Help The Farang Or Thai?

[Neeranam]

I was eating outside an Italian restaurant under the Nana BTS, when my friend left and I started watching this seller sell Wolfgang and Helmut a watch.

Now Somchai asked these guys, who even I realised hadn't a bloody clue, for 1700 baht. Helmut says "no no, I give you 1500". Now he is an expert at the art of haggling and keeps on haggling and eventually gets to 1550. My first reaction was to say to Somchai, don't be so bloody greedy and stop taking pleasure in the fact that they are haggling to pay you 1000 baht more than you paid for it, which I said. he didn't really appreciate this, but who gives a f*** if you are making big money. Now, these guys have to give the police about 10,000 baht a day if they have a prime sight.

Still Somchai made about 5,000 baht profit in 1 hour.

NOw my question, who would you help if Wolfgang asked, "Excuse me, but what are these watches worth?" Would you reply -

"I don't know"

"1500 baht"

"500 baht'

[Jai Dee]

NOw my question, who would you help if Wolfgang asked, "Excuse me, but what are these watches worth?" Would you reply -

"I don't know"

"1500 baht"

"500 baht'

Interesting question, as my inclinations would be divided between not wanting to interfere and not wanting to see someone scammed.

In the hypothetical situation you have outlined above, as both Wolfgang and Helmut are not of my own nationality, I'd probably say I didn't know.

Honest answer... and probably likely to elicit some response I know...

[sriracha john]

I'd say, "I don't know."

It's not my place to intervene in a street sale between a customer and seller, irregardless of the races and prices involved.

[StateSix]

I imagine you could get yourself into pretty hot water if you started telling a potential customer that they are being ripped off. Isn't there a saying here about never f***ing with another mans rice bowl?

At the end of the day the customer will decide if the item is worth the price quoted. If he buys it he obviously feels it is fine.

Hence I would say I dont know and go on my way.

[meemiathai]

At the end of the day the customer will decide if the item is worth the price quoted.  If he buys it he obviously feels it is fine.

EXACTLY!

There is no cheating here at all. He can even ask for 10,000baht and if this alien from whatever planet still thinks it is good price, why is it my ######ing business?

Are there any rules on how much profit one should make in business?

[Noel]

Many years ago I was sitting at Lucky Lukes in the NEP chatting with an American chap. Along came a seriously ugly tout I knew of old who seemed to be into everything. 'Kwasimodo' as I called him was flogging watches that day.

From my past experiences with this guy I warned the American not to buy at the price quoted if at all. The chap ignored my advice and bought a watch at what I considered a stupid price.

About an hour later the hands fell off...

[Farma]

I do my street transactions in Thai. If questions are asked, I answer “Don’t know”.

If Wolfgang is switched on, he will see how much I pay.

As Sriracha John nicely stated, “It's not my place to intervene in a street sale between a customer and seller, irregardless of the races and prices involved.”

[Nam Kao]

I was eating outside an Italian restaurant under the Nana BTS, when my friend left and I started watching this seller sell Wolfgang and Helmut a watch.

Now Somchai asked these guys, who even I realised hadn't a bloody clue, for 1700 baht. Helmu

NOw my question, who would you help if Wolfgang asked, "Excuse me, but what are these watches worth?" Would you reply -

"I don't know"

"1500 baht"

"500 baht'

GUYS GUYS GUYS

you are in f###### Thailand - YOU SHOULD HAGGLING OVER GIRLS

not @@#$$$ watches

the gall you people have, @##$%% pathetic

[aughie]

I have watched people buy fake Rolexes in Mexico for $15 just so they could show friends a novelty item when they got home. Some souvenir.

One night I picked up a counterfieit $20 bill in change while out bar hopping. I was pissed. I showed it to my car mechanic and he was really interested in it. He asked how much I wanted for it. I said I paid twenty dollars. He finally agreed to pay twenty dollars for a counterfeit $20 bill. Go figure. He thought it was a fair exchange.

[GU22]

NOw my question, who would you help if Wolfgang asked, "Excuse me, but what are these watches worth?" Would you reply -

"I don't know"

"1500 baht"

"500 baht'

I would say that it's worth whatever you are prepared to pay for it.

A gold Rolex may be worth £1000+ to someone who wants one, but to me it would be worth nothing, because I don't want one.

[bkkmadness]

I'd have to stay out of it, coz end of the day I don't know either person so who should I be rooting for getting the best deal? No loyalty to a certain race so sod em, let them go at it, kick back and watch the show.

[Chayakon]

Gotta agree with BKK, who am I to mess with another mans livelyhood.....unless it was a mate he was ripping off!!

[mrbojangles]

At the end of the day the customer will decide if the item is worth the price quoted.  If he buys it he obviously feels it is fine.

EXACTLY!

There is no cheating here at all. He can even ask for 10,000baht and if this alien from whatever planet still thinks it is good price, why is it my ######ing business?

Are there any rules on how much profit one should make in business?

Agree with the 2 above.

There was one instance though last year, in Patters, when i did get involved. My friend had bought a watch from this guy and it stopped working within a day. The seller wouldn't swap it or refund my mate. I was staying 3 weeks longer than my mate and everytime this guy came into a bar i was in, i would tell any Farang that looked interested in buying, about him ripping people off. I would even sometimes wait until he had wasted 20 or 30 minutes haggling, then i would swoop in. He was really pissed with me and after a few days whenever he saw me in the Bar he would just walk straight out. At least i felt he had got what he deserved, apart from that, i stay clear.

[bkkmadness]

A bit off topic but heres a story.....

I was up in Tak some months ago where my gfs grandman lives and she went with her sister to go up to some weekly market in the next provinvce whilst I did a border hop at Mae Sot. She come across a stall with all the usual counterfeit goods and the vendor tried to sell her a rolex watch as the real thing for 8000 baht!

The vendor kept insisting all her goods on her stall (dior, LV bags, rolex, cartier watches etc.) were all authentic items until my gf pointed out that her stall must have well over a few millions baht worth of goods and asked why was a woman of such wealth running a stall if she had that much money for stock.

Just goes to show not just the farangs in tourist areas that get the crazy prices.

[meemiathai]

At the end of the day the customer will decide if the item is worth the price quoted.  If he buys it he obviously feels it is fine.

EXACTLY!

There is no cheating here at all. He can even ask for 10,000baht and if this alien from whatever planet still thinks it is good price, why is it my ######ing business?

Are there any rules on how much profit one should make in business?

Agree with the 2 above.

There was one instance though last year, in Patters, when i did get involved. My friend had bought a watch from this guy and it stopped working within a day. The seller wouldn't swap it or refund my mate. I was staying 3 weeks longer than my mate and everytime this guy came into a bar i was in, i would tell any Farang that looked interested in buying, about him ripping people off. I would even sometimes wait until he had wasted 20 or 30 minutes haggling, then i would swoop in. He was really pissed with me and after a few days whenever he saw me in the Bar he would just walk straight out. At least i felt he had got what he deserved, apart from that, i stay clear.

Edited October 12, 2005 by meemiathai

[Thaipwriter]

I should like to see the Jerry's well and truly stitched up

Having paid UK prices for BMW Cars / servicing for years, it's like "what goes around....."

[zaz]

I'd stay out of it. Business is business and a buyer will pay what he/she thinks the goods are worth. "Up to you...."

[Neeranam]

For the first few years of my staying here, I would tell the farang how much the seller would sell it for - the best price. Then I gradually changed, not saying anything then more recently I would take the Thais side. Now, I'm not sure.

What about if it were something more serious, like a car accident where you were the only witness. It looked 50-50 to you, but both the Thai and the farang blamed the other one, and none were insured. What would you do? Lets say there was about 200,000 baht worth of damage.

I wouldn't take any sides, unless one party was a real ######.

[zaz]

If it was a Thai lady and she was fit I'd take her side most definitely, in that case it's certainly the farangs fault...........!!!!

[gburns57au]

Years ago in Pattaya, I was on my first trip and fresh off the plane, full of Pizz and ignorant.....A rather large Thai guy came upto my mate to see if he wanted to buy a rose for his gf.....I intervened telling my mate what to pay etc.....The Thai guy kept quiet and eventually my mate didnt buy a rose, as the Thai guy left he leaned and whispered to me......"you dont buy, you dont negotiate, next time I kill you"

I was a bit taken aback but realised the guy was right.....Dont f*** with someone elses livelihood. A good lesson for a newbie

[opothai]

if it's your mate, pull him to one side, if you do not know the person stay away

[OxfordWill]

exactly.

[thaibebop]

I would not get involed. Maybe the farang isn't rich and doesn't want to pay that amount. Maybe the Thai guy is the one being screwed with. Not my place to make this call.

[Neeranam]

Years ago in Pattaya, I was on my first trip and fresh off the plane, full of Pizz and ignorant.....A rather large Thai guy came upto my mate to see if he wanted to buy a rose for his gf.....I intervened telling my mate what to pay etc.....The Thai guy kept quiet and eventually my mate didnt buy a rose, as the Thai guy left he leaned and whispered to me......"you dont buy, you dont negotiate, next time I kill you"

I was a bit taken aback but realised the guy was right.....Dont f*** with someone elses livelihood. A good lesson for a newbie

I'd have told the Thai guy to get to f***, if the guy was my mate.

Wouldn't he have helped his mate if he were in your country?

But I agree with they many people who said they would say that they didn't know, if it were strangers.

Thais stick up for each other in Thailand and around the world - farangs don't.

I would tell the guy if he were from my country(Scotland). We stick together.

Would you help those if you heard your countries accent or language?

[britmaveric]

Yell to Wolfgang you just paid 150bht, and leg it.

Seriously I'd stay out of it - buyer beware. I've only helped out mates if I saw them taken advantage. However can't believe the vendour really sold a knock off for that much - amazing how gullible people can be.

[cwilliam]

I have watched people buy fake Rolexes in Mexico for $15 just so they could show friends a novelty item when they got home.  Some souvenir.

One night I picked up a counterfieit $20 bill in change while out bar hopping. I was pissed.  I showed it to my car mechanic and he was really interested in it.  He asked how much I wanted for it.  I said I paid twenty dollars.  He finally agreed to pay twenty dollars for a counterfeit $20 bill.  Go figure.  He thought it was a fair exchange.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That's why he works for a living

[Griffin]

Why do you think he was being ripped off? If a person pays what he feels is a fair price then who has lost out?

If he thought it was a real Rolex (of course not possible) then he may have been ripped off.

Think of it this way. When somebody pays 500 pounds for a pair of shoes because they were made my some Japanese designer that he likes, is he being ripped off?

[Pudgimelon]

A bit off topic but heres a story.....

I was up in Tak some months ago where my gfs grandman lives and she went with her sister to go up to some weekly market in the next provinvce whilst I did a border hop at Mae Sot.  She come across a stall with all the usual counterfeit goods and the vendor tried to sell her a rolex watch as the real thing for 8000 baht!

The vendor kept insisting all her goods on her stall (dior, LV bags, rolex, cartier watches etc.) were all authentic items until my gf pointed out that her stall must have well over a few millions baht worth of goods and asked why was a woman of such wealth running a stall if she had that much money for stock.

Just goes to show not just the farangs in tourist areas that get the crazy prices.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hey, my wife's family is from Tak too, they probably know each other's families as my wife's grandfather is quite famous up there (used to be the mayor or something).

Her aunt is a vendor in one of those stalls, and while she sits all day in some run-down little shack, at night she drives home in a nice new Toyota truck to a comfortable home. So don't let appearance fool you. Those stalls may look like tin shanties, but they still pull in a nice income.

Oh, and once you go up-country it doesn't matter if you're Thai or Farang, the locals can smell Bangkok (money) on you and they'll try to fleece you for as much as they can get. Happens to my wife all the time. When we went to Mae Sot, we stopped at that fruit market in the mountains and they took one look at her and doubled their prices . Heheh.

By the way, how about the way those idiots drive in those mountains. UN-F'ING BELIEVABLE! They are INSANE! While driving up the mountain, we encountered people coming down who were not only passing cars around blind curve, but passing cars that were passing OTHER CARS around a blind curve! Yikes!

Had to put our car in the gravel several times to avoid a head-on collision, and mind you, there's about 1 foot of clearance between the gravel and a 100 foot drop off (which, of course, doesn't have a guard rail).

[zzap]

I 'helped' other farangs on more than one occasion (as Thais have helped me), and of course, you are not liked for it by the Scammers.

I don't always care, but with friends I'll go right to the edge of a physical fight to get my point across.

On Suk. a Thai got his barbecue sticks for 5 Baht, my friend was asked to pay 15 each, I told the seller in Thai that I just witnessed what the sticks go for, handed him the appropriate money and walked away. It ended up with the guy following us down the road until he realised we were ignoring him completely.

Yes, money can be made from clueless tourists, but don't take it for granted you'll always get away with blatant double-pricing, my dears!

Edited November 19, 2005 by zzap

[chonabot]

I would not stand by and let a mate get ripped off , but would be wary of causing the vendor to 'lose face'.

In Pattaya and Bangkok , apart from messing with someone's income, there are some unsavoury characters that do not take kindly to this.

The chaps' post earlier where he kept interrupting the vendors sales pitch with insults about the qaulity of his stock , however founded, show a very naiive attitude that could easily lead to a beating or worse.

Maybe not there or then , but at another time.

Those of you who doubt this do not know Thailand.

Edited November 19, 2005 by chonabot