,and are not on a budget. i personally came over with open mind about money and wihin reason, was not bothered about the cost, i was just determined to enjoy myself

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quote:

Originally posted by fatharry2:

your original point about newbies paying to much. most newbies only get 2-3 weeks in thailand at a time, probably only once a year, so after working hard to pay for the trip i am not going to go to the inconvinience of taking the bus to pattaya, when i can get picked up in bangkok and dropped off in pattaya, hotel to hotel by minibus for 400 bht, also you talk about price for the girls,in pattaya this year i understood the going rate to be was 1000 for gogo and 500 for bb. i often with the bb girls paid up to 1000bht, i know i could have paid 500, but i mean surely 500 bht[about 8 quid]is woefully inadequate for a girl to spend the night with you and have sex with you 2-3 times. i think that the people who live/work in thailand are probably right to have a go at people like me, but as i said we work hard and when we get to go on holliday be it thailand or anywhere else we want to have a good time,and are not on a budget. i personally came over with open mind about money and wihin reason, was not bothered about the cost, i was just determined to enjoy myself

Fatharry2,

What's hard to deal with for me is the fact that due to people constantly overpaying prices do rise, and once they've risen they'll never go back down again. When you're on a budget like me, this really matters! I can't afford to give 1500/2000 baht LT every time, no way. If girls expect this every LT then LOS will be out of my price range soon. That said, I don't think you went mad with 1000 baht for a beer bar girl for LT. Maybe a bit over the odds, but people pay more!

BTW some Thais don't earn 500 baht in a week so I disagree when you say that amount is woefully inadequate for one LT. It's not an inconsiderable sum. It's all relative.

8 quid? What's the relavence when we're talking Thailand? I think in Baht. There is no comparison between what £8 gets you in England and what it will buy in LOS, they are two completely different places.

As for transport, well, pay what you like for limos, the buses will always be there for me! It's hard to overpay for bus fares! It's only when people pay more than they should for the same sevices I use, especially girls, that it affects me in the long term when they start wanting that much from everyone. Just think of the next guy, please.

It's perfectly possible to enjoy yourself without putting up prices artificially and ruining it for those who can't afford to spend in that league. The problem is that when you still convert everything from Baht into your own currency at home that everything seems so cheap, and people think why worry about 500 baht, that's only 8 quid! That's the problem, you're not in England now, and as you mentioned some of us have to live there and deal with the results of others' inconsiderate overpaying every day. I'm not a resident, just on a modest income, and the price for LT going up by 500 baht could mean the difference between 2 trips a year to LOS or just one!

Sorry if it seems I'm getting at you, I don't mean to, but for the reasons I mentioned this issue is important to me.

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I'm not sure this business of overpaying is as bad as some of you think. Regrettably, there are always going to be tourists coming to Thailand who are going to think in dollars or vacation or whatever, and get ripped off. Not everyone reads Lonely Planet or these boards. But many do, and don't overpay and that's got to have an effect as well.

It must have been worse before the internet. E.g. I've never in my life been in a place like the Eden Club, but I sure know what it costs (for next time!).

No doubt there are many like me who research ahead of time. I recently spent 12 days in Thailand and maybe spent $30 per day, but only because my room six nights in BKK cost 900 b, or it would have been less.

As far as the girls (a separate line item), I learned from these boards - or was it the Stickman - a simple rule: no more than 1000 st/ 1500 lt. I offered less once because of the service. Price was rarely discussed beforehand. Any objection by the girl at payment time was extremely feeble.

I totally agree with all the above that the money has nothing to do with the quality of the experience. Ironically, it seemed that the more asked, before or after, the less given.

Maybe that's the key point to drive home with the newbies. They should all know that if a girl asks for a lot of money upfront and does not quickly retreat, there's a 90% chance it won't be much of an experience. If a girl objects to 1000 b st/ 1500 b lt chances are the experience was or will be average.

Why? If money is so all-encompassing to Thais as it seems and especially so in the BG scene, agreeing to overpay can only mean that BG greed will kick in, BG respect for customer will diminish, and the something for nothing (or very little) approach logically follows.

Strangely, I never spoke to a bar girl who thought she was hot. They all thought they weren't pretty, dumb, too old (26!), dark skin, etc. etc., even if they seemed fabulous. So what is she telling you when she's asking for 2500 up front -- if not communicating disrespect or uninterest.

If you sense you're being overcharged for anything in Thailand, even water, just move on. A better deal can be had right around the corner.

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"Always stay in the cheapest place you can find. It's more fun."

There is some truth to this but outside of Bangkok. In BKK, like in other big cities, it does make a difference staying somewhere nice.

I like going in smaller towns in LOS and other countries and staying in more humble places to get a less sanitized more real kind of experience. But I also love staying at the JW Marriot and living it up a bit in BKK. In Pattaya, and maybe it's the beach town atmosphere, I think it's significantly more fun to stay at a more middle of the road kind of place than somewhere more upscale.

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