200 Baht Admission to Sam Phan Nam Floating Market

[Big Boy]

We have quite a few visitors from the UK at the moment. Today was the tour of Hua Hin's 'Plastic' attractions. First stop was the Sam Phan Nam Floating Market. We were greeted by this seasonal greeting.

Obviously somebody at the Floating Market has been looking at the successful Venezia business plan and have decided they can be 4 times better.

200 Baht to go shopping for tourist tat? I and the other Farangs refused to enter, at which point they offered to reduce the charge to 100 Baht for any Farang with a Thai wife. I don't even like shopping, and there's no way that I'm paying for the pleasure. Yes, I know if we'd walked 100 yards to the left, we could have walked in for free, but I don't need much of an excuse not to go shopping.

FFS I am a resident - all but one of the Thais in our party was visiting from the UK

I and all of the Farangs in our party turned around and sat outside. The Thais had to show their ID cards to gain free admission - one left her ID card in the UK, and had to show her passport.

Another place struck from our tourist route.

[kendo]

Ridiculous Thai greed I would vote with my feet and two fingers pay an admission fee for a load of over priced tourist tat, no thanks.

[Lung Per]

Thanks for the warning. I have friends coming from abroad soon, and this is certainly one of the places we won't visit.
Merry Christmas.

[richard]

I avoid all places like that. They are specifically for the hordes of dumb tourists who come here to buy junk

[europtimiste]

MY MIDDLE FINGER.

[STEVE G]

Yes, that's silly, I've been in to that place for food a couple of times if we've been passing by but I certainly wouldn't pay to do that, there is absolutely nothing I would want to buy in those kind of attractions apart from food and drinks.

[usual suspect]

Well B.B..it sounds like all your 'team' was of the same opinion as you..sod 'em!
I took the family to Venicia this April & was met by the admission fee..well we'd gone to look at the place, so we did..never even bought an ice cream in there..took photos for an hour & left..all saying "never again".. TiT
(I for one now hope this 'floating market' sinks like a stone)

[Henry 14th]

You'd think some kind of incentive would be better than a cover charge. Do they think in absolute opposites to us?

200 bht for one of these places is as crazy as it gets. It's not as though there is anything to see/do/enjoy once yr inside.


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[brianks]

Would you pay to go shopping at Market Village? That was my first thought. How stupid can the owners be? Turn away customers who might purchase something and keep those shop keepers happy and in business.

[richard]

Would you pay to go shopping at Market Village? That was my first thought. How stupid can the owners be? Turn away customers who might purchase something and keep those shop keepers happy and in business.

Unless it's an emergency, MV would have to pay me to go into their concrete jungle. I was invited today by a couple of friends to go for a beer while their respective ladies went foresting about for pressies. Took one look at the heaving masses pouring into the place and promptly told my driver "move on James". Reminds me of when Milton Keynes was built and for my sins I had to visit a client who's office was in the centre.

The saving grace for MV is that it hasn't got (yet) any concrete cows in plastic fields. Why not float MV as in a floating market and then when fully packed to the seams, pull the plug out

Guess you've gathered I hate large, false and overpriced shopping malls

[hhinner]

I actually quite like the occasional stroll around sam phan nam, and visitors we have seem to like it too. Next time I'm out that way I'll make a point of visiting just to refuse to go in. A sort of protest. I don't know if they'll eventually notice any loss of farang customers but it won't hurt to give them a clue now and again. Business may be bad, but admission charges to what is really just a market won't help to improve business. Didn't work for Venezia, won't work here. Stall holders should start considering their next move. IMHO.

[richard]

I actually quite like the occasional stroll around sam phan nam, and visitors we have seem to like it too. Next time I'm out that way I'll make a point of visiting just to refuse to go in. A sort of protest. I don't know if they'll eventually notice any loss of farang customers but it won't hurt to give them a clue now and again. Business may be bad, but admission charges to what is really just a market won't help to improve business. Didn't work for Venezia, won't work here. Stall holders should start considering their next move. IMHO.

They won't give a sh1t. Just lackies doing what the owner/manager says

[Dog4me]

Sam Phan Nam Floating Market should be among the candidates for the world's most bizarre tourist "attraction".

You take a mosquito infested pond, far away from all civilisation, build some base camps around the pond with items that cost 2-3 times the price of normal.

In order to attract people and believe they need to experience something really exciting, first rip them the amount for which they could get an hour massage or a good dinner.

Give people the illusion to experience something authentic locally in colourful beautiful carved long boats, from the good old days but instead give them China plastic sold from these base camps (which is being rented out by conceptualist of this ... may I say scam?)

Luckily I got some tourists not to go there, but visit some of the night markets which are still free in Hua Hin.

Do you want to see something more exciting ? Then go to the local paint dealer and see which selection of colour they have, it's free.

[joelle]

is this an anti farang campain ? they certainly go the right way about it
also in 'the venezia shopping complex" topic bruce said I quote "-when I refused to pay the sullen woman security gurad intimated we don't need you farang anyway ....."

I thought they were trying to promote Thailand !!! not drive tourists away!!!! 200 bahts wouaw but even 50 bahts to go shopping !!! no way, a right rip off

[sgiandubh]

Good for you - I cannot understand why so many people happily pay up when they can clearly see that we (foreigners) are being fleeced.
Other places doing this include the new Camel Kingdom near Cha Am and the @letic firness gym on soi 88 - actually they charge us 4000b more per year over a thai persons fees. Its so wrong and IMO the best thing we can all do is reveal them and simply stop going there.