Short Changed ....

[Card]

happened once to me in paragon homeware dept. gave the woman 1000 baht and she looked at me and hesitatingly gave me change from 500, as though she was assessing if I would notice. I thought about it a bit and then complained. She then wanted to change the recipt for some reason which I refused. Anyway i wasn't going to budge so I asked for the manager who set up a till count and it proved I was right and he apologised. the same woman wasn't there the next time I went. Probably sacked.

[Straight8]

I'd probably do the same if I only earned 300 baht a day.

Give people a real liveable wage and the rip offs might just ease up.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

So you forgive stealing because they make minimal wage ?

Sorry, not acceptable in my book. There are many pore people

who are honest to the bone. And there are crocks. Plain and

simple.

luudee

She didn't steal from you. You got it back, didn't you?

These kinds of "attempts" are common the world over. It's not a specific Thai problem.

Here we go again with the good ol excuse "it happens everywhere". So that makes it ok in that case!!!! Is this a world forum or thai forum??

Secondly she did steal from him [if it was not an honest mistake]. If a thief is caught with you belongings by the police and he hands your stuff back, do the police say, ok you got you stuff back, it wasn't stealing and let the thief go??? Hmmm.. maybe in Thailand if the thief was Thai and the victim was falang!!!

[belg]

always try to give as close as possible to the bill, for less surprises

[Pollywaffle]

Same thing happened at Phuket airport, bought a snack with THB 1000 and got change for THB 500, when I pointed out her error the owed THB 500 appeared, no problem.

Mind you - I was at cash register in BIG C and a tourist tried the opposite scam (tried to get change for THB 2000 baht for items that only cost THB 900, dumb huh!! As if you would give THB 2000 for items that would only require THB 1000) the cashier would not give in, the tourist left.

[Netizen]

Even with the cash register and receipt showing the correct change amount, people often screw up the change, and I would like to believe it's a legitimate mistake. Call me a Pollyanna, but I've had enough strange encounters to suspect that head-calculations or even eye-to-brain-to-hand memory are often in weak supply.

Case in point:

Went to buy 7 bricks for my garden at a local brick outlet. I pointed at the bricks I wanted, and the young sales clerk (20-something) quoted "8 baht each." I indicated that I wanted 7 bricks. Then, the clerk said "follow me." Thinking he was going to take me to some "bargain brick pile," I obediently followed him. Instead, we walked the 30 meters or so to the office, and then I followed him around the office for a few minutes while it looked like he had misplaced something. Again, my optimistic outlook, and forever the bargain-hunter, assumed "Oh, he's looking for a discount sheet to give me a good deal."

After many wasted minutes, finally, he found it. A calculator. ...into which he laboriously and slowly punched 8 x 7, and then proudly announced the result to me with a big smile: "ha-sip-hok!" (56).

It's a developing country with a broken educational system, folks. Give the locals the benefit of the doubt, and politely request the correct change.

You were hoping for a discount on a 56 Baht purchase? You've got to be kidding.

Did you next purchase some bats for your belfry?

Edited October 24, 2013 by Netizen

[mogoso]

I've had the opposite occur many times in Thailand. At times I'm easily distracted and have walked away before my change was handed back, and then the worker will chase or call me back to give me my change. I've been short changed in many countries but not when I'm paying attention. I've also have noted to people they haven't charged me properly and I owe them more money or they've given me more money than they should have. I kinda think the karma aspect enters into it, just be honest and that'll be returned.

[myluckythai]

DUH! i ususally don't count my change????? why do you think she tried? drunken farang? ususally don't count?........

[pomchop]

I always tell people when ya go to the bank to get money exchanged,get a lot of 100,50,and 20 baht notes.I get hardly any 500's and 1000's.It makes life more simple in LOS.

I can't believe the problems some of you face. You don't carry 500's and 1000's because you're too worried about getting ripped off? That's just plain paranoid... and extremely inconvenient.

I've never had problems getting 1000's changed, in fact I've always been amazed at how easy it is. Whenever I need change for a 1000, I'll head down to the local 7Eleven. They never complain.

A long ago former GF once told me that one reason that there are 7/11 s in almost every town in Thailand that always have customers is because 7/11 also serves as a type of bank where you can get change no problem...most of the ma and pa stores are hard pressed to change even 500 baht and Thais know this so when they need change it's off to 7/11.

[JeezeLooeze]

Yes sometimes I do wonder if I have been intentionally short-changed or was it an innocent mistake?

I dined at a well known "wine bar-restaurant chain" last Monday. The bill THB275 and the change back from a THB1000 bill -THB625 (100 baht short). I note too that the rather large receipt was placed OVER the top of the change within the leather bill folder obscuring the money. I thought this strange as having dined there many times change had always been placed on top of the receipt.

When one is short-changed by an amount close to the correct change (say only one 100 baht bill away) one is less likely to notice the difference and the thief certainly knows they are more likely to get away with it.

I told a waitress that I had become familiar with and she promptly corrected the error but she told me that the person who took my bill have gave me my change was a new guy transferred over from their K-Village branch.

Edited October 24, 2013 by JeezeLooeze

[fire and ice]

I think it is related to the ROTE education system that most of those workers would have studied under. They aren't allow to ask questions or think for themselves in class, it is a repetitive system of teaching the one thing I have been told.

I have no educational experience so will be corrected if the above isn't right, just repeating a comment from someone who would know.

Thailand's ROTE system may be guilty of many things but simple times tables are supposed to be learnt as a ROTE system - that's the case for everyone no matter what country they are from, so no idea why some of them as some hopeless at simple arithmetic like 7 x 8 = 56 ??

[HUAHIN62]

When you draw money at an ATM do you count the money? Then you receive change back at a store do you check it? If not be prepared to be cheated somewhere at some stage. Its part of basic money management and to trust a total stanger with money is naive.

[mbeau]

Agreeed, however in this case I think it's a distinct lack of rote learning of arithmetic tables.

[NoshowJones]

You will always get the odd assistant who will try and cheat you, but I have to say quite a few times I have walked away forgetting to lift my change, particularly at my local 7-11, and at the market. In my experience, I find Thais to be very honest 90% of the time.

[NoshowJones]

happened once to me in paragon homeware dept. gave the woman 1000 baht and she looked at me and hesitatingly gave me change from 500, as though she was assessing if I would notice. I thought about it a bit and then complained. She then wanted to change the recipt for some reason which I refused. Anyway i wasn't going to budge so I asked for the manager who set up a till count and it proved I was right and he apologised. the same woman wasn't there the next time I went. Probably sacked.

Not sacked, transferred.

[foxboy]

I had a incident recently on a much larger scale.

I changed some money and took 370,000 baht into my bank to deposit

The 100,000's were counted out and put aside and the 70,000 was counted and marked on top with '30' presumably the shortfall from a 100,000 pile. All were sheathed with paper loops and put in a drawer.

Then as she was about to input the amount in her pc she said "you deposit 330,000 right?"

No, no dear it's 370,000

I would have expected an embarrassed giggle from her genuine mistake followed by a "sorry sir" but instead I got a stern faced "ok" and continued with the transaction

Genuine mistake? Probably. But the moral of the story is to always double check everything and don't get complacent here.

[NoshowJones]

I always tell people when ya go to the bank to get money exchanged,get a lot of 100,50,and 20 baht notes.I get hardly any 500's and 1000's.It makes life more simple in LOS.

I can't believe the problems some of you face. You don't carry 500's and 1000's because you're too worried about getting ripped off? That's just plain paranoid... and extremely inconvenient.

I've never had problems getting 1000's changed, in fact I've always been amazed at how easy it is. Whenever I need change for a 1000, I'll head down to the local 7Eleven. They never complain.

I only had 1000Baht notes at a market,and when I wanted to buy something, I asked the price, he wrote down 190 Baht, he did not have change, so I went and, got change then came back, I picked up the item, offered 200Baht and then he said NO, NO it is 250 Baht. I told him "you bad man", and walked away.

[luudee]

I'd probably do the same if I only earned 300 baht a day.

Give people a real liveable wage and the rip offs might just ease up.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

So you forgive stealing because they make minimal wage ?

Sorry, not acceptable in my book. There are many pore people

who are honest to the bone. And there are crocks. Plain and

simple.

luudee

She didn't steal from you. You got it back, didn't you?

These kinds of "attempts" are common the world over. It's not a specific Thai problem.

Tropo,

she did steal from me. But I caught her and got my money back.

It's still stealing even when you catch a thief and get your property back ....

luudee

[luudee]

I've had the opposite occur many times in Thailand. At times I'm easily distracted and have walked away before my change was handed back, and then the worker will chase or call me back to give me my change. I've been short changed in many countries but not when I'm paying attention. I've also have noted to people they haven't charged me properly and I owe them more money or they've given me more money than they should have. I kinda think the karma aspect enters into it, just be honest and that'll be returned.

No question about it, there are many many very honest Thai people out there. Every

culture has crocks, and it was not my intention to say all Thais are bad.

I too have had many positive experiences here.

luudee

[bangon04]

I'd probably do the same if I only earned 300 baht a day.

Give people a real liveable wage and the rip offs might just ease up.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

and a lot of expats would be forced to move somewhere cheaper........

anyway 300 baht per day is something many Myanmar workers can only dream about.

Edited October 24, 2013 by bangon04

[CapeCobra]

My experience has been the opposite. I mix up 100 and 500, too. They point out the mistake right away. I forget my phone, they come running after me in Walking Street. I lose a fancy golf GPS and get it back days later from a badly paid Thai. Can't talk about American junk food stations, though. Never been, never will. Compared to Western standards, the Thai are stunningly honest. Sorry, bitter people.

[tropo]

Here we go again with the good ol excuse "it happens everywhere". So that makes it ok in that case!!!! Is this a world forum or thai forum??

It's not an excuse, it's a fact - it does happen everywhere. Keeping cashiers honest is a worldwide problem.

[Rimmer]

Profane post removed

[Larry001]

I'd probably do the same if I only earned 300 baht a day.

Give people a real liveable wage and the rip offs might just ease up.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

300 is a real livable wage, as this is Thailand not UK.

You must be joking!!!!!!

[tropo]

When you draw money at an ATM do you count the money?

No, do you?

Where do you check it? When you're standing at the ATM or down the road a bit?

If you had been issued a note or two short, what do you do? Would a bank believe you'd been issued, for example 19K instead of 20K.

[blackman]

I've had the opposite occur many times in Thailand. At times I'm easily distracted and have walked away before my change was handed back, and then the worker will chase or call me back to give me my change. I've been short changed in many countries but not when I'm paying attention. I've also have noted to people they haven't charged me properly and I owe them more money or they've given me more money than they should have. I kinda think the karma aspect enters into it, just be honest and that'll be returned.

No question about it, there are many many very honest Thai people out there. Every

culture has crocks, and it was not my intention to say all Thais are bad.

I too have had many positive experiences here.

luudee

best not say all thais are bad ludee

this thread is busy enough already without any more thai apologists wading in with their often repeated stereotypical contributions

why can't some people accept that sometimes it is exactly what it is and its ok to call a spade a spade...

[blackman]

I'd probably do the same if I only earned 300 baht a day.

Give people a real liveable wage and the rip offs might just ease up.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

300 is a real livable wage, as this is Thailand not UK.

You must be joking!!!!!!

until the reds were bought their place in Thai politics the minimum wage was 175 a day

only things that's changed is that the increase has been used up by inflationary costs due to new rate

the 300 is the new 175

as they say here, same same

[tropo]

I'd probably do the same if I only earned 300 baht a day.

Give people a real liveable wage and the rip offs might just ease up.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

So you forgive stealing because they make minimal wage ?

Sorry, not acceptable in my book. There are many pore people

who are honest to the bone. And there are crocks. Plain and

simple.

luudee

She didn't steal from you. You got it back, didn't you?

These kinds of "attempts" are common the world over. It's not a specific Thai problem.

Tropo,

she did steal from me. But I caught her and got my money back.

It's still stealing even when you catch a thief and get your property back ....

luudee

Ludee (why use my name - it's obvious in the quote).

You can call it what you like. I see it as an extended transaction where you caught her out in an error. Next time call the police and try to have her charged her for theft. Talk to her boss and see what they say?

Of course we all know what she is doing. It's win-win for her.

What do they do in the US to stop staff trying these tricks?

Edited October 24, 2013 by tropo

[marioc]

Unfortunately it has happened to me too.... same as the OP described... well, I didn't get so angry, this is something bad that can happen while living here..... there are so many other good things which I value a lot, so.... mai pen rai and always be careful when checking your change

[Pattaya28]

I've been here 4 years in Pattaya...been to McDonald's many times and for the most part I don't remember being short-changed. As a matter of fact, I have been given back too much money on three different occasions I can remember and have given the money back making the cashier very happy. Happened at Foodland, Big "C" and 7/11. Just the other day this girl really wouldn't believe me that she had already given me the correct change and wanted to give me another 120B when I distinctly remember her giving it to me already.

Yeah, I'm sure there are some clerks who do try to short-change, but it's not rampant and you should always count your change as I do to be on the safe side. You may find yourself making a clerk happy because s/he gave you too much.

My advice to you, considering the multiple good luck you appear to have, is to become a gambler

[anon8]

My experience has been the opposite. I mix up 100 and 500, too. They point out the mistake right away. I forget my phone, they come running after me in Walking Street. I lose a fancy golf GPS and get it back days later from a badly paid Thai.

You clearly need a nicer phone!