Thai People Don'T Want To Sell.

[thaiIand]

reminds me of this house http://houseinphuket...uses/LTR/a0503/

Saw it a few years ago on a cheap rental site.. then i saw it on 25 smaller sites, than i saw it on a bunch of paid sites and now its on the biggest site of phuket.. still not rented. Price has never changed.. they are trying to sell it too for a crazy price.. so instead of renting it at 20-25 thousand(which is still too much imo) they'd rather have it on the market empty and costing $ for upkeep for minimum 3 years.. they'd have made almost 1mil baht if they had rented it at 25

dont let the nice color fool you, most picture on that site are photoshopped, on other sites the house is rundown.

Edited September 28, 2011 by thaiIand

[samran]

i would like the OP to expalin to the family that appears on my soi at 5am and starts cooking only to spend the next 12 hours selling Khao man gai and noodles that Thais cant be bothered to sell, she must do 200-400 plates a day.

you might want to mention it to the guy who stands next to her all day selling orange juice too.

You must make a distinction between street sellers and the "merchant class" of thailand. Big difference.

The merchant class (many of whom are of Chinese descent) own the land/property or building they operate out of, and yes I agree with the OP about the attitude. You walk into their store and the feeling is they are doing you a BIG favor by answering a question about something they are selling, and they certainly don't want to put forth any effort into making a sale or bargain in any way (even for way overpriced items that have been on the shelf for years).

I see this all the time, most recently when looking for guitars. The new shops don't give a rats arse if you walk in or not (the clerk at the last one I was at was playing a guitar and didn't even look up at me as I was holding a guitar and looking at him as if to ask how much or I would like to buy this.

The used shops have some very nice stuff, but try to sell them at incredibly over inflated prices and they are in horrible condition. All they would have to do would be to put on new strings, wipe them down and make sure the electronics are working properly, but noooo.

So yes I agree with the op, the merchant class does not care about selling things.

So either your logic is wrong, or the only way to be come part of the rich merchant class is not sell anything.

If that is true, then how come the average farang beer bar owner isn't rolling in the dosh and Patters full of Merc driving English exiles?

[phutoie2]

If that is true, then how come the average farang beer bar owner isn't rolling in the dosh and Patters full of Merc driving English exiles?

My knowledge of Thailand increases daily. Pattaya's beer bars are owned by the English.

NB:- Oops solly, it isn't full of English exiles, room for some more.

Edited September 28, 2011 by phutoie2

[Kilgore Trout]

i would like the OP to expalin to the family that appears on my soi at 5am and starts cooking only to spend the next 12 hours selling Khao man gai and noodles that Thais cant be bothered to sell, she must do 200-400 plates a day.

you might want to mention it to the guy who stands next to her all day selling orange juice too.

You must make a distinction between street sellers and the "merchant class" of thailand. Big difference.

The merchant class (many of whom are of Chinese descent) own the land/property or building they operate out of, and yes I agree with the OP about the attitude. You walk into their store and the feeling is they are doing you a BIG favor by answering a question about something they are selling, and they certainly don't want to put forth any effort into making a sale or bargain in any way (even for way overpriced items that have been on the shelf for years).

I see this all the time, most recently when looking for guitars. The new shops don't give a rats arse if you walk in or not (the clerk at the last one I was at was playing a guitar and didn't even look up at me as I was holding a guitar and looking at him as if to ask how much or I would like to buy this.

The used shops have some very nice stuff, but try to sell them at incredibly over inflated prices and they are in horrible condition. All they would have to do would be to put on new strings, wipe them down and make sure the electronics are working properly, but noooo.

So yes I agree with the op, the merchant class does not care about selling things.

So either your logic is wrong, or the only way to be come part of the rich merchant class is not sell anything.

If that is true, then how come the average farang beer bar owner isn't rolling in the dosh and Patters full of Merc driving English exiles?

Because he is not thai. Simple, sorted; happy now?

[samran]

i would like the OP to expalin to the family that appears on my soi at 5am and starts cooking only to spend the next 12 hours selling Khao man gai and noodles that Thais cant be bothered to sell, she must do 200-400 plates a day.

you might want to mention it to the guy who stands next to her all day selling orange juice too.

You must make a distinction between street sellers and the "merchant class" of thailand. Big difference.

The merchant class (many of whom are of Chinese descent) own the land/property or building they operate out of, and yes I agree with the OP about the attitude. You walk into their store and the feeling is they are doing you a BIG favor by answering a question about something they are selling, and they certainly don't want to put forth any effort into making a sale or bargain in any way (even for way overpriced items that have been on the shelf for years).

I see this all the time, most recently when looking for guitars. The new shops don't give a rats arse if you walk in or not (the clerk at the last one I was at was playing a guitar and didn't even look up at me as I was holding a guitar and looking at him as if to ask how much or I would like to buy this.

The used shops have some very nice stuff, but try to sell them at incredibly over inflated prices and they are in horrible condition. All they would have to do would be to put on new strings, wipe them down and make sure the electronics are working properly, but noooo.

So yes I agree with the op, the merchant class does not care about selling things.

So either your logic is wrong, or the only way to be come part of the rich merchant class is not sell anything.

If that is true, then how come the average farang beer bar owner isn't rolling in the dosh and Patters full of Merc driving English exiles?

Because he is not thai. Simple, sorted; happy now?

a back handed complement then?

You should write one of those 'How to become a millionaire working 15 minutes a day" books.

Top of the list: Become Thai. Then you can make loads of money by selling nothing.

[Berkshire]

So either your logic is wrong, or the only way to be come part of the rich merchant class is not sell anything.

If that is true, then how come the average farang beer bar owner isn't rolling in the dosh and Patters full of Merc driving English exiles?

Isn't it odd that the whining farangs on TV can't even get their stories straight? The prevailing belief among the majority TV readership is that Thais are greedy and only care about money. "Money, money, money is all Thais care about" I often see in so many of these threads.

And here we have a thread that says Thais don't care about making money. They don't want to sell anything! Can't people make up their minds? Oh, farangs just want to complain about everything Thai. Nothing ever changes in TV land.

[chiang mai]

I went to buy an electric space heater in Chiang Mai a few years ago and the guy said he doesn't stock them anymore. Reason? They sold as soon as they hit the shelves and he didn't like to re-order.

love it!

[phutoie2]

So either your logic is wrong, or the only way to be come part of the rich merchant class is not sell anything.

If that is true, then how come the average farang beer bar owner isn't rolling in the dosh and Patters full of Merc driving English exiles?

Isn't it odd that the whining farangs on TV can't even get their stories straight? The prevailing belief among the majority TV readership is that Thais are greedy and only care about money. "Money, money, money is all Thais care about" I often see in so many of these threads.

And here we have a thread that says Thais don't care about making money. They don't want to sell anything! Can't people make up their minds? Oh, farangs just want to complain about everything Thai. Nothing ever changes in TV land.

Maybe a journey across one of Thailand's land borders may help you to comprehend a little more.

Ask a Cambodian what they think about Thai people when it comes to money..

Oh yes one of my pet hates, being called a farang by another farang - original.

[samran]

So either your logic is wrong, or the only way to be come part of the rich merchant class is not sell anything.

If that is true, then how come the average farang beer bar owner isn't rolling in the dosh and Patters full of Merc driving English exiles?

Isn't it odd that the whining farangs on TV can't even get their stories straight? The prevailing belief among the majority TV readership is that Thais are greedy and only care about money. "Money, money, money is all Thais care about" I often see in so many of these threads.

And here we have a thread that says Thais don't care about making money. They don't want to sell anything! Can't people make up their minds? Oh, farangs just want to complain about everything Thai. Nothing ever changes in TV land.

Spot. On.

[samran]

So either your logic is wrong, or the only way to be come part of the rich merchant class is not sell anything.

If that is true, then how come the average farang beer bar owner isn't rolling in the dosh and Patters full of Merc driving English exiles?

Isn't it odd that the whining farangs on TV can't even get their stories straight? The prevailing belief among the majority TV readership is that Thais are greedy and only care about money. "Money, money, money is all Thais care about" I often see in so many of these threads.

And here we have a thread that says Thais don't care about making money. They don't want to sell anything! Can't people make up their minds? Oh, farangs just want to complain about everything Thai. Nothing ever changes in TV land.

Maybe a journey across one of Thailand's land borders may help you to comprehend a little more.

Ask a Cambodian what they think about Thai people when it comes to money..

Oh yes one of my pet hates, being called a farang by another farang - original.

funny, the average Cambodian I meet either doesn't have an opinion, or doesn't really mind.

I'll note to call you khon dtang dao (alien) next time. Nice cover-all term

[phutoie2]

That's even more funny, my wife's half Cambodian and she has an opinion on everything.

I can live with Alien, reminds me to fill my 90 dayer in.

[samran]

That's even more funny, my wife's half Cambodian and she has an opinion on everything.

I can live with Alien, reminds me to fill my 90 dayer in.

Yeah, I only go there a couple of times a year for work, on my Thai passport. Maybe they are just all being polite to me then.

[FWIW]

RE RIVER STONES: Unless you were asking for something that was really hard for them to do (see San Miguel), they would most likely wanted to sell to you. Did you ask them how do they normally sell them? Maybe they sell them by the truck load and never use a scale. When I bought sand and gravel for some concrete work, they sold by bulk, not weight. So if they thought you were adamant about buying by weight, maybe they were just trying to "gracefully" put you off?

I thought this was a very insightful comment. Many of my "difficult" situations have come down to a basic misunderstanding (on my part) like this. This is compounded by poor language skills (my part again) as well as a bit of what I like to call 'farang phobia". Many Thai have an instinctive belief that communication with a farang wil be "difficult" so they avoid it from the outset. The story of the guitar shop struck me as typical of that. The shop assistant probably assumes (rightly or wrongly) he will have to use his foreign language skills (of whatever level) and most Thais are (rightly or wrongly) afraid to use the skills they have, and so simply avoid making eye contact or going up to the farang.

Sadly a simple "mai dai" is easier than explaining a complex situation (we sell by the truck load, not the kilo). For OP it might be worth taking a Thai and trying to find out what is the real cause of the reluctance....

[samran]

RE RIVER STONES: Unless you were asking for something that was really hard for them to do (see San Miguel), they would most likely wanted to sell to you. Did you ask them how do they normally sell them? Maybe they sell them by the truck load and never use a scale. When I bought sand and gravel for some concrete work, they sold by bulk, not weight. So if they thought you were adamant about buying by weight, maybe they were just trying to "gracefully" put you off?

I thought this was a very insightful comment. Many of my "difficult" situations have come down to a basic misunderstanding (on my part) like this. This is compounded by poor language skills (my part again) as well as a bit of what I like to call 'farang phobia". Many Thai have an instinctive belief that communication with a farang wil be "difficult" so they avoid it from the outset. The story of the guitar shop struck me as typical of that. The shop assistant probably assumes (rightly or wrongly) he will have to use his foreign language skills (of whatever level) and most Thais are (rightly or wrongly) afraid to use the skills they have, and so simply avoid making eye contact or going up to the farang.

Sadly a simple "mai dai" is easier than explaining a complex situation (we sell by the truck load, not the kilo). For OP it might be worth taking a Thai and trying to find out what is the real cause of the reluctance....

Fancy that, learning the local lingo.

The thought would have never occurred to me....

[Berkshire]

For OP it might be worth taking a Thai and trying to find out what is the real cause of the reluctance....

Nah...much easier to complain about the Thais and whine about how horrible they are on TV. Or even that "Thai people don't want to sell anything!" (how stupid is that?) That's the farang MO in TV land.

[Kilgore Trout]

Top of the list: Become Thai. Then you can make loads of money by selling nothing.

Lets come back to earth for a minute; no one said the Thais are making loads of money; just cause you don't give a crap if someone buys something or not does not mean you are making loads of money, see?

[cmjantje]

It is SO GD beautiful to have some TV members who can teach us How wrong we are about understanding Thai and their habits. Thank you Boys (?) for the lessons I learned in this post!

Oh... BTW, I spoke to the Big C manager beverages today... Is IS ordering the beer for me and Even gives me a tel.call. (just an update)

Thank you Killgore to put things in place where they belong!

Edited September 28, 2011 by cmjantje

[Richard4849]

Oh... BTW, I spoke to the Big C manager beverages today... Is IS ordering the beer for me and Even gives me a tel.call. (just an update)

Then you can change the topic of this thread to "Thai People Bend Over Backwards to Cater to Me". Oh happy day.

[Kilgore Trout]

It is SO GD beautiful to have some TV members who can teach us How wrong we are about understanding Thai and their habits. Thank you Boys (?) for the lessons I learned in this post!

Oh... BTW, I spoke to the Big C manager beverages today... Is IS ordering the beer for me and Even gives me a tel.call. (just an update)

Thank you Killgore to put things in place where they belong!

Quite welcome, anytime

[nocturn]

i would like the OP to expalin to the family that appears on my soi at 5am and starts cooking only to spend the next 12 hours selling Khao man gai and noodles that Thais cant be bothered to sell, she must do 200-400 plates a day.

you might want to mention it to the guy who stands next to her all day selling orange juice too.

You must make a distinction between street sellers and the "merchant class" of thailand. Big difference.

The merchant class (many of whom are of Chinese descent) own the land/property or building they operate out of, and yes I agree with the OP about the attitude. You walk into their store and the feeling is they are doing you a BIG favor by answering a question about something they are selling, and they certainly don't want to put forth any effort into making a sale or bargain in any way (even for way overpriced items that have been on the shelf for years).

I see this all the time, most recently when looking for guitars. The new shops don't give a rats arse if you walk in or not (the clerk at the last one I was at was playing a guitar and didn't even look up at me as I was holding a guitar and looking at him as if to ask how much or I would like to buy this.

The used shops have some very nice stuff, but try to sell them at incredibly over inflated prices and they are in horrible condition. All they would have to do would be to put on new strings, wipe them down and make sure the electronics are working properly, but noooo.

So yes I agree with the op, the merchant class does not care about selling things.

well the OP simply said Thais, and i thought to myself -- if you know one, you know them all. They are after all, all the same

and you make no distinction between shop owners and low-paid, under-qualified employees. Granted some of these merchants are too hands off, but whenever they are in attendance i have found service to be rather good. They second the boss is gone, the lazy staff descend into a coma.

this thread is just another reason to kick and scream that things aren't like they are at home

[robblok]

How does this compute with me being followed everywhere in home pro and other shops by shop assistants. I never had any troubles with buying stuff. Exception perhaps the rod holder that i ordered to be made 3 weeks ago and still isnt done. But there are always exceptions to a rule.

[F1fanatic]

It all depends on what is being sold.

Sometimes we come across Thai owned houses/developments where rather than drop the price to get a sale, they increase the price as it has been unsold for a number of years so they need to cover the money they have lost....

Other times, they realise the market and are prepared to accept a reasonable price.

Personally, I think its down to education. If they are well educated and have good jobs they are lovely people to deal with - otherwise, forget it!

[samran]

Top of the list: Become Thai. Then you can make loads of money by selling nothing.

Lets come back to earth for a minute; no one said the Thais are making loads of money; just cause you don't give a crap if someone buys something or not does not mean you are making loads of money, see?

Well I believe you were the one who called them the 'merchant class'.

The general definition:

mer·chant (mûrchnt)

n.

1. One whose occupation is the wholesale purchase and retail sale of goods for profit.

2. One who runs a retail business; a shopkeeper.

adj.

1. Of or relating to merchants, merchandise, or commercial trade: a merchant guild.

2. Of or relating to the merchant marine: merchant ships.

Presumably to be come a member of the 'merchant class' and to own the buildings they live out of, plus all the other assets (generally 'Thai Chinese') to use another pigeon hole, one would assume that you'd have to be good at making a buck.

And one of the things about making a buck is knowing which deals to turn down especially if they aren't worth it.

So....

I'm now presuming you are meaning there is a down and out poor merchant class. In which case, they'd probably be going out of business shortly.

[Kilgore Trout]

one would assume that you'd have to be good at making a buck

You are more than welcome to make an ass out of your self with your assumptions, but leave me out of it

I'm speaking only of my personal experience and it all seems to come down to "penny wise and dollar foolish."