SUZIBANDIT Posted December 2, 2002 Report Share Posted December 2, 2002 Sorry to chime in on this well-done thread, but like KS this is one of my huge annoyances about LOS. A few points: [color:"red"] do you live in BKK? so, you should know that the reason that thais do not pay entering temples is because they are still places of prayers for them. Now you can get cute about saying you are a buddhist yourself, or some thais there do not pray, but that only magnifies the "outsider" aspect of your thinking. [/color] I agree we will always be outsiders here, but what does that have to do with accepting double pricing or discrimination? How does thinking double pricing is wrong or that we can justify not paying more "magnify" our outsider status? The point of being an outsider is that you are OUT, no matter what you think you aren't in. So why justify double pricing by saying complaining is un-Thai or makes you an outsider. Maybe I should quadruple charge myself for everything and that will make me fit in better. "Oh you want 25 baht for those noodeles? Here take 100, I'm white!" I can go everywhere and pay twice as much as everyone else. That'll make me look good. Sounds ridiculous right?! That is the whole problem with double pricing. It is a ridiculous practice. And makes everyone involved with it ook stupid. Falang and Thai alike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SUZIBANDIT Posted December 2, 2002 Report Share Posted December 2, 2002 [color:"red"] "No, in daily life, IME, i do not think we get overcharged." Hate to say this, but I do think we are. My wife often prefers going to the market without me, since she says she gets charged more when being seen with me. And this is for clothing and small household stuff. [/color] I have had the same experience too. Just yeterday was at Chatujak Market with the GF. She was buying jeans and was trying to decide on 2 pairs out of three to buy. As we are talking to each other about which we like best, the shop lady starts in Thai telling my GF what to say to get me to buy all three, saying she's good at getting money from falang. The GF had to tell her that I am her boyfriend of 2 years and that she is not interested in ripping me off or scamming me. I wasn't hugely offended, rather I found it a bit funny. But it just goes to show that for many Thais the first thing they see when a farang walks in is how to get them to part with money. But when it is the money of a Thai they are not as eager to take it. A supporting story from yesterday, the GF found a tank top she liked and asked for the price. The guy sees me and says 150 baht. We both, in Thai, say it's too expensive. He goes on about how great the shirt is and how 150 is the deal of the century. The gf really wants it so we agree. He bags the shirt hands it to the gf and looks at me for the money. I point to the GF and start heading off. He sees that is my GF who is paying, not the "rich" farang, and the price immediately falls to 100 baht. No haggling. What happened there??? Exactly. Feels good take take from the "rich" but not so good to take from a countryman. :: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattaya127 Posted December 2, 2002 Report Share Posted December 2, 2002 A supporting story from yesterday --------------------------- me too, but not supporting anything, I know merchants around the world like to make a buck on the unwary. Nothing thai in it is my point. My story: TGF likes a little beach dress (pattaya tai, wat chai, the center of shopping for thais and farangs in south P), asks the price, 300, too expensive, i walk out with her (she is one of the worst bargainers i've ever seen), Comes back in the afternoon, alone, dress priced 250 for some reason, and i get it for 220. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattaya127 Posted December 2, 2002 Report Share Posted December 2, 2002 . Feels good take take from the "rich" but not so good to take from a countryman. ----------------------------------------- no, smart/stupid merchant. Smart as she wants another thai to be coming back again, maybe tell her friends, stupid because "all farangs are just passing by one time", even if you'd tell her you've been living here for 10 years. My pet peeve is the intellectual narrow-mindednes of thais. To each his own :: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattaya127 Posted December 2, 2002 Report Share Posted December 2, 2002 Actually, the Thai media itself has reported on how tourists to the Kingdom have been cheated and generally received poor value for their tourist dollar ------------------------------------------- is it what you hear after a guy has been with a pretty girl for 1000 bahts in a hotel room priced the same, after a meal that cost him 100 bahts? What I really mean, never mind chinese medias, is: what is YOUR impression of a stay in Thaiand, and if absolutely negative, what is the incentive to post on Nanapaza? To blow the whistle? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SUZIBANDIT Posted December 2, 2002 Report Share Posted December 2, 2002 [color:"red"] is it what you hear after a guy has been with a pretty girl for 1000 bahts in a hotel room priced the same, after a meal that cost him 100 bahts? [/color] P127, Will you just admit that your perspective and that of the Ex-pat are completely different?! I think those of us who are here long term (many of us on the board) have a legitimate complaint that you can never justify with your posting what a great holiday bargain LOS is or how other places have worse scams. The point is, I live in Thailand, I work in Thailand, I have a Thai boss and I pay Thai taxes. I enjoy Nana and SC as much as the next guy, but I also enjoy building my life in Thailand. I do this with the full understanding that I will never be Thai, nor never be fully accepted in the society. However, I do expect to be treated with respect and I find the double-pricing and areas of "racism" in Thai society disrespectful and to be things I would like to see gone from the place I consider my home Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattaya127 Posted December 2, 2002 Report Share Posted December 2, 2002 what does that have to do with accepting double pricing? --------------------------------------- nothing! You no like, you no pay. Sorry, as much as i agree it's unfair, i fear to have thais doing everything as we want because some practice bothers us, even if achieving fairness to the foreigner, is ultimately bound to be part of the "generic-ation" of the thai cultural landscape (which i believe, chinese medias in HARLEQUIN's post, would love so much to see), ie. "it's done like this in our countries, so you thais do like us too!". I admit double-pricing is your pet peeve, accept it's of no great importance to me as to my views of thai people. PS: do you really pay your soup 5 bahts more than your GF? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattaya127 Posted December 2, 2002 Report Share Posted December 2, 2002 How does thinking double pricing is wrong or that we can justify not paying more "magnify" our outsider status? ------------------------------- well, thinking or posting on nana will not do it, I meant being the vehemently morally offended farang in front of a national parl entrance gate will.... PS: apologies to you guys for dragging this subject on and on, I am the worst offender in it. This was my last post on this thread, plese PM me if you wish. I think the right format for this type of discussion is around a beer or two, just gets too "brainy" in the written form. Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harlequinbkk Posted December 2, 2002 Report Share Posted December 2, 2002 [color:"red"] is it what you hear after a guy has been with a pretty girl for 1000 bahts in a hotel room priced the same, after a meal that cost him 100 bahts? What I really mean, never mind chinese medias, is: what is YOUR impression of a stay in Thaiand, and if absolutely negative, what is the incentive to post on Nanapaza? To blow the whistle? [/color] P127, The article I posted yesterday was from the Bangkok Post, which is part of the Thai media, not the Chinese media. The perception of Thailand as a "Land of Scams" is not entirely a product of foreign media reporting. I do not dispute the fact that Thailand is an excellent value for visiting tourists in many respects. It is also a good value for expats living in Thailand, although not so much as for tourists if the expat lives off a local salary, as many of them do. 1,000 Baht for a short time (plus bar fine, lady drinks, taxi, etc.) is not such a trivial sum if you are earning 30,000 Baht a month. My impression of Thailand is not absolutely negative. There is much I enjoy about the country and its people. I write about the issue of double-pricing on Nanaplaza because I feel strongly about it. I understand that when a farang is in Thailand, they must be more tolerant of certain things - hot and humid climate, extremely spicy food, language difficulties, etc. I think, however, that racism is a different matter. To me, it is a question of basic respect and human dignity. Even if the sums of money are minor, dual pricing based on race is a metaphorical slap in the face to someone. I think it should not be tolerated anywhere in the world. Harlequin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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