Everything I Buy Is Expensive To Thais?

[sanook2me]

I have just spent some days outside of Bangkok and decided to have a haircut at a local barbers... The sign says 60baht and that is exactly what i paid for a "skin head" cut...

got back to the hotel took my cap off and proudly showed my Thai wife and her Thai mates my new haircut...

Them...how much..?

me.. 60 bhat...

them in chorus...

phang maak !

I have noticed this with anything I buy my Thai wife and her mates always so its so expensive and i have been overcharged even when i have payed the Thai price or normal price!!!

<deleted> is that all about?

[garyh]

Maybe the think you are Keynok Farang and can't afford much.

[lazygourmet]

Lucky you...

regarding myself, it is everything she buys that I find expensive

PS: don't you find that is insane to pay 3 millions baht for a Mini even if a had a John Cooper badge on it?!?

[neverdie]

OP, Can you speak thai? I mean you don't need to be fluent or anywhere near fluent to learn to count and a few negotiating terms. Anyway 60 baht isnt expensive for the skin head haircut ur talking about, it depends where you are, I have seen it for 40 & 50 baht outside of Bangkok, whereas in Bkk 60 is okay (how tight can one be $1.80 for a <deleted> haircut ).

I have the opposite problem to you, I often come home with something and everyone here asks me how much I paid and when I tell em, they always end up laughing asking how I got it so cheaply......I have a secret, theres nothing like smiling and flirting with the ugly little chick at the market, is there .

[sceadugenga]

I pay 60b for a haircut and I've never seen another Farang in the shop I go to.

My Mrs only usually complains about the price if it's something she considers we don't need, so I just lie and say it cost half what it did.

It's something you pick up from Thailand, it isn't a lie if you consider it's what the person really wants to hear.

[manofthepeeps]

try cutting your wifes allowance. i bet she shut up real fast and for long time!

[Harcourt]

Maybe they chorused, "phang maak ! " not at the price, but at the outcome for the price.

[PeaceBlondie]

When we lived in Chiang Mai city, Thai price for a huge head of hair went to 40 baht. Now in the village I pay 30.

[Gary A]

It's not only Thais. I recently bought a computer related item for 5,900 baht and was criticized for paying 300 baht too much.

[eek]

Learn to be a shopping liar.

I learned many years ago (when talking to men, no matter what nationality) about the cost of a purchase (even if my own money was spent on it), to shave off a certain percentage. Woman will get an honest answer..because they understand!

[eek]

I pay 60b for a haircut and I've never seen another Farang in the shop I go to.

My Mrs only usually complains about the price if it's something she considers we don't need, so I just lie and say it cost half what it did.

It's something you pick up from Thailand, it isn't a lie if you consider it's what the person really wants to hear.

Haha, i just read your reply scea. Exactly, just think sod it and lie.

My bf is a hard bargainer though, sometimes i dont know how he gets away with it. I always thought that i was pretty good at it, until i saw him in action. 90% of the time people will cave in and give him some dramatically discounted price. All done with a smile of course!

[Birdman]

60 as well as 30 Baht for a haircut is laughable cheap, usual no need to mention that. Compare that with Farang country. Only people with really low earnings, or extremely thrifty persons would give a second thought about that. Rather teasing the OP.

Edited November 22, 2009 by Birdman

[JUDAS]

Had a haircut 2 days ago up here in the Issan village. Normally do it myself with the clippers but went to the shop to have it done. Skinhead cut, 20 Baht.

[Huey]

LOL I wish My barber could cut my hair for 6 Baht, that's usualy what I tip. The cut is around 150baht in BKK. However there is only one place I can go to and trust and she is DAMM good, I get a good clean, sharply defined ,fade every time. Though recently she just rounds off the Afro so thats cool too.

But yeah my family are like that too. How much was this how much was that, how much money did you spend there, Pang pang pang But just the Women, Pops seems to understand the deal.

[givenall]

Don’t worry about this. The Thai people have the thing anything you do or buy is either not good or too expensive and they always can do better. This happen to me all the time and I know I am very good shopper and a thrifty person and I can afford to buy or do anything over here.

It must be the complex they have so make themselves feel good

[PoorSucker]

Here on samui a haircut is 80 baht, I always give a tip and pay 100 baht.

On the other hand if you want aircon haircut that's 200 baht.

[jubby]

Its 40 baht at my local. So I suppose your paying close to 30% over the odds. ;-). Everyone (including me) gets the same 'Basin' style Haircut regardless of what you ask for. I suppose you know what your going to get with a 'SkinHead' style. He always shaves my forehead and cheeks for free also . My Chin's extra ;-)

[Gary A]

My village barber raised his price form 25 to 30 baht. I always gave him 40 baht and still do. My wife doesn't complain because he's her brother in law.

[PoorSucker]

My village barber raised his price form 25 to 30 baht. I always gave him 40 baht and still do. My wife doesn't complain because he's her brother in law.

So the extra 10 baht is for the Lao Khaoo.

[neverdie]

Here on samui a haircut is 80 baht, I always give a tip and pay 100 baht.

On the other hand if you want aircon haircut that's 200 baht.

hel_l, thats ones expensive little island, my 50 baht buys an aircon haircut, you get a full shave and she cuts hair out of just about every crevis on ur body. Then you get a nice towel treatment on the face and a shoulder massage & I have been thinkin about giving her a little tip for a while now, but not being a player Ive just kept business on a professional level. Sometimes I throw a few satang into her tip jar, it just depend on how many of the little brass suckers i have in my pocket at the time ....ohh and I always end up looking very handsum .....but then again Im pretty sharp when im shabby too

back off eek!

[Moonrakers]

About 50 baht I pay in Bangkok. He is quick and does a good job as well.

[citizen33]

I suppose that deep down everybody likes a bargain, regardless of nationality. But I do wonder if there are some cultural differences between Thais and, say. Brits regarding how people talk about the price paid. Like many of my UK compatriots. I can seldom resist telling my friends if I get a particularly keen deal, and the bigger the ticket item - car, hi-fi, whatever - the more I enjoy my bargain. But a white-collar Thai friend confided that my behaviour might be considered a bit crass in his social circle (...'it's different in Thaland'....). As far as I can gather he was suggesting that there is a certain social status in paying the regular list price for a luxury product. Or did I get this wrong?

Edited November 22, 2009 by citizen33

[wintermute]

As far as I can gather he was suggesting that there is a certain social status in paying the regular list price for a luxury product. Or did I get this wrong?

Sounds like he was trying to brag or implying his mates can afford luxury all the time and don't need discounts. I see "hi-so" thais making special trips to HK or Singapore all the time to stock up on luxury items that are 30% more expensive in Thailand. I'd say he's full of it.

[Moonrakers]

As far as I can gather he was suggesting that there is a certain social status in paying the regular list price for a luxury product. Or did I get this wrong?

Sounds like he was trying to brag or implying his mates can afford luxury all the time and don't need discounts. I see "hi-so" thais making special trips to HK or Singapore all the time to stock up on luxury items that are 30% more expensive in Thailand. I'd say he's full of it.

I once knew a wannabee hi-so Thai girl who would refuse to buy anything in a sale. Instead she'd deliberately choose to pay full price elsewhere.

The thing was that she was far from rich and she stayed in a 4,000 baht/month apartment, partly because what money she did have went on these expensive brand name products.

[wintermute]

As far as I can gather he was suggesting that there is a certain social status in paying the regular list price for a luxury product. Or did I get this wrong?

Sounds like he was trying to brag or implying his mates can afford luxury all the time and don't need discounts. I see "hi-so" thais making special trips to HK or Singapore all the time to stock up on luxury items that are 30% more expensive in Thailand. I'd say he's full of it.

I once knew a wannabee hi-so Thai girl who would refuse to buy anything in a sale. Instead she'd deliberately choose to pay full price elsewhere.

The thing was that she was far from rich and she stayed in a 4,000 baht/month apartment, partly because what money she did have went on these expensive brand name products.

This is called "ghetto rich" when poor/lower middle class people spend all their money on useless baubles to impress others yet barely have a pot to piss in. There are a lot of ghetto rich people in Thailand who drive luxury cars but live in 25 sqm box condos/apts that are on long term loan repayment plans. I believe Thais are pretty wasteful spenders overall. The concept of frugal and practical necessity is a mystery to a large percentage of the populace.

Edited November 22, 2009 by wintermute

[cpofc]

they are just being typical narks mate. 60 Baht is the going rate with any 'cottage industry' hairdresser. Same where I live.

I can just see your average Thai shiela paying 40 baht for a haircut!

[MiG16]

i remember taking foreign friends shopping one time

her husband asked for some ridiculous discounts that I wouldnt dare ask, and he managed to get them at the price!

so no, we Thais dont all think we are better at haggling prices

and reading the prices all the farangs pay for their haircut, I dont even dare mention how much I pay

[Moonrakers]

I think it's a bit different for the ladies though MiG's, you don't see many women getting about with a short back and sides.

[zzaa09]

When we lived in Chiang Mai city, Thai price for a huge head of hair went to 40 baht. Now in the village I pay 30.

That's about right in the rural regions....30-35 baht. As I don't concern myself about running off to the hairdresser, for my missus cuts mine, and with great flare!

[sendbaht]

When we lived in Chiang Mai city, Thai price for a huge head of hair went to 40 baht. Now in the village I pay 30.

Honestly PB what do you really know about haircuts besides maybe reading the barbara shop sign. I'm sure the last time

you got a haircut it was like B10, unless it was back in Texas.))

even my wife said, "oh he sure has pretty long blong hair"..... Some are so lucky.