Don't rip off tourists - be good hosts! - Pattaya tourism leader implores Thais

[Katia]

12 hours ago, balo said:

Good hosts indeed.

"It's high season so all prices are now increased."  

6 hours ago, possum1931 said:

Yes, look at some of the hotels and guesthouses, some have even put their prices up on 1st October instead of 1st November for the beginning of the high season.

All hotels everywhere do that... is it whatever the high season is in the area?  is there a festival or conference in town?  Prices get cranked up.  This is nothing new.

[neeray]

10 minutes ago, Katia said:

All hotels everywhere do that... is it whatever the high season is in the area?  is there a festival or conference in town?  Prices get cranked up.  This is nothing new.

Whether it is accommodation in Pattaya (or anywhere in the world) rates will fluctuate based on supply and demand as noted by Katia. Just think of the off season as a SALE to attract business.

The same applies to most goods and services. This is pretty much standard procedure and a good business practice.

[whitemouse]

2 hours ago, foxboy said:

...

 

The reason I like Pattaya so much is because you don't (generally) get ripped off. Especially when I compare it to my experiences in neighbouring Vietnam and Cambodia. I find most Thais pretty fair...

What happened in Vietnam, how were you ripped off?

I'm spending my second month in Vietnam, Grab moto taxi, Grab taxi, I have not been ripped off, so far.

 

Can you give heads up what kind of rip offs to expect in Vietnam, something that has not happened in my 2 months here?

 

Where's the trap? Please tell me!

 

 

[whitemouse]

1 hour ago, foxboy said:

Yes, you're are quite right... they may ask for 'rip off prices', on the assumption that some will pay it, but I don't blame them for that, I just give my business to someone else. If like you, you're smart enough to know the right price then you just shop elsewhere. I do like the saving face comment though... "mine are better", even though they're probably exactly the same ????

 

Who do you give your business to, when Pattaya motorcycle taxi guy wants 100 Baht from Avenue to North Rd bus terminal. I'm sincerely curious, is there an alternative, someone other than Pattaya taxi and motortaxi? 

Who do you give your business to, and what rates for you pay, few examples, please!

Lets say Avenue to Terminal 21? What do you pay to these people who you give your business to, who won't rip you off?

[foxboy]

15 minutes ago, whitemouse said:

What happened in Vietnam, how were you ripped off?

I'm spending my second month in Vietnam, Grab moto taxi, Grab taxi, I have not been ripped off, so far.

 

Can you give heads up what kind of rip offs to expect in Vietnam, something that has not happened in my 2 months here?

 

Where's the trap? Please tell me!

 

 

Motorbike taxi man befriended me and chatted about my hometown and how he had friends there.. gave me a recommendation for a restaurant and offered to take me there as he had finished work anyway. I agreed and as a kindness bought him a meal and beers. I thought it was all very pleasant chatting away until he presented me with a $30 bill for his time!! 

I was warned not to walk through the park at night.. I didn't but my friend did and got his wallet pinched, he even caught someone trying to pick his pocket the night after.

In a bar alone I chatted with the staff (not bar girls) and they asked for a drink so I agreed. I had three more drinks but then so did they without asking, unbeknown to me, and I got a whopping bill (their drink were strangely more expensive than uk prices!) 

Buying fruit was painful.. I was asked for $5 for a small bunch of bananas, so always had to agree a price first. Just found it all a bit tedious.

This was all in Saigon by the way.. didn't have any issues anywhere else in Vietnam.

[foxboy]

8 minutes ago, whitemouse said:

 

Who do you give your business to, when Pattaya motorcycle taxi guy wants 100 Baht from Avenue to North Rd bus terminal. I'm sincerely curious, is there an alternative, someone other than Pattaya taxi and motortaxi? 

Who do you give your business to, and what rates for you pay, few examples, please!

Lets say Avenue to Terminal 21? What do you pay to these people who you give your business to, who won't rip you off?

Songthaew (baht bus) 10 baht from Avenue to Terminal 21.

I often ask for prices in Thai and negotiate in Thai which keeps things lighthearted and also tells them I've been coming here a while. That will generally shave 20-30 baht off the fare.

[Ks45672]

7 hours ago, possum1931 said:

Yes, look at some of the hotels and guesthouses, some have even put their prices up on 1st October instead of 1st November for the beginning of the high season.

It won't help them fill the rooms up

Might even make their bottom line worse

 

Most People are smart enough thesedays to sort by price on hotel booking sites

[jacko45k]

5 hours ago, whitemouse said:

Lets say Avenue to Terminal 21? What do you pay to these people who you give your business to, who won't rip you off?

Ten baht for a baht bus, 50 for a motorcycle taxi. 

A regular AC taxi would of course refuse the meter and start at 200 baht.

Edited January 15, 2019 by jacko45k

[mikebell]

19 hours ago, balo said:

Good hosts indeed.

"It's high season so all prices are now increased."  

Including the dual pricing for foreigners?

[jacko45k]

12 minutes ago, mikebell said:

Including the dual pricing for foreigners?

That is the most blatant rip-off of tourists and that is going nowhere!

[hotchilli]

Perhaps he should start with a word with his colleagues who run the national parks... start with do as we do attitude and lead by example!!

 

[KittenKong]

8 hours ago, foxboy said:

In a bar alone I chatted with the staff (not bar girls) and they asked for a drink so I agreed. I had three more drinks but then so did they without asking, unbeknown to me, and I got a whopping bill (their drink were strangely more expensive than uk prices!) 

A common scam here also.

 

 

8 hours ago, foxboy said:

Buying fruit was painful.. I was asked for $5 for a small bunch of bananas, so always had to agree a price first. Just found it all a bit tedious.

Settling the price first is also vital here. If you dont you will often get overcharged.

[jacko45k]

8 minutes ago, KittenKong said:

Settling the price first is also vital here. If you dont you will often get overcharged.

The worst place for that was the market selling fruit to tourists at the back of Mike's Shopping Mall.

[marcusarelus]

2 hours ago, KittenKong said:

A common scam here also.

Settling the price first is also vital here. If you dont you will often get overcharged.

I paid 1 baht for a kilo of nice tomatoes yesterday.  The farmer was on his way to the ketchup factory. 

[KittenKong]

1 hour ago, marcusarelus said:

I paid 1 baht for a kilo of nice tomatoes yesterday.  The farmer was on his way to the ketchup factory. 

I didnt know we had a ketchup factory in Pattaya. Not seen many tomato fields from my condo either. Maybe I should get out more.

[Lemonltr]

11 hours ago, whitemouse said:

 

Who do you give your business to, when Pattaya motorcycle taxi guy wants 100 Baht from Avenue to North Rd bus terminal. I'm sincerely curious, is there an alternative, someone other than Pattaya taxi and motortaxi? 

Who do you give your business to, and what rates for you pay, few examples, please!

Lets say Avenue to Terminal 21? What do you pay to these people who you give your business to, who won't rip you off?

As somebody posted already. Songthaew from Avenue to Terminal 21 - 10 baht. Then cross the road and another Songthaew will be waiting to fill up. Another 10 baht to Northern bus terminal. Avenue to bus station 20 baht. 

[Johnnyngai]

The Ben Thanh Market in HCMC Vietnam is one of the worst.  

The need to price haggle for even a kg of tropical fruit really killed my mood.

I made it my business to deal with merchants that post reasonable prices on their tropical fruit.

I found much less fruit price haggling in Thailand and Malaysia.  

[dcnx]

The fact that this even has to be said will tell you everything you need to know about Pattaya and the locals.

[marcusarelus]

32 minutes ago, KittenKong said:

I didnt know we had a ketchup factory in Pattaya. Not seen many tomato fields from my condo either. Maybe I should get out more.

http://www.hiqfood.com/products-sub-category-EN/roza/tomatoketchup

[marcusarelus]

6 minutes ago, dcnx said:

The fact that this even has to be said will tell you everything you need to know about Pattaya and the locals.

The post above yours and the one I assume you are referring to was talking about Saigon Vietnam.  Did you get your haggling Asians confused?

[KittenKong]

5 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

http://www.hiqfood.com/products-sub-category-EN/roza/tomatoketchup

Their blurb says ".... and operates production facilities in Samut Prakarn, Chacheangsao, Nong Khai, and Pattanee."

 

So apparently not Pattaya. I'm just trying to work out how likely it is that I would find a farmer near me taking tomatoes to a factory. I suspect that I will just have to carry on buying from Makro as usual, where at least the price is displayed and fixed and the same for all even if it is more expensive than buying on the side of the road might cost.

[whitemouse]

12 hours ago, foxboy said:

Songthaew (baht bus) 10 baht from Avenue to Terminal 21.

I often ask for prices in Thai and negotiate in Thai which keeps things lighthearted and also tells them I've been coming here a while. That will generally shave 20-30 baht off the fare.

Obviously my question was about taxi, not a Baht bus. 

 

But it's my mistake, I gave a bad example,  it didn't occur to that your answer is Baht bus, because the topic is hired taxis over charging customers. 

 

A new question, who do you hire to take a ride from Avenue to North condo.

 

Topic is taxis, even if you find a zig zag Baht bus route, please disregard it for this thought experiment. Your claim was that will not take a taxi that over charges you. My answer was, who do you hire then? Again, NOT A BAHT BUS!

 

[whitemouse]

12 hours ago, foxboy said:

Motorbike taxi man befriended me and chatted about my hometown and how he had friends there.. gave me a recommendation for a restaurant and offered to take me there as he had finished work anyway. I agreed and as a kindness bought him a meal and beers. I thought it was all very pleasant chatting away until he presented me with a $30 bill for his time!! 

I was warned not to walk through the park at night.. I didn't but my friend did and got his wallet pinched, he even caught someone trying to pick his pocket the night after.

In a bar alone I chatted with the staff (not bar girls) and they asked for a drink so I agreed. I had three more drinks but then so did they without asking, unbeknown to me, and I got a whopping bill (their drink were strangely more expensive than uk prices!) 

Understood!

 

I use Grab taxi while  in Vietnam, price is displayed before you accept the ride, it is exactly like Uber, except you choose a car or a motorcycle for your trip. It's a great thing!

 

 

[whitemouse]

12 hours ago, foxboy said:

Motorbike taxi man befriended me and chatted about my hometown and how he had friends there.. gave me a recommendation for a restaurant and offered to take me there as he had finished work anyway. I agreed and as a kindness bought him a meal and beers. I thought it was all very pleasant chatting away until he presented me with a $30 bill for his time!! 

I was warned not to walk through the park at night.. I didn't but my friend did and got his wallet pinched, he even caught someone trying to pick his pocket the night after.

In a bar alone I chatted with the staff (not bar girls) and they asked for a drink so I agreed. I had three more drinks but then so did they without asking, unbeknown to me, and I got a whopping bill (their drink were strangely more expensive than uk prices!) 

Buying fruit was painful.. I was asked for $5 for a small bunch of bananas, so always had to agree a price first. Just found it all a bit tedious.

This was all in Saigon by the way.. didn't have any issues anywhere else in Vietnam.

 

 

This is offtopic, but for the sake of balance, I give my experience of Vietnam.

 

After been in Saigon, Vung Tau, Da Nang, Hanoi, many months, I have never been robbed. Grab Taxi fairs are clearly displayed, and price is pre arranged, cheating is impossible.

 

Further, I have foreigner friends who live in Vietnam's bigger cities, no one has been robbed. 

 

In fact, every long term  foreigner here has said to me Vietnam is safe, and certainly safer than Thailand.

 

This is OT, but the post I'm replying to us such like of crap, that it needed response. And I am currently in Da Nang, Vietnam, on holiday from Thailand. 

[whitemouse]

2 hours ago, Lemonltr said:

As somebody posted already. Songthaew from Avenue to Terminal 21 - 10 baht. Then cross the road and another Songthaew will be waiting to fill up. Another 10 baht to Northern bus terminal. Avenue to bus station 20 baht. 

Clever!

 

I mean excluding Baht bus!!

 

Topic is taxis, and motorbikes. So no Baht bus. 

Also, no Apollo 11, even tho you have a friend working at NASA! Taxi only!

 

 What would you use, if taxi quotes you 200 Baht, and motorcycle 100 Baht, what other option do you have?

 

Again, Baht bus DOES NOT COUNT! Topic is taxis ripping off customers, please leave 10 Baht set routes out if this. Ok?

[foxboy]

3 hours ago, whitemouse said:

Obviously my question was about taxi, not a Baht bus. 

 

But it's my mistake, I gave a bad example,  it didn't occur to that your answer is Baht bus, because the topic is hired taxis over charging customers. 

 

A new question, who do you hire to take a ride from Avenue to North condo.

 

Topic is taxis, even if you find a zig zag Baht bus route, please disregard it for this thought experiment. Your claim was that will not take a taxi that over charges you. My answer was, who do you hire then? Again, NOT A BAHT BUS!

 

Sorry I didn't realise you was talking just about taxis. I never use taxi cars in Pattaya (all too expensive, as they don't get a lot of custom other that airport runs), if I'm in a group though I just agree a price with a baht bus driver to go somewhere (private taxi).

Going from Avenue to North Pattaya I'd expect to pay around 60 baht for a mo-cy. Most would agree to that, if the first one refuses ask the next. You might get a group acting like a cartel and insisting on a higher price (often happens late at night on Walking St) but just walk around the corner and ask someone else. Mo-cy drivers have to keep busy to earn money so they don't often refuse fares in my experience. 

[observer90210]

I suggest printing this statement in large Thai language on pamplets and to distribute them to :

 

1) all the taxi and tuk tuk drivers

2) the restaurants

3) the night markets stalls

4) to every police station

5) to every immigration officer

 

............. but act fast before even the Indians decide to flee to more welcoming countries towards foreigners.....  

[Lemonltr]

21 hours ago, whitemouse said:

Clever!

 

I mean excluding Baht bus!!

 

Topic is taxis, and motorbikes. So no Baht bus. 

Also, no Apollo 11, even tho you have a friend working at NASA! Taxi only!

 

 What would you use, if taxi quotes you 200 Baht, and motorcycle 100 Baht, what other option do you have?

 

Again, Baht bus DOES NOT COUNT! Topic is taxis ripping off customers, please leave 10 Baht set routes out if this. Ok?

The topic only being about taxis and motorbike taxis was only in your head. Your main question was "what is the alternative" Your in correct phrasing of the question is the problem not the answers you got. Incidentally to terminal 21 and then up north road is not "circuotous" a taxi would take the same route. 

[Basil B]

It is a National Sport...

 

It would be like telling us Brits to give up football, or Americans to stop playing Baseball.

[whitemouse]

9 hours ago, Lemonltr said:

The topic only being about taxis and motorbike taxis was only in your head. Your main question was "what is the alternative" Your in correct phrasing of the question is the problem not the answers you got. Incidentally to terminal 21 and then up north road is not "circuotous" a taxi would take the same route. 

 

 

It didn't not occur to me that topic about taxis in Pattaya overcharging customers routinely will somehow prompt replies "take a Baht bus!".

 

I gave a bad route example, assuming people understand that mode of transportation is a hired taxi.

My mistake! Somehow you completely ignore the topic of this thread, and said "I take a Baht bus!".

 

Well, you win! As your post demonstrates, metered (in reliaty NEVER metered in Pattaya) is not an issue. Good! 

Why are people complaining about minimum 200 thb going price of blue and yellow legit taxis? This issue does not exist in Pattaya, as you made clear. Just take a Baht bus! LOL