Zorro Posted May 19, 2006 Report Share Posted May 19, 2006 Lest I stand accused of being a whinger I would like to preface this post by stating I am posting this more as a warning or as an observation of the way things are in Thailand. I was out the other night with three very delightful ladies having a farewell dinner and a few drinks. Had a nice dinner at the Vientienne Restaurant in Pattaya and then went to the Living Dolls Showcase where we had quite a few drinks with 4 rounds of B52s. We were all a little pissed and carrying on having a good time. I guess you can see where this is heading.... Call for the checkbin and see the bill is a few thousand baht "and I was about to pay it when I decided to check it..... 300 baht over the odds.....sent the bill back with a "check again please" and low and behold if it comes back with a sorry make mistake" This sort of shite really pisses me off...... Of course this sort of thing is not restricted to Thailand but it does happen quite frequently in Thai bars where the tab is big and the deks think you are drunk. Moreover this sort of practice is prevalent in all areas of Thai business practice and social behaviour. It seems that wherever and whenever you let your guard down or appear to let your guard down or indeed make a mistake there is someone watching and waiting ready to swoop and take advantage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bangkoktraveler Posted May 19, 2006 Report Share Posted May 19, 2006 One place I always buy things from always short change me on the money back and on what I buy. For some time I have told them to put the price on every item and also make up a receipt. When I pay them I always count my change and then tell them they made a mistake. I keep going back to them because I have never found another place that sells the same shit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted May 19, 2006 Report Share Posted May 19, 2006 Years ago a Farang gal I knew insisted on taking us to a "wonderful new restaurant" she had discovered. The food was good and the four of us enjoyed quite a sizeable meal. But when the bill came, I noticed something was amiss. It shouldn't have been quite so high. It wasn't a lot -- say 120 baht maybe. We pointed it out to the owner, who insisted that it was correct. I then picked up the menu in Thai and proceeded to read off the dishes we had had and add up the prices. Yep, it had been padded by that 120 baht. The owner turned a bit green and clearly had not expected an "ignorant Farang" to be able to read the menu. Still, the owner stuck to his guns and insisted it was correct. We finally paid the price he asked -- and told him he would never see any of us in his restaurant again. Seemed a shame, since the damn fool no doubt cost himself a lot of repeat business by his simple act of greed. It always pays to check. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buddha Posted May 19, 2006 Report Share Posted May 19, 2006 I was in a bike shop [bicycle] the other day in colorado and I picked up a couple of small parts. The person behind the counter asked me if I wanted to join the 'bike club' and recieve a small percentage off of any purchase over $100. I declined and paid in cash. I declined because I do not want the bother of throwing away mailer after mailer as the 'bike club' is just a clever way to obtain your personal info for resale. This was an internationally known bike shop with a huge ecommerce site. I looked at the reciept as I was walking out and saw that I had been overcharged $1.50. Not unlike you zorro this really roasts me. I calmly got in line and when it was my turn I showed the cashier his mistake. To affect the refund I had to show my drivers license and fill out a form giving all of my personal data...yes you guessed it...Join the 'bike club'. Needless to say I ate the $1.50 and will never shop at that store again. Was it a scam or a mistake? I asked the cashier if he gets paid for each person joining the 'bike club' and lo and behold he does. I considered putting a rock through the plate glass window for a brief moment but decided to move on. I think that all kinds of businesses resort to bullshit fine print type scams and this is a plague that circles the globe. Gone are the days where you can expect better treatment by becoming a 'regular' customer. It is the beginning of the end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thalenoi Posted May 19, 2006 Report Share Posted May 19, 2006 Flashermac said:We finally paid the price he asked -- and told him he would never see any of us in his restaurant again. Seemed a shame, since the damn fool no doubt cost himself a lot of repeat business by his simple act of greed. It always pays to check. You no come back? He doesn't care. (does not know what it means "customer no come back") I went to an italian restaurant here in Udon (Picollo Roma at the night market) and the italian cook/manager (not the boss, must be his wife) brough some bread with salsa and a free salad, asked several times if we were happy. I could not believe my ears and eyes. am I in Thailand, really? And gf always checks the bill.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shygye Posted May 19, 2006 Report Share Posted May 19, 2006 I have noticed the majority of Thais check the bill very carefully. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted May 19, 2006 Report Share Posted May 19, 2006 Haven't seen it in a long time, but in some tourist areas a restaurant may have higher prices on the English menu than on the Thai version. I always order from the Thai menu because of that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WorldFun Posted May 19, 2006 Report Share Posted May 19, 2006 Is it a scam when Sheraton hotels(or is it Marriott?) automatically add 1$ to the bill at check out as a 'donation' to some organisation? Moreover is it a scam to offer discount to selected customer groups like most biz in the travel industry does like hotels, car rentals etc. such as 'company rate', frequent flyers etc etc. Actually its funny to note that by adding a 'discount code' onto the car rental companies booking engines it more often than not INFLATE the price compared to not entering any code at all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jxxxl Posted May 19, 2006 Report Share Posted May 19, 2006 MaiSabai said:Moreover is it a scam to offer discount to selected customer groups like most biz in the travel industry does like hotels, car rentals etc. such as 'company rate', frequent flyers etc etc. Why do you think this is a scam? Corporate rates are prearranged by companies and hotels give discounts based on guaranteed volumes. Giving customers discounts based on volume or loyalty is not a scam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khunsanuk Posted May 19, 2006 Report Share Posted May 19, 2006 Hi, I agree, MaiSabai's first example is a scam, the second one is not. Sanuk! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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