Most Baffling Thai Service

[gotglue]

I don't catch Tuk Tuk's anymore as some want to take you to a shop first.

Off course they say you don't have to buy anything just walk in the shop and walk out.

"Then they will give me gas money" he says.

I said "Mai OW"! just take me to BTS station like I said!

Get a Taxi it's got Air Con.

And as for the taxi's that refuse to go where you want. I always open the rear door of the car first then ask. If they say "mai..mai pai" , i just leave the rear door wide open and walk off....(against the flow of traffic mind you)

that s very impolite of you , leaving the door open ! Mind you, in big cities the taxi driver might have a purely economic reason for refusing to take you to XXX , mainly because it might be rush hour or heavy traffic on the said route. They know their city really well ! And the taxi does not make him any profit because the meters don t reel when the car is stuck in traffic. It just does not pay off for him to take you there. For example, if I am at Pantip Plaza at 4 pm, three out of four drivers won't take me to the Khaosan Road ! I do not intend to be a nuisance for a honest working guy , that's why I will shut the door even if I am refused the ride.

Well, you're crazygreg aren't ya.....I've been driving in BKK for 10 yrs now and believe me, they DO NOT know their city very well, as you put it.

[gotglue]

all good stuff, anyone care to make a list of what thais find irritating ( quirky by thai standards) about "guests " in thailand?

Leaving taxi doors open I guess

[tigerfish]

I don't catch Tuk Tuk's anymore as some want to take you to a shop first.

Off course they say you don't have to buy anything just walk in the shop and walk out.

"Then they will give me gas money" he says.

I said "Mai OW"! just take me to BTS station like I said!

Get a Taxi it's got Air Con.

And as for the taxi's that refuse to go where you want. I always open the rear door of the car first then ask. If they say "mai..mai pai" , i just leave the rear door wide open and walk off....(against the flow of traffic mind you)

that s very impolite of you , leaving the door open ! Mind you, in big cities the taxi driver might have a purely economic reason for refusing to take you to XXX , mainly because it might be rush hour or heavy traffic on the said route. They know their city really well ! And the taxi does not make him any profit because the meters don t reel when the car is stuck in traffic. It just does not pay off for him to take you there. For example, if I am at Pantip Plaza at 4 pm, three out of four drivers won't take me to the Khaosan Road ! I do not intend to be a nuisance for a honest working guy , that's why I will shut the door even if I am refused the ride.

your living in la-la land mate.

1. they dont know the city, because half of them dont even come from bangkok.

2. the meter still ticks over whether your sitting in traffic or rolling along at 60 kmph.

[kimamey]

I don't catch Tuk Tuk's anymore as some want to take you to a shop first.

Off course they say you don't have to buy anything just walk in the shop and walk out.

"Then they will give me gas money" he says.

I said "Mai OW"! just take me to BTS station like I said!

Get a Taxi it's got Air Con.

I've had that in a taxi as well. Fortunately my gf deals with all this as I speak very little Thai as yet.

On Koh Chang last year we needed to go to a market to get swimming gear and because I don't understand what's being said I just had the money ready for when we got there. When we pulled up at what looked like a small line of shops I was ready to pay the driver but my gf said not yet. Apparently we were at his wife's shop but we got the swimming gear anyway. Then we pulled up at a fruit stall which I believe was owned by a family member as well and the gf bought some fruit. Never did get to the market but fun anyway.

[kimamey]

I agree a price with a taxi driver to take us 40 kilometers up country.

Two kilometers into the journey he stops for petrol(gas) and asks for half the fare so he can fill his car up and get us there.

Funny thing is you get to a stage where this type of thing becomes normal and you don't bat an eyelid.

Just reminded me. On the occasions when I'm sat so I can see the fuel gauge in a taxi in BKK it's often shows empty. Mind you the way some of them drive it's a blessing. A bit like an aircraft circling to use up fuel before an emergency landing in case it catches fire.

[Soutpeel]

your living in la-la land mate.

1. they dont know the city, because half of them dont even come from bangkok.

2. the meter still ticks over whether your sitting in traffic or rolling along at 60 kmph.

Agreed, lost count of the number to times either myself or Mrs Soutpeel have had to give directions to a BKK taxi driver !!...

Most notable one, was a trip to Chatuchak one Sunday...Driver didnt know where it was and he forgot to turn the meter on as well.....Mrs Soutpeel played GPS and on arriving he asked Mrs Soutpeel how much the trip should be.....normally THB80....so Mrs Soutpeel gives him THB 40.. and he appears happy !!!

[islandguy]

The pre-sugared coffee is another one that gets me. No choice is offered . Happened again to me in S & P last week.This was the first time (and last) i will ever go there. I took a mouthful and almost spat it out everywhere. I called the waiter over and told him there was too much sugar in there and he just grins stupidly so my gf explains the problem so he calls another waiter over and the story is repeated. More stupid grins. Ask for the manager and explain again that we didn't order coffee flavoured sugar, just a cup of coffee and could we have it re-served with no sugar in it this time. The manager of S & P then tells us it was all our fault because we did not specify when we placed the order that we did not require sugar in the coffee.

Some Starbucks locations don't understand that Americano means with milk, when you tell the that you did not order black coffee, I guess they cannot read the menu boards posted above and behind the counter.

My understanding has always been that an Americano is a shot of expresso with hot water added. I have never seen or been served it with milk already added (I am American but have ordered it in other countries). This includes Starbucks locations in several countries.

[Loz]

Why don't they have ladies giving massage at the urinals?

I bet the tips would shoot up!

[Daewoo]

Some Starbucks locations don't understand that Americano means with milk, when you tell the that you did not order black coffee, I guess they cannot read the menu boards posted above and behind the counter.

Cafe Americano is basically a weak espresso... The espresso with water added to fill the cup... Started out because Amercians actually like that abomination the rest of the coffee drinking world shuns - drip filter coffee : ...

Lots of things about Thai Service is Baffling to me... mostly just bad service that no one realises is bad service even when trying their hardest...

The female moping under your feet in the dunny at the shopping centre is slightly baffling... when it is in the office, and it is someone you see everyday, who has now seen you with your wedding tackle on display... that is when it becomes trully baffling...

It was nice of her to compliment me on both length and girth tho :rofl:

Cheers,

Daewoo

[murray122]

I agree a price with a taxi driver to take us 40 kilometers up country.

Two kilometers into the journey he stops for petrol(gas) and asks for half the fare so he can fill his car up and get us there.

Funny thing is you get to a stage where this type of thing becomes normal and you don't bat an eyelid.

Just reminded me. On the occasions when I'm sat so I can see the fuel gauge in a taxi in BKK it's often shows empty. Mind you the way some of them drive it's a blessing. A bit like an aircraft circling to use up fuel before an emergency landing in case it catches fire.

The gauges always show empty as they run on LPG, which has a separate gauge.

One thing that drives me mad...often I park up at my apartment and fancy a session in the steam room. So, I go in and tell the girl to turn it on and I'll be back in 15 minutes (the time it takes to warm up). So I go and dump my things in my room and get changed, go back down to the steam room to be greeted by an annoying grin and a 15 minute wait. Every time!!!

[Geekfreaklover]

Baffling: Explaining (in English,Thai and Hindi) to the mobile Indian nut peddler at On Nut market that I don't want any of his nuts as I am allergic to nuts on an almost daily basis for over a year drives me nuts. Almost.

Edited May 31, 2010 by Geekfreaklover

[Colabamumbai]

Condoms in department stores washroom machines 2 for 10 Bhat Must be a lot of F-------g going on in department stores. Compared to 30 to 45 bhat for 3 in a store.

[expat4life]

The pre-sugared coffee is another one that gets me. No choice is offered . Happened again to me in S & P last week.This was the first time (and last) i will ever go there. I took a mouthful and almost spat it out everywhere. I called the waiter over and told him there was too much sugar in there and he just grins stupidly so my gf explains the problem so he calls another waiter over and the story is repeated. More stupid grins. Ask for the manager and explain again that we didn't order coffee flavoured sugar, just a cup of coffee and could we have it re-served with no sugar in it this time. The manager of S & P then tells us it was all our fault because we did not specify when we placed the order that we did not require sugar in the coffee.

Some Starbucks locations don't understand that Americano means with milk, when you tell the that you did not order black coffee, I guess they cannot read the menu boards posted above and behind the counter.

Caffè Americano, or Americano (Italian: "American coffee") is a style of coffee prepared by adding hot water to espresso, giving a similar strength but different flavor from regular drip coffee. The strength of an Americano varies with the number of shots of espresso and the amount of water added.

[NBD]

It's transport that always gets me.

Turning up at the bus station at 9:15am to be told the 9:30 has left already but the 9:00 will be going in 15 minutes was a test of my Thai and my sanity.

Rushing to get the minivan at 11:30, rather than wait around for the 1:30pm one as per the printed timetable. Got there at 11:28 only to be told that all the minivans had gone already. Why have a printed timetable then?

And don't even think of trying to book on the "booking number" printed on the card. "We don't take bookings until the day before."

Day before "Yes, plenty of seats. Call back in the morning."

An hour before it's due to go "Sorry, full"

Similarly, being hurried onto the bus that was just about to leave, only to then wait for another hour for more passengers. Finally going anyway nearly empty when a whole bunch of passengers got off.

Thai/Farang fusion food can be amusing too. Ice cream sandwiches. Spaghetti bolognese which was basically lap drowned in tomato ketchup. And 7-11s bizzare looking sticky rice burgers.

Edited May 31, 2010 by NBD

[gotglue]

7-11 sticky rice burgers are top banana btw.....love em'

[Bosse137]

Once I wanted to buy isolationrolls and I was not sure of their wieght and volum,so I asked the attendent "How many can I put on my pick-up truck`? "Up to you" he answered.Another time I was pondering which of two machines I should buy. They looked exactly the same,but one was more expensive,so I guessed it had something,that the cheaper one did not have,so I asked:"What´s the differens between them" Answer :" The price".When I was a newcomer,I lived in Pattaya and bought a washingmachin "With guarantie".It failed almost at once ,so I went back to the shop (Night and Day,before it collapsed).I asked to talk to the man who sold the machin to me (I had his card)."Not here",they said."OK,I will come back tomorrow",I said.Next day,the same conversation,and I started to feel some irritation.The third day;the same again.Very agitated,I asked them,"when will he be here then" " He does not work here anymore",was the baffling answer!´ Other times,people,(especially my wife)fail to give me some important information about something,resulting in me making a mistake of some sort.When I ask why I was not told about that important thing,the answer is:" You didn´t ask". OK,I could go on,but enough.Anyway,when thinking of these instances in retrospect,they are rather fanny! Bye!

[atyclb]

Sit down at a restaurant table with Japanese male friend that doesn't speak a word of Thai. Waitress continues to look only at Japanese person despite me speaking clear Thai. Aftre I say something to server she still looks at Japanese male as if expecting an answer in Thai.

Restaurant servers "freeze' sometimes when they see a western customer. They should simply speak the language of the country they are in to the customer.

I have known Down's syndrome people to function at a higher level.

[Bosse137]

Perhaps I have lived here for too long,anyway,I don`t see any baffling with pepsi in a bag..The reason for this phenomena,I`m told,is, that the bottle is expensive.So,if it is a "on the go" buy,the customer don`t want to pay for the bottle,or bring it back,and the vendor don`t trust the buyer to do so.The solution:Put it in a plasticbag (like they do with everything else...)

[GarryP]

I'm afraid I'm with Bosse on the Pepsi/Coke/Fanta/etc. (don't want to play favorites) in a bag. I see that as quite normal and not at all strange. In fact my son regularly buys it this way. He says it is convenient for both him and the shopkeeper and also a bit of a money earner for the shop. You see, if it is served in a bag you don't need to pay a deposit on the bottle. Also, it is invariably served with ice in the bag which is charged at 1 Baht extra. So the shopkeeper is selling the ice too, something he would not be able to do if sold in the bottle. He also does not need to bother about returns as the bottle stays in his possession.

What is strange is beer in a bag because deposits aren't charged on beer bottles. However, I have seen a couple of places do this upcountry but they added ice to the bag.

As to massages/shoulder rubs in the bogs, I haven't been in one of those places in years, but I am happy to hear it is still quite common. As I have a very sensitive back I always worried about peeing down my leg when the the masseur started on me. In the same places, I always liked the hot towel, but always turned down the use of a communal comb/brush when washing my hands and getting presentable in front of the sink.

[kimamey]

The gauges always show empty as they run on LPG, which has a separate gauge.

Thanks. I never thought of that.

[toptuan]

Perhaps I have lived here for too long,anyway,I don`t see any baffling with pepsi in a bag......The solution:Put it in a plasticbag (like they do with everything else...)

Ever try to sit that "bag" on a table while you eat or work at your desk? Two perfectly good reasons for why the bag is baffling to me.

[toptuan]

I sat down at a cafe inside the Big C building opposite Central World, looked through the menu and noted that they sold waffles and ice cream as 2 seperate dishes. I asked the waitress if I could order waffles and have ice cream with them. This seemed to baffle her so my Thai missues explained what I wanted, just to make it 100% clear. After listening to my missus, she walked away and spoke to what I assume was the manager, who in turn came over to confirm what the waitress said. My missus confirmed what I wanted and they both walked away, looking completely puzzled and had a long discussion before returning to the table. The manager said I could not order waffles and put ice cream on them as the waffle dish was a seperate meal to the ice cream. However, if I ordered the ice cream, they could include a waffle on the side and would that be satisfactory? I said that would be fine.

Can someone please have a go at explaining that one to me as I will be farked if I know what goes on in the Thai mind sometimes?

I can't explain to you what happens in their mind..Here is my service story...

I lost my atm card (haha see previous post) when i went to the bank to get a new one..i was told i could not as it was not the branch i opened the account at.

So I had to track across Bangkok to go to my original branch to get a new atm card.

I asked what happens if i am in Chiang Mai or on an island and lose my card? You have to come back here sir...

No <deleted>..... how crap is that! its UOB to so its not even Thai...what a rubbish system...

Different branches of the same bank are treated as totally different back companies in so many instances here in LOS. I go 1 km. over the provincial boundary, and, BAM! A 20-baht service fee is charged to me at the ATM for pulling out cash at the same bank's terminal! <deleted>??

Edited May 31, 2010 by toptuan

[toptuan]

that s very impolite of you , leaving the door open ! Mind you, in big cities the taxi driver might have a purely economic reason for refusing to take you to XXX , mainly because it might be rush hour or heavy traffic on the said route. They know their city really well ! And the taxi does not make him any profit because the meters don t reel when the car is stuck in traffic. It just does not pay off for him to take you there.

Explain all that to the hapless and baffled tourist who doesn't know the "ins and outs" of the traffic patterns here and can't figure out how to get from 'A' to 'B' with all these taxi refusals.

Any other place in the world where taxis routinely refuse to go where the customer asks, within a city?

I also take issue with "...they know their city really well." Yeah, like the 100 or so Bangkok taxi drivers I've used who drove around and around (running the meter up by 2 and 3 times the normal cost) because they couldn't find the destination. I usually have to finally force them to listen to my directions (because they would never admit that they couldn't find it), or call the destination on my phone and forcibly make them take the call to get directions. I've used taxis in all the major USA cities, London, Toyko, Paris, Rome, Hong Kong, Toronto, Saigon, Manila, Seoul, etc. and never experienced such inept and tourist-unfriendly service in a major world city as here in The Big Mango.

Edited May 31, 2010 by toptuan

[sanook2me]

Condoms in department stores washroom machines 2 for 10 Bhat Must be a lot of F-------g going on in department stores. Compared to 30 to 45 bhat for 3 in a store.

If its the same machines we are talking about i used to think they were condom machines but they are tissues for wiping your jacksy when no free paper or bum gum is supplied ! and its usually about 5 baht for two cardboard boxes with cartoon fables on the back for some bog reading material

[Colabamumbai]

I'm afraid I'm with Bosse on the Pepsi/Coke/Fanta/etc. (don't want to play favorites) in a bag. I see that as quite normal and not at all strange. In fact my son regularly buys it this way. He says it is convenient for both him and the shopkeeper and also a bit of a money earner for the shop. You see, if it is served in a bag you don't need to pay a deposit on the bottle. Also, it is invariably served with ice in the bag which is charged at 1 Baht extra. So the shopkeeper is selling the ice too, something he would not be able to do if sold in the bottle. He also does not need to bother about returns as the bottle stays in his possession.

What is strange is beer in a bag because deposits aren't charged on beer bottles. However, I have seen a couple of places do this upcountry but they added ice to the bag.

As to massages/shoulder rubs in the bogs, I haven't been in one of those places in years, but I am happy to hear it is still quite common. As I have a very sensitive back I always worried about peeing down my leg when the the masseur started on me. In the same places, I always liked the hot towel, but always turned down the use of a communal comb/brush when washing my hands and getting presentable in front of the sink.

The drinks in bags was more common here 40 years ago before soft drinks were available in plastic non returnable bottles, and continues to day with vendors who pour from glass recyclable bottles.

[bkkjames]

While wearing sandles while having a beer in Cowboy one night, the shoe shine guy kept asking me if I wanted them polished.

In the end I gave him 20 baht just to leave.

[tonititan]

Perhaps I have lived here for too long,anyway,I don`t see any baffling with pepsi in a bag......The solution:Put it in a plasticbag (like they do with everything else...)

Ever try to sit that "bag" on a table while you eat or work at your desk? Two perfectly good reasons for why the bag is baffling to me.

Exactly, that's why I find the bag baffling too. Or, at least the fact that you often don't have an option if you want the bag or not. Maybe it works if you're just walking around, but it's not good if you want to have your hand free for anything other than holding the bag. And then you end up with a big bag of ice, and it's not always easy to dispose of if you're indoors.

I voted for the bag (actually, for a hot coffee in a bag), but had I known about urinal massages, I definitely would have voted for that! I had no idea that even happened. Crazy! You learn something new every day.

[gotglue]

I don't give a monkey's if all these helpless morons on this thread think I'm bang out of order for leaving a taxi's door open for refusing my custom. They are here to provide a public service and are licensed to do so. And being licensed does not mean that it's up to them, they are obliged to take a patron from A to B regardless of the traffic being buggered or it's not on their way home. Failing to do so, is in breach of the terms and conditions of their license and contract to their operators.....So there!!

Edited May 31, 2010 by gotglue

[DP25]

I don't give a monkey's if all these helpless morons on this thread think I'm bang out of order for leaving a taxi's door open for refusing my custom. They are here to provide a public service and are licensed to do so. And being licensed does not mean that it's up to them, they are obliged to take a patron from A to B regardless of the traffic being buggered or it's not on their way home. Failing to do so, is in breach of the terms and conditions of their license and contract to their operators.....So there!!

No, there are not there to provide a public service. There are there to do their job and make money. While in a traffic jam the meter only ticks off at 2 baht every other minute. They are losing money. Ideally a taxi goes from one 2km 35 baht passenger to the next. They make the most money getting their passenger to their destination as quickly as possible and getting a new one. A series of really bad traffic jams means that they will lose money for the day. They don't get their taxis for free ya know, they rent them per day. They also have to bring them back at the end of their shift, which means they have to search for passengers that are heading towards their taxi depot. Leaving the door open because he doesn't want to go to your destination just means you're a jerk.

[sanook2me]

I don't give a monkey's if all these helpless morons on this thread think I'm bang out of order for leaving a taxi's door open for refusing my custom. They are here to provide a public service and are licensed to do so. And being licensed does not mean that it's up to them, they are obliged to take a patron from A to B regardless of the traffic being buggered or it's not on their way home. Failing to do so, is in breach of the terms and conditions of their license and contract to their operators.....So there!!

Is your stinking attitude spread across your face and whole demeanor as Thais in general are very sharp on body language..probably why you get alot of refusals.

example only yesterday.

i jumped into a cab and then the guy took me around the block phoned back to base on his mobile spoke to someone about where i wanted to go then pulled up to another cab...and asked the driver if he would take me...then said "swap" his total English language...luckily i speak enough Thai to make it easy for him that i understood and duly got out without being asked to pay and into my new cab..

it would have been rather silly and idiotic to leave his door open for this reason..

you need to grow up and get with the plan...no matter how old you are...

If you try to get a taxi 1 to 2 hours before they are due to end their shift of course they will refuse to take you if it means they cannot get back to base..

Its just plain ridiculous and surprising that you take such a stinking attitude or maybe its just a bit of fun on your keyboard..

gotglue = nof_ckingclue