Cheating

[Phuket electrician]

Cheating is ubiquitous here. For the locals it's considered a national sport to cheat a farang.

A local shop has for the past ten years tried to overcharge me. I go for there for similar sporting endeavors and pluck a large cold Leo beer from the fridge and ask in Thai how much? Always the same B70.

Politely I replace it. Walk to the shop next door and give my Thai friend B50. He then goes in to the same shop and buys me a large Leo for B50.

My friend gets a free can of coke. I sit outside on the pavement and drink it. Never a problem, quite the opposite.

Cheating is a nation sport, in school, at work, in government, at the cop shop. Shame it isn't an Olympic event. There's 1 country that excels at it.

Cheating

Bar on the beach also has a treble pricing policy. Large Leo B120. Same thing in Udon B65 without the beach.

[falkan]

compare udon and phuket, haha <deleted> wake up!

go udon and have nice look at the rice field and i enjoy my beach view..

[mauGR1]

My very personal impression, the locals see foreigners milked by bar girls for thousands of Baht ( when not millions) ....

They think 20 Baht more for a beer is nothing to a foreigner.

( i don't live in Phuket, but i make sure i pay the local price wherever i am in Thailand )

Just saying..

[Suradit69]

Cheating is ubiquitous here.

Not nearly so ubiquitous as the whining.

A local shop has for the past ten years tried to overcharge me. I go for there for similar sporting endeavors and pluck a large cold Leo beer from the fridge and ask in Thai how much? Always the same B70. Politely I replace it. Walk to the shop next door and give my Thai friend B50. He then goes in to the same shop and buys me a large Leo for B50.

If you've been doing this for ten years, they probably consider you a local joke. Hasn't your Thai friend anything better to do? Hopefully you give him a Baht 20 tip for all this.

[surangw]

sounds like your thai friend is in on the deal with the beer shop.

reminds me on an old joke going around in Rhodesia, worried about getting the itch, paying a local to do your f......

[andrewrooney]

Maybe where you live, OP. Get outside of tourist areas and it's a lot less common.

Also, if that shop continues to try to overcharge you, why do you give them your business? Plenty of shops selling beer.

[seabear]

That's not cheating.

Every seller has the liberty to sell at the price he likes.

And every buyer has the liberty to buy at the place he likes.

Selling for different prices, because of a different shape of the nose, is called racism.

[Bpuumike]

Cheating is ubiquitous here.

Not nearly so ubiquitous as the whining.

A local shop has for the past ten years tried to overcharge me. I go for there for similar sporting endeavors and pluck a large cold Leo beer from the fridge and ask in Thai how much? Always the same B70. Politely I replace it. Walk to the shop next door and give my Thai friend B50. He then goes in to the same shop and buys me a large Leo for B50.

If you've been doing this for ten years, they probably consider you a local joke. Hasn't your Thai friend anything better to do? Hopefully you give him a Baht 20 tip for all this.

What more to add? Or let the wife/gf do the shopping?

[kiniyow]

This don't happen only to farangs...Thais screw each other over all the time....

[Torrens54]

Not confined to Thailand.

Years ago on our first trip to Australia my wife bought a heap of goods that were "On Sale" at a reduced price at a Pharmacy. When she went through the Check-out she was charged the Regular Price.

My wife is never backward in these situations and majored in English so she had no problem demanding the Sale Price. The Check-out Chick started to argue so wife demanded to see the manager. I stood nearby just in case I was needed. I wasn't, my wife got the whole lot at the reduced price and a further whopping discount. Under Australian Law, she could have demanded the products for free.

A few years later we were living in Western Australia and another Pharmacy tried a similar rip-off. The manager at this place wasn't so quick to try to fix the problem so my wife phoned me at work. I just happened to be running a TV News Network at the time, so I phoned the store to talk to the manager who was not available. I then left my contact details at the TV Station and mentioned that I would be talking with the Consumer Affairs Department while I awaited the Manager's call. I hardly had time to dial the number for Consumer Affairs before one of my staff advised me that the clown from the Pharmacy was on another line and wanted an urgent conversation with me.

I left him on-hold for a few minutes and by the time I got to his call he had re-scanned the goods in question, corrected his error, provided a further discount and was ready to assure me that he would fix his faulty price-scanner without further delay.

So don't think that the only place people try to rip you off is Thailand. As I said, it happens everywhere!

[steelepulse]

Not confined to Thailand.

Years ago on our first trip to Australia my wife bought a heap of goods that were "On Sale" at a reduced price at a Pharmacy. When she went through the Check-out she was charged the Regular Price.

My wife is never backward in these situations and majored in English so she had no problem demanding the Sale Price. The Check-out Chick started to argue so wife demanded to see the manager. I stood nearby just in case I was needed. I wasn't, my wife got the whole lot at the reduced price and a further whopping discount. Under Australian Law, she could have demanded the products for free.

A few years later we were living in Western Australia and another Pharmacy tried a similar rip-off. The manager at this place wasn't so quick to try to fix the problem so my wife phoned me at work. I just happened to be running a TV News Network at the time, so I phoned the store to talk to the manager who was not available. I then left my contact details at the TV Station and mentioned that I would be talking with the Consumer Affairs Department while I awaited the Manager's call. I hardly had time to dial the number for Consumer Affairs before one of my staff advised me that the clown from the Pharmacy was on another line and wanted an urgent conversation with me.

I left him on-hold for a few minutes and by the time I got to his call he had re-scanned the goods in question, corrected his error, provided a further discount and was ready to assure me that he would fix his faulty price-scanner without further delay.

So don't think that the only place people try to rip you off is Thailand. As I said, it happens everywhere!

Nice story, but the main difference between in Aus and here is that you would get the mai dai, mai mee, mai you or mai roo when asking about the manager or a discounted price in 99% of the situations.

OP's story doesn't sound like cheating, just double ( or triple at the beach) pricing.

[geriatrickid]

Now for some fun, just to annoy some of you. Last night, I took a tuk tuk home. traveled the same distance as going from near top of Banglan (e.g. Taipan) doing the loop all the way around to Patong Tower condo 50 baht.

Take a tuk tuk for 3 km and pay 100 baht. (In high season it would be 100 baht for the short trip and 150 baht for the longer trip.) Hua Hin is a hiso town so no comments about Udon/Ubon vs Phuket apply. The inflated costs for tuk tuks are one of the reasons I was glad to leave Patong.

I pay 305 baht to take the VIP bus from BKK to Hua Hin. Phuket can't even sort out the mess with the transport thugs at the airport. (Thank you AoT for refusing to cooperate.)

Everything is more expensive in Phuket because of corruption. Pure and simple. Krabi, Hua Hin are popular resoprts too, but prices are not inflated by 15-25% because of the Phuket corruption & greed quotient.

[KarenBravo]

You think that many of us residents really give a crap about the cost of living in Phuket? Consider it a reason to leave?

Only those that don't have a shock-proof financial situation worry about that.

[schlog]

Most thais cheat everyone. it is not a question farang or not. they cheat their mother, brother....whoever.

shock-proof or not it is not the point. Is it the money worth or not? I stayed in august 2 weeks in Singapore and spend big times but i get what i pay for.

here more and more you get crap and pay a premium. kao pad at maikhaw beach last week 220 baht . totaly insane.....

[jaffacakes1]

To be honest I'd rather be cheated by a shopkeeper occasionally for a few pence than by the UK government for thousands of pounds a month. A small bit of rough with a lot of smooth.

[TPI]

C'mon everyone, this is why we love the place...never a dull moment, everyone smiles (number 1-13) and moves on with their lives!

You could be living in "Farang Land" and moaning about nothing to complain about??

[Arkady]

Why do you continue to go to the same shop? There are plenty of honest shopkeepers to chose from in Thailand. Much better to boycott that shop completely rather than go to the trouble of getting someone else to give them your business.

[LivinginKata]

Why do you continue to go to the same shop? There are plenty of honest shopkeepers to chose from in Thailand. Much better to boycott that shop completely rather than go to the trouble of getting someone else to give them your business.

I am with you Arkady. There are plenty of 7-11s, Lotus Expess, SuperCheap with set prices. I know the OP stated a mom & pop store where there are no bar code pricing. Just go somewhere else if these small shops don't want to charge fair prices.

[NamKangMan]

Why do you continue to go to the same shop? There are plenty of honest shopkeepers to chose from in Thailand. Much better to boycott that shop completely rather than go to the trouble of getting someone else to give them your business.

I am with you Arkady. There are plenty of 7-11s, Lotus Expess, SuperCheap with set prices. I know the OP stated a mom & pop store where there are no bar code pricing. Just go somewhere else if these small shops don't want to charge fair prices.

I agree LIK. I only shop at the places you mention now, due to what the OP calls, "cheating."

The common argument is, how can it be "cheating" when you have a willing buyer and a willing seller, agreeing on a price, therefore, free market trade practices have determined the price. However, many of these shops simply charge foreigners more, because they are foreigners.

Whilst globalisation is distastful to me, these little "mom & pop shops" only have themselves to blame for losing my business. It's not for the extra few baht, it really is the principle of the matter. I do not like being discriminated against. Yes - I realise I am living in Thailand.

The sad thing is, I would have happily paid the extra baht for the item/s just so they can compete with the likes of 7/11 and so we can all have variety and choice here on Phuket, but not when they want to take the p*ss out of me just because I am a foreigner.

If they only give fair prices to Thai's, they risk losing a large slice of the market here, but we all know the mentality, "Big money today - don't care about little money tomorrow."

[Paangjang]

Why do you continue to go to the same shop? There are plenty of honest shopkeepers to chose from in Thailand. Much better to boycott that shop completely rather than go to the trouble of getting someone else to give them your business.

I am with you Arkady. There are plenty of 7-11s, Lotus Expess, SuperCheap with set prices. I know the OP stated a mom & pop store where there are no bar code pricing. Just go somewhere else if these small shops don't want to charge fair price

Totally agree. I never use mom and pop shops anymore (apart from buddhist holidays) I'd ask for a price eg. large Singha, then their eyes light up when they see a forigner, then they smile and think for a moment then "umm err ahh 100฿ dye mye? Then i say "wow, mye pen rai" and walk out. Go buy it in 711 for 56฿. I used to like the idea of supporting a small local business but their greed forces me to stay away.

The tighter you squeeze, the less you have. --Thomas Merton

[Guest]

I have little shops, food places etc where I live. I do not get cheated. Then again, if I have the feeling that I would be cheated, that would be my last visit to the place.

When I was building the house, I got cheated. I fought back and was never bothered ever since.

One part of the stupid 'game' is to stand on your ground. Let the kikong people to know (and the others as word goes around very fast in Thailand) that harassing you might backfire.

Each situation requires different ways how to handle it. Very simplified way is to stand up to the person who is trying to do wrong to you and then show mai pen rai attitude to his or hers boss and share few laughs how people from different cultures think differently. The boss of the individual business owner could be the head of the village or other person who have greater understanding of the larger picture.

[Phuket electrician]

The mum and pop shop was a half truth it's was meant to be an analogy, a joke. A reference to the sub-culture here in Phuket, Thaland - greed.

Losing face' also a childish ignorant joke.

Thailand belongs to Thai people, yet foreigners display the pathetic attitude. I did this, that and the other - it's boring and pathetic. Can't you see your Thai whore looking at the younger better looking farang? .

No wonder Thais hate us.

Be careful out there.

[Baerboxer]

"Bar on the beach also has a treble pricing policy. Large Leo B120. Same thing in Udon B65 without the beach"

Maybe nobody is cheating you. You just need to brush up on your arithmatic skills to work the change out properly

[giggles]

mom and pop in isaan about 25 for a large Leo ,3 for 75 ,not bad eh

[grumpyoldman]

mom and pop in isaan about 25 for a large Leo ,3 for 75 ,not bad eh

Yes, but you are living in Isaan and drinking Leo...................not bad? To each their own .

[stevenl]

mom and pop in isaan about 25 for a large Leo ,3 for 75 ,not bad eh

Can't be, Thai calculations for bulk buying are more expensive, should be 1 for 25 Baht, 3 for 80.

[keestha]

Small shops in tourist areas tend to be a bit more expensive, oh well, they also pay a higher rent. The savvy tourist finds out quickly enough he is better off going to the 7/11.

[LivinginKata]

Small shops in tourist areas tend to be a bit more expensive, oh well, they also pay a higher rent. <snip>

I don't believe that for a second. Small mom & pop shops usually own their land and shop.

[patongphil]

mom and pop in isaan about 25 for a large Leo ,3 for 75 ,not bad eh

Mate you have either been on too much sauce for too long or are still living in about 1970.

25 baht for a lrge Leo Bullsh*t.

[Crazy chef 1]

mom and pop in isaan about 25 for a large Leo ,3 for 75 ,not bad eh

sorry bro but no way you will get a large Leo for 25 baht not even in Issaan- &lt;deleted&gt;.in regards to the mom and pop shops,I always go there bec they are 2 baht cheaper than 7/11and I like to support local business.in my regularly used m/p shop I don't even have to get off my bike i just let them know how many I want and they bring it to me-that I call service minded,don't even pay daily .once or twice per week my wife stop there and pay the bill,no surcharge or(accidentally )wrong amount just honest and very convenient .but as I mentioned in another thread it is maybe the way how to approach people???