A Small Nice Surpise During A Bad Day....

[Cuban]

Dear Mod - please amend this thread's title should you consider the need - but please choose a suitable word to convey my deeply held feeling at this moment.

I've had a few bad days in a row, 'extended family' staying nearby doesn't help but it adds to the season of ill-will. Even my bio-rhythms suggest locking myself away for a week untill the all-clear is sounded.

So taking a 5 minute 'self' break I bought an ice-cream (cornetto), they used to have a 'lucky number promotion' (check the web site thing) and I used to give the promotional wrapper tops to one of the nieces that I get on well with, she never won anything but was always hopeful.

This time the promotion is a lucky wrapper top, printed inside is a 12Call recharge code - value 7 Baht, on the one I had.

OK this represents a few minutes call credit and something that I neither need or will loose sleep over, but after a poor morning and a lousy mug of coffee I welcomed the unexpected 'gift'.

Stabbed the recharge number into my cell-phone, message response "wrong or used recharge code", OK try again with more care. No, indeed the recharge code had been used already. Someone along the supply chain for that/every 7-11 store has had time to pull off the wrapper tops - copy and use the recharge code and replace the wrapper cover.

This Is Thailand - I'm not surprised any more.

[tgeezer]

I understand how you feel, it is agravating. The ice cream company is wasting money and getting there hygene compromised, but it is a poor country and if you 'don't nail it down.....' The idea probably came from abroad.

Edited December 24, 2008 by tgeezer

[zzdocxx]

Tomorrow is another day, hope you wake up feeling better.

[sylviex]

I understand the bad feeling. This manipulative stuff seems to be more and more pervasive.

Wish you better days.

[Sabum]

I understand how you feel, it is agravating. The ice cream company is wasting money and getting there hygene compromised, but it is a poor country and if you 'don't nail it down.....' The idea probably came from abroad.

It is not THAT poor, people are NOT starving, quality of life isn't too horrible even for the poorest, there is an abundance of food here, even soi dogs are well taken care of. There really is no way you can excuse this behaviour. Hope you meant the idea for the promotion came from abroad and not the idea to steal.....

Edited December 24, 2008 by Sabum

[G54]

Consider it as you have given someone a small present for Christmas.

Yes, aggravating. Strange how small things like this can be so.

Ah, well, as said above, tomorrow is another day.

And where there is a future, there is hope of better things to come for all of us

[dave9988]

you are going to have a heart attack soon if you are mad about something this small - i say kick your wife's family out of the house if you are not scared that theyll have you killed for it - or whatever

[jdinasia]

I understand how you feel, it is agravating. The ice cream company is wasting money and getting there hygene compromised, but it is a poor country and if you 'don't nail it down.....' The idea probably came from abroad.

It is not THAT poor, people are NOT starving, quality of life isn't too horrible even for the poorest, there is an abundance of food here, even soi dogs are well taken care of. There really is no way you can excuse this behaviour. Hope you meant the idea for the promotion came from abroad and not the idea to steal.....

Excuse what behaviour? The OP had one ice-cream that the promotion didn't work out for him ... then he jumps to a HUGE assumption that either in that store or ALL the 7-11's in Thailand have had someone opening each and every icecream cone!

Is the OP's assumption likely? possibly for one store --- not likely for ALL the 7-11's in Thailand.

Are there other more plausible explanations? Yes

Name one you say? Someone with a bit of brains and IT experience wins a time or two ... notices a pattern and exploits it.

[eggomaniac]

promotion' (check the web site thing) and I used to give the promotional wrapper tops to one of the nieces that I get on well with, she never won anything but was always hopeful.

Could have been worse.

Lucky you didn't give this one to your niece, right?

[Carib]

I don't think it is about the 7 baht wrapper, and or the possibility that it was opened already and the number stolen/used/or never valid anyway.

It is all about your mood, as you said: Quote " OK this represents a few minutes call credit and something that I neither need or will loose sleep over, but after a poor morning and a lousy mug of coffee I welcomed the unexpected 'gift'. Unquote.

You needed some happiness/warm feeling/gift/distraction/whatever. OK I understand that part.

Stop the clock where you did feel OK, enjoying the ice cream and finding the gift, and after that reset the clock so you can have a laugh about stamping the buttons of the phone to get the number to work, and again, and again.....

Looking at the bright side, it is better to take it out on a phone than on the extended family, and keep on watching television , because I am sure there was a candid/hidden camera crew around.....

Hmmm, it could ofcourse be a devious scheme so you want us all to send you 7 Baht, now how many members does Thai visa have......