This is a new one. We find some land we want to buy, get in contact with the owner through a proxy and he tells us it's 1 mil per rai. Very well, we think it's a little steep so we ask if he can reduce the price. They now contact us back and tell us he doesn't want to sell anymore because we haggled the price and he doesn't like hagglers.

 

Seriously, no negotiating prices in Thailand? It sounds like this guy is pouting because we dared challenge him or something. The original price would have been ok also but now the deal has fallen through.

 

What does anyone make of this? very confused by his behavior. Wife thinks now he thinks we're desperate and if we pester him he'll sell at any inflated price. This is all over asking one time if he can reduce the price.

7 minutes ago, NorthernRyland said:

 

What does anyone make of this? very confused by his behavior

I'm not.

He owns the land and set a price.

Yes normally price would be slightly inflated to allow for some haggle but that's not always the case. 

Just now, DrJack54 said:

Yes normally price would be slightly inflated to allow for some haggle but that's not always the case. 

sure but I would expect him to simply say no, the price is the price and not refuse to sell entirely.

2 minutes ago, NorthernRyland said:

sure but I would expect him to simply say no, the price is the price and not refuse to sell entirely.

That's a valid point.

Has happened to me one time in Thailand.

Clearly the owner (in my case)  was just testing the market.

Happens.

 

Unrelated but when I realized that I was going to live in Thailand and transporting a Harley was just impossible....I advertised it for sale for a great price (for buyer)

Point is I very clearly stated Price was zero negotiable.

 

My guess is in your deal owner has no desire to sell

13 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

My guess is in your deal owner has no desire to sell

Thai's appear to be willing to wait for years to sell land in hopes the price will go up. So much unproductive land sitting around in the country.

Did the owner (or proxy) state the owner didn't want to sell, or didn't want to sell to you specifically?

 

He advertised at a price you yourself said was OK, so he would think he doesn't need to waste time with hagglers.

Offer him a price of your own, eg. he's asking 1 million, offer him 850,000 baht cash if possible meet us at the bank scenario

 

If I'm selling something I put a price on it, if someone says can you do better I'll say make me an offer, why would I lower my asking price without a negotiation?

 

4 hours ago, kwonitoy said:

Offer him a price of your own, eg. he's asking 1 million, offer him 850,000 baht cash if possible meet us at the bank scenario

That reminds me of a guy back in Europe some time ago.

He visited people who wanted to sell their house. And he took a shoe box full of cash with him.

Open the box: Do you want the cash?

He was pretty successful doing that.

He sounds like he is either not motivated to sell, or has the emotional development of a 13 year old. Either way, shine him on. Find someone real to deal with. Life is too short to try to do deals with clowns. 

8 hours ago, NorthernRyland said:

This is a new one. We find some land we want to buy, get in contact with the owner through a proxy and he tells us it's 1 mil per rai. Very well, we think it's a little steep so we ask if he can reduce the price. They now contact us back and tell us he doesn't want to sell anymore because we haggled the price and he doesn't like hagglers.

Was the land advertised for sale? Or you just saw a nice plot and decided to ask to buy it?

Did you ever meet the owner? Did you get the chanot and did you check the land status at the land department?

I was once offered a nice plot, walled around it and told the guy who showed me the place I'm willing to go forward - I want to see the chanot and check it. He later contacted me and said the plot want for sale...

Or the seller could be a farang who doesn't like the traditional Thai negotiating. 

8 hours ago, NorthernRyland said:

Thai's appear to be willing to wait for years to sell land in hopes the price will go up. So much unproductive land sitting around in the country.

If I am not in need of cash, I would also sit for the prices to go up. I did not sell my Las Vegas home in 2019 and waited and collected an additional 100K USD in 2022 compared to the 2019 prices. 

I believe he really didn’t want to sell the land. Don’t worry too much into it like to shore look for another property TIT.

2 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Open the box: Do you want the cash?

He was pretty successful doing that.

Hmm. In the USA it will be difficult to buy by offering cash. It will look like drug money and an attempt to launder money. It also needs authentication that the bills are genuine. And when you want to deposit the money in the bank, bank will inform the FBI and you may get a visit from the FBI. 

2 minutes ago, CartagenaWarlock said:

Hmm. In the USA it will be difficult to buy by offering cash. It will look like drug money and an attempt to launder money. It also needs authentication that the bills are genuine. And when you want to deposit the money in the bank, bank will inform the FBI and you may get a visit from the FBI. 

Yes, probably not only in the USA.

That was maybe 30 years ago and at that time buying things with cash, like a car, was still not unusual.

The important part is that it seems many people get a lot more exited when they see a pile of cash compared to a number on a check or now app.

 

Like: I want that!

 

10 hours ago, NorthernRyland said:

This is a new one. We find some land we want to buy, get in contact with the owner through a proxy and he tells us it's 1 mil per rai. Very well, we think it's a little steep so we ask if he can reduce the price. They now contact us back and tell us he doesn't want to sell anymore because we haggled the price and he doesn't like hagglers.

Was he asking a fair price?

If Yes then he viewed you as a chancer, trying to beat him down.

If No then then walk away and find another piece of land.

Maybe it is just a misunderstanding. Maybe he doesn’t like farangs. Seems subjective reasoning behind it which you can’t really do much about.
I tried negotiating with a few second hand car dealers. The puzzled look on their faces indicated their unfamiliarity with this practice. I was surprised that they did not entertain negotiation. 

Common problem with sellers just testing the market. Don't need the money and think if someone is willing to pay their price they must be selling too cheaply.

1 hour ago, CartagenaWarlock said:

If I am not in need of cash, I would also sit for the prices to go up. I did not sell my Las Vegas home in 2019 and waited and collected an additional 100K USD in 2022 compared to the 2019 prices. 

Can go the other way as well, you were just lucky.

10 hours ago, NoDisplayName said:

Did the owner (or proxy) state the owner didn't want to sell, or didn't want to sell to you specifically?

 

He advertised at a price you yourself said was OK, so he would think he doesn't need to waste time with hagglers.

First off he didn't know who I was as my wife was talking to him via phone and never saw either of us.

 

The price I would say was fair but a little too high as the land will require a good bit of work to get level plus a retaining wall as it's on a slope. That's what we wanted a little discount for, which I think is fair given the extra investment in plot.

 

Either way were merely asked. I didn't know this could ever upset people but I learned a lesson I guess.

9 hours ago, kwonitoy said:

Offer him a price of your own, eg. he's asking 1 million, offer him 850,000 baht cash if possible meet us at the bank scenario

 

If I'm selling something I put a price on it, if someone says can you do better I'll say make me an offer, why would I lower my asking price without a negotiation?

 

Yeah we may go back one more time and offer him the original asking price in cash just so he gets the idea but that may prompt the guy to raise the price on us now. It's already expensive and requires and investment to grade and a well which will cost at least 150k. That's why we wanted the discount.

2 hours ago, LukKrueng said:

Was the land advertised for sale? Or you just saw a nice plot and decided to ask to buy it?

Did you ever meet the owner? Did you get the chanot and did you check the land status at the land department?

 

We contacted him through the land department, he's just some speculator that doesn't even live in the area I think. I saw the chanote on the government website  but haven't got so far as to see the actual original copy. It's possible it still has the 10 year hold on transfer but it does exist at least.

55 minutes ago, AustinRacing said:

The puzzled look on their faces indicated their unfamiliarity with this practice. I was surprised that they did not entertain negotiation. 

Strange. Thai's believe in magic amulets and monks that bless them with winning lotto numbers so I never know what's really going on in their heads.

57 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Was he asking a fair price?

If Yes then he viewed you as a chancer, trying to beat him down.

Very close to fair. Maybe 100-150k over priced since it lacked well and requires grading (minimum 150k). I would still pay the full asking price if I had to since I like the location.

This is old school thinking! 

One never use a proxy cause whoever is delivering the offer has given it a way you are farang or the offer is connected. 

The damage is done move on especially as another poster asked was the land being advertised to be sold.  If not this would be a typical response since they don't need to sell. You want it throw a number out if you pay they win if not they really have not lost anything. 

I get this all the time just yesterday I saw a neighbor getting gutters made I ask the workers and I look like Thai Price? he hesitated 3M in length response 7,000 baht the current one I put in material 500 baht,  I just smile and walk away. 

I have a real estate background here many times prices are out of whack but Thais don't know that they believe what they want nothing you say is going to change it reason at some point a Thai will pay it. 

Move on until you actually know you can't get land at your price. 

15 minutes ago, thailand49 said:

This is old school thinking! 

One never use a proxy cause whoever is delivering the offer has given it a way you are farang or the offer is connected. 

 

They have no idea who we are. We had to contact the land office to ask who owned the land as there was no other way to contact the owner. I think the owner just doesn't want to sell as they think they'll get more money by waiting.

my experience is that it is not unusual for a Thai person to cite a different reason than the real reason for doing or not doing something... sometimes being direct is not considered polite... 

13 hours ago, NorthernRyland said:

Thai's appear to be willing to wait for years to sell land in hopes the price will go up. So much unproductive land sitting around in the country.

is it really unproductive? the farmland we bought 15 years ago is now selling for 6x the price we paid.. land does go up in value here - - for a normal Thai it is usually the best investment they can make.

If you are really interested in the land you should make an offer. If the seller/broker is interested in selling they will come back to you with a counter offer.

 

If they are just testing the market they will get all huffy. Their reasoning is that the land is worth every baht of the asking price and you are trying to cheat them out of a fair price. Worse, if they accept such an 'insulting' offer they will lose face.

 

It's like  a landlord being forced to accept a rent of 7,500 Baht per month during hard times (e.g. Covid) when before he got 10,000 Baht. Instead of being grateful to get any rent at all, the landlord may be resentful believing the tenant is cheating them out of 2,500 Baht per month that is rightfully theirs.

5 hours ago, NorthernRyland said:

We contacted him through the land department, he's just some speculator that doesn't even live in the area I think. I saw the chanote on the government website  but haven't got so far as to see the actual original copy. It's possible it still has the 10 year hold on transfer but it does exist at least.

Oh, now this is different.

 

The land was NOT listed for sale, right?  You just saw it, thought you might buy it, and tracked down the owner through the land office.

 

Your proxy contacted the owner out of the blue wanting to buy it.  Owner offered a fair price, your proxy tried to haggle him down without making an actual offer. At which point owner told him to essentially fornicate off, it's not for sale.