The Sign Says 5B .....

[Darrel]

After spending much time in SE Asia over the last 35 years, I thought I had probably seen everything before. But I was wrong.

I needed to print out a short letter the other evening. Normally I would do this wirelessly via my building's office printer for free, but the office was closed and I wanted to post it off before 8pm that evening.

So I saved my pdf file on a USB key and went outside to a nearby internet shop I had noticed previously that had a price list on the wall: internet 30B/hour, print/copy black 5B, print/copy colour 10B. All pretty straightforward really.

I offered my USB key to the fat woman in charge, saying "print one page please kap". No reply, but she looked at me and waved vaguely towards the nearest PC, so I sat down, plugged in the key, brought up the pdf file and clicked on "print", which I suppose took about 30 seconds in all. Removed the key, walked back to the fat woman who gave me the printed page when it came out of the printer on her desk and bluntly said "10 Baht".

I said, "you mean 5B; it's black". She said, with no humour, "5 Baht for print and 5 Baht for electricity on the PC". I laughed and gave her 5B. "Next time you dont come back here, you go other shop" she said. "Don't worry, I wont come back" I replied.

There are at least 10 internet shops within 3 minutes walk of there, including one that only charges 20B/hour for internet use, not that I've ever required that service, but who knows?

I was laughing about that all evening.

[thaimate]

It never fails to amaze me the shortsightedness of some Thai buisness people,the guy who collects my son for school gets 2000 baht a month ,on quite a few occasions he is a bit late and my son says nothing ,twice in as many months my son was a little late and the guy had to wait about 2/3 minutes he shouted at my son ,well as he is now 18 he told the driver to stick it and now gets alternative transport ,2000 baht a month lost by driver, he then came back begging him to keep going with him ,but as my son now goes with a neighbour i save 2k ,moral if you are supplying a service ,although the customer may or may not be a ---- they are always right

[ronthai]

This must be Thailand then

If everybody posts here who has had simular experiences, this will be the longest topic ever.

[hehehoho]

Give her the extra 5 baht.

Through her window at 4am.

[Benjie]

The printing is a service for the people who are paying to use the computers, you couldn't print the page without using the computer so why shouldn't you have to pay to use the computer?

[TheWalkingMan]

I said, "you mean 5B; it's black". She said, with no humour, "5 Baht for print and 5 Baht for electricity on the PC". I laughed and gave her 5B. "Next time you dont come back here, you go other shop" she said. "Don't worry, I wont come back" I replied.

You gave her the best answer.

[saengsureeya]

The printing is a service for the people who are paying to use the computers, you couldn't print the page without using the computer so why shouldn't you have to pay to use the computer?

[Satcommlee]

Should have gone to the internet cafe with the balloons outside, it was the owners birthday and there was also free food!

[happyaussie]

Man some of you guys are so petty. For god sake the persons in business and your quibbling over 5 baht. Amazing. if she had been pleasant and sexy would you have complained, I doubt it?

I've also been living in Thailand for many years and understand that some Thai business practices are a little odd to say the least. But 5 baht, why bother.

[Darrel]

The printing is a service for the people who are paying to use the computers, you couldn't print the page without using the computer so why shouldn't you have to pay to use the computer?

Because no other print shop I have ever been to has charged any more than the printing charge. And normally they do the printing for you: you just give them the USB key. They dont make you DIY it.

[Darrel]

Man some of you guys are so petty. For god sake the persons in business and your quibbling over 5 baht. Amazing. if she had been pleasant and sexy would you have complained, I doubt it?

I would complain no matter who it was or how much it was. 1B or 1MB, there's no difference to me. It's a simple question of principle.

The advertised price is the price, and that's all there is to it.

As for her being in business, with her attitude she doesn't deserve to still be in business.

[Ulysses G.]

The advertised price is the price, and that's all there is to it.

I agree. She was trying to cheat him and making it very obvious.

[richard_smith237]

Quite amusing and handled well by the Op.

Someone asked why bother over 5 baht....

The reason that very someone who won't bother over 5 baht experiences fewer hassles is that generally some one before him has bothered !

When people try even very minor scams like this it's the thin end of the wedge. The thick end is the jetski scams etc.... That's why people bother, thanks to them for doing so.

[Benjie]

The printing is a service for the people who are paying to use the computers, you couldn't print the page without using the computer so why shouldn't you have to pay to use the computer?

Because no other print shop I have ever been to has charged any more than the printing charge. And normally they do the printing for you: you just give them the USB key. They dont make you DIY it.

Print shop or Internet Shop?

Also, This is one of the weirdest things that's ever happened to you in Asia in 35 years?

[Darrel]

Print shop or Internet Shop?

There's a difference? Most (all?) such places here seem to do both, and faxing, and phone calls, and PC repairs, and God knows what else.

Anywhere with a sign on the wall saying "print/copy 5B" sounds like a shop that does printing to me, and as such is fair game. And if she didnt want to do printing, why not just say "no" when I asked?

Also, This is one of the weirdest things that's ever happened to you in Asia in 35 years?

No, but it was one that I wasn't expecting.

Edited September 22, 2011 by Darrel

[silentnine]

having owned internet cafes in the UK its standard practice . if you want to print you use a pc , pay for the pc and also the printing .

thats what differentiates between a print shop and a internet cafe.

[richard_smith237]

Print shop or Internet Shop?

There's a difference? Most (all?) such places here seem to do both, and faxing, and phone calls, and PC repairs, and God knows what else.

Anywhere with a sign on the wall saying "print/copy 5B" sounds like a shop that does printing to me, and as such is fair game. And if she didnt want to do printing, why not just say "no" when I asked?

Also, This is one of the weirdest things that's ever happened to you in Asia in 35 years?

No, but it was one that I wasn't expecting.

It's often the small things that catch us out.

When expecting major hassles its often surprising how simple something turns out to be.

Then, when expecting that something is supposed to be simple, incompetence and / or greed somehow feel left out and wish play a starring role.

[Darrel]

having owned internet cafes in the UK its standard practice . if you want to print you use a pc , pay for the pc and also the printing .

thats what differentiates between a print shop and a internet cafe.

Not standard practice here, as far as I know.

And how much would 30 seconds PC use at 30B/hour be anyway? Not 5B. More like 25 satang.

Maybe I should pop back and offer her that?

[hehehoho]

Went to one of those toilet/shower/changing room places and the only the showers were free.

Sign:

Shower 50b

อาบน้ำ 35b (aabnam - shower in Thai)

She points to the 50b sign and grunts 'showuuurr', I laugh and respond in Thai that I don't want a 'Showurrrr', I want อาบน้ำ. She gets quite angry, hitting at the sign and saying 'Showuuur 50b'. I'm quite amused at all this and apologise that I don't speak any English and only speak Thai, that I don't understand what a showuuurrrr is and would like to avail of their 35b อาบน้ำ.

She starts really shouting 50baht, 50 baht.

I point to the sign 'อาบน้ำ 35b' and continuing to act dumb tell her this is what I want.

After a few more minutes of me having fun and her getting mad I had to leave while stating how odd it is that she'd rather have 0 baht than 35 baht, while scratching my head in fake wonder at why she doesn't want my money.

When I told my wife later she said I was lucky I didn't get a bit of a smack down from those lovely high class locals down there, which is probably true.

Pattaya eh, one place I'm truly happy that I don't live in.

Edited September 22, 2011 by hehehoho

[SteeleJoe]

Internet shop. Not print shop. You pay to use the computer -- they don't typically charge by the second but rather by at least 15 minute blocks -- and if you want to print you pay 5B more.

The sign may not have spelled it out precisely but perhaps -- unlike a prit shop -- they only get people who use the net and then print emails or whatever or only anticipated that when they made the sign. Myself I tend to ask if I'm at all worried about how much something might cost, regardless of the sign. But if it says 5 baht I'm not likely to worry that it might be as much as three times that (though I might be a bit annoyed) and I don't think I'd worry at all if it turned out to be a whole 10B.

But you won a moral victory. Congratulations.

(I'm all for seeing that one is grievously taken advantage of or cheated but life must be tough in Thailand for you guys who are out fight for truth and justice at all times regardless of the scale of the actual transgression. But I suppose you have the pleasure of not paying up and giving them a spiteful comment.)

[OccamsRazor]

Wonder if you wanted to print 100 pages, would it have been 1000 Baht (10 Baht/page) or 505 Baht (5 baht x 100 + 5 for PC use)? Suspect no complaints forthcoming if the later. As mentioned it is not a print shop but an Internet Cafe that supports their computer users with printing capability.

[SteeleJoe]

Internet shop. Not print shop. You pay to use the computer -- they don't typically charge by the second but rather by at least 15 minute blocks -- and if you want to print you pay 5B more.

The sign may not have spelled it out precisely but perhaps -- unlike a prit shop -- they only get people who use the net and then print emails or whatever or only anticipated that when they made the sign. Myself I tend to ask if I'm at all worried about how much something might cost, regardless of the sign. But if it says 5 baht I'm not likely to worry that it might be as much as three times that (though I might be a bit annoyed) and I don't think I'd worry at all if it turned out to be a whole 10B.

But you won a moral victory. Congratulations.

(I'm all for seeing that one is grievously taken advantage of or cheated but life must be tough in Thailand for you guys who are out fight for truth and justice at all times regardless of the scale of the actual transgression. But I suppose you have the pleasure of not paying up and giving them a spiteful comment.)

Just realized I left out a crucial word:

I'm all for seeing that one is NOTgrievously taken advantage of or cheated...

[Yme]

In a print shop I'd expect to pay the Bt5. In an internet cafe I'd expect to have to pay for using the machine as is common in many other countries.

Many internet shops have time loggers for how long each individual PC is used and the operator is responsible for making sure a total of xxx minutes usage totals to the appropriate charge rate. Many Thai and other internet cafes throughout Southeast Asia and Western countries also have a minimum charge for using their PCs or internet line.

Pretty appalling behavior by the OP in my opinion, but so befitting some Pattaya farangs.

[SteeleJoe]

In a print shop I'd expect to pay the Bt5. In an internet cafe I'd expect to have to pay for using the machine as is common in many other countries.

Many internet shops have time loggers for how long each individual PC is used and the operator is responsible for making sure a total of xxx minutes usage totals to the appropriate charge rate. Many Thai and other internet cafes throughout Southeast Asia and Western countries also have a minimum charge for using their PCs or internet line.

Pretty appalling behavior by the OP in my opinion, but so befitting some Pattaya farangs.

Yeah, but she was fat (he told us twice). So I guess she deserved it.

[pauljones]

I was charged an extra 10 baht to 'scramble' my eggs at a Pattaya restaurant.

True.

[Darrel]

Internet shop. Not print shop. You pay to use the computer -- they don't typically charge by the second but rather by at least 15 minute blocks -- and if you want to print you pay 5B more.

No matter how you look at it, you are wrong.

There is no practical difference between a print shop and an internet shop here, as it is almost impossible to find such a shop that offers one service but not the other.

Any other such shop would just have printed it for me from the shopkeeper's PC, and not charged extra or made me do it myself.

And of course I didnt use the internet at all.

Or perhaps you are suggesting that I should pay for all the services that any such shop offers (internet, printing, faxing, phone calls, soft drinks, noodle soup, massage etc. etc.) regardless of whether I use them or not? Should I do the same in a supermarket? Would you? I doubt it.

[SteeleJoe]

Internet shop. Not print shop. You pay to use the computer -- they don't typically charge by the second but rather by at least 15 minute blocks -- and if you want to print you pay 5B more.

No matter how you look at it, you are wrong.

There is no practical difference between a print shop and an internet shop here, as it is almost impossible to find such a shop that offers one service but not the other.

Any other such shop would just have printed it for me from the shopkeeper's PC, and not charged extra or made me do it myself.

And of course I didnt use the internet at all.

Or perhaps you are suggesting that I should pay for all the services that any such shop offers (internet, printing, faxing, phone calls, soft drinks, noodle soup, massage etc. etc.) regardless of whether I use them or not? Should I do the same in a supermarket? Would you? I doubt it.

No matter how I look at it, I am wrong? Wow. So speaketh he who decides!

-- There is a difference. It's obvious and not dependent on location.

-- You didn't go to any other shop. More the pity (for you and the overweight woman).

-- You didn't use the internet but that's not the point; that's what their customers typically do (because they are an internet shop) and that's why they had the sign as they did. Moreover, as I said, you pay to use the PC. (Because she was not kind enough or her shop is not service oriented enough to do it for you).

-- Your last paragraph is one of the more thick dim-witted straw men I've seen (and the bar is set pretty high -- or is it low): nowhere did I ever suggest or imply in anyway anything as idiotic as that.

My post was about explaining why they charge a whopping 10B and probably feel justified in doing so (whether they are or not) and the fact that you misunderstood the unclear sign.

But in fact the ultimate issue here is your fight over the principle, yes? Well you really showed them! You should be proud. Here's another way of standing on principle: when it comes to something as petty as 5 freakin' baht, I take the slightly higher road. I might say, in a calm and pleasant tone, "Oh, I thought it was 5 baht as it says on the sign". (Right there, in many cases, the rest of the exchange would go differently and maybe even save you 5 whole baht!). If she responded -- pleasant or abruptly -- in the negative I'd somehow manage to come up with the 10 baht, perhaps smile with irony and a mild shake of the head and leave never to return. At worst I'd say calmly and politely something along the lines of, "You ought to change your sign."

Now, I would never suggest that everyone should behave as I do. I merely point out that adhering to principals doesn't mean you have to be a di...uhm, unpleasant fellow.

EDIT for stupid typo

Edited September 23, 2011 by SteeleJoe

[hehehoho]

Internet shop. Not print shop. You pay to use the computer -- they don't typically charge by the second but rather by at least 15 minute blocks -- and if you want to print you pay 5B more.

No matter how you look at it, you are wrong.

There is no practical difference between a print shop and an internet shop here, as it is almost impossible to find such a shop that offers one service but not the other.

Absolutely not my friend.

I would consider a 'print shop' as a photo/printer Fuji shop or similar. As well as a photocopier, printers ets they will usually have 2 or so computers for printing comp. docs. No internet service available.

You use these computers to print the docs you want, and only pay the price for the printing. That is a print shop.

You didn't use one of these did you. You used an internet shop and used one of the computers they rent out.

[Payboy]

I was charged an extra 10 baht to 'scramble' my eggs at a Pattaya restaurant.

True.

Ouch!

[Darrel]

I have used several shops in central Pattaya over the years for printing. They have all been of the internet/print/fax/telephone type: indeed I've never actually seen any other type of shop, except photo printing shops of the Kodak type, which are much rarer than the standard do-it-all shop and are not the place I would go to print a paper document anyway. The shop I generally go to, in Soi Post Office, closes at 6pm though so I was just too late to go there. I go to that shop because I know it does everything; print, fax, calls, internet etc. etc.

None (except this one) has ever attempted to make any sort of extra charge for printing, above the cost per page.

The sign on the wall was extremely clear: print/copy 5B. There can be no discussion about this.

Would I also have been charged extra for making a copy? On what grounds?

I find it extraordinary that anyone should even attempt to defend this sort of blatant rip-off. Though it's true that some misguided people here have been known to defend estate agents and jet-ski operators also.