Difference in price of tablets for my Thai wife and for myself.

[dotpoom]

This time last year I was prescribed an additional blood pressure tablet to take daily along with the one I was already taking. My wife and I had a shop on Theprasit Rd. and next door to us was a pharmacy so we bought a years supply from him (I prefer to do that than buy one packet at a time). I forget how much we paid. We gave up our shop in the meantime and I am due to buy another years supply so I asked my wife to go to my local pharmacy here in Bang Saray and find out how much the tablets would be there, I would need approx. 5 boxes (I have discovered it is usually cheaper for my wife, being Thai, than myself in situations like this). She was told a box of the tablets would be 400 Baht. I felt this was a lot more than i previously paid and as I was going into Jomtien myself the next morning I would inquire in a couple of pharmacys there. The first one I went into wanted 800 Baht for a box. I told her they were only 400 Baht in Bang Saray, she just shrugged her shoulders and gave me a "don't understand" smile. The next pharmacy I went into had two ladies and a man inside, I produced my empty box again and asked "how much" for a box?...they gave each other the usual "What should we charge him" look and after a bit of humming and hawing in Thai they came up with the same figure as the previous one, 800 Baht...but...Oh lucky me....they would give me a 50 Baht discount. I called my wife and asked her was she sure the price quoted her was 400 Baht....she assured me it was. Last night she bought the box for 400 Baht and ordered 4 more to be collected on Sunday. I told her to get me a receipt for the 5 boxes when she collects them and I will bring it into the two pharmacys in Jomtien to see what their reaction will be. I can only assume the difference in price was down to the fact that my wife is Thai and I am (to use that dirty word to some people here on TV)... Farang. .........Or it also could be just simply the difference in price between a tourist area and a non-tourist area...although ....Bang Saray has it's fair share of Far... eh....Foreigners.

[wooloomooloo]

You've got your tablets, dotpoom, so why would you want to raise your blood pressure further by confronting Jomtien pharmacists? I don't understand.

[ukrules]

The only way to find out for sure will be to send your wife into the shops which quoted you 800 Baht

[dotpoom]

You've got your tablets, dotpoom, so why would you want to raise your blood pressure further by confronting Jomtien pharmacists? I don't understand.

Good point Wool.....but you see it shot up already when I got the 800 Baht quotes....so now I' attempting to bring it back down when I see the look on their faces when I show them the receipt and wait for their explanations, 555......Seriously though.............. I thought it would be obvious why I would be interested in hearing what they have to say for themselves without actually admitting that ""We double charge Foreigners" or..."We like to rob people".

UK....you are right, but a lot of Thai people, including my wife, just don't want to confront fellow Thais in situations like this so I wouldn't put her in that position.

[honestly]

Really.show the receipt in Jom tien, they call Ban sare. Next year 800 in

Ban sare

Sent from my GT-P5113 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Gumballl]

You've got your tablets, dotpoom, so why would you want to raise your blood pressure further by confronting Jomtien pharmacists? I don't understand.

Good point Wool.....but you see it shot up already when I got the 800 Baht quotes....so now I' attempting to bring it back down when I see the look on their faces when I show them the receipt and wait for their explanations, 555......Seriously though.............. I thought it would be obvious why I would be interested in hearing what they have to say for themselves without actually admitting that ""We double charge Foreigners" or..."We like to rob people".

UK....you are right, but a lot of Thai people, including my wife, just don't want to confront fellow Thais in situations like this so I wouldn't put her in that position.

I've got to agree with the others; your proposition is unwise, and serves no point. In fact, it foolish and proves nothing. What could you possibly gain by antagonizing another person?

I could easily find you two or more pharmacies here in the US that charge different prices for the same meds. Of course, one would expect to pay the same price if they have med insurance (that covers prescribed meds) -- but in LOS, without insurance, you pay what the market will bear. In Jomtien, or even BKK, prices will tend to be higher than some store in BFE.

Edited November 6, 2013 by Gumballl

[thaicbr]

Pharmacies can charge what they want! You can go to another one. Easy

Sent from my phone with the app thingy.

[CharlieH]

If you dont like the price DONT shop there, ...simple.

If you go back with a receipt of cheaper elsewhere they will look at you as if your stupid, and couldnt careless, the price is the price right or wrong.

This is not the west, they have no clue or could careless about repeat business, telling them they are wrong would be regarded as offensive, if talking to the owner, and staff are not bothered one bit, they do as they are told.

[dotpoom]

I will think again about what to do. By the way, I had intended to hide the name of the pharmacy if it was at the top of the receipt, but to the best of my knowledge most receipts here are just written on a receipt book that you can buy in any store, not personalized. I'm surprised to hear that going back is not considered a good idea by the contributors here...where I come from it is considered a "must" to pull up people who overcharge in the hope that being "found out' might help them change their ways. Yes, I hear you all saying "You're not at home now".... this is Thailand............but old habits die hard. I think by lying down under such practices is, to say the least, condoning it. If more people let it be known to shops who "double charge Foreigners" that they were taking their custom to shops that did not do this....maybe...just maybe...it might make at least one of them think again. It's people not doing this that encourages the practice.

[ToddWeston]

I'm a Phamracist and I think I can speak Thai - the local Pharmacy I go into to buy meds always manages to add a few extra baht onto my bill and never have the generic when I ask, the only time I get a discount is if I've counselled some farang whilst there

[soi41]

I will think again about what to do. By the way, I had intended to hide the name of the pharmacy if it was at the top of the receipt, but to the best of my knowledge most receipts here are just written on a receipt book that you can buy in any store, not personalized. I'm surprised to hear that going back is not considered a good idea by the contributors here...where I come from it is considered a "must" to pull up people who overcharge in the hope that being "found out' might help them change their ways. Yes, I hear you all saying "You're not at home now".... this is Thailand............but old habits die hard. I think by lying down under such practices is, to say the least, condoning it. If more people let it be known to shops who "double charge Foreigners" that they were taking their custom to shops that did not do this....maybe...just maybe...it might make at least one of them think again. It's people not doing this that encourages the practice.

No wonder you have high blood pressure!!

[dotpoom]

If you dont like the price DONT shop there, ...simple.

If you go back with a receipt of cheaper elsewhere they will look at you as if your stupid, and couldnt careless, the price is the price right or wrong.

This is not the west, they have no clue or could careless about repeat business, telling them they are wrong would be regarded as offensive, if talking to the owner, and staff are not bothered one bit, they do as they are told.

Yes Charlie,

Telling them they are wrong would be regarded as offensive...."That is my intention".....why should I care about offending them....aren't they clearly offending me by double charging me. I think I would have looked stupid had I bought the tablets there, not for going back and letting them know i know what they are up to. I wouldn't mind if it was a few extra Baht, even up to 50 Baht. on a 400 Baht purchase....but adding 400 Baht to a 400 Baht purchase is a bit much ....do you not think so? I suppose it is more for my own benefit that I considered going back.....i would not think much of myself for doing nothing when somebody is laughing to themselves about how they nearly conned another foreign sucker in their shop today.

[recycler]

Also in the Queen Sirikit hospital in Sattahip foreigners pay 50% more for all hospital services, that's a government hospital. I work in Thailand, pay tax (more than most other visitors there) but even the Thai company medical checkup costs 50% more for me... It's just how it works here. In most shops I don't get the problem of double pricing, speaking Thai helps a lot and when I get the feeling I go somewhere else.

[CharlieH]

If you dont like the price DONT shop there, ...simple.

If you go back with a receipt of cheaper elsewhere they will look at you as if your stupid, and couldnt careless, the price is the price right or wrong.

This is not the west, they have no clue or could careless about repeat business, telling them they are wrong would be regarded as offensive, if talking to the owner, and staff are not bothered one bit, they do as they are told.

Yes Charlie,

Telling them they are wrong would be regarded as offensive...."That is my intention".....why should I care about offending them....aren't they clearly offending me by double charging me. I think I would have looked stupid had I bought the tablets there, not for going back and letting them know i know what they are up to. I wouldn't mind if it was a few extra Baht, even up to 50 Baht. on a 400 Baht purchase....but adding 400 Baht to a 400 Baht purchase is a bit much ....do you not think so? I suppose it is more for my own benefit that I considered going back.....i would not think much of myself for doing nothing when somebody is laughing to themselves about how they nearly conned another foreign sucker in their shop today.

Edited November 6, 2013 by CharlieH

[CharlieH]

So you want to be deliberately offensive to make yourself feel better? Well in that case go for it, that will do your blood pressure the world of good! as for being charged more, it is what it is, its just a way of life for us "aliens".

Yes double pricing is not fair, so you just go elsewhere, confronting them is pointless, will achieve nothing, but if it make you feel better then do it, clearly you have already made your mind up.

Edited November 6, 2013 by CharlieH

[BookMan]

I suggest to the OP that he should actually expand his investigations.

• 10 Pharmacies
• Your wife visits each one without you
• You visit each one without your wife.

Price quotes x 10 x 2 can be posted here at conclusion

[Minnehaha]

I will think again about what to do. By the way, I had intended to hide the name of the pharmacy if it was at the top of the receipt, but to the best of my knowledge most receipts here are just written on a receipt book that you can buy in any store, not personalized. I'm surprised to hear that going back is not considered a good idea by the contributors here...where I come from it is considered a "must" to pull up people who overcharge in the hope that being "found out' might help them change their ways. Yes, I hear you all saying "You're not at home now".... this is Thailand............but old habits die hard. I think by lying down under such practices is, to say the least, condoning it. If more people let it be known to shops who "double charge Foreigners" that they were taking their custom to shops that did not do this....maybe...just maybe...it might make at least one of them think again. It's people not doing this that encourages the practice.

So you have learned that different pharmacies charge different prices. If you buy Omeprazole (common for stomach issues) at Boots it costs 70 Baht or 80 Baht depending. Some other pharmacies charge 100 Baht. In my small soi I have been able to find it for 40 Baht.

It is not clear from your post that you have established that a pharmacy is charging you (the farang) one price and a Thai person another, lower price. Don't collapse the issue.

At the end of the day, if you speak Thai and interact with fluency, 9 times out of 10 you get treated like a Thai. And sometimes you will even get special (better) treatment.

[easybullet3]

You've got your tablets, dotpoom, so why would you want to raise your blood pressure further by confronting Jomtien pharmacists? I don't understand.

Good point Wool.....but you see it shot up already when I got the 800 Baht quotes....so now I' attempting to bring it back down when I see the look on their faces when I show them the receipt and wait for their explanations, 555......Seriously though.............. I thought it would be obvious why I would be interested in hearing what they have to say for themselves without actually admitting that ""We double charge Foreigners" or..."We like to rob people".

UK....you are right, but a lot of Thai people, including my wife, just don't want to confront fellow Thais in situations like this so I wouldn't put her in that position.

small pharmacies never put the price on the box. they always have some 'code' which lets them know the bottom price they can sell it for!

its no different from any sales job.

they try to get as much as they can for a product that isn't labelled.

also: some of these shops have fake copy pills from china or india.

i would imagine you are best off getting them from Watsons or Boots.

Further-more,, you said you have a blood-pressure issue.

so,, please be kind to yourself and drink plenty of water every day... keep off any kind of junk food,, avoid soda, coke, sprite and other sugar drinks.,, (dont get 'duped' buy diet or artificial sweet drinks... they are ALL awful for your health). and most importantly,,, DRAMATICALLY INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF FRUIT AND GREEN LEAF VEGETABLES you have every day.

this is the key thing thats gonna actually help you recover.

the pills just help ease the conodition,, they certainly dont cure it.

the only way you will cure it is by making educated healthy changes to your DAILY diet.

hopefully you are not a drinker!

if so,, consider stopping! life does go on (in an even happier way) when you feel that you are finally being truly healthy

good luck

[h90]

In a tourist ripp off town the ripp off tourists.

That is surprising

[Farma]

Unless you're buying meds made by the GPO Government Pharmaceutical Organisation where the prices are set by law and printed on the box, the prices charged for other meds is at the Pharmacists discretion. GPO meds give a profit margin of around 5%.

My local pharmacy has a mark up of 35% on the wholesale price of non GPO meds and that covers all their staff and running costs plus provides a profit. I know of other pharmacies in my area that add up to 100% or more on the wholesale prices of some of their meds.

Edited November 6, 2013 by Farma

[i claudius]

Go into Farcino ,they charge the same price if you are a farang ,a Thai Or a monkey ,the price is the same and if you have their card you get 5% discount.

[CharlieH]

There is of course another possibility, the " higher price" is not double pricing the ferang, they are charging more for a better or original product, the lower price shop is selling cheap copy from china, are you a pharmaceutical expert and know how to tell the difference? The boxes may be identical, is that all you can go on?

After all this is the land of copies, remember you often get what you pay for.

But then, the shop owner could just look at you blank, and tell you, you want buy or not, if other shop cheaper then go there, then who looks stupid and feels better?

Up to you, whatever floats your boat.

[little mary sunshine]

Could it have something to do with the fact when your wife worked she probably

made 200B $6/day, and when you worked, if in the States or Europe you probably

made 6000B $200/day....Of course you have to shop around, if you know your wife,

gf,Thai friend can get such a discount what are you complaing about....let them shop,

and with your farang income you shouldn't mind paying $24 and not $12.......TIT......

don't be so cheap !!!!!!!!!!

[robblok]

I'm a Phamracist and I think I can speak Thai - the local Pharmacy I go into to buy meds always manages to add a few extra baht onto my bill and never have the generic when I ask, the only time I get a discount is if I've counselled some farang whilst there

Is this the same at the large brand chains of pharmacies ?

I would say that prices are fixed at fascino ? Never had a problem there (although i might have and did not realize)

[robblok]

Could it have something to do with the fact when your wife worked she probably

made 200B $6/day, and when you worked, if in the States or Europe you probably

made 6000B $200/day....Of course you have to shop around, if you know your wife,

gf,Thai friend can get such a discount what are you complaing about....let them shop,

and with your farang income you shouldn't mind paying $24 and not $12.......TIT......

don't be so cheap !!!!!!!!!!

what a stupid troll post.

[wilgoster]

I have found that one-upping is not sound strategy and inconsistent with good health maintenance. Better to move on to the more enjoyable pursuits. Long after you have forgotten your windmill jousts, your body continues to pay a toll.

[n210mp]

OP is obviously becoming a "crusader" and why not if it makes him feel better?

Even though his rant is really only him letting off a bit of steam with his peers on here , no doubt to relieve some of the building pressure.

However when you are dealing with such a devious and corrupt commercial society one would assume, when one is suffering from high blood pressure that there may be a time to turn the other cheek and not further blood increase your blood pressure especially given the poor bargaining position we have as stupid farangs.

Maybe like me the OP is already tired of the constant need for monitoring Thai business dealings and feels the need to make a point or strike back, yes even though the action may be futile, it may make him feel better and even lessen his blood pressure.

It seems from my experience though that this double charging is not considered unfair dishonest by these people, maybe it is just a lack of a moral or ethical education.

I Notice that I do not get this treatment whilst in the provinces too much but find it widespread in Pattaya or Bangkok and unless there is an emergency will not buy anything that has not a clearly priced label.

Finally if my wife was not able to make all the purchases for us and I had to do it on my own I think that I would elect for another Country where I didn't feel under too much pressure when I wanted to go for medicines or indeed treatment without being "Paranoid" about the ethics and morality of those dispensing medicine or telling me I needed a quadripal bye pass when i really just needed to lose some weight.

It seems that the OP may have opened a can of worms when you get down to the nitty gritty because, in any day to day situation or event it seems that the poor Farang is likely to get screwed for as much as the screwer thinks is adequate at the time it is happening, Same Same with the Law!

PS

Before the TV PC brigade start to knock my offering as being just another "Rant" against the poor Thai people please remember this is the norm in the tourist hotspots or capitol city and generally does not reflect the attitudes of the Thai people in the more rural areas .

Thanks to the OP for not being so laid back as to be so horizontal that He cannot see the wood for the trees or having the balls to say something when He is being "Suckered" and shame on those who take time to berate him for making this sensible thread but not saying anything when they face the same Racism that He complains about!

Finally just look at the way that the UK and Europe has gone in the last 25 years through people not saying anything, turning the other cheek and just taking it up the rectum!

( I am sure that even those who are not too bright will understand just where I am coming from)

[h90]

I'm a Phamracist and I think I can speak Thai - the local Pharmacy I go into to buy meds always manages to add a few extra baht onto my bill and never have the generic when I ask, the only time I get a discount is if I've counselled some farang whilst there

Sorry for being off topic:

As you are a pharmacist: Do you know a good pharmacy in Bangkok?

One that understand what is written on the package, one that can read from a European box and find the same kind in Thailand even the name and brand is different.

Or even being able to mix it themself.

And if something isn't on stock, they can preorder it and preferable send it per EMS.

My old Pharmacist in Europe retired so I need a different source.

Mainly some Antibiotics for case of emergency.

Some painkiller for the same

Migraine tablets

some small things.

Most of the things are getting over expiration date here, as I usually don't use them.

[boone57]

You've got your tablets, dotpoom, so why would you want to raise your blood pressure further by confronting Jomtien pharmacists? I don't understand.

.Seriously though.............. I thought it would be obvious why I would be interested in hearing what they have to say for themselves without actually admitting that ""We double charge Foreigners" or..."We like to rob people".

That would be funny as hell if when you return they tell you in perfect English "We like to rob people".

[misterphil]

Just shop at Fascino. Their prices are set and they are the cheapest in Thailand. Also get their gold card for an extra 5% off.

Taking a receipt to another pharmacy is crazy. If you bought a loaf of bread from a 7/11 and it was 2 baht cheaper in a family mart would you take the receipt back there?