Guest Posted July 18, 2001 Report Share Posted July 18, 2001 Going into the Mall supermarket at Ramkhamheang on Sunday afternoon (as I usually do) I noticed promotion girls giving out free samples of a new Ovaltine product. I think it was some kind of powdered drink but can’t really be sure. Walking slowly past one of the girls, I extended my right hand in the vain hope of receiving one of the complimentary sachets and was totally ignored. This disagreeable ‘snub’ forced me to linger for a while and I noticed that not one foreign face was given a free sample. It came as no surprise to me really because this has been happening for years. I’m not entirely sure if or not the marketing powers-that-be instruct these promo girls to ignore farangs completely but it has crossed my mind on occasion. And yet if you go into certain supermarkets around the city (Robinsons soi 19 is a fine example) the big spenders are the expats! They push trolleys around the supermarket laden with choice hams, bottles of wine, and imported biscuits while the Thais are standing there trying to work out which 100 baht sack of rice to buy. If I were a marketing man, I would implore the sales girls to make sure that farangs were given the chance to try out the product on offer. There is a whole ‘farangs can’t play this game’ mentality where Thai supermarkets and department stores are concerned – have you noticed? Whenever a department store runs a raffle and gives away prizes of TVs, stereos, and cash vouchers, how many foreigners do you see standing around pulling colored balls from a plastic bucket? Or filling in their names and addresses on raffle tickets to be entered into the Toyota prize draw – I’ll tell you – it’s not bloody many! Because it’s a game that farangs can’t play and yet we spend as much as Thais do at the checkout counter. There are never any rules in English and there is never any staff to explain what you might win if you enter, or even how to enter. Another example is the supermarket discount cards that are issued by all the leading supermarkets. Have you ever tried asking for information on how you can get one? I have – and got precisely nowhere. But the checkout girl keeps insisting on asking if I have such a card whenever I go in to buy a bottle of milk and a packet of bacon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colonel Kurtz Posted July 18, 2001 Report Share Posted July 18, 2001 I can see your point Phil,but if there are any prizes or freebies going you can bet your life that the Thais will `look after their own`. When was the last time a farrang won one of their lotteries? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hall Posted July 18, 2001 Report Share Posted July 18, 2001 Guess they figure if we can afford to pay for a trolley full of hams, wine etc. we don't need/deserve a freebie!! Cheers Hall Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khunsanuk Posted July 18, 2001 Report Share Posted July 18, 2001 Hi, It's not just the supermarkets, UBC is doing the same thing. In their current issue is info on getting discounts at a lot of stores/fast food chains, obviously all the info is in Thai only. And here too I would expect a large portion of their audience to be expats. I can understand that being a Thai company based in Thailand with a large Thai audience their magazine would be in Thai. BUT would it really be that hard to print an English version of the magazine for the undoubtedly large amount of expat subscribers? I would love to know what the percentage is, I bet it is substantial. Sanuk! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 29, 2001 Report Share Posted July 29, 2001 sorry Phil, but like the destination of the 2002 premiership, I'm going to have to disagree with you on this. I used to live in Germany, where there are probably more expats in Cologne than there are in the whole of Thailand. Go to a supermarket and everything was in German, be it special offers or discount cards. Now, for my sins, I'm in Bangladesh and, what do you know, you go in the shops and everythings in Bangla, be it special offers or discount cards. Buy an English language paper and you see adverts screaming special offer, but the details are in Bangla, they enclose a menu for a pizza delivery service, the menu is in Bangla... c'est la vie...which I believe is French for shit happens Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted July 29, 2001 Report Share Posted July 29, 2001 Come to think about it, when I've been home in the States I never seen any raffles, prizes etc with instructions other than in English. That is pure and simple discrimination against the wogs! Uh ... I mean the foreigners. p.s. A lot of times in the groceries the girls giving away samples and such look petrified with fear that a Farang might actually speak ENGLISH to them. I think the neglect is as much do to that as anything. Though of course the manager may have told them to ignore the Farangs. I wouldn't be surprised at that. [ July 29, 2001: Message edited by: Flashermac ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 30, 2001 Report Share Posted July 30, 2001 Indeed, Flashermac, the American* lottery directions are only in "English" (though I can never seem to understand them). However, when was the last time you saw a Paleface ever win the lottery? Never, in California, at least. *BangkokPhil would probably be really disgusted to know how many localities in the US are passing legislation stipulating "English, only." I agree with BangkokPhil's complaint; but, as an American, I'm not in a position to point the finger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steffi Posted July 30, 2001 Report Share Posted July 30, 2001 This has not been my experience. Last year they were giving out ovaltine sachets at Mochit and I was with my girlfriend at the time and jokingly I gave me sachet to her and simply went back ground again to get another one. Seemed to work for me :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 30, 2001 Report Share Posted July 30, 2001 California lottery instructions are available in many different languages..I know for a fact that they are available in spanish, chinese and vietnamese...other languages are available upon request. Most supermarkets in California print coupons and specials in multiple languages..ATT cable runs commercials in 3 different languages at a minimum...this is just a sound business practice...targeting one of your core demographics..onething the thais have never been accused of is sound business practices!!...this is a country that will NEVER be a leader in any type of global business. The only way a thai company has ever been able to succeed is through gov't monopolies given to political cronies!! And they still can't figure out why the economy is in the tank!!..this is not a country of rocket scientists!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lamock Chokaprret Posted July 30, 2001 Report Share Posted July 30, 2001 quote: Come to think about it, when I've been home in the States I never seen any raffles, prizes etc with instructions other than in English. That is pure and simple discrimination against the wogs! You've obviously never lived in Miami where speaking English is a second language. Of course lottery instructions are in Spanish. If they weren't, the FL lottery would lose it's biggest revenue source, the poorer Cubans in Miami. And as far as some of the other posts are concerned, I have experience here that goes both ways. I had a girl just last week hand me a demonstrator tube of toothpaste. Maybe she was just trying to tell me something, but I didn't think I'd gotten that close. And as for the UBC specials, I agree they should have an English version but can't blame them for not. Seems a big part of their market is the Thais that have become addicted to pizza. But certainly don't take their crap if they try to overcharge you like they did to me last night. Sent the silly thing back with a hearty "mai pen rai" to the company and "mai ao" to the driver. Plenty of cheaper food available on the street. The pizza isn't even that great. I was just too lazy to go out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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