Farang Pricing At Its Worst.

[brit1984]

never happened to me... because my wife wears the trousers

[Beetlejuice]

Many years ago we experienced something like the beautician scenario when a girl running a clothing stall chatted to my wife in Thai, hoping she would get me to pay double the correct price for some clothing so they could split the difference between them. Result was a lost sale and one fuming wife

A similar thing happened to us too, but not quite the same and a lot more extreme.

This happened about 3 years ago when I didn't speak Thai.

I had a pretty good business plan for a SME in Thailand, and we were quite excited about it, and we had discussed with an acquaintance (farang) who wanted to come into business with us on a 50/50 stake.

We went around to his house to discuss the details and while we were talking, my wife was chatting with his Thai wife in Thai language. Neither of us could speak Thai at the time, but I speak a bit now. But anyway, after we crossed all the Ts and dotted the Is, we left.

When we got into the car, my wife said 'guess what his wife ask me... not good person'. I asked her what. She told me that his wife had said to her, this is a good business idea, why not we dump these two farang when the business is set up and financed and take over and run the business together. Obviously trying to cash in on the fact that the majority business was going to have to be in the wives names.

Man I was fuming mad. My wife was terrified I was going to confront her over it. But after I calmed down a bit I was just left with a tortured mind on whether to tell this farang or not. My wife begged me not to, because it would look bad on her for telling me and suffering 'face loss' to the woman.

In the end I decided not to make waves, and simply backed away from the business deal.

A few months later when the farang's money ran out, his wife threw him out of the house he paid for.

You think Thai women have any scruples over money?

Perhaps you`re not making this up, but believe this because it comes from someone you trust without question.

Strange that all these incidents seem to revolve around your wife. Have you ever questioned her mental credibility? And I`m asking you this seriously, not trying to be smart or insulting.

My advice is; learn your basic Thai and try conducting your own affairs and business in Thailand, which is what I do and so do many more of us, then perhaps you may have better luck and a more stress free life here. Because being absolutely serious and sincere, something is wrong..

Edited December 18, 2013 by Beetlejuice

[Nibbles48]

I also find it exceedingly hard to believe!

As I have been living in Thailand for 13 years, shopped all over Thailand except for the deep south and nothing like the OPs story has ever happened to me.

Let me rephrase that, "has never happened to me where fix prices were posted" In Pattaya I would ask a vendor "how much" many times I received a high price quote, never said a word put the item back and left.

Also in 13 years never had anyone say,"Farang price is more"

I am not implying that it could not happen, but to be as wide spread as some say it is on this forum and I take issue with the OP's statment "every single incident that has happened to almost every Farang here"

Eight (8) different posters stated that has never happened to them, at least five of them are long time residents of Thailand, and aside from the very vocal anti-Thai poster that champions the OP , the majority sentiment is that it has not happened to them.

As it has also never happened to me, I would have to side with the majority opinion!

Cheers

No.. you misread, or you have completely taken the statement out of context and what it was in response to.

'But seeing as you have been here 30 years, then I suppose every single incident that has happened to almost all farang here,, you will have had first hand experience too? ... Yes? Just because you have escaped something, then that is no testament to say it is impossible to happen to others.'

You clearly seem to have cherry picked that comment and removed the vital context either side of it. Beetlejuice was saying it was highly unlikely because it had not happened to him personally. So I was asking if every other incident that happens to ALL farangs has to happen to HIM first before he considers it believable?

You need to re-read rather than selectively read. I said it was 'unusual' hence my title 'at its worst'. Minor cases of farang pricing happen all the time, and I accept it would never bother to make a thread about it, but this was beyond the pail because it was so crass I couldn't believe it and had to make a thread. i knew there would be naysayers, I don't really give a darned.

[thaiguzzi]

I live out in the sticks, no neighbours. My nearest large market town is 7 kms away. The missus village is 10 kms in the other direction. 10 years here now. Most shop keepers in the town know me. By name. I can actually get various stuff cheaper than the missus. Never have been charged more than the normal "Thai Price". I'm always sent into town to buy the parts for various family member's Honda Waves etc, because a) i know what i'm looking at quality wise, and i get a better price. I renew our car insurance myself (no wife with me), and get a better price because i haggle looking at their rates and no claims bonus stuff on the their computer screens. It helps to be semi fluent in Thai, and up here, even better if you can speak Laos (they love a Felang who speaks Laos/Issan).

[Jingthing]

The report is totally believable.

[Nibbles48]

I don't know about the particular post , but double pricing is rampant at hotels in Thailand....

Maybe, but they don't chase you down the street demanding that you pay more after you have already checked out.

More cherry picking from something that isn't there.

Please point out where I said we were chased down the street.

Go on, you have your opinion, but need to back it up with fake statements.

Think what you like.

[sirchai]

So the OP's wife and the shop assistant both had 100 baht.-

[sappy]

Shop in the big supermarkets, drink in farang owned bars, keep away from markets, get a Thai driving licence for Thai priced entry into parks, get three quotes for any work you need undertaken, support farang businesses, buy a good safe, never buy anything in you partners name, keep in with a dodgy lawyer then your heading in the correct correction.

Sent from my HTC One X using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[jayceenik]

Hmmmm.?

Hmmmm.?

Yeah, me too !!

[robblok]

Sorry, but I find this incredibly difficult to believe.

I have had store and market stall vendors trying it on with me on goods that are not priced, but never in my whole 30 years in Thailand had anything so blatant as a store owner chasing out of a shop demanding extra money for priced up items because it was bought for a farang, plus how did the staff member at the beauticians know the OP`s wife was married to a farang if he was not there? Unless this particular staff member had psychic powers?

"Incredibly hard to believe" ??? Are you from Mars? That happens every day in Thailand.

Then, learn to read the FULL posting, not just what makes your apologetic, drunk response.

No beauty salon, clothing store. And the OP was just there outside having a cig, and Thais, you know, got eyes.

I've been married for 12 years and this has never happened to us.

Things have often been upped more in price when shopping with the wife as when she shops alone. There definitively is a farang price in some places.

Sometimes its real blatant too we all know the examples (some)Thais are quite racist about stuff like this. Other Thais hate the double pricing too, but you can't deny it happens. Some will feel ok with it I feel really offended by it as it goes against my sense of what is fair and not.

One of my fishing venues now charges foreigners 2000 bt to fish while Thais and local foreigners (that is a good exception) pay only 400. It was 400 vs 1000 before I find this real bad and it does make my blood boil when I am with my family fishing knowing they pay 5 times as much as I do.

[rct99q]

Is it Thursday already? I thought Thursday was the trot out the old Farang pricing threads.....Wednesday is 'Thai bad driving skills" topics.....sheesh somebody send the newbie the list of topics/days!

I heard the same story once...except the shop keeper saw the fat, lazy bastard of a Falang and ran after the wife to say she could do better and to dump the fat, lazy bastard....knowing her stupid farang husband could not understand even the basics of Thai told her husband the shop keeper was a bad person wanting to charge her extra because her husband was a farang.

Funny world this is.

[Nibbles48]

Many years ago we experienced something like the beautician scenario when a girl running a clothing stall chatted to my wife in Thai, hoping she would get me to pay double the correct price for some clothing so they could split the difference between them. Result was a lost sale and one fuming wife

A similar thing happened to us too, but not quite the same and a lot more extreme.

This happened about 3 years ago when I didn't speak Thai.

I had a pretty good business plan for a SME in Thailand, and we were quite excited about it, and we had discussed with an acquaintance (farang) who wanted to come into business with us on a 50/50 stake.

We went around to his house to discuss the details and while we were talking, my wife was chatting with his Thai wife in Thai language. Neither of us could speak Thai at the time, but I speak a bit now. But anyway, after we crossed all the Ts and dotted the Is, we left.

When we got into the car, my wife said 'guess what his wife ask me... not good person'. I asked her what. She told me that his wife had said to her, this is a good business idea, why not we dump these two farang when the business is set up and financed and take over and run the business together. Obviously trying to cash in on the fact that the majority business was going to have to be in the wives names.

Man I was fuming mad. My wife was terrified I was going to confront her over it. But after I calmed down a bit I was just left with a tortured mind on whether to tell this farang or not. My wife begged me not to, because it would look bad on her for telling me and suffering 'face loss' to the woman.

In the end I decided not to make waves, and simply backed away from the business deal.

A few months later when the farang's money ran out, his wife threw him out of the house he paid for.

You think Thai women have any scruples over money?

Perhaps you`re not making this up, but believe this because it comes from someone you trust without question.

Strange that all these incidents seem to revolve around your wife. Have you ever questioned her mental credibility? And I`m asking you this seriously, not trying to be smart or insulting.

My advice is; learn your basic Thai and try conducting your own affairs and business in Thailand, which is what I do and so do many more of us, then perhaps you may have better luck and a more stress free life here. Because being absolutely serious and sincere, something is wrong..

Not sure what you mean about 'strange how these incidents seem to revolve around your wife'. But it is not unusual for a farang to allow his wife to go into a shop and buy something for him which was her idea anyway.

As for 'mental credibility'. She has a masters in business studies, a bachelors in accountancy and also trained herself as a very competent PHP/MYSQL programmer and earns way over 100k a month building websites for Thai companies. So I don't see why you want to pick on her mental credibility.

She also prefers to be the one conducting the business with shops, builders or anyone requiring payment, because she knows that if i do it, we would spend a lot more than we do. But obviously you do all your own business and I suppose never get over charged.... hat off to you mate.

With regards to the guy who posted about the hotel double charging, my very first night in Thailand, my wife had phoned to book a hotel right next to her brother's condo in BKK and was quoted 1500, and when me an my mate turned up with the (then gf) we were charged 2500. So who says there is no mark up from the advertised price for a farang?

Edited December 18, 2013 by Nibbles48

[rotary]

Another reason to shop in bigger shops with marked prices and a cashier that is an employee.

[Berkshire]

I also find it exceedingly hard to believe!

As I have been living in Thailand for 13 years, shopped all over Thailand except for the deep south and nothing like the OPs story has ever happened to me.

Let me rephrase that, "has never happened to me where fix prices were posted" In Pattaya I would ask a vendor "how much" many times I received a high price quote, never said a word put the item back and left.

Also in 13 years never had anyone say,"Farang price is more"

I am not implying that it could not happen, but to be as wide spread as some say it is on this forum and I take issue with the OP's statment "every single incident that has happened to almost every Farang here"

Eight (8) different posters stated that has never happened to them, at least five of them are long time residents of Thailand, and aside from the very vocal anti-Thai poster that champions the OP , the majority sentiment is that it has not happened to them.

As it has also never happened to me, I would have to side with the majority opinion!

Cheers

Agree. Well explained. The OP's story is possible...but just not plausible. I've been here a lot of years and have never seen anything like this, or heard of such a thing. But of course, this certainly gives certain folks the opportunity to complain about dual-pricing, not to mention the typical "racist" angle. So predictable.

[Berkshire]

Is it Thursday already? I thought Thursday was the trot out the old Farang pricing threads.....Wednesday is 'Thai bad driving skills" topics.....sheesh somebody send the newbie the list of topics/days!

I heard the same story once...except the shop keeper saw the fat, lazy bastard of a Falang and ran after the wife to say she could do better and to dump the fat, lazy bastard....knowing her stupid farang husband could not understand even the basics of Thai told her husband the shop keeper was a bad person wanting to charge her extra because her husband was a farang.

Funny world this is.

55555. Good one. This is probably more believable than the OP's version.

[Just1Voice]

Sorry, but I find this incredibly difficult to believe.

I have had store and market stall vendors trying it on with me on goods that are not priced, but never in my whole 30 years in Thailand had anything so blatant as a store owner chasing out of a shop demanding extra money for priced up items because it was bought for a farang, plus how did the staff member at the beautician’s know the OP`s wife was married to a farang if he was not there? Unless this particular staff member had psychic powers?

Read the OP. He got out of the car and was standing beside it.

[ttthailand]

I have had hotels booked by gf for a price and when checking in the price has gone up. Told farang price...needless to say I walk away and make a few calls to find another hotel. This has happened more that once. The only time I will ever pay more than I should is when it is raining and I need a taxi.... Screw these low life people and companies who try to pull this stuff.

[spidermike007]

Ever notice how saying "I live in this town, and will never shop here again" means absolutely nothing to a Thai? Even when they have seen me before, and even in the case of having shopped there for years. Absolutely nothing. There is so little thought about the future, or the financial value of future patronage. I own a business, and I will do everything in my power to keep my customers happy. I understand the value of their future purchases. Why don't the Thais have any concept of this? Why the extreme lack of vision? Using that threat means nothing here. Just find another shop, where the shop owner is more level headed, and fair minded. This is a criminal mentality.

[robblok]

I also find it exceedingly hard to believe!

As I have been living in Thailand for 13 years, shopped all over Thailand except for the deep south and nothing like the OPs story has ever happened to me.

Let me rephrase that, "has never happened to me where fix prices were posted" In Pattaya I would ask a vendor "how much" many times I received a high price quote, never said a word put the item back and left.

Also in 13 years never had anyone say,"Farang price is more"

I am not implying that it could not happen, but to be as wide spread as some say it is on this forum and I take issue with the OP's statment "every single incident that has happened to almost every Farang here"

Eight (8) different posters stated that has never happened to them, at least five of them are long time residents of Thailand, and aside from the very vocal anti-Thai poster that champions the OP , the majority sentiment is that it has not happened to them.

As it has also never happened to me, I would have to side with the majority opinion!

Cheers

Agree. Well explained. The OP's story is possible...but just not plausible. I've been here a lot of years and have never seen anything like this, or heard of such a thing. But of course, this certainly gives certain folks the opportunity to complain about dual-pricing, not to mention the typical "racist" angle. So predictable.

No matter how long I am here I will always complain about this and I will consider it racist. You and I might not see eye to eye about this but this is one of my pet hates. I luckily don't encounter it much besides the fishing venue but to say it never happens to me is untrue.

Part of price differences can be attributed to haggling skills that is one thing for sure and the Thai assuming an other Thai will know the prices better as the foreigner. I don't see that as racist if prices come down then too when haggling good. I am more against the two sets of prices that are firm. I have seen it at a hotel but actually it worked both ways but more often then not in the disadvantage of the foreigner.

[GreenSnapper]

Maybe it's all a misunderstanding:

"This trouser is for Farang? Must buy bigger size! Bigger more expensive... 55555"

[Ghostnigel]

Why is it not simple to look at the marked price, and it's not marked, ASK the price first, and if its not what you are prepared to pay....don't buy it!

So f^king simple.

[Jingthing]

Not only do I believe the story but I also think the merchant actually believed it was the RIGHT thing to do, to insist on this race based price differential. So in giving up the sale the merchant was sticking up for PRINCIPLES the very same way many of us white foreigners think we are sticking up for your principles by objecting to such race based policies. Practically the best way to object is indeed to walk away if you can and have other options.

Edited December 18, 2013 by Jingthing

[Water Buffalo]

Not only do I believe the story but I also think the merchant actually believed it was the RIGHT thing to do, to insist on this race based price differential. So in giving up the sale the merchant was sticking up for PRINCIPLES the very same way many of us white foreigners think we are sticking up for your principles by objecting to such race based policies. Practically the best way to object is indeed to walk away if you can and have other options.

I totally agree. They genuinely think this type of racism is right. They have been brought up making these differences and it definately is part of their principles.

[pacman32]

Sorry, but I find this incredibly difficult to believe.

That is because it is a load of crap. I've been here a long time and no Thai is going to lose money to make some imaginary point. They may try to charge you more in the first place, but not refund money and make no sale at all to "get" a farang after something is already sold.

I call crap on it as well, just someone who's bored who thought he'd rehash a common thread on TV with a walter mitty tale, Just my opinion...

Agreed!

who has ever managed to get a refund on any goods in Thailand

Yeah they may try n screw a few extra baht from you pre sale but there is no way they would run out of a shop and do that, never heard of anything so stupid.

[wprime]

Sorry, but I find this incredibly difficult to believe.

That is because it is a load of crap. I've been here a long time and no Thai is going to lose money to make some imaginary point. They may try to charge you more in the first place, but not refund money and make no sale at all to "get" a farang after something is already sold.

This is correct, losing a sale to prove a point is a farang concept.

[CIHUAHUA]

That would have made me sick and I may have vomited all over her floor.

[Beetlejuice]

Many years ago we experienced something like the beautician scenario when a girl running a clothing stall chatted to my wife in Thai, hoping she would get me to pay double the correct price for some clothing so they could split the difference between them. Result was a lost sale and one fuming wife

A similar thing happened to us too, but not quite the same and a lot more extreme.

This happened about 3 years ago when I didn't speak Thai.

I had a pretty good business plan for a SME in Thailand, and we were quite excited about it, and we had discussed with an acquaintance (farang) who wanted to come into business with us on a 50/50 stake.

We went around to his house to discuss the details and while we were talking, my wife was chatting with his Thai wife in Thai language. Neither of us could speak Thai at the time, but I speak a bit now. But anyway, after we crossed all the Ts and dotted the Is, we left.

When we got into the car, my wife said 'guess what his wife ask me... not good person'. I asked her what. She told me that his wife had said to her, this is a good business idea, why not we dump these two farang when the business is set up and financed and take over and run the business together. Obviously trying to cash in on the fact that the majority business was going to have to be in the wives names.

Man I was fuming mad. My wife was terrified I was going to confront her over it. But after I calmed down a bit I was just left with a tortured mind on whether to tell this farang or not. My wife begged me not to, because it would look bad on her for telling me and suffering 'face loss' to the woman.

In the end I decided not to make waves, and simply backed away from the business deal.

A few months later when the farang's money ran out, his wife threw him out of the house he paid for.

You think Thai women have any scruples over money?

Perhaps you`re not making this up, but believe this because it comes from someone you trust without question.

Strange that all these incidents seem to revolve around your wife. Have you ever questioned her mental credibility? And I`m asking you this seriously, not trying to be smart or insulting.

My advice is; learn your basic Thai and try conducting your own affairs and business in Thailand, which is what I do and so do many more of us, then perhaps you may have better luck and a more stress free life here. Because being absolutely serious and sincere, something is wrong..

Not sure what you mean about 'strange how these incidents seem to revolve around your wife'. But it is not unusual for a farang to allow his wife to go into a shop and buy something for him which was her idea anyway.

As for 'mental credibility'. She has a masters in business studies, a bachelors in accountancy and also trained herself as a very competent PHP/MYSQL programmer and earns way over 100k a month building websites for Thai companies. So I don't see why you want to pick on her mental credibility.

She also prefers to be the one conducting the business with shops, builders or anyone requiring payment, because she knows that if i do it, we would spend a lot more than we do. But obviously you do all your own business and I suppose never get over charged.... hat off to you mate.

With regards to the guy who posted about the hotel double charging, my very first night in Thailand, my wife had phoned to book a hotel right next to her brother's condo in BKK and was quoted 1500, and when me an my mate turned up with the (then gf) we were charged 2500. So who says there is no mark up from the advertised price for a farang?

You`re not listening. As I said previous, try conducting your own affairs and business here in Thailand and see if you can obtain better results, because something is not quite right.

I doubt whether these incidents will be your last and say again; you`re not listening and will continue to be the long and suffering here in Thailand.

Merry Christmas and wishing you a no farang hyped up price rip-offs New Year.

Edited December 18, 2013 by Beetlejuice

[uptheos]

OP you originally signed up to post this and have subsequently made almost 130 posts in two weeks on different topics.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/686275-fantastic-opportunity-in-confectionery-startup-711-makro-no-problem/#entry7116854

How's it going?

Not worried about dealing with Thai's?

I'm sorry, I don't believe your post but this is my problem not yours so no need to go OTT defending it.

[MobileContent]

It surely happen like the OP posted it.

I have heard worse stories in Thailand so it doesn't surprise me. The shop seem to have a double pricing strategy and they will enforce it which is pure greed.

Just last week we went to a resort in Sakon Nakhon and I was offered a small nice room for Baht 1200 which is totally overpriced. I asked my Mrs to call them the next day and ask for the same room and they said Baht 600.

They also run a website with the same price of Baht 600 nett.

[MrY]

Sorry, but I find this incredibly difficult to believe.

I have had store and market stall vendors trying it on with me on goods that are not priced, but never in my whole 30 years in Thailand had anything so blatant as a store owner chasing out of a shop demanding extra money for priced up items because it was bought for a farang, plus how did the staff member at the beautician’s know the OP`s wife was married to a farang if he was not there? Unless this particular staff member had psychic powers?

Naive.