An unexpected pleasant surprise.

[benalibina]

We all have our good and bad experiences as being a foreigner living in LOS.

1 negative experience can easily take all the positives away. This especially when it is related to customer service.

I had many years ago in a weeks time a couple of negative experiences regarding double pricing in small thai supermarkets where i bought cigarettes. Yeap could have gone to 7-11 or family mart but didnt.

In patong i bought cigarettes with thai price of 48 bth but i had to pay 50 bth. Asked why ( in thai ), lady responded; i am farang ! I was there with my wife.

A day later in our very small moo baan in Kathu, where we just moved to, at another tiny supermarket again i had to pay farang price. Paid it and decided to never go there anymore.

Couple of days later i went to play golf and needed to by cigarettes near the golfcourse at a thai supermarket. Bought 4 packs, gave 200 bth and rushed to my car. Opening the door the shopowner called me and waved me to come back. Thought <deleted>... paid already farangprice and that not good enough ! Entered the shop after crossing the street and the owner gave me to my astonishment 8 bath back. I asked him why ? He replied thai or foreigner same same !

I was thus without expecting it "pleasantly surprised". Needless to say that there is where i bought always my cigarettes and other things and that the small supermarket near our house lost a customer.

What has pleasantly surprised you ?

[kurnell]

What kind of cigarette cost 48 baht?

[wellred]

The Thai kind

[benalibina]

What kind of cigarette cost 48 baht?

There was a time ........that it was..........48 baht...

[stoneyboy]

If your pleasantly surprised to be paying the correct price for a packet of ciggies I feel for you.

[ToddWeston]

What kind of cigarette cost 48 baht?

FIL smokes SMS Menthol 38 baht a pack, I know because I buy them

[CharlieH]

I wouldnt have been pleasantly surprised, I would be astounded.

1. Because I have never known money to be given back ever, even correct change is hard to get.

2. That I would even notice or care about a 2 baht price difference.

Happy for you though if you had "pleasant" experience, as you say they dont come along that often.

The pleasant experience for me is when I get treated "normally", like anyone else, and not assumed that I am a cash dispensing machine that automatically should have more extracted from it and assumed I dont want or expect to receive any change and that its a "tip"! purely because of the colour of my skin I am assumed to be a tourist with "loadsamoney" and should be taken advantage of........rant over....lol

Edited November 4, 2013 by CharlieH

[kevvy]

well that is great ben , I know that made you happy at this small gesture , as I know how hard life for you is at the moment . little things like this can make you smile .unexpected surprise no matter how small it is or what it is can change your day .

[willyumiii]

What kind of cigarette cost 48 baht?

FIL smokes SMS Menthol 38 baht a pack, I know because I buy them

X2 or X brand ( American Blend) from Cambodia. only 30 baht. Better cig than Wonder Dan.

[Showbags]

Thats what you get for smoking and polluting everyone else.

Should be 400b a pack.

[metisdead]

Inflammatory posts and replies have been removed.

[grantbkk]

What a great story. I have had just as many great experiences and several negative experiences during my time I'm Thailand. In the retail sector customer service has improved 400% in the past 12 years.

It appears the OP may be from a place that didn't send out the memo about 35 years ago that smoking kills. Not only the slow witted that continue to smoke because of mental and physical addiction issues but innocent lives in their orbit are put at risk.

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

[sms747]

so you were pleasantly surprised to find out that all Thais are not crooks? don't know if that says more about the Country or yourself.

[A1Str8]

I was pleasantly surprised when I quit smoking. After I told myself: yeah you are doing good, man. You no longer invest in your own death. That's something.

[ToddWeston]

I was pleasantly surprised when I quit smoking. After I told myself: yeah you are doing good, man. You no longer invest in your own death. That's something.

No need to go there - I'm a non smoker but I do like smokers as they seem much less judgemental. The OP could have said it he bought papaya and got some change back, he's happy.

I had an unexpected surprise at Tesco last week, I didn't realise the shampoo was on offer, buy one take one and the check out girl sent the kid on roller blades to pick another one up for me. Nice.

[Bluetongue]

I wouldnt have been pleasantly surprised, I would be astounded.

1. Because I have never known money to be given back ever, even correct change is hard to get.

2. That I would even notice or care about a 2 baht price difference.

Happy for you though if you had "pleasant" experience, as you say they dont come along that often.

The pleasant experience for me is when I get treated "normally", like anyone else, and not assumed that I am a cash dispensing machine that automatically should have more extracted from it and assumed I dont want or expect to receive any change and that its a "tip"! purely because of the colour of my skin I am assumed to be a tourist with "loadsamoney" and should be taken advantage of........rant over....lol

there's only one thing right here "rant" It makes me think you are bitter about something, not resourceful enough to do something about it and thus want to inflict your misery on others

[wprime]

Congratulations! Any plans yet on what to spend the 8 baht on?

[welsh1]

What kind of cigarette cost 48 baht?

Wonder used to cost 48 baht,,, but they have gone up to 50baht now

[FiftyTwo]

Been here a few years, never noticed this 'nickel and dime' dual pricing.

Could be I'm too stupid to notice.

Could be it doesn't happen to me.

I'm up in CM, out in the sticks at MaeJo, no other foreigners shop where I shop, my local stores anyway.

Always found shopkeepers very pleasant to me, mind you many of the shop girls seem to be teen Burmese.

Where are you Swissie?

Edited November 4, 2013 by FiftyTwo

[Aachen]

What kind of cigarette cost 48 baht?

There was a time ........that it was..........48 baht...

Just NOW: Wonder 48 Bt ... (And never heard something like Farang price on Phuket...)

Edited November 4, 2013 by Aachen

[Aachen]

I was pleasantly surprised when I quit smoking. After I told myself: yeah you are doing good, man. You no longer invest in your own death. That's something.

That was not the point. There are other threads on 'Non-Smoking'.

[A1Str8]

I was pleasantly surprised when I quit smoking. After I told myself: yeah you are doing good, man. You no longer invest in your own death. That's something.

 

That was not the point. There are other threads on 'Non-Smoking'.

That was my point.

[John_Betong]

I remember when I had just arrived and was happy to pay 50 Baht for a single rose flower. This went on for quite a few months until one night the flower guy never showed so I gave 50 Baht to another guy and was most astounded to get six roses!!!!

[super22k]

They should learn from experiences I had when I lived in Egypt for one year. Markets in Luxor had three prices on display. One price for local people another for international tourists and the third for Cairo visitors.

One young market vendor had a great idea . He actualy lowered prices for Egyptian farangs like me. He had to hire an assistant to help with the queues of people wanting to buy and made a stack of money. So take notice all you Thai Vendors. Cheating customers drives customers away. Giving good value brings customers back. Happy days.

[realenglish1]

I have a better idea QUITE SMOKING

That will save you a lot of money and your life At little story I was a heavy smoker till I hit the age of 47. I had a stroke from the cigarettes and the doctor told me that If I don't stop it will kill me.

I stopped that day and have made a full recovery from the stroke. If you continue to smoke maybe a stoke and you immobile in a foreign country with no safety net or in simple terms It will kill you

[robertson468]

I wouldnt have been pleasantly surprised, I would be astounded.

1. Because I have never known money to be given back ever, even correct change is hard to get.

2. That I would even notice or care about a 2 baht price difference.

Happy for you though if you had "pleasant" experience, as you say they dont come along that often.

The pleasant experience for me is when I get treated "normally", like anyone else, and not assumed that I am a cash dispensing machine that automatically should have more extracted from it and assumed I dont want or expect to receive any change and that its a "tip"! purely because of the colour of my skin I am assumed to be a tourist with "loadsamoney" and should be taken advantage of........rant over....lol

there's only one thing right here "rant" It makes me think you are bitter about something, not resourceful enough to do something about it and thus want to inflict your misery on others

Sort of crossed my mind as well. It might help if you moved in different circles?

[LoZth]

Just three of instances of Thai honesty about prices. 1. I don't have/want a car, I have a Suzuki 125, I went to look at one my own, my lady was at work, I asked the price and he gave me a figure. I told her where it was and how much the guy had quoted me and when she leaves work the next night go in and see what he quotes her. She did, same price so we went back together the next day, I barted much to his amazement and amusement and got a discount. and bought it.

2. I decided I needed some real English grub, not Thai style Euro food so I got the bus from Nong Mon to Pattaya Thai, cost 60Bht. Coming back I told the guy Nong Mon (khrap) and gave him 60Bht, he looked at me and told 40Bht go Nong Mon and gave 20Bht back. (so now I have the right money ready, it's been tried on a number of times since but I can do enough Thai to point out the price is 40Bht not 60Bht, they smile and walk away)

3. When the tax went up on beer at the little shop down the road went up, We found out a few nights ago that she charges me 50Bht for a Lge Leo, 105Bht for two beers and a bag of ice.

Which did not go down too well with my Thai drinking buddies, she charges them 53Bth per bottle.

So now when we sit outside having a few beers they send ME!!!)

As the saying goes..... Good here innit!!!!!!

[Bpuumike]

I was pleasantly surprised when I quit smoking. After I told myself: yeah you are doing good, man. You no longer invest in your own death. That's something.

No need to go there - I'm a non smoker but I do like smokers as they seem much less judgemental. The OP could have said it he bought papaya and got some change back, he's happy.

I had an unexpected surprise at Tesco last week, I didn't realise the shampoo was on offer, buy one take one and the check out girl sent the kid on roller blades to pick another one up for me. Nice.

Tesco often do that for me when I don't read the offers.

[Suradit69]

regarding double pricing

In patong i bought cigarettes with thai price of 48 bth but i had to pay 50 bth

Is 50 baht double 48 baht?

I find it somewhat amazing that anyone even takes notice of differences of 2 baht for small purchases. It sounds like a character being parodied by Dickens.

In any event it's rather sad if you think paying the standard price for something is unexpected and that it's the only thing pleasant you've found about living in Thailand.

It's nice that you wanted to share a positive thing with everyone here at the hub of moaning and whining, but this is actually the definition of trying to damn with faint praise. Rather like telling someone he doesn't sweat much for a fat man.

Damn with faint praise,

assent with civil leer,

And without sneering, teach the rest to sneer;

Willing to wound,

and yet afraid to strike,

Just hint a fault,

and hesitate dislike. — "Epistle to Dr Arbuthnot" by Alexander Pope

Edited November 4, 2013 by Suradit69

[NoshowJones]

so you were pleasantly surprised to find out that all Thais are not crooks? don't know if that says more about the Country or yourself.

Last week I wanted to buy a top at a market, it was the same as one I bought the previous week at a different market. The previous one cost me 190 Baht, I asked the man at the stall the price of this one and he said 200Baht, not bothering about the 10Baht difference I said ok, he gave me the top, I gave him 200Baht, he then gave me 50 Baht change, I said no, I give you 200Baht, he insisted I took the fifty baht change, and nothing I said could change his mind. He did not speak English, and my Thai is not great, although he did say 200Baht in English.