Thai people hate us when we don't pay for their services

[MrPlum]

Come now. This ganging up on Johan is OTT. If a green tourist came on the forum and said he had been ripped off, people would have said he was a naive plonker and complained that people like him ensure the rest of us pay high prices.

I agree he was insensitive to the vendor but any vendor in a tourist area is used to foreigners and know they will lose more than they win. If they can't deal with it they shouldn't be in retail.

[margaretcarnes]

Disagree mr P - this isn't a 'green tourist ripped off' situation. This is a 'buy cheaper go back rub dealers face in it' situation which, IMO, was inappropriate and unecessary. Business is business.
Would YOU do it?

[MrPlum]

Disagree mr P - this isn't a 'green tourist ripped off' situation. This is a 'buy cheaper go back rub dealers face in it' situation which, IMO, was inappropriate and unecessary. Business is business.
Would YOU do it?

No. But I do have experience of being ganged up on.

Rub the dealers face in it is a bit strong. I doubt if the factory would make a special effort to deliver the table elsewhere so what choice did johan have but to go back to that vendor? He gave the shopkeeper the opportunity to offer a discount, what more could he do?

No disrespect but you make it sound as if he stood there with a satisfied smirk on his face enjoying the shopkeepers annoyance. Are you sure that is what happened?

[margaretcarnes]

No - but it does sound that way

[Johan]

I told the vendor i was ok for 80 000 bahts for the table, he refused. I told him i could order directly from the factory, he didn't believe me. He still wanted 100 000 bahts for it.

2 months later i came back for my order, he asked how much i paid for and he was amazed i got the same price as him. The factory didn't want to send the table to my home directly, they pack everything by 5 or 10.

I still have the bill for the table and i paid exactly 1,365.00 USD for it. 40 000 Bahts, then i paid arround 10 000 for deliver.

My offer wasn't that bad.

The only time i went back by myself it was when i received an email for a service quoted at 35 000 bahts. Then i made some basic maths and the real price of the service was arround 6 000 bahts, i asked them where their price was coming from and they had no good answer. I paid for the same service 6 000 bahts in Bangkok a year ago. I was able to offer 8 000 bahts, they refused. Well, i had some troubles to find everything i needed so i accepted another offer from another guy at 15 000, the service wasn't really the same but the result yes.

About the swimming pool story, i still thinking about it, anyway i did the mistake of give my number telephone to the shop i have asked for a quote before, then they called me EVERYDAY for a month. I endeed telling them the truth, i found the real builder they were using and he's ok to build the swimming pool for half of the price, she wasn't very happy.

It's the same, all these people are angry because i didn't pay them. And any thai people i asked for about the price said it was ultra expensive. Because i have more thai friends than farang friends. They said the prices quoted were only for farangs.

You can make me look bad on the forum, i know how it works, anyway is up to you guys if you don't care about this. I worked hard to make my money and i'm not giving it away for nothing. I'm ok to pay the same price as any thai people for the same thing they are asking for without any problem or complain.

[ImThai]

Steve M. I must say you are a wise man, when you are a guest in an another mans house, you behave in a way that suits him.
I,m been travelling all around the world for many years, if you behave in this way, you are welcome whereever you go. But if you think you are God because you have some money, you should rather stay in your homecountry.

EXACTLY

[ImThai]

Nope, rubbing the guy's face in it probably isn't the best course of action, and quite expectedly the guy was somewhat aggrieved...... with the table actually being sent to his premises as well, must have been a real kick in the teeth. If one of my suppliers had done the same to me, the business relationship would be ended fairly quickly.....I do like the guy's 3K for setting the table up though!

I actually don't think that mark-up is that outrageous on the table itself. Quite frankly rightly or wrongly Johan (IMHO) has been given a trade price from the supplier.

What's the mark-up on beer from trade to the wholesaler to pub prices? What's the mark-up on clothing (made-in-China etc) and sold worldwide?

I'm with YOU pharvey..

[ImThai]

To be completely honest I don't really know what kind of percentages are expected on mark ups. 50 % just sounds bad but maybe it's the norm.

I've got a friend who used to work in Indonesia for a silver company. They bought all the silver form Thailand and sell them as a wholesale price worldwide for 150% profit..Wholesale Price!!

[ImThai]

I recently bought some jewlery (real) in Hua Hin and the price seemed high to me but after some friendly bartering I was able to reach a compromise that left the both the jewler and I happy. Did i still pay too much, probably, but it was a small store and like a number of people have said it is the price one is willing to pay that is the bottom line. Believe me I did not go back to other stores to show off my purchases! I am from eastern Canada, a real tourist area and some of the prices we charge for accomodation and attractions is criminal, yet tourists still come every year. Finally I found Thai business people more willing to barter than Canadians!

Exactly!! Who would go back to the other stores to show off the purchases!! You would be an idiot to if you do so

[ImThai]

Why do you go back and "brag" that you found it cheaper another place???????? Same with the pool table??? It looks to me that you are actually trying to get in troubble with the store(s). I find it quite normal that he didn't think that you could buy one from the factory. I wouldn't either.
You need to do some growing up.

I have lived in this beautiful country for many years and surely i have probably been "ripped off" of a few bath's. It will probably happend again because i'm not leaving until i'm in a casket in a plane returning to my home country to be buried.

My last word: If I can sell an item more expensive than other stores. So what, it is up to the customer to buy or not (as other have mentioned earlier)
So again, grow up if you want a happy life here in beautiful Thailand.

I myself have been "ripped off" in both country Thailand and Australia!!!..lol..Once bought a dress in HuaHin Night market for 450baht then found the same one in the same market for 199...lol....and still love and happy to live in both country

I was born here and live here and am still get ripped off ...I don't wanna say ripped off though but would blame myself that I didn't do my market research at all..lol...who cares I love the dress and its only 450

[ImThai]

Last word, if I were assembling your pool table I would be tempted not to tighten up the screws too well! [/color]

hahahahahahahaha

[pharvey]

Johan - from the above post I can see the point you are trying to make... HOWEVER: -

1. At times, you make your point badly and can come across as somewhat of a tw@t - you know, the odd ''monkey'' comment and ''everyone is trying to rip me off''..........
2. You've managed to get pricing/goods from source - fair enough on your part, but IMHO suupliers/producers should ultimately be seen to support the outlets/agents/stores rather than the individual (not saying don't deal with the individual, just don't make it too damn obvious).
3. It seems nothing could be done with regards to delivery of the pool table to the store (although I'm pretty sure you enjoyed several aspects of that ). Why though inform the swimming pool outlet that you went directly to builder? Couldn't a simple and polite response such as ''sorry, I'm no longer interested as I've been given a slightly better deal elsewhere, but thanks for your offer''... have worked? It amazes me that you appear surprised that the shop/outlet owners get riled
4.

I worked hard to make my money and i'm not giving it away for nothing. I'm ok to pay the same price as any thai people for the same thing they are asking for without any problem or complain.

I'm sure the majority of people would agree with the sentiments of working hard for their money and not wanting to give it away - I certainly do. As to the ''I'm ok to pay the same price as any thai people for the same thing'' .... you're living in dreamland - unfortunately as a foreigner, you will always pay that little bit extra (something I seem to remember you found acceptable on another thread ). The same is true the world over (try Calais with a British accent ), always has been, always will be. Come on Johan, get over yourself, get real.

[Johan]

I have a thai wife, i should pay the thai price, i'm not a tourist. The electrician came to my home, fixed a thing in about 2 min and asked 1000 bahts. Really, this is a rip off. We are living in Thailand so we should pay thai prices.

But i also have good stories, yesterday 3 thai guys helped me with some stuff and i saved 5 000 bahts, i gave them some tip for the help and everyone was happy.

Another day i went to the fish pier and wanted to buy some squid from a vendor, she gave me the squid for free. I was very surprised.

I also got an invitation to go with thai friends on their boat, again for free.

When i bought my car i had a very nice discount and she offered many other things, i have a very good souvenir of the shop.

So yes, thai people can be very kind and good. I talk only about bad stories but i have more good than bad ones in my experience, but normally we only talk about bad stories on forums. Thai people who work with farangs think of us like ATMs same as i think like this about my customers on my business. When a friend of mine came in Thailand last year we went to a gogo dancing, the mamasan asked for a tip very rudly with her monster ugly face, it was like "give a tip or fuck off fucking idiot".

They can't think of us like normal people, it's their job to rob us. In another hand we have real thai people who don't get money from us, they are kind and always ready to help.

[ImThai]

They can't think of us like normal people, it's their job to rob us.

I can see that you are not normal now

[ImThai]

They can't think of us like normal people, it's their job to rob us.

I can see that you are not normal now

Why you are here Johan?? you really think that we are robbing you then you really SHOULD NOT be here

go back to France to your lovely country and lovely people. Thais people are too bad to you!! Then go back!! We don’t need a dickhead farang like you, in fact we SICK you