Do farang get charged extra?

[David48]

I might be wrong here, but have I seen this topic before?

Like an ABBA song.

Nope, Donna Summer "Love to Love ya Baby" - original version, 17 minutes...never gets old

I was thinking more like Herpes ... the gift that keeps on giving ...

.

[phitsanulokjohn]

I think concerning food, the answer in my experience is no,but with attractions the Thai's without doubt practice.D.I.U.

DISCRIMINATION IS US.

[Travel Dude]

I think it depends a lot on where in Thailand you are: In Sarakham i do not pay any extra and in the village i live i sometimes pay less, not in price but in quantity. I think they like to se me eat, having a shindig of middle age semi chubby thai ladies strutting around me saying saep mai in chorus.

That's a cool post. Seab saeb, aroi aroi, pai duay. ..

[Travel Dude]

I think it depends a lot on where in Thailand you are: In Sarakham i do not pay any extra and in the village i live i sometimes pay less, not in price but in quantity. I think they like to se me eat, having a shindig of middle age semi chubby thai ladies strutting around me saying saep mai in chorus.

That's a cool post. Seab saeb, aroi aroi, pai duay. ..

[lblake32]

Last year I went to the International Hospital in Phuket for the doctor letter to get my driving licence. Cost = 200 baht. Next day my Thai wife went for the same thing, cost = 100 baht.

This year we went together, cost = 150 baht each.

[TTom911]

my experience is that the more the product you are looking to buy is "normal everyday Thai local stuff" the more likely you as a farang will be charged fairly the same (low) Thai local price. Most of the vendors who sell such goods are "normal decent people", feel almost honored that a farang buys their local goods and would feel ashamed ripping someone of just because he is a farang. That is (NOT only because its cheap !!) the truly existing "land of smiles" kinda Thailand.

The more the products caters for tourists or the more "upmarket" the goods are, the steeper the "extra" will be you have to pay (unless you have Thai "companion" with you, who "speak on your behalf", then you MAY have a better chance).

Bottom line:

- buy noodles around the corner or at the local market and in 99% you pay what everyone else pays, no more

- go and build a fancy swimmingpool... and you WILL pay extra as a farang...

[TTom911]

my experience is that the more the product you are looking to buy is "normal everyday Thai local stuff" the more likely you as a farang will be charged fairly the same (low) Thai local price. Most of the vendors who sell such goods are "normal decent people", feel almost honored that a farang buys their local goods and would feel ashamed ripping someone of just because he is a farang. That is (NOT only because its cheap !!) the truly existing "land of smiles" kinda Thailand.

The more the products caters for tourists or the more "upmarket" the goods are, the steeper the "extra" will be you have to pay (unless you have Thai "companion" with you, who "speak on your behalf", then you MAY have a better chance).

Bottom line:

- buy noodles around the corner or at the local market and in 99% you pay what everyone else pays, no more

- go and build a fancy swimmingpool... and you WILL pay extra as a farang...

[Scottythai]

We never pay more on things like entrance to national parks. Under ground Aquariums and never never more on golf courses!

[Travel2003]

Who are you calling a Farang ??

totster

Us Caucasians...Get over it if you don't like being called a farang. It is only offensive if they say 'mun' before they utter it as you walk by ...!

Have a feeling Totser was sarcastic.

[David48]

Who are you calling a Farang ??

totster

Us Caucasians...Get over it if you don't like being called a farang. It is only offensive if they say 'mun' before they utter it as you walk by ...!

Have a feeling Totser was sarcastic.

Indeed, I think he was.

But I also believe he's not a fan of the term BTW.

If he ever offers to buy me a beer ... I ask the direct question and report back.

[techboy]

I really do not know why this subjects still come up.

If we do pay more, not much we can do about that, so why bother? waste time, health and energy on even knowing?

If i bought something for 100 baht and happy with it, i do not want to know i could have bought it for 50 baht just around the corner, as i would feel upset about being ripped off.

Naturally tourists pay more for variety of reasons, expats pay less than the tourists, those who speak good enough Thai pay even less, and locals pay less than that. HOWEVER, many times there is only 1 price for all and many times Thai pay more than the foreigners.

I know many times i managed to get a better deal than my staff who are Thai.

Prices OP quoted, are fair and reasonable., the further out you go the cheaper you pay, as rents are also cheaper

"If we do pay more, not much we can do about that, so why bother? waste time, health and energy on even knowing?" That is absolutely ridiculous!!! You can get a better price on just about anything. Thais love to barter. Even items like the kebob "meat on a stick" can be bought cheaper if you buy a little quantity.

Edited November 25, 2013 by techboy

[rgs2001uk]

Last year I went to the International Hospital in Phuket for the doctor letter to get my driving licence. Cost = 200 baht. Next day my Thai wife went for the same thing, cost = 100 baht.

This year we went together, cost = 150 baht each.

None of my business but why would anyone choose to go to an international hospital for a Drs letter?

The name of the hospital alone should have been a clue.

Go to one of the many clinics littering the place and get a letter for anywhere from 40-80 baht.

As for Thai prices, learn to read the lingo, all the stalls, carts and khao man gai places have the prices on display, place your order and give them the price on display, simple.

[arminbkk]

I sometimes buy DVD's on Sukhumvit and will overhear the guy charging the other foreigner 100 baht, Indians 120 baht, per DVD, while I get one for 80 baht.

Then again I've been told Thais get one for 50 baht but have never witnessed that at that particular spot.

Edited to add: the guy will also tell me which DVD's are actually good quality and which are not, while not telling the others.

Edited November 25, 2013 by arminbkk

[TTom911]

I sometimes buy DVD's on Sukhumvit and will overhear the guy charging the other foreigner 100 baht, Indians 120 baht, per DVD, while I get one for 80 baht.

Then again I've been told Thais get one for 50 baht but have never witnessed that at that particular spot.

yeah, that's a very clever example... as all together we rip (literally) off someone else... not much to complain for anyone paying "a little more" in THIS case, right...?!

Edited November 25, 2013 by TTom911

[umbanda]

In Songkhla area it is official. Tuk-tuk and Sonkel fares are a lot higher for foreigners....not negotiations allowed. Happens in most other cities but at least it is negotiable. Anyway....Taken advantage is a Thai tradition, and they will do it with their own people....rich or poor...if they can. By the way....I am not sure that is only a Thai tradition....we live now in a "global" era where the meaning of honesty and decency is changing.....

[Jackson86]

Different cities, different prices. Those ones who say farengs get overcharged are the one who ever think they can live in a country without speaking the local language.

If you intend to stay in Thailand for a long time, you have to learn to speak thai, at least the basics. If you don't want, just go back at home.

Agree with you on this. Currently I'm learning thai so that next time I can buy things cheaper there. Just a simple "tao rai kup" can get u some discounts.

[techboy]

The prices that you indicated are average but you can do better say in local neighborhoods rather than commercial areas. As I said in an above response, you can get a better price on just about anything and even items like small shish-kebobs will often go cheaper if you make an offer on quantity. Yes. Foreigners are frequently quoted very high prices on all sorts of items and services but you can negotiate excellent deals. Thais love to barter. And hey- its a lot of fun!

PS. Sometimes you can do even better than the "Thai price" because the vendor is so amused to see the farang 'wheeling & dealing' rather than just paying a ridiculously high price- TIT.

Edited November 25, 2013 by techboy

[arminbkk]

I sometimes buy DVD's on Sukhumvit and will overhear the guy charging the other foreigner 100 baht, Indians 120 baht, per DVD, while I get one for 80 baht.

Then again I've been told Thais get one for 50 baht but have never witnessed that at that particular spot.

yeah, that's a very clever example... as all together we rip (literally) off someone else... not much to complain for anyone paying "a little more" in THIS case, right...?!

It is a clever example because it encompasses a lot of the examples and reasons given in the posts so far: charge extra because a person is not Thai, charge extra because a person is a tourist not a person working here (which they know that I do), charging extra because one doesn't like a certain person (rude curt Indians), charging extra because the buyer is ignorant of the price etc.

Now when a rude Indian interrupts while I am talking with the vendor and just cuts in between (which is how it usually goes), then yeah, I will be the last to point out to him that he is being overcharged.

[stickylies]

there's plenty of misunderstanding too.

example: u buy a pineapple from seller A in city A for 10 baht. u buy same size pineapple from seller B in city B for 35 baht.

HEY!!! YOU ARE TRYING TO RIP ME OFF BECAUSE I AM FARANG!!!

no, you are buying a different type of pineapple but you haven't got a clue because u can't speak/read thai or are not aware of different varieties..

same goes for durian (80bht/kilo versus 180bht/kilo). and many other things (innertire for bike made in thailand 90bht, innertire for bike made in japan 160bht)... etc etc.

ps. all examples above are REAL examples experienced/seen where i live.

Edited November 25, 2013 by stickylies

[TTom911]

I sometimes buy DVD's on Sukhumvit and will overhear the guy charging the other foreigner 100 baht, Indians 120 baht, per DVD, while I get one for 80 baht.

Then again I've been told Thais get one for 50 baht but have never witnessed that at that particular spot.

yeah, that's a very clever example... as all together we rip (literally) off someone else... not much to complain for anyone paying "a little more" in THIS case, right...?!

It is a clever example because it encompasses a lot of the examples and reasons given in the posts so far: charge extra because a person is not Thai, charge extra because a person is a tourist not a person working here (which they know that I do), charging extra because one doesn't like a certain person (rude curt Indians), charging extra because the buyer is ignorant of the price etc.

Now when a rude Indian interrupts while I am talking with the vendor and just cuts in between (which is how it usually goes), then yeah, I will be the last to point out to him that he is being overcharged.

No, its a BAD example, because in that case the buyer and seller informally agreed already that ripping someone off is perfectly fine. Why else would one buy a ripped DVD otherwise (I am not pointing fingers, I am guilty myself sometimes...). But once we agree to that rule then it's plain silly to complain that the other guys just was cleverer in playing that card...

[belg]

banana (12) for farang: price 120 baht

i went out of the car and went to ask

my wife went same shop another day : 60 baht ...

tete du client, is what they call that in french

[connda]

I go to a local Thai owned restaurant in CM. Prices posted in Thai are difference than prices posted only in English. I'm a regular at the restaurant, I know the family by name, and I get charged Thai prices. Draw your own conclusions.

[lostmebike]

Got to agree with some posters, it sure helps if you can deal in Thai.

Many Thai's have told me that if the foreigner speaks Thai, they assume he/she has been here a long time and much more likely to 'know the score' thus resulting in fair prices, the real price!

[kurnell]

I watched my Thai wife get badly ripped off at one of those local fairs. Given the opportunity Thais will take anyone to the cleaners.

If you could watch, then you were close by her and she was ripped off because of her obvious association with you. Otherwise...

When it comes to local anything, I let her get on with it without the farang shadow. If I want to do something with the locals, I do it myself without the Thai shadow. It takes a mug to get mugged.

Nothing to do with me.

[Garry]

Attitude and behavior oftenly determines the price.

Not a truer word said.

[cocopops]

I really do not know why this subjects still come up.

If we do pay more, not much we can do about that, so why bother? waste time, health and energy on even knowing?

If i bought something for 100 baht and happy with it, i do not want to know i could have bought it for 50 baht just around the corner, as i would feel upset about being ripped off.

Because "saving face" is a much more international concept than folks sometimes acknowledge.

[Naam]

Different cities, different prices. Those ones who say farengs get overcharged are the one who ever think they can live in a country without speaking the local language.

If you intend to stay in Thailand for a long time, you have to learn to speak thai, at least the basics. If you don't want, just go back at home.

Agree with you on this. Currently I'm learning thai so that next time I can buy things cheaper there. Just a simple "tao rai kup" can get u some discounts.

"tao rai kup" and bar fines as well as drinks are half price in any Thai bar.

p.s. if you are "Fareng" depending on discounts when buying bananas or a noodle soup "just go back at home"

[nidieunimaitre]

in an economically efficient world, all businesses would be able to check every customer's bank balance and do a brain scan to check how much each of them is willing to pay for the goods/ services

in the absence of such efficiency, the next best solution is to try categorize customers into groups with differing AVERAGE propensity/ ability to pay, e.g. children generally have less to spend than adults, and Thais (with average income of ~9,000 USD/year) generally have less to spend than Americans (with average income of ~51,000 USD/year)

each of us (as consumers) should make purchasing decisions based solely on the price we need to pay (vs the utility we expect to gain) for a good/ service - the price paid by anyone else is completely irrelevant - although I am jealous of some of the discounts my (not so poor) granny gets just for having wrinkles!

"in an economically efficient world' --- according to what theory is that?

Surely not according to the theory of the free market, as developed by Smith.

[tim armstrong]

I think it very much depends on where and how long you've lived here. As others have said if your a local,friendly and speak some Thai, you are less likely to be over charged. I have long used a local agricultural. machinery place to buy and repair small implements. The last time I took our lawnmower back for yet another repair, because the wife mistakenly put oil in the petrol tank, they said to me that this was the last time they were going to fix it as it was costing me too much money. Good sales pitch maybe, but they are a genuine old chinese/ thai family who will go out of their way to help you. It also helps that they nearly all speak good English, and have lived, worked and studied in other countries.

[kirk0233]

Yes, "the other", which does not merit further descriptive scrutiny, does not encompass king, religion and country and therefore does not possess Thainess and possibly represents a treat to national security and is fair game for dual pricing.