Thais Taking Advantage Of Farangs Question

[Huey]

People post on Thai Visa to vent. So you will find far more people complaining than you will find people singing the blessings of Thai-western relations. That being said the core of many of the problems are related to either a rather significant difference in the age, education, background, and our wealth in combination with basic cultural differences. Many folks would find themselves in similar situations regardless of the country if the relationship was still faced with similar significant differences in age, education, backgrounds, and/or wealth - but the cultural differences just complicates things that much more.

One thing that I do think you are discounting too much is the fact that you have Thai blood running thru your veins. In my experience this does make a rather significant difference - even if you were 100% raised outside of Thailand, and have had little to no education on the cultural aspect of Thailand. There is a difference in being related by blood and being related by marriage - and this is not specific to Thailand.

As the child (I know your an adult now) your role in the family is also very different. Most people are posting about their relationship with in-laws from a husband and wife point of view. Or posting about their relationship with the family of a girlfriend or boyfriend. And sometimes just their relationship as a westerner living in a Thai society. As a half (more or less) Thai child the expectations Thais will place on you are different than all of the above types of situations.

I'd say the closest you might come to experiencing something similar to what many post about on TV, would be if you were to start to date, and then get serious in a relationship with a Thai lady. Even then I'm not sure...

Surprised this actually turned into a good thread.

But honestly I'm no different, I got married too. @ 20 on my second trip to Thailand, I was supposed to help my mom run her gas station, then met a Thai girl @ a village party, then 4 months later I was married, (which I think now was a big mistake), my mom told me to slow down and by no way is my "wife" a stunner, she's more like moo, but I had to have her for some reason, should of knew somthing was wrong when she lied about her age like 3 times lol, I believe she's 30 now, but it's a big learning experiance for me, me & her not knowing how to communicate was a big problem, so I has to force myself to atleast try to learn Thai as best I could, I just had my first kid with her 2 and half years ago, but haven't been home to see her for 3 years, I was supposed to come back home to work and bring her to America but I got tired of being alone and waiting and sending money, I just quit and found a new life here in America, but I got to atleast fly back to get a divorce with her, cause my kon Lao momma is always mad about it, some how I want my kid in my life

too.

But yea, I messed up too ... Don't feel like you the only ones that did lol (if it didn't workout)

DAmMM kid you seriously F'ed up. Drop her now before you get any real money for her to take! seriously.

[evanson]

You must be way good looking with a fantastic smile!

[Tod Daniels]

You didn't happen to take a LOT of acid as in Lysergic acid diethylamide, when you were (as in STILL are) a kid, did you?

You're story reads like a slow motion train wreck. You want to look away, but you just can't. ..

Lemme know in 5 years, (after you can speak more than '2-word-tourist-thai' or ‘horse-peak-thai’).

Keep posting,; your posts are at the LEAST entertaining, (even if they seem to make no sense). Don't let that hold you back. ..

[galvheim]

I havent read all your post, but for me it seems like your where living in the country-side and you had some people around your that in diffrent ways would tell other people to stay away, they might have helped you sort out a few things without you knowing it.

Since I'm also quite young and started to travel here when I was 23, I have the same framework as you, but since I lived my first 3 years here in Pattaya on my own, I was of course in for quite som learning, so I can easily relate to other farangs here and their misfortune. Luckily I got a crash course from one guy that had lived here 25 years by then, having several businesses and quite some history over in Cambodia too. I had no experience to say wether he was right or not, so I stayed on the safe side and took precautions. A lot of what he said has shown not to be true, but many things also have.

Anyway, now I'm up in the country side and its very similar experience to how you describe it in your first post. Its virtually no over-pricing and if it happens it seems like they feel bad afterwards. Because they know I know. I was so used to this after spending time in Pattaya, that I many times suspected over-pricing but by various ways I later understood that it was not. Also people are very friendly, like to come over and talk just for showing off their poor english, but also because they know I speak Thai. My girlfriends family have made it pretty clear to all that if they want to borrow money they have to personally go ask me, wich mean that they will coward out most of the time.

But since I know quite a bit Thai, and have stayed here a long time, there is sometimes a lot of drama in the background that would be hidden from me if my girlfriend would not talk about it. A lot of people can for example not get thewir head around the fact that I am "the bank" and that she only have 1000 THB pr. week to use for her stuff, like buying vegetables for her food, som-tum (boklahong in Khomen), phonecards, lottery etc. All other expences goes directly from my pocket and not one baht goes out of there without my approval and knowledge. Since the naighbour-girl has a somewhat retarded farang-boyfriend she is in charge of all his money and therefore able to play around as she wants with this, mixing and trixing above his head. She play a high game, and we all see that she is using a lot more than he knows. Therefore my girlfriend will hear a lot of things about I not care she, or that we are cheap, and that the other girl has a better boyfriend etc. I really not care. I would say that I'm pretty generous with most people, but I like to have full control, just because I know the Thai-short-sightedness ( at least if lower-class) can not be mixed with responsibility of economy. Some drunk people will sometimes ask money for Lao-kao and they always get a no.

I would say your lack of language-skills and Thais lack of Englsih skills, that time, made the world around you seem very innocent. Also the family would, as mine here, act as a shield for you against people looking for easy prey. Other than that, there is quite uncommon to just get ripped off up here. They are simply not quite as comfortable with lying to you straight in your face as they have become in other places. They find you interesteing and curious. Every day I hear people talking behind my back. "Ohh. look! Farang!" or "Hello Farang(!)". Try sitting in the wagon behind those small tractors, and you will see cars pull up to you just to have a look, motorbikes will slow down and people will bend their necks to extreme angles just to witness this alien sitting in a tractor like a Thai-farmer.

What province was you in that time, and what was the name of the place?

[galvheim]

The thing is what nobody likes is to be ripped off. And most people like it even less when it's based on their race.

Little bit off topic:

A friend of me recently had to buy some sleeping pills, and needed doctor subscription to get them. The first time he got them, the doctor charged like 200 THB. After a week he needed more and went to the same hospital. This time he got another doctor and explained his reasons. He got the tablets but this time he was charged 700 THB or so, for the same amount of exact same pills. He started to laugh, and said "Hey, please not try, I was here last week and the other doctor gave me the exact same pills for 200, so I know the price". "No, now you pay this price" the doctor replied. My friend asked: "Is it because I'm white that I have to pay this price?". The doctor simply replied: "Yes..." My friend, who walk on crutches, spontaniously took one of his crutches up and smacked it with great force across the doctors face. The doctor was bleading pretty badly, and my friend jumped on him to beat him up further. Luckily there was other personell there to take him off the doctor, and my friends girlfriend started to cry and told them he had been in mental institutions before, and asked them to let him go. Suprisingly they did, and he got no problem whatsoever from this incident. This is him in a nutshell, and its very suprising that he is still well and living in Thailand to this day. But I wonder if the same doctor still give farang-price to his patients...

[IMA_FARANG]

Yes. I'm a Farang that can't be mistaken for a Thai. I don't feel I'm being "ripped off" in Thailand as a Farang as long as whatever I pay for what I buy seems like a decent value to me. I don't care if I get the "Thai price" instead of the "Farang price". All I care about is this: Is whatever I pay for what I buy a worthwhile value to me at the time.

Consider this scenario. I am arriving at the airport on my first vacation trip to Thailand in 10 months. I have worked a 12 hour night shift the day before I started my trip. I get off work at 07:00 Monday morning on the day I am going to leave after a 12 hour night shift. I catch a taxi at 08:00 for the airport to catch a 10:00 short hop plane trip to the capitol city. I then spend another 8 hours in the international airport until I can get my 16:30 flight to Thailand. Then 12 hours in the air, and I arrive in Bangkok on Tuesday morning (Bangkok time). I have been awake for almost 18 hours now (maybe a short nap on the plane, but I have problems sleeping on planes. By the time I get my bags and clear immigration I may have 20 hours without any sleep. So now I have two choices. I can take a regular meter taxi to my hotel...let's say 250 baht. Or I can take an air-conditioned limousine to the hotel, have the driver carry my bags to the limo, have him stop so I pick up a cold beer on the way...all first class service. Let's say it costs me 1300 baht. Why do I care if I pay that 1300 baht? I have the money, it's my vacation, I'm hot and tired...so I pay 5 or 6 times what a Thai pays for that air-conditioned trip with a cold beer in the back of the limo. To me, it's worth the amount...just for the relaxation and the enjoyment of the trip. Was I "ripped off". Not in my mind. It was worth every cent (or Satang I guess). Now I arrive at my hotel, comfortable, relaxed, cool from the airconditioned ride. Yes I paid 5 or 6 times what a Thai might pay...but I feel much better. I even give the limo driver a 100 Baht tip.

In my opinion, I wasn't "ripped off".

Do you think I was?

[SuperstarStatus]

First of all kid, I feel for you a lil bit. how come you don't speak ANY Thai or know ANYTHING about your mom's culture? Like you I'm mixed, and I know a good bit about both sides, even though many on my mom's side were racists.

The thing is what nobody likes is to be ripped off. And most people like it even less when it's based on their race.

Good luck though your gonna have a damm good time while your here, enjoy, and get to know your people..and there by better know yourself

My parents divorced @ age 7 and I was raised with my dads side mom & dad (grandparents) (white/American) since 7-18. Only saw moms during summers and she never bothered to teach me any Thai or really anything about Thailand at the time. I had to learn my self.

[SuperstarStatus]

You didn't happen to take a LOT of acid as in Lysergic acid diethylamide, when you were (as in STILL are) a kid, did you?

You're story reads like a slow motion train wreck. You want to look away, but you just can't. ..

Lemme know in 5 years, (after you can speak more than '2-word-tourist-thai' or ‘horse-peak-thai’).

Keep posting,; your posts are at the LEAST entertaining, (even if they seem to make no sense). Don't let that hold you back. ..

you know alot of Americans and family tell me I don't make sense & I'm crazy. But i don't feel or see it that way? Maybe when I type it just doesn't sound as I would say it? I know alot more that "two" words beleave me, but I will admit I have along road to go learning the langauge.

Does my story really sound that bad? I feel like yes alot of bad desisions where made in my life, maybe I have some internal problems ... I dunno ... But that's the road I choose and am being 100% with the words I type.

[SuperstarStatus]

I havent read all your post, but for me it seems like your where living in the country-side and you had some people around your that in diffrent ways would tell other people to stay away, they might have helped you sort out a few things without you knowing it.

Since I'm also quite young and started to travel here when I was 23, I have the same framework as you, but since I lived my first 3 years here in Pattaya on my own, I was of course in for quite som learning, so I can easily relate to other farangs here and their misfortune. Luckily I got a crash course from one guy that had lived here 25 years by then, having several businesses and quite some history over in Cambodia too. I had no experience to say wether he was right or not, so I stayed on the safe side and took precautions. A lot of what he said has shown not to be true, but many things also have.

Anyway, now I'm up in the country side and its very similar experience to how you describe it in your first post. Its virtually no over-pricing and if it happens it seems like they feel bad afterwards. Because they know I know. I was so used to this after spending time in Pattaya, that I many times suspected over-pricing but by various ways I later understood that it was not. Also people are very friendly, like to come over and talk just for showing off their poor english, but also because they know I speak Thai. My girlfriends family have made it pretty clear to all that if they want to borrow money they have to personally go ask me, wich mean that they will coward out most of the time.

But since I know quite a bit Thai, and have stayed here a long time, there is sometimes a lot of drama in the background that would be hidden from me if my girlfriend would not talk about it. A lot of people can for example not get thewir head around the fact that I am "the bank" and that she only have 1000 THB pr. week to use for her stuff, like buying vegetables for her food, som-tum (boklahong in Khomen), phonecards, lottery etc. All other expences goes directly from my pocket and not one baht goes out of there without my approval and knowledge. Since the naighbour-girl has a somewhat retarded farang-boyfriend she is in charge of all his money and therefore able to play around as she wants with this, mixing and trixing above his head. She play a high game, and we all see that she is using a lot more than he knows. Therefore my girlfriend will hear a lot of things about I not care she, or that we are cheap, and that the other girl has a better boyfriend etc. I really not care. I would say that I'm pretty generous with most people, but I like to have full control, just because I know the Thai-short-sightedness ( at least if lower-class) can not be mixed with responsibility of economy. Some drunk people will sometimes ask money for Lao-kao and they always get a no.

I would say your lack of language-skills and Thais lack of Englsih skills, that time, made the world around you seem very innocent. Also the family would, as mine here, act as a shield for you against people looking for easy prey. Other than that, there is quite uncommon to just get ripped off up here. They are simply not quite as comfortable with lying to you straight in your face as they have become in other places. They find you interesteing and curious. Every day I hear people talking behind my back. "Ohh. look! Farang!" or "Hello Farang(!)". Try sitting in the wagon behind those small tractors, and you will see cars pull up to you just to have a look, motorbikes will slow down and people will bend their necks to extreme angles just to witness this alien sitting in a tractor like a Thai-farmer.

What province was you in that time, and what was the name of the place?

Yup. Same story as me. I been on those wagons and Been that center of attention.. Why wouldn't my family protect me though.. That's what there there for.

I stayed outside of aranyaprathet in a village called bai rai ...

[SuperstarStatus]

People post on Thai Visa to vent. So you will find far more people complaining than you will find people singing the blessings of Thai-western relations. That being said the core of many of the problems are related to either a rather significant difference in the age, education, background, and our wealth in combination with basic cultural differences. Many folks would find themselves in similar situations regardless of the country if the relationship was still faced with similar significant differences in age, education, backgrounds, and/or wealth - but the cultural differences just complicates things that much more.

One thing that I do think you are discounting too much is the fact that you have Thai blood running thru your veins. In my experience this does make a rather significant difference - even if you were 100% raised outside of Thailand, and have had little to no education on the cultural aspect of Thailand. There is a difference in being related by blood and being related by marriage - and this is not specific to Thailand.

As the child (I know your an adult now) your role in the family is also very different. Most people are posting about their relationship with in-laws from a husband and wife point of view. Or posting about their relationship with the family of a girlfriend or boyfriend. And sometimes just their relationship as a westerner living in a Thai society. As a half (more or less) Thai child the expectations Thais will place on you are different than all of the above types of situations.

I'd say the closest you might come to experiencing something similar to what many post about on TV, would be if you were to start to date, and then get serious in a relationship with a Thai lady. Even then I'm not sure...

Surprised this actually turned into a good thread.

But honestly I'm no different, I got married too. @ 20 on my second trip to Thailand, I was supposed to help my mom run her gas station, then met a Thai girl @ a village party, then 4 months later I was married, (which I think now was a big mistake), my mom told me to slow down and by no way is my "wife" a stunner, she's more like moo, but I had to have her for some reason, should of knew somthing was wrong when she lied about her age like 3 times lol, I believe she's 30 now, but it's a big learning experiance for me, me & her not knowing how to communicate was a big problem, so I has to force myself to atleast try to learn Thai as best I could, I just had my first kid with her 2 and half years ago, but haven't been home to see her for 3 years, I was supposed to come back home to work and bring her to America but I got tired of being alone and waiting and sending money, I just quit and found a new life here in America, but I got to atleast fly back to get a divorce with her, cause my kon Lao momma is always mad about it, some how I want my kid in my life

too.

But yea, I messed up too ... Don't feel like you the only ones that did lol (if it didn't workout)

DAmMM kid you seriously F'ed up. Drop her now before you get any real money for her to take! seriously.

yup.. I just need to fly there and finalize the divorce... Got to take care of my kid though regardless. Not falling for that sucker bs agian no way..

[richard_smith237]

Yes. I'm a Farang that can't be mistaken for a Thai. I don't feel I'm being "ripped off" in Thailand as a Farang as long as whatever I pay for what I buy seems like a decent value to me. I don't care if I get the "Thai price" instead of the "Farang price". All I care about is this: Is whatever I pay for what I buy a worthwhile value to me at the time.

Consider this scenario. I am arriving at the airport on my first vacation trip to Thailand in 10 months. I have worked a 12 hour night shift the day before I started my trip. I get off work at 07:00 Monday morning on the day I am going to leave after a 12 hour night shift. I catch a taxi at 08:00 for the airport to catch a 10:00 short hop plane trip to the capitol city. I then spend another 8 hours in the international airport until I can get my 16:30 flight to Thailand. Then 12 hours in the air, and I arrive in Bangkok on Tuesday morning (Bangkok time). I have been awake for almost 18 hours now (maybe a short nap on the plane, but I have problems sleeping on planes. By the time I get my bags and clear immigration I may have 20 hours without any sleep. So now I have two choices. I can take a regular meter taxi to my hotel...let's say 250 baht. Or I can take an air-conditioned limousine to the hotel, have the driver carry my bags to the limo, have him stop so I pick up a cold beer on the way...all first class service. Let's say it costs me 1300 baht. Why do I care if I pay that 1300 baht? I have the money, it's my vacation, I'm hot and tired...so I pay 5 or 6 times what a Thai pays for that air-conditioned trip with a cold beer in the back of the limo. To me, it's worth the amount...just for the relaxation and the enjoyment of the trip. Was I "ripped off". Not in my mind. It was worth every cent (or Satang I guess). Now I arrive at my hotel, comfortable, relaxed, cool from the airconditioned ride. Yes I paid 5 or 6 times what a Thai might pay...but I feel much better. I even give the limo driver a 100 Baht tip.

In my opinion, I wasn't "ripped off".

Do you think I was?

And anyone else from any other country (including Thailand) would pay the same predetermined price. It's not a rip-off. You are simply are paying more for a better and more reliable level of service in the same way someone who chooses to fly business class pays a premium to travel in greater comfort and convenience with a more reputable airline.

Additionally, is it not possible that you may choose the AOT limo because there is always an underlying risk of a standard taxi going the wrong way, the long way and placing you in a situation where you have to remain vigilant and alert when all you really want to do is simply get home?

As far as rip offs are concerned, we each give ourselves enough rope to hang ourselves... we are treated as we permit others to treat us and naivety is not an excuse, getting ripped off has been, is and always will be a negative practice for those of low moral character who deserve their comeuppance.

[Archimedes]

Sometimes reading topics like these i get a feeling that alot of posters have lived a sheltered life and simply have not traveled much around the world. "Rip-offs" and double pricing is "normal" and prevalent in close to all tourist destination worldwide.

[Kilgore Trout]

Possibly it's the other way around. Us Farangs taking advantage of Thais. After all, our money is worth much more, our salaries/pensions are much higher. We go there expecting to be treated like rich Kings, and we often are. But if a Thai wants a slice of the pie, then don't we complain.

What on earth are you talking about man, pension? Salary much higher? I began living in Thailand on a salary of 25k baht per month, over the years it has risen a bit. Try to understand the common man a bit my friend, we are not all rich falang on a pension, just people making a living. granted its a bit more than poor Thais but many Thais make much much much more than I.

[Kilgore Trout]

one of my nephews(20 something) gets the same kind of treatment, from the older members of the family,, but is resented quite a bit by some of the younger generation.

he was born in thailand to a thai mother and father, but his father died when he was very young and his mother remarried to a kiwi. he spent all his life growing up in n.zealand going to school and graduated from universtity, but always had a burning desire to return to the land of his birth. about 5 or so years ago now, he moved back to thailand for good, has a well paided job and visits the family home most weekends.

he brings gifts for his grandmother, aunties and uncles and in return is spoilt rotten. never having to do the manual chors the rest of the other younger members of the family have to do.

its kind of funny, but sad to see when looking on as an outsider, me being the only farang of the family who lives out here. when i look at him i dont really see him as a thai, hes whiter than white looks more native kiwi(maori) and even has the accent. i feel sorry for him, because he makes a rod for his own back in most instances and you can tell that all he wants to be is accepted by all as a fully fledged thai. yes, he can speak thai fluently, done the monk bit and has all the relevant tattoos, but he doesnt intergrate very well when it comes down to the socialising aspects of thai life. doesnt drink much, not into thai music and going out to the morlam, tawandeng places for a good old sing song, not into cooking, likes air conditioning, must have a shower, cant take the heat and so on. sort of got this farang attitude thing were he looks down on some of the things that other members of the family find normal when living in thailand.

me im happy as larry! got the best of both worlds.

Who is this "Larry" I keep hearing about; sounds like a swell guy.

[bkkjames]

For newcomer's I would like to point out that posts containing more than 500 words should be placed directly in the Show Us Your blog section of TV. 

[mahtin]

I'm going for a bike ride. This thread has constipated my head.

[welsh1]

I've been browsing the forum for alittle minute now, & see a whole lot of farang men taking about getting tooking advantage of?

Is this a skin color thing (white) or a age thing? (for the ones who say they get took advantage of)

I'm half Thai & decided to live / visit my moms side of

the family with her @ 19, I didn't know any Thai or know anything about the culture or anything about Thailand or my people.

My family treated me like gold, always had food to eat, always ate the better rice, and the workers where feed a whole other batch of rice, my barber charged me 20 baht for a cut instead of 40 for the regular Thais, I was able to get fronts/loans on liqour and food, I worked in the potato fields and rice fields with my family but it never felt like free labor, it just felt like I was there to help my people for all I could do. The Thais in our village male & female of all ages where curious / very friendly and always wanted to talk and figure how my life was over in the United States, a few people would always greet me with "hello/how are you" and try they best to understand and fit into what I grew up with, and constantly ask questions to speak better, I always seemed to feel like I was a priorty instead of takin advantage of. Even in Pattaya, there are tons of farangs, but the boosters and bootlegers would always stop me and try talk to me in English and just be like wow you are from where?! Cool! ... Lol. I think only time I have been charged more is when my family wanted a hotel rooms and they would charge alittle more because I was there, but I mean who cares, 200 more baht a day, it's Thailand & Thai rule. Other than that, from partys to the bar, store, market, ect I never had any neg experiances.

Why so much problems for others?

All good things come to those who Waite ..looks like your family waiting could be soon over....Always sleep with one eye open

[ChangMaiSausage]

Yes. I'm a Farang that can't be mistaken for a Thai. I don't feel I'm being "ripped off" in Thailand as a Farang as long as whatever I pay for what I buy seems like a decent value to me. I don't care if I get the "Thai price" instead of the "Farang price". All I care about is this: Is whatever I pay for what I buy a worthwhile value to me at the time.

Consider this scenario. I am arriving at the airport on my first vacation trip to Thailand in 10 months. I have worked a 12 hour night shift the day before I started my trip. I get off work at 07:00 Monday morning on the day I am going to leave after a 12 hour night shift. I catch a taxi at 08:00 for the airport to catch a 10:00 short hop plane trip to the capitol city. I then spend another 8 hours in the international airport until I can get my 16:30 flight to Thailand. Then 12 hours in the air, and I arrive in Bangkok on Tuesday morning (Bangkok time). I have been awake for almost 18 hours now (maybe a short nap on the plane, but I have problems sleeping on planes. By the time I get my bags and clear immigration I may have 20 hours without any sleep. So now I have two choices. I can take a regular meter taxi to my hotel...let's say 250 baht. Or I can take an air-conditioned limousine to the hotel, have the driver carry my bags to the limo, have him stop so I pick up a cold beer on the way...all first class service. Let's say it costs me 1300 baht. Why do I care if I pay that 1300 baht? I have the money, it's my vacation, I'm hot and tired...so I pay 5 or 6 times what a Thai pays for that air-conditioned trip with a cold beer in the back of the limo. To me, it's worth the amount...just for the relaxation and the enjoyment of the trip. Was I "ripped off". Not in my mind. It was worth every cent (or Satang I guess). Now I arrive at my hotel, comfortable, relaxed, cool from the airconditioned ride. Yes I paid 5 or 6 times what a Thai might pay...but I feel much better. I even give the limo driver a 100 Baht tip.

In my opinion, I wasn't "ripped off".

Do you think I was?

No you received the service you paid for. Most limo's at the airport are not an actual limo's just sedans a wee bit bigber than your average taxi meter.

I prefer a metered taxi with air conditioning to Bangkok via the freeway/toll road. I dont mind pushing a trolley from arrivals to the taxi rank a little exercise after sitting for twelve hours is no hardship. The beer can wait as I'm now on the toll road whizzing my way to the hotel which has beers so no big deal I can handle the thirty minute wait.

I prefer the 300THB taxi meter, I still have almost 1000THB to tip the taxi driver with (nah may be 50THB) I'll keep my money for a few beers later or put it towards the business class flight home.

[Scully]

The thing is what nobody likes is to be ripped off. And most people like it even less when it's based on their race.

Little bit off topic:

A friend of me recently had to buy some sleeping pills, and needed doctor subscription to get them. The first time he got them, the doctor charged like 200 THB. After a week he needed more and went to the same hospital. This time he got another doctor and explained his reasons. He got the tablets but this time he was charged 700 THB or so, for the same amount of exact same pills. He started to laugh, and said "Hey, please not try, I was here last week and the other doctor gave me the exact same pills for 200, so I know the price". "No, now you pay this price" the doctor replied. My friend asked: "Is it because I'm white that I have to pay this price?". The doctor simply replied: "Yes..." My friend, who walk on crutches, spontaniously took one of his crutches up and smacked it with great force across the doctors face. The doctor was bleading pretty badly, and my friend jumped on him to beat him up further. Luckily there was other personell there to take him off the doctor, and my friends girlfriend started to cry and told them he had been in mental institutions before, and asked them to let him go. Suprisingly they did, and he got no problem whatsoever from this incident. This is him in a nutshell, and its very suprising that he is still well and living in Thailand to this day. But I wonder if the same doctor still give farang-price to his patients...

:lol: And he's your friend?.

He sounds like an idiot to me.

[Garry9999]

Possibly it's the other way around. Us Farangs taking advantage of Thais. After all, our money is worth much more, our salaries/pensions are much higher. We go there expecting to be treated like rich Kings, and we often are. But if a Thai wants a slice of the pie, then don't we complain.

What on earth are you talking about man, pension? Salary much higher? I began living in Thailand on a salary of 25k baht per month, over the years it has risen a bit. Try to understand the common man a bit my friend, we are not all rich falang on a pension, just people making a living. granted its a bit more than poor Thais but many Thais make much much much more than I.

I think you just proved the point of your signature.

[mahtin]

I prefer the 300THB taxi meter, I still have almost 1000THB to tip the taxi driver with (nah may be 50THB) I'll keep my money for a few beers later or put it towards the business class flight home.

Go up top catch a taxi who just dropped off a departure, no queue no 50 baht.

[ukrules]

My friend asked: "Is it because I'm white that I have to pay this price?". The doctor simply replied: "Yes..." My friend, who walk on crutches, spontaniously took one of his crutches up and smacked it with great force across the doctors face. The doctor was bleading pretty badly, and my friend jumped on him to beat him up further.

Well that's a refreshing change. I get the impression that most of the people on this forum would just pay up then bitch about it here for years.

Personally I wouldn't have beaten him but I'd definitely have told him what I thought about his views.

This doctor will probably think twice before admitting his prejudice in future but I'm pretty sure he will now hate foreigners more than ever before.

[Huey]

The thing is what nobody likes is to be ripped off. And most people like it even less when it's based on their race.

Little bit off topic:

A friend of me recently had to buy some sleeping pills, and needed doctor subscription to get them. The first time he got them, the doctor charged like 200 THB. After a week he needed more and went to the same hospital. This time he got another doctor and explained his reasons. He got the tablets but this time he was charged 700 THB or so, for the same amount of exact same pills. He started to laugh, and said "Hey, please not try, I was here last week and the other doctor gave me the exact same pills for 200, so I know the price". "No, now you pay this price" the doctor replied. My friend asked: "Is it because I'm white that I have to pay this price?". The doctor simply replied: "Yes..." My friend, who walk on crutches, spontaniously took one of his crutches up and smacked it with great force across the doctors face. The doctor was bleading pretty badly, and my friend jumped on him to beat him up further. Luckily there was other personell there to take him off the doctor, and my friends girlfriend started to cry and told them he had been in mental institutions before, and asked them to let him go. Suprisingly they did, and he got no problem whatsoever from this incident. This is him in a nutshell, and its very suprising that he is still well and living in Thailand to this day. But I wonder if the same doctor still give farang-price to his patients...

:lol: And he's your friend?.

He sounds like an idiot to me.

He's got my vote for friend.

I would have smacked him in the mouth too if he told me he was charging me more because of the colour of my skin. Good on your friend for having a pair.

[geriatrickid]

Well Mr. Superstar, if you walked into a hospital in the USA and the admitting clerk said, hey you are not caucasion, and even though you are a legal resident and pay taxes, you must pay 2X what we charge caucasions, what would you do? I anticipate that you would file an official complaint and sue for discrimination. Your lawyer would seek a few million dollars and you might win something. That's the issue. Thais go to foreign countries and expect the same civil rights as the locals, but they deny those rights and fair treatment under law to anyone that is not Thai. I fully appreciate that there are good reasons for some double pricing and I even support some of it. I understand the reason why there are some laws in place to ensure that Thais are not pushed aside by wealthy foreigners. However, such laws have to be administered fairly and consistently and that is not the case in Thailand.

One of the reasons people are taken advantage of is because it is so easy to do it. Just as a con man will swindle a gullible person in Berlin or Topeka, so too does it happen in Thailand. Foreigners set themselves up for exploitation because they often project desparation. Allowing oneself to deplete savings, not having an exit strategy, succumbing to cheap booze and even cheaper women backs a guy into a corner. Trying to be more Thai than the locals is the equivalent of putting a sign on one's back that says come rip me off. The foreigners that avoid getting ripped off maintain low key lifestyles can understand the locals and have some cash in the bank. They aren't the ones chasing get rich quick schemes or obsessed with spying on the wife to see if she's shagging the gardener. Know what? Same thing applies if you are living in Belair, Brighton or Cairns.

[SuperstarStatus]

Well Mr. Superstar, if you walked into a hospital in the USA and the admitting clerk said, hey you are not caucasion, and even though you are a legal resident and pay taxes, you must pay 2X what we charge caucasions, what would you do? I anticipate that you would file an official complaint and sue for discrimination. Your lawyer would seek a few million dollars and you might win something. That's the issue. Thais go to foreign countries and expect the same civil rights as the locals, but they deny those rights and fair treatment under law to anyone that is not Thai. I fully appreciate that there are good reasons for some double pricing and I even support some of it. I understand the reason why there are some laws in place to ensure that Thais are not pushed aside by wealthy foreigners. However, such laws have to be administered fairly and consistently and that is not the case in Thailand.

One of the reasons people are taken advantage of is because it is so easy to do it. Just as a con man will swindle a gullible person in Berlin or Topeka, so too does it happen in Thailand. Foreigners set themselves up for exploitation because they often project desparation. Allowing oneself to deplete savings, not having an exit strategy, succumbing to cheap booze and even cheaper women backs a guy into a corner. Trying to be more Thai than the locals is the equivalent of putting a sign on one's back that says come rip me off. The foreigners that avoid getting ripped off maintain low key lifestyles can understand the locals and have some cash in the bank. They aren't the ones chasing get rich quick schemes or obsessed with spying on the wife to see if she's shagging the gardener. Know what? Same thing applies if you are living in Belair, Brighton or Cairns.

Um like I said. If you don't like the way it is in Thailand, with the pricing, women, rules, and culture or food, then kick rocks back to where you came from.

Thais did not force you to go, you tired of getting hustled then learn the laugange and haggle with them. Stop thinking cause your skin is brighter than the sun, and you was a manager at mcdonalds every thing comes on a golden platter and women come buy the flock.

Stop whining about "well we don't do this to thais or so and so in Sweden" ... God a Thai get a few extra baht for somthing, then all the bitter farangs start complaing.

Another thing I see alot of you tough guys saying Thai men are intimidated and insecure and scared of the farang men and they (Thais) all have small penis and are wife beaters and drunks. How do every single one of you know this, just because you seen one fight in the village? Do all of you foreigners go around to every Thai man with a measuring stick and measure they penis? I mean how do you know?! Stereotype everything you can. And you old folks should talk before you talk about drinking, you probally drink more or just as much as any man in the world over 21.

Anyways Stop complaining. Stop crying. Get a handle on your wife. Or get out, simple....

[cdnvic]

This one started on a sour note and didn't get any better.