Rip Off Hua Hin

[kendo]

To balance this why don't we have a Still Great Value In Hua Hin thread. For expats that really want to praise products, services, lifestyle and activities.

[Big Boy]

400 baht for the driver is just one cost associated with the taxis. The cost of the car, fuel and maintenance also have to be factored in. When you do that there is little profit left over. 1,800 baht is the normal price for the BKK trip and that's pretty cheap in the real world. If it's too much, there are always the minivans and buses. Expats (i.e., immigrants) need to get used to the fact that their presence is why prices go up.

Nobody is complaining about current 'Hua Hin prices'. I came here with my eyes open. It is the sudden unjustifiable price hike with no logical reason. Putting a price up by 20% because my car has 4 doors is not justification. It had 4 doors everytime the car was cleaned.

I'm not complaining about reasonable price rises either.

[Big Boy]

To balance this why don't we have a Still Great Value In Hua Hin thread. For expats that really want to praise products, services, lifestyle and activities.

You are quite right kendo. Thankfully, the price hikers are in a minority. Many things in Hua Hin are still excellent value for money.

[kendo]

For example when we used to go to Fort Thanarat to watch Hua Hin City admission was a paltry 50 baht don't get much better value Sunday afternoon than that whilst drinking beer on the terrace for 35 baht a can.

[RCer]

To balance this why don't we have a Still Great Value In Hua Hin thread. For expats that really want to praise products, services, lifestyle and activities.

Great idea, maybe put in a new section called the No Whine Zone.

[Drgonzo]

To balance this why don't we have a Still Great Value In Hua Hin thread. For expats that really want to praise products, services, lifestyle and activities.

Great idea, maybe put in a new section called the No Whine Zone.

That is a good idea, even a bottle of Jacob's Creek is 500 THB.

[JW]

Prices increase all over the world all of the time, thats the way it is...is life really about 100 baht here and there...what was is the cost of your car wash?

[Big Boy]

Yes, I have no problem with price increases or decreases for that matter. It is when the price is hiked 33% - I don't care what you say, it is taking the P in the current economic climate in Thailand. Outside of pure profiteering/greed, if there are no outside influences, how can it be justified?

The cost of a car wash is irrelevant. Hiking the cost by 20% simply because my car has 4 doors is wrong, and can not be justified. If (when) they get away with it because people say it was only a few Baht, they'll think that was easy money, and bang another 20% on top because my car has 4 wheels.

[Dannie Boy]

Yes, I have no problem with price increases or decreases for that matter. It is when the price is hiked 33% - I don't care what you say, it is taking the P in the current economic climate in Thailand. Outside of pure profiteering/greed, if there are no outside influences, how can it be justified?

The cost of a car wash is irrelevant. Hiking the cost by 20% simply because my car has 4 doors is wrong, and can not be justified. If (when) they get away with it because people say it was only a few Baht, they'll think that was easy money, and bang another 20% on top because my car has 4 wheels.

The place I get my car washed, hasn't increased the price in over 40 years - it's called "my own back yard" and I'm sure you'll find there's a branch near you

[Big Boy]

As I said, the cost is irrelevant.

I used to do the same as you, but a car wash opened near me, and I thought help out the local business - they do a better job than I can anyway. I will now revert back to Plan A.

[kendo]

I see Big Boys principle here. Try and support your local businesses and they hike the price by a significant margin probably because they have less customers and want to make the same

Theirs an old saying" take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves"

As for prices in Thailand may only go up here in the UK they most definitely are consumer and inflation led. For example a four years ago fuel had increased to £1.44 a litre and prices in shops and for services were creeping up daily. The tide of inflation slowly ebbed away and in the last six months I've see fuel down to as little as £0.99 a litre and at today price is £1.11 a litre. The prices in shops have been falling because the consumer demands cheaper deals and better value. lots of services have sprung up competing with each other in my area we used to have two immigrant car washes and now we have seven even Tesco's have seen the value in this and now have immigrant car washes franchised at many of its stores. I can pay between £4.00 and £10.00 for a basic wash.

Hua Hin is just as expensive on a lot of things as the UK and is no way cheap holiday destination. I come to Hua Hin to visit family and friends and am fully aware of paying tourist prices for three to four weeks at a time so except that.

If I was on a UK based pension with a weakening pounds that's worth about 43 Baht todays rate I would be looking at the cost of everything. As we head towards Brexit the pound is going to take a hammering by these gready market speculators that want to drive it down and then buy as cheap as possible on the rise.

Thailand's high season will be another difficult one in my opinion and for us Brits an expensive one.

[J.J.B.]

Yes, I have no problem with price increases or decreases for that matter. It is when the price is hiked 33% - I don't care what you say, it is taking the P in the current economic climate in Thailand. Outside of pure profiteering/greed, if there are no outside influences, how can it be justified?

Unless Thailand became a communist state overnight it requires no justification at all. This is the nature of a capitalist, free-market economy. Sellers get to pick whatever price they like and buyers can choose to pay it or not. Vote with your feet (or wheels!) and take your custom elsewhere. You mention the current economic climate and many people just don't understand or care about basic Keynesian dynamics of supply and demand. They see less money in the till at the end of the day, due to fewer customers or rising prices, and push the price up to balance the books, not realising that supply and demand means their volume is likely to drop yet further!

I agree that comparing a car wash price in Thailand with the UK, for example, is fatuous and unhelpful, not least because a UK car wash is not accessible from Thailand. So is comparing pricing strategy of the two countries, however. Swings and roundabouts!

[J.J.B.]

Hua Hin is just as expensive on a lot of things as the UK and is no way cheap holiday destination. I come to Hua Hin to visit family and friends and am fully aware of paying tourist prices for three to four weeks at a time so except that.

I couldn't agree more. It's alarming to think about what I spend sometimes on my visits over.

[Big Boy]

Nobody is saying that Hua Hin is not a holiday destination, and accordingly expensive.

Let's be silly, and say I go to look at a house priced at 10M. I drive up in my 4 door car, so the owner tells me its 12M now. Oh, and I'm wearing size 14 shoes, so that's another 5%.

Yes, a silly example, but you'd turn around and walk away. Why shouldn't I walk away when a similar surcharge is added at the car wash.

A 2 door car covers the same surface area as a 4 door car. It is the same size inside, in fact the back seats are harder to get at. My (Thai) next door neighbour also drives a 4 door pickup. It'll be interesting to see what he gets charged.

[StevePIraq]

BB care to name the car wash or al least give a location