Double Pricing Hidden In Plain View

[carmine]

100-500 baht per visit? whats the problem? many thais on a minimum wage(300 baht per day) could not afford a 500 baht visit,while to us farangs 500 baht is not expensive,people have to make a living.On the other side of the coin go to any thai cafe and we will pay the same as any thai,good food,cheap price,cos the staff are all on minimum wage so we and thais can afford a good meal out.we cannot have it both ways and sometimes in some businesses we are asked to pay more

Speak for yourself, because you sound a right big time charlie. Its people like you that foolishly condone such criminal practice that do no good for the island or decent law abiding foreign nationals.

I also hope the dishonest doctor goes bust as there are plently of decent honest ones to use. There are far more decent honest thais to use so why not reward honesty rather than dishonesty.

When i asked a thai friend this morning about some who knowingly overpay he laughed and said 'some farang just stupid!"

oh yes i am one big time charley,i can throw 500 baht around till the cows come home............seroiusly many health practices charge like the OP mentioned.If you cannot afford 500 baht,take your business elsewhere.I personal dont have a problem with paying 500 baht especially if i get good service.

WOW can you really throw around 8 quid!! Thats something to be proud of!

As the thais say, "some farang stupid."

Just to emphasise, its really not about the 8 quid you are happy to throw away, its about not rewarding dishonesty my friend

[pokerspiv]

There's nothing criminal about charging different people different amounts for the same service.

You are a funny guy. Come into my restaurant and if I don't like your hair, you will pay 300 percent more. Nothing criminal you understand? Just I charge duffusses more....heheh

Exactly, nothing criminal. And if I don't like being charged 300 percent more, I just won't go there.

It's your property, you can charge what you like. If I don't like it, I can voice my disapproval by not purchasing your goods or services.

[Judo Chop]

Where is the dishonesty? The price is there, you either agree or you don't.

If the price had magically risen from what was agreed, then that would be dishonest.

2 tiered pricing is not dishonest, just the way the proprietor has decided to run their business.

[samuibeachcomber]

100-500 baht per visit? whats the problem? many thais on a minimum wage(300 baht per day) could not afford a 500 baht visit,while to us farangs 500 baht is not expensive,people have to make a living.On the other side of the coin go to any thai cafe and we will pay the same as any thai,good food,cheap price,cos the staff are all on minimum wage so we and thais can afford a good meal out.we cannot have it both ways and sometimes in some businesses we are asked to pay more

Speak for yourself, because you sound a right big time charlie. Its people like you that foolishly condone such criminal practice that do no good for the island or decent law abiding foreign nationals.

I also hope the dishonest doctor goes bust as there are plently of decent honest ones to use. There are far more decent honest thais to use so why not reward honesty rather than dishonesty.

When i asked a thai friend this morning about some who knowingly overpay he laughed and said 'some farang just stupid!"

oh yes i am one big time charley,i can throw 500 baht around till the cows come home............seroiusly many health practices charge like the OP mentioned.If you cannot afford 500 baht,take your business elsewhere.I personal dont have a problem with paying 500 baht especially if i get good service.

WOW can you really throw around 8 quid!! Thats something to be proud of!

As the thais say, "some farang stupid."

Just to emphasise, its really not about the 8 quid you are happy to throw away, its about not rewarding dishonesty my friend

settle down man...................and by the way i am not your friend,i hope you can understand that

[carmine]

Yeh whatever, stop being a child.

The point is the sums of money you find trivial are not so to most thais yet there are many, most infact that "choose" not to charge you more and offer you an equal playing field to their own nationals.

By using those who knowingly charge more you are giving a slap in the face to the decent folk who want to offer you thai prices.

What don't you understand about that? Surely its not so difficult to grasp! I say all this despite the fact thais think those of us that pay extra are right mugs...

[samuibeachcomber]

100-500 baht per visit? whats the problem? many thais on a minimum wage(300 baht per day) could not afford a 500 baht visit,while to us farangs 500 baht is not expensive,people have to make a living.On the other side of the coin go to any thai cafe and we will pay the same as any thai,good food,cheap price,cos the staff are all on minimum wage so we and thais can afford a good meal out.we cannot have it both ways and sometimes in some businesses we are asked to pay more

I earn Thai wages. I pay Thai tax (which none of my Thai business associates/friends manage to get around to doing). I find 500 baht ridiculously expensive for a clinic visit. I find your sweeping assumptions odorous. I go to Nathon hospital because I don't mind waiting in line for a few hours while people who are bleeding are dealt with before me. Then I get my ears/eyes/nose/kidneys/whatevers tested for a few baht by the same doctors who tourists pay tens of thousands for via their holiday insurance.

I tried for a while tonight, but can't find any connection at all between health care and eating noodles.

Is this just me? I wonder if anyone else can?

R

so you find my assumptions odorous.I asumme no one forced you to work here on thai wages it was your choice,and its your choice to use nathon hospital.I prefer to go to thai inter or samui inter where the going rate is 600 baht per visit.one time i visited samui inter,they could n't help me and referred me on to some where else and they did n't charge me for the consultation.go to bangkok samui and its often between 600-1000 baht depending who you see and what your problem is.I have health insurance......well worth having.

with regard to health and noodles that you could n't see the connection,i was and have been trying to make the point of the very low wages that some thais get paid..............maybe you are in this category

[osten]

I strained my back trying foolishly to lift something heavier than BigC yesterday, and had to go to the Lamai Clinic next to the Weekender Resort and get a shot of cortisone and some anti-inflammatory pills (which worked like a charm -- I love drugs).

Being next in line, I didn't need to wait long for an audience, but before I saw the doctor, I was looking at the sign on the counter and "practicing" reading the Thai. At the bottom, in very big English letters was printed that the examination fee to see the doctor is 500 baht. However, if you happen to be Thai or can read the language, you will notice that the first line on the top of the list says (in Thai) that examination and treatment is 100-500 baht.

I mentioned this to the doctor (who I think does a fine job, by the way, and have patronized him for years), and he just sort of giggled in the Thai way that says, "You got me, but so what?"

Anyway, another example of foreigners getting the shaft job in a place you would not really expect it.

Unfortunate for it to happen in a clinic, but i have never seen this is any public hospital...and I have been to uite a few over the years.

With private clinic, prices probably a bit higher for the convenience (like 7-11)

[samuibeachcomber]

Yeh whatever, stop being a child.

The point is the sums of money you find trivial are not so to most thais yet there are many, most infact that "choose" not to charge you more and offer you an equal playing field to their own nationals.

By using those who knowingly charge more you are giving a slap in the face to the decent folk who want to offer you thai prices.

What don't you understand about that? Surely its not so difficult to grasp! I say all this despite the fact thais think those of us that pay extra are right mugs...

ok but many clinics run by thais have this consultation fee that says "between 100-600 baht consultation fee,so could it depend on what the problem is that you are there for,or how long the consultation is for.We are all assuming that its instantly a rip off if 600 baht is charged.

[BigC]

Thai and forang prices are a liberty. i cant imagine this happening in most othere countries though i think it might make us kiss arse to tourists if we did.

i had ago at a massage and spar resort about this. i told them why i have to pay more . i saiud what is the difference between me and a thai person.

they said i am forang and thai people are thai. well drrr. i said do thai people have head, they said yes, i said do fornag people have head. they said yes.

also hands feets arms extra. yes so why i have to pay more. They did not have an answer.problem is that thai people when they live with a forang also get sterio typed as the seller sometimes comes to the assumption as if to say. @ why do you care you forang boy friend shall pay anyway" i ahve actually had them say this before.

once my ex went to buy a train ticket. the man wanted more money, i was not even there. she said why. the thai man said why you not let forang buy me food and grinned. so she walked off and we got the plane.

anyway some of the clever thais have realised they can capitlise on bad people and i now i always go to the same places for curtain things. As most of the Thais know i live here and even some thais said that they know i live here so they shall give me thai prices all the time to stop me going to other shops.

anyway there is not much need for most haggling in the market with tescos and big c about. those temple festival things do some competitive prices because there rent is low.

problem with most of these street markets are the rent is sky high hence gets charged to the customer. one day they shall all be gone as the land shall be bougt up by big hotels and they shall slowly move out of chaweng and lamai and probably further down the road

[Beng]

There are still places in the kingdom where this practice is not common, for god's sake

[Rooo]

Trollish post , responses & flame removed.

[Eric1949]

Posted 2013-03-23 10:02:39

I strained my back trying foolishly to lift something heavier than BigC yesterday, and had to go to the Lamai Clinic next to the Weekender Resort and get a shot of cortisone and some anti-inflammatory pills (which worked like a charm -- I love drugs).

Being next in line, I didn't need to wait long for an audience, but before I saw the doctor, I was looking at the sign on the counter and "practicing" reading the Thai. At the bottom, in very big English letters was printed that the examination fee to see the doctor is 500 baht. However, if you happen to be Thai or can read the language, you will notice that the first line on the top of the list says (in Thai) that examination and treatment is 100-500 baht.

I mentioned this to the doctor (who I think does a fine job, by the way, and have patronized him for years), and he just sort of giggled in the Thai way that says, "You got me, but so what?"

Anyway, another example of foreigners getting the shaft job in a place you would not really expect it.

Someone had to pay for his hybrid camry. Go to the Doctor in Hua Thanon, much cheaper and better.

[happyaussie]

It's not exclusive to Thailand. A recent survey in Australia showed a major supermarket chain was selling the same products at different prices in different suburbs. Prices determined on affluence of that suburb or region.

Understanding the wealth and salary differences in Thailand, I have no problem paying a little more if signposted. Or if I consider the deal good value or fair. But I do dislike exorbitant farang pricing when buying items which haven't been tagged.

On a recent trip to Vietnam I lunched in a touristy seafood restaurant with menus without prices. Price was clearly determined by the colour of your skin. Even more prevalent when the order taker hums and ha's when asked the price. "Hmm, how much can I rip this guy off for"

[animatic]

100-500 baht per visit? whats the problem? many thais on a minimum wage(300 baht per day) could not afford a 500 baht visit,while to us farangs 500 baht is not expensive,people have to make a living.On the other side of the coin go to any thai cafe and we will pay the same as any thai,good food,cheap price,cos the staff are all on minimum wage so we and thais can afford a good meal out.we cannot have it both ways and sometimes in some businesses we are asked to pay more

Thais who travel and live abroad are typically much wealthier than the average American

Im glad you feel that it is ok to charge thais in the us 5x more than americans for a doctors visit

You do feel that way, right? Othetwise you are a hippocrite

Actually in America, the doctors charge the locals well over 10 times as much as the highest Thailand fees.

But charge Thais thew same.

[BigC]

100-500 baht per visit? whats the problem? many thais on a minimum wage(300 baht per day) could not afford a 500 baht visit,while to us farangs 500 baht is not expensive,people have to make a living.On the other side of the coin go to any thai cafe and we will pay the same as any thai,good food,cheap price,cos the staff are all on minimum wage so we and thais can afford a good meal out.we cannot have it both ways and sometimes in some businesses we are asked to pay more

Speak for yourself, because you sound a right big time charlie. Its people like you that foolishly condone such criminal practice that do no good for the island or decent law abiding foreign nationals.

I also hope the dishonest doctor goes bust as there are plently of decent honest ones to use. There are far more decent honest thais to use so why not reward honesty rather than dishonesty.

When i asked a thai friend this morning about some who knowingly overpay he laughed and said 'some farang just stupid!"

oh yes i am one big time charley,i can throw 500 baht around till the cows come home............seroiusly many health practices charge like the OP mentioned.If you cannot afford 500 baht,take your business elsewhere.I personal dont have a problem with paying 500 baht especially if i get good service.

WOW can you really throw around 8 quid!! Thats something to be proud of!

As the thais say, "some farang stupid."

Just to emphasise, its really not about the 8 quid you are happy to throw away, its about not rewarding dishonesty my friend

u r missing the point you shall pay 500 baht for the same service as the person next to you paying 200

[BigC]

Thais as general are quite friendly people but when you see that most thais dont like to pay tax yet anyone forang who wants to own a house and poay land and house tax profit tax national insurrence for staff they do not need business tax transfer tax tac tax tax

i think that allot of us expats put a hell of allot into the Thai economy not only tourists.

sometimes people like forang that want to give back to thailand by doing charity work but in a away the moment we chose to live here we are helping this country out.

Put is this way i have done more for thailand than i have for my home country of ENgland. There again England dont deserve my help.

WHat am iu goung on aboyut oh yeah over charging and government hospitals Plus toursists paying more well i suppose people have to learn to look after themselves out here and not rely on a nanny government to tells what we can and cannot do. If you arfe happy to through money around and show off then there shall be a swam of people happy to take it. If you have money but stay low key then u might have less head aches and less fake friends but each to their own

i know soe people that love fake friends and use money to buy respect at the same time i laugh at these people as they have never know life with out money. I only hope they get to live without some day and watch them get a kick up the butt

[brain150]

All pretty simple: [as a result of what is written in this threat]

If something/someone is wright or wrong is not at all interesting or important as long as you have enough money to pay for it and are not affected by the double standards.

The big excuse: In other countries it's done as well so it's all perfectly "normal" or: that's just how the Thais are doing it ... take it or leave the country

Pretty big bxxxxt if anybody asks me [no that you have to]

It's foreigners who give in to and defend this wrong doing who make it possible in the first place !!!

Wrong is wrong and is independent from having money or not ! ... it might be a good idea to think about this as at one point you might be one of the "them" who can not afford the double standards [even if it seems unthinkable now !]

We would all be better off treating each other in an honest way ... but, I better keep dreaming of an honest world with honest people [won't happen any time soon I guess]

Edited March 30, 2013 by angiud
profanity

[nontabury]

100-500 baht per visit? whats the problem? many thais on a minimum wage(300 baht per day) could not afford a 500 baht visit,while to us farangs 500 baht is not expensive,people have to make a living.

So a hi-so Thai who may have 10 times more money than you,will be charge 100 bht,while you are charged 500 bht. And you think this is OK.The word sucker comes to mind.

[Issangeorge]

Years ago when I lived on Koh Samui my doctor charged Thais one price and farangs another, but he charged me Thai prices because I lived there.

[BigC]

Years ago when I lived on Koh Samui my doctor charged Thais one price and farangs another, but he charged me Thai prices because I lived there.

\

in a way i can justify making extra money out of tourists. but like you say if you live here then you are no longer a tourist also it makes more business sense to treat people that live here the same as thais as if we a re treated fairly then in the ling run we shall pick a local for everything and keep going back.

local doctor, hospitalm dvd shop, massage, motorbike rental and repair shop.

busines is business and the tourists are not so much out there to be scammed but people do need to make a living. these people shall be here for a few weeks then off. so it makes sense to charge them higher if they can. but someone that is here for 10 years well. that is greed if someone wishes to try to over charge someone who has been walkjgn and driving these streets for 10 years plus does not make business sense

[Gulfsailor]

I think paying a little extra for something like a doctor is ok, providing he communicates with me in English or another language I can fully understand. If I were fluent in Thai I would expect to pay Thai price though, as apart from my skin color there is no difference between me an a Thai. A doctor that makes the effort to learn a foreign language can charge more. Thais do not need this non medical skill from their doctor. Many foreigners, even living here a long time, do. As such they pay for this. Saves you on hiring an interpreter.

[Issangeorge]

Most medical books are written in English, thus most Doctors can speak some English and remember in 2015 Filipino Doctors will be able to work here.

[BigC]

I think paying a little extra for something like a doctor is ok, providing he communicates with me in English or another language I can fully understand. If I were fluent in Thai I would expect to pay Thai price though, as apart from my skin color there is no difference between me an a Thai. A doctor that makes the effort to learn a foreign language can charge more. Thais do not need this non medical skill from their doctor. Many foreigners, even living here a long time, do. As such they pay for this. Saves you on hiring an interpreter.

I suppose that is a fair point but then again it depends how good his english is as going to be a doctor really needs a good translation and understanding ofwhat the patient is saying so the doctor knows exactly what is wrog with the patient.

if you go to the dr with your thai misses and she translated then you should not have to pay as the doctor can carry on speaking in thai