The annoyance of the ++ prices

[Middle Aged Grouch]

As a foreigner, you will generally always be ripped off and charged more in all restaurants in Thailand. No matter if you are accompanied or not with a Thai lady or boy.

[donmuang37]

On 9/20/2024 at 2:52 PM, Dirk Z said:

In most European countries prices for goods must be shown as what they actually are. No surprises when the bill arrives. In many Thai establishments, in Bangkok even the vast majority, there are prices on menus that change according to the small print at the bottom: "10% service charge and 7% VAT will be added."

Since this is a fixed increase it is hard to understand why the prices cannot already be shown as the final amount needed to pay, instead of everyone having tho make the the calculation themselves or getting an unpleasant surprise when the bill comes up.

Although the prices seem lower, there is unpleasantness in the end, so I don't see the upside of this way of presenting a menu. Or can anyone enlighten me?

News Flash for Dirk. This isn't Europe!  (Thank goodness!!)

Here, they do it the Thai way.

[Zack61]

In Australia all prices are inclusive of tax. The consumer knows what they are going to pay each and every time. This makes for a much better experience with no nasty or unexpected add-ons. 
As someone stated earlier, stay away from those that deal from the bottom of the deck and aren’t completely up front with their pricing. The power is with you. 

[BigStar]

1 hour ago, Middle Aged Grouch said:

As a foreigner, you will generally always be ripped off and charged more in all restaurants in Thailand. No matter if you are accompanied or not with a Thai lady or boy.

 

Utter nonsense.

[Celsius]

If you go to a restaurant in Canada the final price will literally be 50% more than on the menu

[BigStar]

  

31 minutes ago, Zack61 said:

This makes for a much better experience with no nasty or unexpected add-ons. 

 

The service charge and VAT aren't nasty. Australia should use more VAT and less income tax. They aren't unexpected, as the percentages are listed up front at the bottom of the menu. One trip to a Thai restaurant teaches you look there if you never have and are interested.

 

Moreover, our mathematically illiterate, seemingly quite a few here, don't need to suffer the onerous, time-consuming burden of trying to calculate a tip themselves, unless they'd hoped to lay down the usual generous 10 baht.

 

The practice in no way detracts from the "experience," unless you just want an excuse to whinge. 

 

40 minutes ago, Zack61 said:

As someone stated earlier, stay away from those that deal from the bottom of the deck and aren’t completely up front with their pricing.

 

And so miss out on this delicious steak for your street food?

 

 

The answer to that is

 

 

[Scott Tracy]

6 hours ago, Irish star said:

$2.50 an hour and you want them to discuss lol

So why do people work for these wages? No guarantee of tips to make the wage a living wage?

 

This makes them their own worst enemy. But I guess anything else is socialism/communism....

[Scott Tracy]

6 hours ago, Irish star said:

It’s been a century, you want to change it overnight 

Ireland changed from the Punt to the Euro over night, Sweden changed the side of the road cars drive, overnight... Some governments change overnight.... So why not?

[JimTripper]

On 9/20/2024 at 3:35 PM, scubascuba3 said:

I guess they are being sneaky by showing the lower prices, yes they could easily add the VAT and tip, just avoid those places if you don't like it

Like the Big C food court?

[soi3eddie]

14 hours ago, jippytum said:

Many esablisments do not pass the gratuities to the staff. 

 

So here lies part of the issue. Is "service charge" a gratuity (TIP) and passed to the staff? I suspect NOT in Thailand. I hate the ++ but have to accept it depending on the establishment - suggest others do too.

 

In the UK, VAT @20% is always included. Many places in UK will add a "discrentionary service charge" of typically 12.5%. This can legitimately be deducted with no issue (in my experience). I then will give the server/s a CASH Tip of greater amount if warranted.