I pay for something and the cashier hands the change back to my wife?

[SenorTashi]

This happened to me so often around Chiang Rai that I started noticing it.

I asked my missus why and she just laughed.

 

I was standing behind an expat/Thai couple yesterday in a supermarket and the same thing happened to him.

So what's it all about?

Is there a general 'clean out the farang' agreement across the nation?

[thaibeachlovers]

Thinking too mut, IMO.

I'm pretty sure that paying for things is normally a Thai wives department - cultural perhaps.

 

[scubascuba3]

Normal for the thai wife \ girlfriend to keep the change 555

[Bill97]

No problem unless your wife tries to keep the change 

[SenorTashi]

3 minutes ago, Bill97 said:

No problem unless your wife tries to keep the change 

She did, every time. They both looked at me like I was weird for expecting 500 back from 1000.

[BritManToo]

16 minutes ago, SenorTashi said:

So what's it all about?

Pay using your bank app, no change required. 

[stoner]

simp alert

[SenorTashi]

Just now, stoner said:

simp alert

I'm hardly simping. I left her.

[grain]

Happened to me countless times too, it's the Thai Rak Thai thing. I noticed it immediately when I arrive at the airport 2 weeks ago, I asked a question to a woman at a counter in the airport, my Thai wife was standing behind me, the woman at the counter totally ignored me and began talking to my wife. 

[amexpat]

17 minutes ago, SenorTashi said:

Is there a general 'clean out the farang' agreement across the nation?

It happens with Thai couples also. Maybe the idea is so the money will go for things like childrens' clothes instead of whiskey and gambling. 

[SenorTashi]

6 minutes ago, amexpat said:

It happens with Thai couples also. Maybe the idea is so the money will go for things like childrens' clothes instead of whiskey and gambling. 

Good to know. I get it but it's a bit bloody rude.

[2baht]

????

[stoner]

11 minutes ago, SenorTashi said:

I'm hardly simping. I left her.

your story sounded like present times. good to know you grew some nads. 

[SenorTashi]

8 minutes ago, grain said:

Happened to me countless times too, it's the Thai Rak Thai thing. I noticed it immediately when I arrive at the airport 2 weeks ago, I asked a question to a woman at a counter in the airport, my Thai wife was standing behind me, the woman at the counter totally ignored me and began talking to my wife. 

I was going to bring this up months ago on here. I was telling her that since we'd been together nobody talks to me anymore. When I travel alone, all the tuktuk and taxi and bus drivers and waiters and hotel staff all speak to me and even if they dont speak good English we still manage to have a good chat and a laugh but whenever i was with her, they all claimed to not know any English and I was totally ignored. Gotta be honest, it made my time in Thailand a lot less enjoyable.  

[Grumpy one]

The shop assistants understand who the boss is

[SenorTashi]

Just now, stoner said:

your story sounded like present times. good to know you grew some nads. 

I told her to stop taking advantage of foreigners and pay her own bloody bills. They were expecting me to fill the car up with petrol even though I cycle everywhere. 

 

The other question I had for you guys is, has anyone ever heard the expression 'don't worry, farang pay?' because she said that to me one night after a meal her brother in law had just paid for and tons of food got wasted.

I said, 'you do realise who you're talking to don't you?' 

[ezzra]

In many Thai eyes we foreigners perceived as the dumb ones how pay and shut up.

[Hanaguma]

Same situation in Japan.  But to be fair, women in Japan generally control the money anyway. When  I see regular (J and J) couples, 95% of the time the woman pays for the shopping, restaurant bill, Etc.

[SenorTashi]

19 minutes ago, ezzra said:

In many Thai eyes we foreigners perceived as the dumb ones how pay and shut up.

One of the last things she said to me was that he (the brother in law) has always been happy to support the whole family. I said, 'That's because he's an idiot.... And I'm not.'

[BobBKK]

It's strange but true. I assumed it was because in Thailand many working class guys hand over their salary to their wives who pay for everything?  

[OneMoreFarang]

It also happens to me from time to time. I suspect that Thai prefer to interact with other Thais because they use the same language, body language, etc. It's more familiar to them and more comfortable. 

No problem.

 

[Henryford]

Well it's HER money. You are just the ATM.

[soi3eddie]

58 minutes ago, amexpat said:

It happens with Thai couples also. Maybe the idea is so the money will go for things like childrens' clothes instead of whiskey and gambling. 

Only whiskey and gambling? Not mia nois or kiks?

 

[thaibeachlovers]

51 minutes ago, SenorTashi said:

I was going to bring this up months ago on here. I was telling her that since we'd been together nobody talks to me anymore. When I travel alone, all the tuktuk and taxi and bus drivers and waiters and hotel staff all speak to me and even if they dont speak good English we still manage to have a good chat and a laugh but whenever i was with her, they all claimed to not know any English and I was totally ignored. Gotta be honest, it made my time in Thailand a lot less enjoyable.  

LOL. Either go out alone more or learn to accept it.

Too many farangs think they are important to Thais they don't know, but we ain't. IMO farangs come below soi dogs, so why would they want to talk to us if they have a Thai to talk to instead?

[thaibeachlovers]

11 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

It also happens to me from time to time. I suspect that Thai prefer to interact with other Thais because they use the same language, body language, etc. It's more familiar to them and more comfortable. 

No problem.

 

Indeed it's no problem except to people that can't accept they are not living back home.

[Hummin]

Happy wife Happy life ????

 

What I transfer to Thailand she manage. No need for me to worry about who get the change

[thaibeachlovers]

26 minutes ago, SenorTashi said:

One of the last things she said to me was that he (the brother in law) has always been happy to support the whole family. I said, 'That's because he's an idiot.... And I'm not.'

Yup. I was always compared to a farang that married a cousin that was generous with his money. They didn't get that not all farangs are rich.

I did other things than give money like wiring their houses, but that didn't count- only money is important.

[thaibeachlovers]

Not only did I accept it as a Thai custom, but I always gave the money to my wife to pay the cashier. I also gave her the correct amount so she couldn't keep a lot of change.

Saved a lot of trouble, IMO.

[thaibeachlovers]

56 minutes ago, SenorTashi said:

I told her to stop taking advantage of foreigners and pay her own bloody bills. They were expecting me to fill the car up with petrol even though I cycle everywhere. 

Whatever the faults of my Thai wife, she earned her own money, paid for her own diesel ( unless it was on a trip with me that I wanted to go on ), etc. She even paid for her own booze at a restaurant. I paid for the food and my drink, but I refused to pay for her alcohol.

She worked really hard too, so no complaints about expecting me to pay for everything. Her family were the ones that expected me to give them money for nothing.

[HauptmannUK]

Couple of days ago in Tops my wife paid but the girl gave the change to me...

And a funny thing happened in 7-11 yesterday..  my wife bought a Thai-style pudding. The girl asked her if she wanted it warming up. My wife didn't catch what she said and just looked confused so the girl then asks ME (in Thai) if my wife wants it warming!

Generally though I think Thais often prefer to interact with other Thais purely out of ease of communication. I speak Thai pretty well and once they realise that, I find many are happy to chat.