Taking advantage of goodwill?

[DawnHRD]

If I am in a restaurant that I frequently visit and am reasonably friendly with staff & management, leave good tips etc, I often find that they will "take advantage" of my friendliness & I'm not sure if this is a Thai cultural thing, or not.

For instance today I was having lunch on a table for 2 with my son. 2 other tables for 2 were occupied. A large family group came in & immediately the staff told me to move to a "staff" table near the kitchen, so they could accommodate the tourists. This happens to me a lot. They'll leave my order while cooking for a tourist party that came after me, I won't get my bill until they've seen to everyone else, no matter when I asked for it. And I'm always being moved.

This only happens in restaurants where they know me, though. Is it a compliment to get bad service? Is it treating me like "family"? It really annoys me, as I think that, going to their places year round, I should get the better treatment, not stuck in a corner. I even avoid places that regularly do this.

Does this happen to anyone else?

[dr dave soul monsta]

It has indeed Dawn, what usually occurs if this happens is
I get up leave without paying and never return

[Huahinian]

Dawn - if they ask you to move, do so -right out of the restaurant.

[Randy Cornhole]

Nice one huahinian, thats what I do!

[richard]

Hi guys, agree the walk out solution

But sometimes my hot headed Yorkshire upbringing comes through and I would be sorely tempted to draw up a chair near the tourists, put my feet up on the table and tell them the food in this restuarant is sh**

[lomuamart]

I was talking to some bloke today.
He was telling me the price of a large Singa beer at Sai Noi beach, for him alone. It was outrageous.
I couldn't believe it. As he dosn't have a Thai girlfriend, he's ripped off.
Has anyone else experienced this?
Got a Thai g/f Thai wife - it's OK. Hey, 50-60 Baht for a large Chang. If on your own - 90+,
Cor, a Thai wife means that much?

[STEVE G]

Lomu, I used to eat down at Sai Noi beach all the time, and it used to be excellent value. However since all that construction started down there, the people running the beach restaurant to the left have changed and the prices have gone up dramatically. It’s a pity, the couple that ran it before were really friendly.

[westmoor04]

Hi, same thing in restaurants in thailand, the first couple of times you visit a restaurant you have your order taken quickly, food delivered quickly, then when you are classed as a regular, you are pushed to the back of the queue and see everyone being served their food when they came in much later. also found the same with other types of businesses in thailand, a tailor for example. first year we visited phuket we had our clothes quite quickly, the next year we were held as an example and pointed out to other tourists that we were coming back a second time because we were pleased with our clothes. only difference was we didn't get our clothes till the night we were leaving then ended up one item short. Must be a Thai thing

[johnnyk]

Vote with your feet.
Make sure they see you walking around in the area so they know you are still in town. Perhaps they will get 4 from 2+2.