Short Changing At Pattaya Mcdonalds

[H2oDunc]

Once, just once I would like to read that the poster was P%$Sed off at actually getting ripped off for 5 baht and not the usual crap about it " Not being about the amount but the principle " Just once the cheap arsed, tight necked scrooge tell it like it is and not try to moralise that ALL Thai's are " At it "

You could have politely pointed out you did ot want the bigger cup as you had already exceeded your allowance for breakfast and then there would be no reason to complain.

[Tokay]

I've also noticed an increase in gas attendants trying to short change me, sometimes as much as 100b if I give them 1000b. In fact, I'd say in the past 2 months, 1 out of 4 trips to any gas station *tries* to short me in some amount or another.

[robblok]

I've also noticed an increase in gas attendants trying to short change me, sometimes as much as 100b if I give them 1000b. In fact, I'd say in the past 2 months, 1 out of 4 trips to any gas station *tries* to short me in some amount or another.

I have been short changed at the gas station too. I did not want the hassle they did not reset the meter after the last few persons and i knew how much i had to pay. It was only 20 baht or so, but it annoyed me.

[Shotime]

I've been short-changed all over the world, but in Thailand, there are many angles used for the same purpose. I admire someone trying to make a living. I used to go to a coffe shop, and, one day, I could just feel it coming. I gave the girl a 1,000 baht note, and didn't bother to count the change. They shorted me 100 baht. The next day I did the same thing, and made the girl stand there while I counted my change. She didn't know which way to run. But, she gave me the 100 baht, and never tried it again. Two days in a row. I would have waited a couple days before I tried it again.

I was driving from Hua Hin to Bangkok, and stopped to take a leak. A young kid was selling watermelon for 15 baht. I asked him if watermelon was 20 baht now in Bangkok. He gave me 5 one baht coins which I told him to keep, and told him one day you may be PM.

[bkkbound04]

i've lost count of the amount of times i've seen farang being abussive to thai's and going completely over the top for very little money, seen this a plenty even at temples farangs abusing the shops that border the temples insisting that they get a discount and won't pay the 5 baht they are being asked...the 5 baht is nothing to the farang and the farang always has a choice to buy elsewhere but many times the 5 baht is the actual profit that the thai is making

seen this many times and it just puzzles me and annoys me, i honestly cannot relate to somebody with that mentality and then this thread over a 5 baht mistake, what a sad story, instead of enjoying yourself in a beautiful country and shrugging off a minor mistake(which can happen in any country) you've decided to post a thread about 5 baht...even with the low exchange rate what does that equate to? 10 pence? unbelievable

how much did the flight to thailand cost? accomodation etc etc etc and where does that 5 baht figure in the grand scheme of things

now everybody's different and to relay a positive experience of thais working in fast food stores on low wages here's something that happened to a guy in my group on our first trip to thailand, we had been in thailand a few days on a boxing holdiay visiting various camps, the trip was just over 2 weeks so apart from afew days minor expense a guy in our group was foolishly walking around with nearly 2 weeks worth of money in his wallet...it was well over £500 may have been closer to £1000, anyway long story short went to kfc in jomtien and when we left a thai girl that worked there came running after us all out of breath and handed the wallet to us as a group, my pal instantly knew it ws his and how daft he'd been, checked it quickly as you do and then insisted on giving the girl 500 baht the girl really didn't want to take it but my pal insisted & thanked her

it was only later at the boxing gym that we learned that the girl was probably lucky to have been on 50 baht an hour...that must have been close to 8 months money for the girl & staff

now being british i can sincerely say hand on heart that if the same situation happened in the uk and a friend left the equivalent in a uk outlet (approx £4-5000) then i doubt the staff wold have been running after my friend to return his money

[Shotime]

You sound like you can use a couple Baht. Message me your bank and account number.

I'll assume you just want to be called a wiener as you totally misread my post.

Edit: I have, however, met some of the cheapest peoples I've ever known there in LOS.

and, the very same girl gave me back my phone (and on a different occasion, my camera) cause I'm forgetful.

Edited May 29, 2009 by Shotime

[Carib]

Could a mod please change the 5 Baht scam into a 8 Baht one, since this topic which got revived is already 2 years old.

I mean surely we have to take inflation and a bad exchange rate and things like that into consideration.....

Oh and not to forget that if we use a foreign card in the ATM we also have to pay extra, oh dear oh dear oh dear....So make that 10 Baht.

[Brigante7]

Yes people will try to rip you off even for 5 baht.

I always buy my smokes by the pack, usually from the mom and pop shops around here. The smokes were 45 baht in every shop. One day I walked into a new shop, asked for my smokes, she gives me the pack and I hand the woman a 50 baht bill and she justs stands there. I ask her how much, expecting the 5 baht coin, she looks at the bill and says 50 baht.

I pointed to the shop across the street and said 45 baht, point to the other shop next door and say 45 baht, I then pointed to different directions on the horizon and said 45 baht each time. I stuck the pack of smokes back in her hand and took my 50 baht bill back and said mai ow. The look on her face changed from prosperous shop owner to young child caught stealing red handed, maybe because there were other customers waiting in line behind me. Ohhh the face...

Anyone trying to rip me off will know on the spot, whatever the amount. I'm sure some of the airport taxi scammers remember me veeery well.

Good for you, it's not the amount, it's the principal.

Brigante7.

[zaphodbeeblebrox]

I almost never go to McDonalds, but there was a big rainstorm yesterday, and I ducked into one to avoid the rain. When I go to McDonalds, I only order the cheeseburger set, set 1. There was a big sign that said 93 baht. The cashier rang it up as 135 baht. I pointed to the sign, but he insisted on 135 baht. This went on for about two minutes and the line behind me is growing long. Finally, the manager came over, voided the ring up on the register, and properly entered the amount.

McDonalds doesn't train its employees very well in Thailand. They do elsewhere. Or, perhaps it is the government schools to blame, because they don't think to teach students to think outside the box.

I don't see the problem as stealing, but rather ignorance and incompetence.

[geriatrickid]

I also know in mcdonalds Thailand they count the cups and she would have been responsible for the 5 baht. Not much yes, but part time workers make 25baht per hour and full time workers make 5500baht per month. On a full shift they are not even given a free meal but only 1 small hamburger free.

Puts things in perspective, doesn't it?

McDonalds doesn't train its employees very well in Thailand. They do elsewhere. I don't see the problem as stealing, but rather ignorance and incompetence.

I don't know about elsewhere. The staff at BK, McD and other places in the west are horrible and they seem to be intellectually challenged. The exception are the retired type workers. That's what works for minimum wage. No amount of training can overcome the limitations some of these people have. Consider it a public service as these workers would be on the welfare roles otherwise. At least the Thai fast food workers are usually polite, and try their best, unlike in the west. No I am not making excuses, but if anyone has ever been in the McD's on bangla road in patong or the BK on Beach Rd., they will understand why the workers deserve medals. They put up with incoherent rude agressive sauced up louts. During the day, many of the clientele are 1/2 dressed pushy folks that think nothing of screaming or shoving other people aside. Not the best clientele to start with methinks.

Edited May 30, 2009 by geriatrickid

[Ulysses G.]

I only order the cheeseburger set, set 1. There was a big sign that said 93 baht. The cashier rang it up as 135 baht. I pointed to the sign, but he insisted on 135 baht.

He probably supersized you and it is possible that he asked, but you did not understand him. It has happened to me.

[Tokay]

it's not the amount, it's the principal.

Exactly.

I don't lose my cool over it, but when it happens day in, day out, it does wear on me a little.

Imagine the drama if YOU tried to short THEM 5 or 10baht every time you saw them.

[Lancelot]

I was the OP and I am am amazed that this thread has come back to life.

As I think back to the event, I was suprised that they wouldn't give me the regular coffee and sort of supersized me to the new coffee. Sort of like ordering a hamburger, then receiving a cheese burger and of course having to pay for a cheeseburger. About that time another guy claimed he had paid with a thousand baht note and staf blew him off. No offer to count the till or anything like that. At no time was I rude to staff, instead, I vented on Thai Visa.

Lets forget about five baht. Why is it that people here can not be civil and simply agree to disagree? I was called, a Thai hater, Thai basher, miserable old geezer and similar labels. Some even gave me h@ll for eating at McDonalds in the first place. Funny, but McDonalds has more Thai customers than other nationalities. Are those same Thais blankety blanks for dining there too? When Thailand is full of delciious Thai food? (for the record, I like Thai food as well.)

Yes, many posters disagreed forcefully but did so in a civil way. I appreciate that and it made me question myself in that, "Well maybe I need to chill out." Conversely, the folks that spewed vitrolic comments made me think "Hmmm, maybe I was right after all..."

Other posters have commented that short changing and/or reluctance to correct mistakes does happen in Thailand. Thailand is just Thailand and like all countries they have some great attributes and also a few that could use improvement. Most of us have at some point been critical of our home countries. Why is it wrong to comment on things we don't agree with here?

[Jingthing]

Why is it wrong to comment on things we don't agree with here?

Because the Thai-ier than Thai crowd is always waiting to get ya ...

[astral]

I wonder why people travel all the way to Thailand to eat American Fast Food??

Better to go down the road for a nourishing plate of fried rice, at half the price.

[robblok]

I wonder why people travel all the way to Thailand to eat American Fast Food??

Better to go down the road for a nourishing plate of fried rice, at half the price.

I sometimes like to eat something else then rice. I think its normal if you live here.

but i havent gone to MC for a long time now. Prefer sushi or pizza

Edited May 30, 2009 by robblok

[Lancelot]

I wonder why people travel all the way to Thailand to eat American Fast Food??

Better to go down the road for a nourishing plate of fried rice, at half the price.

I know what you are saying, but isn't it the same if a Thai goes to the US and eats western food but sometimes goes to a Thai restaurant because they miss their food?

[Birdman]

I wonder why people travel all the way to Thailand to eat American Fast Food??

Better to go down the road for a nourishing plate of fried rice, at half the price.

Some people travel all the way to Thailand and eat only the food they have brought from their home in a huge suite case.

Edited May 30, 2009 by Birdman

[Jingthing]

To look at this another way, now that I have been here for some years, when I fly to the USA to visit, the LAST thing on my mind is going out for Thai food. So it is a legit question for tourists, but for expats, this is where we live and if we liked VARIETY before, we probably still want it here.

Edited May 30, 2009 by Jingthing

[Ulysses G.]

I wonder why people travel all the way to Thailand to eat American Fast Food??

Better to go down the road for a nourishing plate of fried rice, at half the price.

The same reason that I often eat fried rice in America, instead of a burger, I like variety and it tastes good. Who wants to eat the same kind of food three times a day when there are so many different kinds all over the world?

[Shotime]

It's called a Mac Attack.

I'm not sure where the 5 baht came from, but I see I forgot to mention that I gave the watermelon salesman 20 baht. He gave me my change in 1 baht coins. I was impressed.

[Brigante7]

I wonder why people travel all the way to Thailand to eat American Fast Food??

Better to go down the road for a nourishing plate of fried rice, at half the price.

What happens if you don't like fried rice or any Thai food?

Brigante7.

[Carib]

I wonder why people travel all the way to Thailand to eat American Fast Food??

Better to go down the road for a nourishing plate of fried rice, at half the price.

What happens if you don't like fried rice or any Thai food?

Brigante7.

You will lose weight..., or if you do visit Mac D often, you will gain weight...

[scorecard]

Why do the Thai staff count the change several times?

Because they WILL HAVE TO make up any differences if the daily count-up is short.

If the staff member gives me 100Baht too much change, then that's a bit hit on his/her daily wages. Therefore they are very careful that the change is correct.

In many stores (dept stores are a good example) the normal staff staff don't touch the money. It's dedicated cashier. In many stores to work as a cashier you have to pay a large security deposit before you start work.

[dageshi]

It doesn't happen to me very often but when it does it always depresses me. The last time was at the ticket counter for the ferry near Khao San Rd bangkok, me and a friend were chatting away, asked for Central, paid 20 baht each for the ticket, grabbed our change each, I wasn't paying attention my friend was (she's a lawyer) said "shouldn't there be five baht more change each?" lady giving us our tickets instantly produced two five baht coins.

So it was only 10 baht between us, that's not the point, when it happens it feels like you've just been stolen from no matter how much it was.

[hammered]

Slightly off topic but it is a positive one. The other day I was paying for breakfast for me and my daughter. The bill was 210 baht. I pulled what I thought were two one hundreds from my wallet and fished out a ten baht and then headed for the car. The woman who took the cash came running after me. One of my given hundreds was in fact a thousand. It is not always negative.

[tijnebijn]

Slightly off topic but it is a positive one. The other day I was paying for breakfast for me and my daughter. The bill was 210 baht. I pulled what I thought were two one hundreds from my wallet and fished out a ten baht and then headed for the car. The woman who took the cash came running after me. One of my given hundreds was in fact a thousand. It is not always negative.

Thats must have been very pleasant for a change .

[robblok]

I must say in the village where i live i don't have many problems. Usually the girl where i buy food wants me to pay less or round things off in my advantage. I always politely refuse that because i'm sure i make more money then her. I would not want to get it any cheaper then it already is.

Like i posted b4 the only time it went wrong was at a gas station.

[Globalguppy]

I think McDonalds are great. I have visited their stores on numerous occasions and never had a problem with being short changed.

But this is probably due to the fact that I wouldn't touch their food even with a 10ft barge pole , I just find them a useful place to stop if I need to use a toilet

I agree the bathrooms are a great and easy way to relieve yourself. The food? ickkkkk

[Ulysses G.]

If you don't like the food, don't eat there. There are plenty of places around selling rancid bangers and mash to keep your type happy.