wump

Agoda fees ARE being added very sneakily when booking via the web. The end price pretends to be the added total of the number of nights booked when it's not. It's only in very small print that it says "includes 10+7% taxes and fees". In fact, the whole thing is sneakier than Airasia.

9 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

Always give Agoda a miss, they are very sneaky about the 17% taxes they always add on the the price that they first quoted you.

Sneaky yes, but if you use the app it displays the real prices. Also, unlike Paypal they don't charge you for paying in another currency. In fact, sometimes it's even cheaper in euros or dollars than it is in Thai Baht.

It is sneaky to call it "taxes and fees" though. The whole 17% go directly to Agoda.

2 hours ago, THAILIBAN said:

This "local rate/local resident" thing on agoda is an old hat.

It has been implemented and offered to hotels by agoda since almost two years. I experienced that particularly in Indonesia, when suddenly hundreds of hotels applied such local rates. But since then almost all hotels have realized that applying such a racist rate system actually will COST them a lot of money as disgruntled potential guests will avoid booking such hotels, almost all hotels have abandoned such tactics.

 

But first you need to understand how agoda actually works: ALL prices/ rates and special offers are implemented by the HOTELS THEMSELVES. Hotels can use algos that r offered by agoda, which sometimes means that a room that usually cost 50$ suddenly costs 3800 $ because the hotel admins r too stupid to use those algos properly).

agoda is only offering the PLATFORM to sell the rooms. And yes, the higher the commission a hotel agrees to pay, the higher the position in the list of hotels that show up on each search.

I have more than 260 bookings on agoda, and never had any problems. U just have to understand how the system works.

And yes, at least in Asia agoda is in 80-90% of the cases cheaper than booking.com, at least when you are logged in to your account.

 

Totally agree with your post, except for one thing: I think the commission is a flat rate, not adjusted by the hotel or Agoda.

Don't be so personally offended, I'm sure it was meant as a harmless joke.

Agoda does have the most hot deals though... Booking.com has transparent pricing but doesn't offer too much in terms of discounts (except for selected hotels in the Genius program). Hotels.com has the best deal with every tenth night free, but unfortunately it is not popular with hotels here in Thailand.

Would be silly to just pay 200 Baht more because I don't like Agoda's policy. They should just generally forbid any price discrimination by the hotels.

It is a known fact that they hold a lot of power over the hotels as they forbid the hotels from quoting a lower walk-in rate than their rate.

My usual question is: " You quote me 1200 Baht cash when it's only 1000 on Agoda. Can you give it to me for the same price, avoiding their 17% fee?" - "No can do sir, just book on Agoda". So I take out my phone and book the room on Agoda right in front of them. So silly.

Seems immigration offices are getting more efficient. In and out in Jomtien in under 20 minutes for my last two extensions (TR/exempt entry).

Quote

Domestic rates are provided to local citizens and holders of local ID only. Failure to present local identification when checking in may result in additional charges at the hotel.

I am a little speechless. Should I avoid hotels with this policy? Do I mind paying 50 Baht more a night? Surely not, but I made Agoda at least 15,000 Baht in commissions in the last 6 months. How much do the Thais earn Agoda when staying twice a year for a weekend in Pattaya?!

3 hours ago, Srikcir said:

Sakchai (Somchai?) is a motorcycle taxi driver. There is no meter.

You agree to price before you ride.

If you were to do it Thai style, you'd ask afterwards. 

Using a company is the smartest thing to do. Not worth all the hassle doing it yourself. Even if you have the $30, you'll still be expected to leave a donation for not paying in Thai Baht and don't forget about the 300 Baht exit fee if leaving on the same day.

Show me ANY shop in Thailand that does't load up on the MSG (with the exception of 5 Star Jay).

Edit: What's the deal with the silly pricing. Why would I buy the 39 grams pack when I could have 45 grams for the same price, buying 1 Baht packs?

[

10 hours ago, tazly said:

you seem to know so post the comparative info

Don't know. From the article it seems the happy hour price is 62 Baht? Sailor Bar probably around the same (was 60 Baht in 2013 and might have gone up).

Cheaper than Sailor Bar?

Not too hard to figure this one out yourself. I find it a bit unbelievable that people thought it was a legal service?

And for the record: ANYTHING that has a one-time fee (lifetime subsscription) is a scam, with the exception of VPNs and Tony's Gym.

You remember the people desperately wanting to being able to watch movies legally in the 2000's? Took 15 years for Netflix to arrive.

The content industry is just stupid with all their contracts and backward thinking.

Not sure. Do you know?

Yes, I was talking about the Bundesliga. Sure Sky UK has SkyGo as well? Might be a bit pricey though.

How about getting an Astro or SkyNet (Burma) card? Quite affordable and can be watched in HD on your TV.

You can do what a lot of Germans do: Get a discounted Sky subscription for 20,99 € per month and just watch SkyGo on VPN (50$/5 years)

2 hours ago, R123 said:

Can call me stupid or whatever but only in the last hour or so having been trying to access a certain website have I learnt from reading around Thai Visa the whole operation of the site offering football live et al is not lawful.

Last august having seen the website advertised on well known web pages I paid via Visa Card a sum of around 10000 baht to subscribe to the service believing it was perfectly legal and thereafter able to access premiership, championship and other football as well as live boxing etc.

Now I learn the truth.

So are those companies including Visa Card also liable to arrest being aiding and abetting an unlawful operation?

Also:

Can anyone tell me is there any LEGAL website where I can view by subscription on my tablet premiership and championship matches.

Thx!

 

 

Restreaming ANY copyrighted content is illegal, period.

Edit: If the stream is in a different country.

Mmmmmh? They do the tastiest Pad See Ew Shrimps in all of Pattaya.... any time of the day, so it must be in the recipe. 

10 hours ago, swissie said:

I hear the word anxiety. Alarm bells are starting to ring!

Half of the so called "Alcoholics" have no physical dependency concerning alcohol. Actually most don't even like the taste of alcohol.

There is a segment of the populace, that finds it hard to live in a cold, unforgiving "dog eat dog world". In other words, to them, the world "sucks". Alcohol will detach them from this world that "sucks", called reality.= The world becomes not better, but at least "bearable".

Sensitive people are mostly affected by this sort of pseudo-alcoholism.

Unfortunately, to this very day, modern medical science refuses to differentiate between physical dependency and mental alcohol dependancy. A boozer is a boozer, period.

Returning to the OP's problem, involving "anxiety", a standart "anti- alcohol- therapy" is unlikely to remedy the problem.
IMO: The "anxiety" problem would have to be addressed beforehand. Trying to extrapolite where those "anxiety-attacks" come from.
Cheers. 

Bloody hell, that's my soul in a nutshell  .. no kidding.

Thanks a lot for your reply. May I ask: If the shortness of breath is completely gone when drinking, could it still be a physical problem?

1 hour ago, JSixpack said:

 

With more rice you mean? And perhaps some drama afterwards? Most farang I see in PTY need to eat less anyway. Considering also the relative cleanliness, the convenience, the service (cf. Kiss), and the menu--I've ordered off menu as well--it's a good 'nuff value I think.

Geez, I don't care about 100 Baht. I was just pointing out that I personally don't understand all the anticipation about another Took lae Dee. Give Me KISS any day, at least they don't cheap out on the portions and it's always delicious, even if the service is unfriendly/impersonal (but it's quick!).

On 3/20/2017 at 10:42 PM, tropo said:

LOL> which also sells overpriced food. I don't understand the hype of Took Lae Dee... It's good for a snack when you're out shopping and need to eat something, but who wants to sit at a counter rubbing elbows with strangers of all descriptions (drunk, smelly, sweaty, bad mannered, rude etc) when there are so many better alternatives. It'll be worse eating there when it's right in the tourist belt.

One thing that Took Lae Dee is not is "took" (cheap). 112 Baht for a tiny, tiny portion? Might as well go to a real restaurant and get 2 meals for the same price.

4 hours ago, samsensam said:

absolutely.

 

make some thai friends beyond the, probably, low class low educated females most foreigners hang out with.

 

my friends are thai, male and female, single and married (to foreigners and other thais), educated (many with master degrees from western countries), professional middles class people. try it and you will understand a whole lot more about thailand.

You joking? Then you'd have to learn the language and actually make an effort understanding the culture. Silly boy!

I only took the Valium when I had to drive for 12 hours straight (and couldn't drink) one week ago. Thinking about it, that's only when the real anxiety started. Coincidence?