Eeeeekkk! A Restaurant That Overcharges Farangs!

[chanchao]

I've never encountered blatant double pricing in Chiang Mai when it comes to restaurants.. Well maybe the kantoke places but those qualify more as 'tourist traps' than as restaurants or anything else, so I was a but miffed today to find a totally normal average-price restaurant that's not in a particulary heavily touristed area do it.. And worse, it was a place I semi-recommended before.

Needless to say I updated my review: Ban Som Tam updated review

They even overcharge on water, 20 baht vs. 10 baht, black on white in their respective English and Thai menus!! While I admit this is not going to make me any poorer, I still think this is just sad. May their karma crash into them with the force of lightning!

Cheers,

Chanchao

[taxexile]

good for you chanchao,

double pricing is a nasty enough sleazy practice in the first place, but when further disguised by having thai and english menus offering the same products at different prices, then it is downright cheating that borders on the criminal.

the grubby avaricious thieves that operate such systems deserve to go out of business.

Fair-Price thailand is a web site set up by a board member that publicises restaurants and other businesses that operate double pricing.

if you feel particularly peeved about it you can post the name of the place and details of the overcharge.

'http://www.fairprice-thailand.org

[chanchao]

Yup, added it already there. I'm not letting it spoil my day though, doesn't make logical sense to spend more time moaning about one bad one when there are so many good & fair ones.

Cheers,

Chanchao

[Bad News]

I respectfully suggest that the idea that farangs are

double charged on the water is incorrect and a biased comment.

It is obvious that the 20 baht is the regular price, and locals, as is their

right are only receiving a rational 50% discount on the normal price.

So they receive a benefit for being local and pay 10 baht.

To suggest that farangs are charged 100% more is only

typical foreign blindness to the fact that native Thais are only

receiving a half price discount on what should be free.

I hope this clears up this matter.

[cutethaigirl]

try the small place on the opposite corner, same side of the road, towards the lights from the corner of the beer garden at Mae Ping. They have a few funny prices too!

Whilst in the area pop into the Mae Ping Beer Garden and see if you get a 'cover charge' added.

They seem to add rather more to foreigner bills than others:-(

Disappeared when questioned about it.

Opposite Pizza Co. on Chang Klan is tea / coffee vendor in the mornings. He will drum a few prices up to scare away the foreigners on a good day:-(

Happily few places in CM seem to have the disgraceful habit that the Government appear to condone as it is the worst offender....National Parks.

CT

[sabaijai]

Chanchao, did you say anything to the owners/operators of the place? I think it's incumbent on us residents to make our feelings known when this happens. I've only been over-charged once at a restaurant in Thailand - or rather I should say they attempted to over-charge me. It was a phat thai place in Anusarn Night Market (elsewhere there, I've never knowingly been over-charged, altho I know Anusarn has somewhat of a reputation in that way). I simply pointed out the error, they acquiesced, I paid the price listed on the menu, and that was that.

In Laos, from whence I just returned, restos in Luang Prabang and Vientiane regularly tried to overcharge me. I'd be sitting next to locals paying 4000 to 5000 kip for a bowl of rice noodles (exact price depending on the noodle shop) and when it came time for me to pay I'd sometimes be quoted 6000 to 8000 kip for the same noodles. When I pointed out the price the Lao were paying they usually gave in but one place said 'We made yours special, we added more meat.' I couldn't argue with that (not knowing how much meat was in the other bowls) but from then on made a point of asking for 'thammadaa, baw phi-seht' (ordinary; not special)!

By the way, I dined at Italian Lang Mo again tonight, after a month's absence. Most pasta dishes were 60-70B, one was 80B. Pizza is 70B for a small one, 100B large.

[chanchao]

> Chanchao, did you say anything to the owners/operators of the place?

Was going to, but my girlfriend wouldn't let me. I stared menacingly in their general direction though. ;-)

Also the waiter took the bill dispute to the owner/operator, she knew very well. Note that the place is actually quite popular with Thais, I'd say foreigners are only a tiny minority of their business.. which makes it all the weirder really. Nice printed menus too, full color on A4 photo paper from some Kodak digital print shop, so with the prices in print. Not just a listing with prices on stickers...

Feel free to go there yourself and have a go at them though. ;-) Preferably lunch time when there's lots of customers there.

> By the way, I dined at Italian Lang Mo again tonight, after a

> month's absence. Most pasta dishes were 60-70B, one was

> 80B. Pizza is 70B for a small one, 100B large.

Yes, same prices I saw, apparently up from the seriously cheap prices before. But also the whole setting was a lot more professional than I expected, and I think the prices are pretty fair. Any Thai dish in most 'proper' restaurants in Chiang Mai are in the 60-80 baht range as well, and for Western food they likely sell just one main course dish per person, not 2 and a half.. ;-)

Cheers,

Chanchao

[john b good]

I respectfully suggest that the idea that farangs are

double charged on the water is incorrect and a biased comment.

It is obvious that the 20 baht is the regular price, and locals, as is their

right are only receiving a rational 50% discount on the normal price.

So they receive a benefit for being local and pay 10 baht.

To suggest that farangs are charged 100% more is only

typical foreign blindness to the fact that native Thais are only

receiving a half price discount on what should be free.

I hope this clears up this matter.

What do you mean "locals as is their right are only receiving a rational 50% discount on the normal price"

What right are we talking about here

and if we are talking about something priced at 20 baht and the locals pay 10 baht that means anyone else paying the 20 baht is paying a 100% more. FACT

Thats it, anyone paying 20 baht is being fleeced.

Any why would you suggest the "it should be free" as even tap water not recomended for drinking has to be paid for so where does this "free" bit come from ???

[chanchao]

Hint: I think he was just being sarcastic.

As for water being free: It's free at many restaurants, though I don't have a problem with those that charge a reasonable small amount for bottleled water. I definitely think of place favourably when it gives you a free glass of iced water the moment you sit down.

So while it doesn't HAVE to be free for me, it's a nice gesture. And I definitely note it when a places charges 20 baht for it, like the popular pub/restaurants do. Not a reason for me not to go, but I do note it.

Cheers,

Chanchao

[cutethaigirl]

Hint: I think he was just being sarcastic.

4 sure