Thais operate on such a small profit margin that they wouldn't make anything on the transaction. There is very lttle mark-up on cel-phones.

My wife had a mobile telephone shop for 5 years,and the profit all depends on the price of the phone.

For a phone under 1,000 baht,the profit is usually 150-250 baht,

on a top of the range phone in the region of 6,000-7000 bahts profit,basically its what one can get for it,

and the RRP prices dictated by the wholesaler,which are reduced on a weekly basis,so if the phone is on the shelf too long,then profits can also be reducing !

It's not racism because it applies to anyone insisting of using a credit card.

Credit card companies screw the vendor, and in some countries vendors either swallow it or add enough margin for everyone else who's not paying with a credit card to cover for it.

Thailand is often different when it comes to mom and pop shops.

You are experiencing communication issues, not racism.

but if so why was there no charge for Thai people? the shop clearly said if i was Thai no charge for using the credit card but as a farrang there was a 2% charge, is it that the credit card companies will charge farrangs but not Thais?

I am not convinced that you can converse fluently enough in Thai, (or the vendor fluently enough English) to make that assessment.

This horse is indeed dead. Probably dead on arrival.

It's not racism because it applies to anyone insisting of using a credit card.

Credit card companies screw the vendor, and in some countries vendors either swallow it or add enough margin for everyone else who's not paying with a credit card to cover for it.

Thailand is often different when it comes to mom and pop shops.

You are experiencing communication issues, not racism.

but if so why was there no charge for Thai people? the shop clearly said if i was Thai no charge for using the credit card but as a farrang there was a 2% charge, is it that the credit card companies will charge farrangs but not Thais?

I am not convinced that you can converse fluently enough in Thai, (or the vendor fluently enough English) to make that assessment.

This horse is indeed dead. Probably dead on arrival.

Quite possible , however my Thai wife has learnt to speak Thai over the years and she was there and agreed with what i reported was said.

i agree that we should probably let the horse rest in peace now.

Meanwhile, racism is alive and well within the Farang community just fine:

I'd look at some of 'our own' before throwing accusations of racism around.

Meanwhile, racism is alive and well within the Farang community just fine:

http://www.thaivisa....sy-outsourcing/

I'd look at some of 'our own' before throwing accusations of racism around.

Good job winnie

you post every other day and I will fill in the days you missed that way we can keep this dead horse alive.

Meanwhile, racism is alive and well within the Farang community just fine:

http://www.thaivisa....sy-outsourcing/

I'd look at some of 'our own' before throwing accusations of racism around.

Good job winnie

you post every other day and I will fill in the days you missed that way we can keep this dead horse alive.

So why are you still reading and posting, Jay0????

If you want to be a moderator, you should ask.

Well, absent information about which credit card, it's not clear to me. Profiteering rather than racism would be my conclusion anyway.

But I thank the responsible gods that nobody in my nation of birth, the U.S.A, would ever try to hit up a foreign visitor for a bigger price. Where I come from, we're just so unprejudiced and honorable that a situation like OP's could never happen to an Oriental gentleman! Otherwise, people would think that Americans were greedy.

However, I'm here now, so I try to think of every parameter of any purchase, because my expectations may not be those of tradition here - no returns policies, as an example. And I have Thai Visa to explain it all.

I went to a bar in NYC and they bartender took it to herself to add her own tip....3 times in a row!

It looks like we Americans are not the only ones who can not always detect sarcasm.