Frustrated with Pattaya beach deckchair businesses!

[simon43]

OK, it's Pattaya, it's Thailand.  But I'm surprised at how 'unwelcoming' some of these businesses are to customers!  It's not as if people are queuing up to sit in their deckchairs and buy food/drink.

 

Most mornings, I take a leisurely walk along the beachfront, and stop to drink a coconut juice and to relax for 30 minutes in a deckchair.  A month ago, when Pattaya was 'dead', the vendors welcomed me and I was able to buy their coconut and relax in the deckchair for as long as I want for 100 baht.

 

But maybe this week I've been unlucky!  To me, all these businesses look similar, so I just find somewhere to sit and enjoy my coconut juice and to relax in the chair.  On Monday, I did just this.  When I was ready to leave, I offered 100 baht and the guy said that I also had to pay to sit in his deckchair!  To be honest, I got a little angry and told him that I had never been asked to pay to sit for 30 minutes while I enjoy the coconut that I had bought off him.  I refused to pay the extra money and we parted - not on good terms!

 

Wednesday, I make sure that I go to a different vendor and checked that the deckchair was free if I bought a drink.  Yes, so all good.  I sat down on a front row chair and moved the small plastic table to one side so that it was closer to me and easier to drink my coconut.  The woman owner ran up and asked me why I had moved the table! (I speak Thai very well).

 

 "So I can get to my drink more easily" I replied. 

 

"You can't move the table - it will get in the way of other customers" she said

 

I looked around.  I was the only customer.......  "Go away" I said to her ????

 

Friday (this morning), I went to yet another deckchair vendor.  I asked if the chair was free if I bought their coconut. 

 

"Yes" was the reply.  So I sat down and even left the plastic table directly in front of the chair, which meant that I had to sit bolt upright every time that I wanted to drink my coconut.  The woman brought the coconut, I drank it and then settled down to relax in my deckchair and watch the crowds of tourists on the beach walking by (that last bit was a joke!).

 

I was disturbed from my slumber by the woman.

 

"100 baht" she said.

 

"Oh, you want me to pay for my coconut now?" I asked. 

 

No, it's 100 baht to sit in the deckchair". 

 

"But you said it was free" I retorted. 

 

"Yes, it's free if you drink your coconut juice quickly and then go - otherwise you have to pay 100 baht extra" !!!!

 

I was the only customer.....

 

"Well, in that case, I'll go" I replied.  And so I did ????

 

Anyway, I'm so confused by all this that I won't bother sitting at any of these businesses.  I'll go across the road and sit at a bar and enjoy my drink there and hold more intelligent conversation with the ladies who frequent these establishments.....

[BritManToo]

Your expectations are far too high.

[simon43]

1 minute ago, BritManToo said:

Your expectations are far too high.

You're probably right.  Why should I, as their only customer, expect to be able to relax in a deckchair, buy their drink and not move their little plastic table?  I guess it's my white, colonial ideas.  Shame on me!

[BritManToo]

16 minutes ago, simon43 said:

You're probably right.  Why should I, as their only customer, expect to be able to relax in a deckchair, buy their drink and not move their little plastic table?  I guess it's my white, colonial ideas.  Shame on me!

I always assume people working streets and beaches are criminals waiting for their opportunity to prey on me. So far this assumption has never let me down.

 

May I suggest ....... 200bht.

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/hy-8020-1-hayashi-i580390074-s6779242569.html

 

[Orinoco]

Pattaya has only ever loved your money

Why pretend is has ever been different..

 

[Woof999]

Without the 100 baht charge, Pattaya wouldn't be the world class family tourist destination that it is.

[rumak]

13 minutes ago, simon43 said:

You're probably right.  Why should I, as their only customer, expect to be able to relax in a deckchair, buy their drink and not move their little plastic table?  I guess it's my white, colonial ideas.  Shame on me!

you have been around a long time.    you even left to go to Laos which you said was better .   Now you are in Pattaya ,  of all places.   Probably the least desirable place if one with a long nose wants to be treated decently .    

Now,  if its some indecent adventures you desire....... there are indeed plenty of those .   Even at the beach  

[1FinickyOne]

In the old days, we would sit for hours in the beach chairs in Cha'am... I think 20 baht for the day... and ladies would parade past selling plates of mussels and som tam and whatever delicacies for 20 baht a plate... 

 

We walked together hand in hand
'cross miles and miles of golden sand
But now it's over and done
'cause that was yesterday and yesterday's gone

We had such happiness together
I can't believe it's gone forever

[simon43]

15 minutes ago, rumak said:

you have been around a long time.    you even left to go to Laos which you said was better .   Now you are in Pattaya ,  of all places.   Probably the least desirable place if one with a long nose wants to be treated decently .    

Now,  if its some indecent adventures you desire....... there are indeed plenty of those .   Even at the beach  

Well, I'm only in Pattaya for maybe 1 more week.  All my Lazada orders have finally arrived, so I can move on to Isaan ????

[robblok]

Simon,

 

I get your frustration but just because they have no clients does not mean no minimum price. I mean sure they would probably make more on the short term. But on the long term it might kill their profits as people will expect cheap prices.

 

Sometimes its best not to sell yourself too cheap otherwise you get exploited.

[The Hammer2021]

You looked for a confrontation and you got  one - well done. These vendors  are poverty stricken and their families can barely  afford  to send their kids to school. They have experienced real hardship over the last two years  and they are  desperate.

I am astonished, embarrassed and a little bit sickened  by the entitled  arrogance of some foreigners here. But not the OP of course whose daily expenditure of 35 baht is a valuable  contribution  to the micro economy  of the beach vendors.

[BritManToo]

4 minutes ago, The Hammer2021 said:

You looked for a confrontation and you got  one - well done. These vendors  are poverty stricken and their families can barely  afford  to send their kids to school. They have experienced real hardship over the last two years  and they are  desperate.

I am astonished, embarrassed and a little bit sickened  by the entitled  arrogance of some foreigners here. But not the OP of course whose daily expenditure of 35 baht is a valuable  contribution  to the micro economy  of the beach vendors.

Would point out we foreigners ain't responsible for their poverty.

They could have stayed in their home villages working normal jobs like the rest of the country.

[simon43]

4 minutes ago, The Hammer2021 said:

You looked for a confrontation and you got  one - well done. These vendors  are poverty stricken and their families can barely  afford  to send their kids to school. They have experienced real hardship over the last two years  and they are  desperate.

I am astonished, embarrassed and a little bit sickened  by the entitled  arrogance of some foreigners here. But not the OP of course whose daily expenditure of 35 baht is a valuable  contribution  to the micro economy  of the beach vendors.

Hmm, is that why I see them arriving at 5.30am in new cars...

 

In any case, If the vendor tells me the 'real' price before I sit down, and tells me that I have to pay extra if I want to sit longer than 10 minutes, then I'm all fine with that.  I can then decide whether or not to accept their offer.  But I have zero time for 'sneakiness', regardless of how little the sum involved is ????

 

My daily expenditure is 100 baht for the coconut drink....  That is 100 baht more than the vendors get if they <deleted> me off by lying to me.

[OneMoreFarang]

I wonder how many of those vendors are free to decide who to charge and how much.

If a business person would see a regular customer then I guess they would see regular business and try to be nice to that person. Like sell him a juice with 100% profit everyday and not just one time.

 

But maybe many of these vendors are hired by owners/mafia with very strict rules. Like: If anybody wants to use that chair then you charge him 100B. Otherwise tell him to go away. Or something like that.

 

It's a long time that I was at a beach in Pattaya but it's like the jet-ski guys. There are maybe 5 different vendors but they are not really different. They have the same prices and the same rules. Organized cr... "business"... 

[ezzra]

And now with 4 days holiday coming up prices will be going up for sure, that's how they operate, on an opportunistic whims...

[richard_smith237]

30 minutes ago, The Hammer2021 said:

You looked for a confrontation and you got  one - well done. These vendors  are poverty stricken and their families can barely  afford  to send their kids to school. They have experienced real hardship over the last two years  and they are  desperate.

I am astonished, embarrassed and a little bit sickened  by the entitled  arrogance of some foreigners here. But not the OP of course whose daily expenditure of 35 baht is a valuable  contribution  to the micro economy  of the beach vendors.

Over egging the pudding much ???

 

Looked for confrontation???.... he looked for a coconut and a seat for 30 mins !

 

He asked if the deck-chair was free to use if making a purchase....  He was sitting there for 30mins.

 

Thats not unreasonable... he was already paying 100 baht for a 20 baht coconut !!!

 

What is embarrassing are these ‘stockholm syndrome’ type responses in support of horribly behaviour by vendors whose only interest is to fleece the customer. 

 

 

I agree with Simon - it is this level of unfriendly behaviour which makes many people avoid these awful areas. 

 

 

Its the same in Samui with the Taxi mafia, they over-charge so its a pain in the backside to go anywhere. As result all the local expats drink&drive all the tourists have to walk everywhere...

I’m in no hurry to visit Samui for the same reason it took over 15 years to return. 

 

[ThailandRyan]

1 hour ago, simon43 said:

You're probably right.  Why should I, as their only customer, expect to be able to relax in a deckchair, buy their drink and not move their little plastic table?  I guess it's my white, colonial ideas.  Shame on me!

Unfortunately it is the old adage here in Thailand "Charge more or ask for more when business is slow to make up for said slow business" . Charging less is a loss of face instead of getting a repeat customer who will enhance their monetary funds......strange world here.

[Pmbkk]

23 minutes ago, ezzra said:

And now with 4 days holiday coming up prices will be going up for sure, that's how they operate, on an opportunistic whims...

 

I think you'll find that the world over...

 

If I go to Brighton on a bank holiday/Saturday even the Travelodge can cost me £240 - room only for a basic room.

 

I don't think you can blame that on Thai's alone ????

[2009]

It's the way they are raised.

[2009]

54 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Unfortunately it is the old adage here in Thailand "Charge more or ask for more when business is slow to make up for said slow business" . Charging less is a loss of face instead of getting a repeat customer who will enhance their monetary funds......strange world here.

Exactly.

 

I was in a place on Soi Cowboy recently. 

 

The "waitress" was pulling pints with a 2 inch head (or no head at all, just empty space). Then she was taking my glass away while I still had a couple inches of beer in it.

 

She told me to put my BKK Funcard (that they issued me a few weeks ago) back in my pocket cos allegedly they don't accept it anymore despite it still be advertised. Had to press her to actually accept it -- and she did.

 

I reckon they may be trying to make back lost income, but to treat customers like that. And then asking for a tip. Lol

 

All the while being: rude, a smartmouth, condescending, and strangely flirty (dunno how this combination came about).

 

The other waitress was steaming drunk and groping customers. Ok it's Soi Cowboy, I know, but this bar claims to be a safe haven from that. Maybe it was her BF who knows.

 

And to think: tourists choose to come HERE!! LOL

[Iamfalang]

1 hour ago, The Hammer2021 said:

I am astonished, embarrassed and a little bit sickened  by the entitled  arrogance of some foreigners here.

There MUST be a price that triggers a confrontation,    I admit, the OP should have went into Buddha-mode and simply slithered away; however, every man with a heartbeat must have a backbone!!!   

 

Hey, how much for this drink?  Falang, 400 baht!  Thai, 20 baht!    

How much to sit here?   7000 baht or you want us to die!!

How much to walk here?  9 million baht or you are arrogant and I'm sickened by you!!!

How much to breathe the great Pattaya cesspool of death?  9 trillion baht or I'm embarrassed for you and your family tree times 100.

 

There must be a point where the falang says, un-Budda-like, DUDE, NO!!!!!!

 

and then the vendor realizes the market dynamics and adapts!!!!!  

 

[thierryviteau]

As you haven't just landed, it seems that even 20 years later you still know nothing about the country where you live...

... by the way, any idea where is the next place where you will fail and then move again ?

not opening a bar in Pattaya ? so maybe it's not totally useless if at least you have learnt something from your past...

[Denim]

1 hour ago, simon43 said:

Well, I'm only in Pattaya for maybe 1 more week.  All my Lazada orders have finally arrived, so I can move on to Isaan ????

Ah.....I think I'll nip down Ladbrokes and see what odds I can get on you remaining there for more than 6 months .

[jippytum]

The price of a coconut is 30 baht and to rent a chair is 100 baht. You arranged a free chair while you drank the coconut. The vendor assuming you would do that in a reasonable time. I think you tried to linger too long and have a 'free' chair. 

[ThailandRyan]

8 minutes ago, jippytum said:

The price of a coconut is 30 baht and to rent a chair is 100 baht. You arranged a free chair while you drank the coconut. The vendor assuming you would do that in a reasonable time. I think you tried to linger too long and have a 'free' chair. 

It does take time after drinking the water from the coconut to eat the yummy white flesh from the inside does it not and 30 minutes as he says he does, is not lingering, or is it in your view.  So he should just guzzle and go....right?

[StayinThailand2much]

Overpriced even before the pandemic. Does one still have to rent two chairs if you come alone? And of course, the same sellers asking you every 5min. if, now, you want to buy something, not to mention the stinking charcoal ovens of the seafood sellers...

[The Hammer2021]

I imagine the beach chair businesses are frustrated with entitled tourists who don't want to pay LOL

[StayinThailand2much]

24 minutes ago, jippytum said:

The price of a coconut is 30 baht and to rent a chair is 100 baht.

Wow, that's what I call inflation! Only 4-5 years ago 'a chair' on Pattaya's beach was 40 or 50 baht. (A coconut cost about the same as mentioned.) - Looking forward to my beach holiday in Cairns...

[richard_smith237]

1 minute ago, The Hammer2021 said:

I imagine the beach chair businesses are frustrated with entitled tourists who don't want to pay LOL

You're being an apologist.... 

 

The Op paid 100 baht for Coconut and a chair.....    Vendors then demanded more money or he move on. 

 

 

In the past these vendors were such a problem and caused such a blight on tourism the army banned them as they were taking over public areas. 

 

 

[RichardColeman]

3 hours ago, simon43 said:

It's not as if people are queuing up to sit in their deckchairs and buy food/drink.

That's exactly why you are being pestered for money from them. you answered your own question