Watch your money in los when...

[Baaksida]

This kind of cheating happened two times (or more) to me: You purchase items for less than 100 Baht, paying with a 500 or 1,000 Baht  banknote. The cashier tries to give you only the change up to 100 Baht, trying to pocket the remaining 400 or 900 Baht!! (After all we are "stupid farang"!) It happened to me for the first time at a 7-ELEVEN in Bangkok, as I had to argue for a minute with the cashier that I gave him a 500 Baht note, not a 100 Baht note! The second time it happened at the McDonalds, near Democracy Monument, when I was supposed to pay 57.00 ("Fyfty-seven" as the girl said). I handed the female cashier a 1,000 Baht note and she handed me 43.00 Baht (expecting me to leave ?)!! I had to remind her, that I was expecting another 900 Baht, which she finally gave me too.

Or is this the going rate for short-time in Banglampoo, and she wanted to make some extra money after work ?? (After all, she didn't look that bad!)

Note: I am seldom in Bangkok, much more often "upcountry". So, does this happen often in Bangkok

[surin]

No.....it can happen anywhere in the world!

[Mackerel]

I've had a few times that cashiers 'forget' 10 or 20 baht from my change. But as I look them in the eye, they suddenly 'realise' their mistake without me telling them. However, this has happened only 3 times in the last 2 years. Not any worse than Europe.

Amazing this experience happened to you in the 7/11. The way they count the cash, count again and then check again...

[MaiChai]

I don't think they just do it to farangs. You will get into the habit of counting your change. Count it manually in front of the person giving it so they can count along with you. I have seen Thais do this also; I think cashiers almost expect it now, so its not insulting to do it. Thais like to show they are rich, but will count the bahts (pennies) too!

PS: Good idea to post and warn folks about this.

[tutsiwarrior]

The bullshit usually comes down in busy tourist areas. I live up country and when I go to the 7-11 to pick up a bottle of Sang Som and some smokes at 2am the counter people make a display of counting out the change.

Any taxi driver in London would try it on if he thought that he could get away with it...

regards

[taxexile]

surprised it happened in a 7.11 where they have computerised tills that display the change that should be given.

usually happens in smaller shops with no tills and shopkeepers that cant count....or are trying it on.

thais always count their change carefully.

it helps to tell the shopkeeper the amount that you hand over as you are handing it over if it is a large bill.

[markt]

Talking of 7/11,  has anyone seen the gay bloke who works at 7/11 on the Pattaya 2nd road, near soi Honey ?

He gave me back the wrong change once.  Daft biddy even counted it out in front of me. Then when i counted it, it was 20 B short.

Still, he makes me laugh.  

[Baaksida]

The bullshit usually comes down in busy tourist areas. I live up country and when I go to the 7-11 to pick up a bottle of Sang Som and some smokes at 2am the counter people make a display of counting out the change.

True, as this scam (as opposed to real miscounting), happened to me in Bangkok's tourist areas (Sukhumvit, Banglampoo).

But the advice of mentioning aloud the amount you are handing over is good! I will do that from now on.

[JonnieB]

i agree, this change problem is prevelant all over thailand.  sometimes it is intentional and sometimes an honest mistake.  funny thing though, if it were mainly honest mistakes, 50% of the time, it should be in the customers favor.  however, i have only once in all the thousands of cash transactions i have had over the years had more change given to me than was correct  

anyway, for the paranoid, here is my restaurant bill checklist...besides counting your change...do the following too:

1)  Make sure what you ordered is all that is on the bill, i.e., no extra dishes or incorrect dishes (that just happen to cost more than what you ordered).

2)  Make sure the prices on the bill are the ones quoted in the menu.

3) Make sure it is added-up correctly.

4) And finally, make sure your change is correct.

3)      

[Kapow Guy]

Happened to me one but I think it was entirely my fault.

The new 20bht notes seem similar to the 1,000 bht notes and getting on the expressway I pulled 40bht out of my shirt pocket gave it to the girl and drove off.

Upon getting home I couldn't find the 1,000 note that I swear I had in my shirt pocket! Something to be careful about too.

[Mackerel]

I was thinking about the 7/11 stores today and came to the conclusion that if I had to work there, with a siren that sounds everytime someone comes through the door, I'd probably make mistakes counting. Dee-Dur, Dee Dur!

The new 20 notes do look similar too, I agree. Maybe that explains where all my cash went. Roadside food stalls must think I'm a real good tipper - Giving a 980 baht tip for noodle soup.

[percy2]

JB's point about dining is a good one.

When you eat with Thai people and have a few dishes thay check every item on the bill and often ask for it to be amended.

So long as you are polite its just what the staff expect.

Regards

edit for sp

[taxexile]

thay

must try harder

[MaiChai]

I just remembered that the 7/11 in Sukhothai (near all the schools) tried to short change me; I gave them a thousand baht note and they gave me change for 500 baht. They did not make an honest mistake; take it from me if you get short changed, someone is trying it on. Thais are too canny about money to make mistakes. If they gave out too much change, they would get fired; there is always another Thai available to fill the job.

Even one of the shops in my small village try it on; either short changing or over charging thinking I don't know the real prices. I don't go to that shop anymore; they have lost my clientel.

You always need to check your change in LOS, people are always trying it on. Get into the habit of it.

[percy2]

thay

must try harder

If you try picking me up on every spelling mistake you will end up posting more than Dr. P.

Then again I might post more than him if he would only stop deleting my posts :laugh:

Regards

[percy2]

You always need to check your change in LOS, people are always trying it on. Get into the habit of it.

MC,

You might want to reconsider yhe way you say things.

These things go on all over the world.

You give the impression that is only here.

You may have had a bad experience , you may just not like Thai people. I may have just misunderstood you.

FWIW The Thai People are one of the main reasons this is my country of preference.

Regards

[Heng]

I have two school mates who own 7-11's and from what I've seen, it's not terribly easy for the cashiers to skim against the till or against the customer.    Stock and inventory is very well accounted for electronically, so if something goes out, it had better "go out" through the till, or it's going to be caught over time.   As for the till itself, let's say the cashier is going to skim against the customer (as skimming against the house is near impossible because of the stock check), he has to ring up the correct amount, give back the incorrect amount of change, collect the "incorrect" amount into the till, memorize how much he has overcollected, AND remove the amount from the till later, often in plain view of the closed circuit television camera.  

With an average of 33-42% markup on everything (and that's just in 7-11's), we're already robbing you anyway.   There's no need to "keep the change."    If it does happen to you, just report it to the police.   There's camera footage of all monetary transactions, so someone's going to be caught lying either way.  

[keestha]

Surprised to read several posts about people being shortchanged in a 7/11....always assumed 7/11 had a very good policy to prevent this type of cheating or misunderstanding, because every time I bought something in a 7/11 anywhere in Thailand, the cashier would say something like " rap haa roi Baht" (received 500 Baht) referring to the banknote I just forked over.

[taxexile]

With an average of 33-42% markup on everything (and that's just in 7-11's), we're already robbing you anyway.   There's no need to "keep the change."  

cynicism with class.

wonderfully put.

in future i'll do my emergency shopping at my nearest ma and pa store.

rather the grumpy old man than the smiling robot.

at least he's not afraid to show his contempt for his customers.

[MaiChai]

I do remember that when I was short changed, the supervisor came over; she did not blink at eyelid at the whole episode. Conclusion, she knew it was going on, and did not tell the cashier off. Maybe its ok to rip off foreigners, because they are all rich, arn't they?

Not wishing to be disrespective to anyone, but don't assume its taken that people in one country will be generally as honest as people in another country (or your home country). But then, maybe people in one country won't be as friendly and smile as much as people in another country.  

If you are paying more than 10 baht for a can of cold coffee, then you are definitly being ripped off. 7/11s and Home Marts seem to be the most expensive places to get these cans of coffee, so that says it all.

[JonnieB]

so Heng, what you are saying is that the CP 7-11 stock that is going public in the near future is a "strong buy!!!"   :laugh:

[Heng]

Well, no.   Because there's no guarantee that CP will use said investor capital towards the growth of 7-11.

[Axel]

Some good advice was given in this threat. Check your bill and count the dishes etc. in restaurants.

The short change stories I heard from around the world, not only here. Although, last time, 2 years ago or so in BKK about the air port-tax booths at BKK airport. (Pay your Baht 500 with a 1000-note. A well, keep a finger on the 1000-note and say clearly "ONE".

In HKG quite common, enter the ferry and put $ 5 on the till. Just keep your hand there until you get your change for 5, not $ 2.00.

In pubs around the world, pay for your drinks of the night and better wait to get your change back. It might be lying on the counter until you left and forgot it. Remember you had a few.