Hi there.
I have read all your replys and think you should all re-read the letter from FYBO.
He is sending you guys a message on how to avoid something before it happens.
Now Olmate said they harrass you in Australia. Not so it is usually a twenty year or older girl that appears with the organisation she is representing shown clearly and you just nod "No" or call her over.
Selected restaurants have allowed certain charities to sell flowers and the charities have to be registered.
I agree with MartinJ that the bars and restaurants dont try hard enough that was why I first raised the issue about places getting a cut. Its your bar and restaurant so just put them out every time they appear they will soon know not to come back.
Now for all you Australians enjoying the wonderful life in Hua Hin it has been 1 degree most mornings the past weeks here. Just counting the days till we return.
Cheers RosieVictoria
Flower sellers
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rosievictoria
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HansMartin
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bj.blackowitz
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And maybe that's where a lot of the problems come from, Wesu. (Not having a go at you).
The people who venture out from big hotels are star struck, but are really unsure of what to do.
Again, don't buy the flowers. In fact, you're only contributing to our problem here.
You can go away. We choose not to.
The people who venture out from big hotels are star struck, but are really unsure of what to do.
Again, don't buy the flowers. In fact, you're only contributing to our problem here.
You can go away. We choose not to.
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Guess
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I will add a few facts to this conjecture although many true atatrement have been mad and I am not directing this at any individual.
Bars do not get any kick back from flower (or watch or DVD or anyhting) selleres in Hua Hin that I am aware of. If they did the amount would be so smal it would not be worht the effort to administer.
The bar management can allow (or bar) whoever they like from there establishments. Many customers like children especially if they are polite and friendly as most of them are. If they over step the mark the are repremanded by the Thai management and only aloowed in again at the management's discretion. If they steal they will be barred for a long time, maybe forever.
There is no Mafia organisation operating in Hua Hin. There are however some unscrupulous people who use children to earn money becasue they are either too stupid or too lazy to earn it for themselves. The decent Thais (the majority) will normally sort that issue out.
The Queen, of course, is quite right in saying that the best way to stamp out child labour is by not patronising it. The problem that in that slow transition many families will be caused hardship.
Don't forget that child labour is still continuing today in the west after one hundred years or more of efforts to eradicate it.
I hope that anybody who criticises child labour here never has a newspaper delivered to their home in farangland.
Bars do not get any kick back from flower (or watch or DVD or anyhting) selleres in Hua Hin that I am aware of. If they did the amount would be so smal it would not be worht the effort to administer.
The bar management can allow (or bar) whoever they like from there establishments. Many customers like children especially if they are polite and friendly as most of them are. If they over step the mark the are repremanded by the Thai management and only aloowed in again at the management's discretion. If they steal they will be barred for a long time, maybe forever.
There is no Mafia organisation operating in Hua Hin. There are however some unscrupulous people who use children to earn money becasue they are either too stupid or too lazy to earn it for themselves. The decent Thais (the majority) will normally sort that issue out.
The Queen, of course, is quite right in saying that the best way to stamp out child labour is by not patronising it. The problem that in that slow transition many families will be caused hardship.
Don't forget that child labour is still continuing today in the west after one hundred years or more of efforts to eradicate it.
I hope that anybody who criticises child labour here never has a newspaper delivered to their home in farangland.
[color=blue][size=134]Care in the community success story.[/size][/color]
Excellent post - Guess
I would add one small note of caution:
If, like me, you tend to become part of the furniture in a bar, the flower sellers will come to recognise you, and if you play the odd game of Connect 4 with them, or mischievously coax another farang into buying a flower from them, then they will begin to treat you as part of the family.
No harm there.
But Thais are much more tactile than Farangs. These kids may, in complete innocence, sit on your lap, cuddle you, or throw their arms round your neck.
In itself, this is totally harmless.
But never forget that you are in a girl bar, and that a photo of an eight year old girl sitting on a foreigner's lap is just what every western tabloid editor adores - particularly on a slow news day.
You could find yourself in all sorts of trouble, and no-one will believe your innocence back home.
So if this happens, detach them quickly (but kindly) before some clown takes a photo.
Be careful!!
Tom
I would add one small note of caution:
If, like me, you tend to become part of the furniture in a bar, the flower sellers will come to recognise you, and if you play the odd game of Connect 4 with them, or mischievously coax another farang into buying a flower from them, then they will begin to treat you as part of the family.
No harm there.
But Thais are much more tactile than Farangs. These kids may, in complete innocence, sit on your lap, cuddle you, or throw their arms round your neck.
In itself, this is totally harmless.
But never forget that you are in a girl bar, and that a photo of an eight year old girl sitting on a foreigner's lap is just what every western tabloid editor adores - particularly on a slow news day.
You could find yourself in all sorts of trouble, and no-one will believe your innocence back home.
So if this happens, detach them quickly (but kindly) before some clown takes a photo.
Be careful!!
Tom
I may be drunk, Miss, but in the morning I shall be sober and you will still be ugly...
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rosievictoria
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Flower Sellers
Well Done Uncle Tom
rosievictoria
rosievictoria
Rosie, I have to aggree with you, I have lived in Australia for 25 years, and there was a time a couple of years ago in Perth that they used to come into the pub where i drank.
1st thing is they have to be over 18 to go into a pub here at night without an adult.
2nd is that they had to get permission from the owner before they could enter the bar and sell.
3rd was that if they did annoy people they were not allowed back into the bar.
It is a bit different here, the sellers are doing that sort of job (normally as a 2nd income), so it is in there interests to try and sell what they had. If you did not want to buy anything, a polite no thankyou was enough
I was in HH last year in June/July and did see a lot of the younger girls going around doing the selling, but found much the same over there, if you were polite to them they would leave you alone.
There could be a lot to be said for taking that sort of action with any of the sellers.
Anyway, that sort of thing is much part and parcel of overseas holidays, I must admit that I got much less hassle from the flower sellers in HH that I did from the Indian Tailors and the Timeshare sellers in Phuket. Now they were a pain the the arse.
1st thing is they have to be over 18 to go into a pub here at night without an adult.
2nd is that they had to get permission from the owner before they could enter the bar and sell.
3rd was that if they did annoy people they were not allowed back into the bar.
It is a bit different here, the sellers are doing that sort of job (normally as a 2nd income), so it is in there interests to try and sell what they had. If you did not want to buy anything, a polite no thankyou was enough
I was in HH last year in June/July and did see a lot of the younger girls going around doing the selling, but found much the same over there, if you were polite to them they would leave you alone.
There could be a lot to be said for taking that sort of action with any of the sellers.
Anyway, that sort of thing is much part and parcel of overseas holidays, I must admit that I got much less hassle from the flower sellers in HH that I did from the Indian Tailors and the Timeshare sellers in Phuket. Now they were a pain the the arse.
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rosievictoria
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flower sellers
Chelsea
I had forgotten we had to be 18 before you can go into a pub.
Maybe if we look hard enough in the book of thai rules(that no one ever follows) we might find the same rule.
And this would be an easy way to get rid of the flower sellers.
You covered the subject very well
rosievictoria
I had forgotten we had to be 18 before you can go into a pub.
Maybe if we look hard enough in the book of thai rules(that no one ever follows) we might find the same rule.
And this would be an easy way to get rid of the flower sellers.
You covered the subject very well
rosievictoria
Flower sellers are an avoid. I took pity on one some years ago and bought flowers a few times. She has hassled me mercilessly since then and even comes up and punches me in the back for not buying. They are taken around by their minders in pick up trucks who take all their earnings and probably beat them for not selling enough. The Queen's request to the police to deal with the situation a few years ago lasted about two weeks. Many of them turned out to Cambodian or Burmese but most came back again shortly. The police obviously benefit from this situation. The best thing is to politely ignore them and not buy anything from them or play connect 4 or do anything that encourages to come out or gives them an opportunity to steal from you or have you arrested for sexual misbehaviour. One stupid Scandinavian guy ended up in jail after taking a young male flower for a walk on the beach!
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rosievictoria
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flower sellers
Well done Beguine
You have said it all.
Just watch it guys.
rosievictoria
You have said it all.
Just watch it guys.
rosievictoria
Having read the posts on this thread I have to say a lot of it in my opinion is hearsay, rumour and prejudice. There is no "Hidden Mafia" in Hua Hin. If there was I am sure they would be turning their attention to more sinister activities than flower selling! Noone knows whether the "minders" are looking out for the children or are going to "beat them up" if they don't sell enough, so why mention it?
My tactic is to look as disinterested as possible. Say no and look away. It works 90% of the time. If this does not work, I give them a stern voice and this usually sends them away. If this does not work I say NO! and show them the palm of my hand. If they still persist, I buy a flower. They have earned it and its only 20 baht FFS. I enjoy the game and the flower sellers adds character to Hua Hin.
My tactic is to look as disinterested as possible. Say no and look away. It works 90% of the time. If this does not work, I give them a stern voice and this usually sends them away. If this does not work I say NO! and show them the palm of my hand. If they still persist, I buy a flower. They have earned it and its only 20 baht FFS. I enjoy the game and the flower sellers adds character to Hua Hin.
Jockey, whilst I totally agree with your take on the wild speculation, I will take issue with you on one detail -
Around the world street vendors are a real pain the backside, because as soon as you make eye contact, they won't let go.
Thailand is a pleasant exception, mostly because Thais routinely buy stuff that way. You can make eye contact, politely say no thanks, and they go on their way.
If vendors think they can get a result by being pushy, they will start getting as bad as everywhere else - at least as far as the tourists are concerned.
never - buy from a vendor who persists!
Tom
Around the world street vendors are a real pain the backside, because as soon as you make eye contact, they won't let go.
Thailand is a pleasant exception, mostly because Thais routinely buy stuff that way. You can make eye contact, politely say no thanks, and they go on their way.
If vendors think they can get a result by being pushy, they will start getting as bad as everywhere else - at least as far as the tourists are concerned.
never - buy from a vendor who persists!
Tom
I may be drunk, Miss, but in the morning I shall be sober and you will still be ugly...
Jockey, I have seen the unsavoury looking characters delivering the flower vendors by pick up truck to hassle diners in the Baan Isara restaurant where the staff seemed too scared of them to prevent them from sending in their charges. I don't know if they are mafia or not but they are earning a living from exploiting children who should ideally be getting a good night's sleep in order to go to school the next day, either here or in the country they come from for those that are not Thai. This business would not be possible without the participation of the mafia in brown, specially after the Queen's plea to put a stop to it. Every province in Thailand has its mafia, both uniformed and otherwise, and I doubt whether Hua Hin is an exception, particularly as it has rich pickings from tourism. I also agree that it seems odd to reward hawkers for being aggressive.