Sanook Thai Caption: Expensive shellfish drama

 

Thaweep Saengkrajang - mayor of Thapong in Muang district Rayong - went to Mae Ramphung Beach to investigate after a foreigner went online to say they were ripped off when buying a plate of sea snails.

 

They said they were charged 1,530 baht for Hoi Wan - a type of spotted sea snail known in English as Babylon snails, notes ASEAN NOW.

 

The customer complained that they were charged more than a plate of lobster listed on the menu as 1,500 baht. 

 

It caused quite an online kerfuffle - known as a drama in Thai - and was bad for the traders on the beach presenting them in a poor light as they struggled to recover from the pandemic, reported Sanook.

 

Picture: Sanook

 

It was found to be a misunderstanding.

 

The wholesale price of Hoi Wan is 750 - 850 baht and they are sold at 900 baht per kilo retail. 

 

Thanaree Krajangjaeng, 28, the owner of the restaurant at the center of the controversy said that the price was fair.

 

The snails were sold alive and were much more expensive than a variety known as Hoi Wan Mak (หอยหวานหมาก) that are widely available in markets and which are much smaller, chewy and not sweet costing 300 baht a kilo. Those are sold already dead. 

 

Picture: Sanook

 

"We don't take advantage of foreigners or Thais here," she said. "The price is all the same. If you're not sure about what you're buying just ask". 

 

This was all confirmed by a local fisherman called Ekachai Somngam, 57, who said that the smaller variety were sold in markets everywhere while the expensive ones were much harder to find. 

 

-- © Copyright  ASEAN NOW 2022-06-10

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

Easiest way to own or rent a car in Thailand - click here to find out more!

 

Get your business in front of millions of customers who read ASEAN NOW with an interest in Thailand every month - email [email protected] for more information

The last time I ate snails was in the UK forty years ago and they cost ten pounds for six !.

6 minutes ago, PJPom said:

The last time I ate snails was in the UK forty years ago and they cost ten pounds for six !.

It's a pity you didn't know me when I had my allotment.

I would have paid you to eat them...

Ask for the price before ordering if you are not sure...not everything in Thailand is a ripped-off or a scam or double pricing.....

1 hour ago, PJPom said:

The last time I ate snails was in the UK forty years ago and they cost ten pounds for six !.

That's a lot of money to shell out...

I never eat snails..... not mussels... I would have prefered the lobster instead

41 minutes ago, ikke1959 said:

I never eat snails..... not mussels... I would have prefered the lobster instead

Ok, thanks for sharing. By the way, what do you think about the price? I think it was totally fair.

1 hour ago, Dmaxdan said:

That's a lot of money to shell out...

Especially for such a small quantity, less cargo if you like....

Ahh ... I'll pass on the sea snails

Ask to have then killed first, then maybe cheaper.

7 hours ago, webfact said:

confirmed by a local fisherman called ............................, who said that the smaller variety were sold in markets everywhere

Through "shell" companies??

8 hours ago, chuang said:

Ask for the price before ordering if you are not sure...not everything in Thailand is a ripped-off or a scam or double pricing.....

Scam? went to money exchange on Sukhumvit today, exchange rate for old US$ notes less than for new notes. Welcome to Thailand LOSca.... 

9 hours ago, webfact said:

"We don't take advantage of foreigners or Thais here," she said. "The price is all the same. If you're not sure about what you're buying just ask". 

Again....  the same underlying cause for so many issues here....  Both parties failing to communicate...

 

How hard is it for the restaurant to tell them, these are the more expensive snails ?

And how hard is it for the customer to ask, how much will the plate of snails be ?

 

I’m so used to these types of places being prepared to rip a person off we can ask how much is it, for each individual item...  from the fish to the rice when they ask... do you want XL crab fried rice ? (and then find out they want to charge 500 baht for it etc !!)... 

 

 

 

 

19 hours ago, webfact said:

"We don't take advantage of foreigners or Thais here," she said. "The price is all the same. If you're not sure about what you're buying just ask". 

Jinga?

They had to put up the price of snails as they were having a slow week. 

21 hours ago, chuang said:

Ask for the price before ordering if you are not sure...not everything in Thailand is a ripped-off or a scam or double pricing.....

 

The best word I can think of to describe ordering something without knowing the price is  STUPID.

use google.  tripadvisor  rip-off  bangkok  seafood,  etc....

 

It's comical.  Tuk Tuk takes customer to seafood place.  old food, bill is 10,000 baht.  must pay!!!!!  

Even if the price is listed, they change it and there's never anything the falang right off the plane can do.   

 

On 6/11/2022 at 9:33 AM, Iamfalang said:

Even if the price is listed, they change it and there's never anything the falang right off the plane can do.   

 

Sorry but that's not really true.