90% Of [thai] Businesses Exploiting Customers

[LaoPo]

90% of [Thai] businesses exploiting customers

Ayutthaya _ Nine out of 10 businesses take advantage of consumers, with housing estates, gold shops and used-car dealerships topping the complaints list, a survey by the Office of the Consumer Protection Board has found. OCPB deputy secretary-general Niroth Charoenprakob said that in most cases the quality of products was exaggerated in advertisements.

Many complaints were directed at housing estate projects. Developers failed to keep promises made in advertisements or agreements, especially regarding the use of construction materials and building quality.

Mr Niroth was speaking at an OCPB mobile meeting on consumer rights in Ayutthaya yesterday.

Many buyers could not transfer ownership of the houses because the developers had mortgaged the land or were not the real owners.

Other buyers made the down payment and then could not get a loan from a creditor because the developer was in financial trouble.

Mr Niroth said most complaints against gold shops involved buyers being short-changed on the gold content or weight of the items they bought.

Consumers also complained of problems with vendors of motorcycles and used cars who overstated the quality of the vehicle and often changed the specifications without telling the buyer.

However, cheated consumers rarely came forward to safeguard their rights, especially in the provinces.

Bangkok Post/General News

Rest of article here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/19Jul2007_news14.php

LaoPo

[bingobongo]

i guess the other 10% went out of business and are unable to cheat customers

[jbowman1993]

I'd say that is a shock statistic, being used by the gentleman to make a point, and is not supported by any substantial facts or figures (one survey, made of only people who have been victimized, does not make for an accurate sampling. Who else would be dealing with the consumer protection board?) Or perhaps it was meant to say, that 90% of the businesses, in this area (used car dealerships, housing estates, and gold shops)

There are many honest businesses about, and in 5 years of dealing with a wide spectrum, I've never been taken advantage of, in the way he's speaking.

[jbowman1993]

Also, this thread title is one of those unfortunate generalizations that we are talking about in the other thread. Does anyone honestly believe that 90% of Thai businesses are exploiting people? 90%!! ? Its inflammatory, and mildly insulting. A shock headline to get people to read the article, with little or no basis in fact.

No wonder there are so many popular misconceptions about this country and its inhabitants.

Edited July 19, 2007 by jbowman1993

[canuckamuck]

Also, this thread title is one of those unfortunate generalizations that we are talking about in the other thread. Does anyone honestly believe that 90% of Thai businesses are exploiting people? 90%!! ? Its inflammatory, and mildly insulting. A shock headline to get people to read the article, with little or no basis in fact.

No wonder there are so many popular misconceptions about this country and its inhabitants.

They seemed to describe my experience with Thai builders accurately.

The stats are from a Thai survey, not a farang survey, there must be a little bit of truth behind such an alarming number.

[Jai Dee]

However, cheated consumers rarely came forward to safeguard their rights, especially in the provinces.

Why is that?

Do they know what courses of action are available to them?

Where can they go to complain?

[jbowman1993]

Also, this thread title is one of those unfortunate generalizations that we are talking about in the other thread. Does anyone honestly believe that 90% of Thai businesses are exploiting people? 90%!! ? Its inflammatory, and mildly insulting. A shock headline to get people to read the article, with little or no basis in fact.

No wonder there are so many popular misconceptions about this country and its inhabitants.

They seemed to describe my experience with Thai builders accurately.

The stats are from a Thai survey, not a farang survey, there must be a little bit of truth behind such an alarming number.

But again, its not a survey of Thai builders, supposedly. It says 90% of Thai businesses, of which builders make up about 1% (maybe?) This means that the local lady who sells you your nam farang in the morning is trying to screw you over, or at least 9 out of 10 are? Ridiculous.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Also, this thread title is one of those unfortunate generalizations that we are talking about in the other thread. Does anyone honestly believe that 90% of Thai businesses are exploiting people? 90%!! ? Its inflammatory, and mildly insulting. A shock headline to get people to read the article, with little or no basis in fact.

No wonder there are so many popular misconceptions about this country and its inhabitants.

They seemed to describe my experience with Thai builders accurately.

The stats are from a Thai survey, not a farang survey, there must be a little bit of truth behind such an alarming number.

But again, its not a survey of Thai builders, supposedly. It says 90% of Thai businesses, of which builders make up about 1% (maybe?) This means that the local lady who sells you your nam farang in the morning is trying to screw you over, or at least 9 out of 10 are? Ridiculous.

Agreed

[canadiangirl]

Maybe the other ten percent is made up entirely of 7-11s!

[canuckamuck]

I would be comfortable with the figure that 90% of businesses have exploited a customer at one time or another. Even the nam farang lady is susceptible to opportunity and motive. The old lady selling coke and red bull next to our building has different rates for different people. I pay 7 baht for a bottle of pepsi, new farangs pay 8-10 baht. These percentages are likely similar all over the world.

Edited July 19, 2007 by canuckamuck

[PattayaAddict]

In the end of the day you are only an "exploited customer " if you really want it to be ,the business has its doors always open its on your onus to decide as a free customer if that is the door that you want to walk thru if you want /believe /feel that you might get exploited.

[jbowman1993]

In the end of the day you are only an "exploited customer " if you really want it to be ,the business has its doors always open its on your onus to decide as a free customer if that is the door that you want to walk thru if you want /believe /feel that you might get exploited.

And the run-on sentence of the day award goes to......... (I've supplied some extra periods here for you PA, i think you need them).

[Scott]

The attitude of a lot of businesses is that exploitation is good business. Whether or not the % is correct, I don't know, but there are a lot of places that do not live up to what they claim. It's quite disheartening at times.

[steveromagnino]

I would be comfortable with the figure that 90% of businesses have exploited a customer at one time or another. Even the nam farang lady is susceptible to opportunity and motive. The old lady selling coke and red bull next to our building has different rates for different people. I pay 7 baht for a bottle of pepsi, new farangs pay 8-10 baht. These percentages are likely similar all over the world.

THAT is exploiting? Hmmm..... in that case virtually every multinational that has any element of different pricing (i.e. virtually all of them) is guilty. Every airline, every hotel, every insurance company, every car company, every consumer goods company. As you say, these percentages are likely similar all over the world; and probably higher than 90%.

And here is was, thinking that marketing is setting the price at the level the market will bear...... ah well :-)

Seems like a stupid number. However, the point is well taken, YES Thailand needs more consumer protection in some areas; however my own impression is that there are mechanisms available, but they aren't widely publicised, so some end up taking matters into their own hands and going direct to the press - no harm there i suppose if it works e.g. CRV, Easybuy loans, various housing estates, etc.

Of greater concern (at least to me) is the inability of consumers like the Pak moon dam people to get anyone to listen to them. I forgot, what are they complaining about again??

[PeaceBlondie]

Even if the consumer protection board did a reasonably accurate sample of a few thousand Thais in many different provinces, etc., I seriously doubt that 90% of Thai businesses exploit their customers. Besides, I don't notice the frequency of exploitation. Do 89.7% of 80.1% of the businesses in 29% of the provinces cheat 76% of their customers 36% of the time?

90% of the time, I'm doubtful about 'statistics' of 10% and 90%.

One of the main jobs of the head of a consumer protection board is to exploit the public to think it needs the questionable services of the protection board.

You can exploit some of the people some of the time, but it's not statistically likely that you can exploit 90% of the people 90% of the time. As for housing developments for Thai people, my boyfriend's family got exploited out of their down payment and the developer disappeared without hundreds of families having recourse.

[Mid]

jeeze people ,

nobody ever exploites anyone here , OK

[quiksilva]

I feel exploited every time I buy a beer at a hotel.

[Torv]

Estimated 80% of the time, statistics are made up on the spot

[Gary A]

In the area where we live, I'd have to say that maybe a third of the stores have a farang price. Whenever I buy something my wife always wants to know how much I paid. These same stores also exploit the Thais but not to the same extent. My wife is kee neo number one and we simply don't do business with that third of the stores.

[kmart]

Seems to be the mega-corps that do the exploiting here (or most other places); its not like you can seemingly do much about pump prices; electricity bills; telephone bills & services, etc?

[jbowman1993]

jeeze people ,

nobody ever exploites anyone here , OK

Was wondering how long it would take "Mr. Glass is half empty" to weigh in on this.

[Mid]

jeeze people ,

nobody ever exploites anyone here , OK

Was wondering how long it would take "Mr. Glass is half empty" to weigh in on this.

and that contributed what , apart from your personal opinion on me ??

my post contributed to the topic .

as far as personal opinions go ..............

the message not the messenger

[jbowman1993]

Those statistics seem fairly spot on to me.

What people that come to Thailand fail to understand is that exploitation to a certain degree is an accepted part of doing business here - at any level. It's an accepted part of the society and culture.

As someone already pointed out from the 2 Baht extra for the Pepsi right up to big corporations, status, circumstances and gullability of your customer and clients dictates how far you can exploit. Businesses in Thailand always take advantage of their customers.

Ask any semi-successful Thai and they will tell you the only way to become rise above the mediocre in business is to sometimes use unscrupulous methods and underhand tactics.

That is a complete misnomer, imo. It's no wonder people gain the impressions that they do, when they read comments like this. Does it happen? Certainly. I am not naive enough to suggest that it never happens. But to say it is a cultural phenomenon is simply bullocks. For every unscrupulous character you can produce, I can produce 5 that are living their lives honestly, through there own hard work and efforts. Maybe you just hang out with the wrong crowd?

[jbowman1993]

jeeze people ,

nobody ever exploites anyone here , OK

Was wondering how long it would take "Mr. Glass is half empty" to weigh in on this.

and that contributed what , apart from your personal opinion on me ??

my post contributed to the topic .

as far as personal opinions go ..............

the message not the messenger

Apparently you missed the :D

Bit of harmless fun that passed right over your head. Sorry about that, in any event.

[Mid]

save the bs ,

had more respect for you when you were honest .

[jbowman1993]

Those statistics seem fairly spot on to me.

What people that come to Thailand fail to understand is that exploitation to a certain degree is an accepted part of doing business here - at any level. It's an accepted part of the society and culture.

As someone already pointed out from the 2 Baht extra for the Pepsi right up to big corporations, status, circumstances and gullability of your customer and clients dictates how far you can exploit. Businesses in Thailand always take advantage of their customers.

Ask any semi-successful Thai and they will tell you the only way to become rise above the mediocre in business is to sometimes use unscrupulous methods and underhand tactics.

That is a complete misnomer, imo. It's no wonder people gain the impressions that they do, when they read comments like this. Does it happen? Certainly. I am not naive enough to suggest that it never happens. But to say it is a cultural phenomenon is simply bullocks. For every unscrupulous character you can produce, I can produce 5 that are living their lives honestly, through there own hard work and efforts. Maybe you just hang out with the wrong crowd?

You fail to understand that it is the way of things in Thailand. The pecking order of you will. The better off, the more able and the more intelligent nearly always exploit those below them. It's not being unscrupulous, it's just the way it is, and more importantly, amongst the majority of the population, it's the accepted way it is.

Many Thais are of coursehard working, but in Thai culture and society, one who is equally successful with the least amount of work (connivance and dishonesty as long as they don't harm anyone directly included) is just as respected, and sometimes more respected, than those that have slogged their guts out to get where they are.

The Thai attitude and way of thinking when it comes to business is completely different to the our ethic, and I'm not sure you are willing to understand it reading some of your posts here.

I asked my wife (Thai, MBA, works for an international corporation) how many people she's exploited to get where she is today. I then mentioned your theory that successful Thais are inherently dishonest, and that she, as case in point, is also that way. She just laughed and said "Mai pen rai, let him think what he wants". So thats what I'll do.

All in all, i think the world that I live in is much happier than yours.