Night Bazaar Traders

[uptheos]

Street vendors are spoiled by "rich" or lazy tourists. Just few weeks ago I was walking the night market with my wife, not so busy like Chiang Mai, and not so much greedy, but I visited a small store selling scarfs ad fabrics on the same street. An American couple were looking for scarfs selling for 1500THB. EXACTLY the same product selling on a street vendor's table by its front door for 100THB. Because I like those scarfs very much, and I know the best vendor, I spoke with the couple when they existed the store, asking them if they were looking in buy that merchandise. They said that they just bought 4 in the store for the asking price. .....Do the maths...

Some of those fakes watches you can buy in the market for $30, specially the automatics, are very good, and are selling on the internet for over $500.....I own one.... a fake, very heavy Omega Seamaster for 3 years now...Many of my friends in America believed that it was real...

What's their spending whilst on holiday have to do with you?

[true blue]

I would have thought 1800baht for genuine Rolex was very reasonable.

I was once Ordered Out of a ROLEX shop in Zurich when I went in to have the battery changed on my "Genuine" Bali-bought ROLEX.

First up, they give you the "evil eye" before opening the door. Once inside, I saw a young lady behind the counter and explained I needed a new battery, she then called over her boss and I handed him my ROLEX which he promptly dropped on the counter with a look of total disdain, curled his top lip, sniffed/snorted and told me to Get out of his shop.

My Swiss G/F at the time was cringing in embarrassment outside and offered me no sympathy at all over the discovery that my "Genuine Bali Rolex" which I would have paid the equivalent of about 1-Thousand Baht for was a rip-off.

battery,rolex,ha ha no rolexs have batterys.

[uptheos]

I would have thought 1800baht for genuine Rolex was very reasonable.

I was once Ordered Out of a ROLEX shop in Zurich when I went in to have the battery changed on my "Genuine" Bali-bought ROLEX.

First up, they give you the "evil eye" before opening the door. Once inside, I saw a young lady behind the counter and explained I needed a new battery, she then called over her boss and I handed him my ROLEX which he promptly dropped on the counter with a look of total disdain, curled his top lip, sniffed/snorted and told me to Get out of his shop.

My Swiss G/F at the time was cringing in embarrassment outside and offered me no sympathy at all over the discovery that my "Genuine Bali Rolex" which I would have paid the equivalent of about 1-Thousand Baht for was a rip-off.

battery,rolex,ha ha no rolexs have batterys.

Unless it's an Oyster Quartz,

[scottishjohn]

I would have thought 1800baht for genuine Rolex was very reasonable.

I'm sure it must have been either Omega or possibly Timex at such a ***** price!

[scottishjohn]

I had a Japanese female friend ( who always gets mistaken for Thai until she speaks) here a few years back. Bought a knit handbag on Sunday walking street for 300 baht. Saw the same thing at Night Bazaar 30 minutes later, They asked for 3000 Baht.

Did she try selling her new bag to them?

[wolf5370]

Night Bazaar is the last place you will get a fair price. Prices are inflated for the tourists who know no better. As mentioned above, plenty of other places to get the same merchandise. None of it is exclusive except for the original art and some genuine artefacts.

Absolutely agree - years ago the Night Bazaar was a nice place - always more expensive and touristy than other markets, but every stall was different - now they are all the same set of traders selling the same Chinese imports as available everywhere, but at an extortionate premium. Go sometimes, but never buy anything in the main street - the Ansawan Market is the best bit of it IMHO, and still open to haggling. Over the years, the Saturday and Night Markets have become much bigger and better and populated by Thai buyers - as always in any country, follow the locals.

Btw wrt watches, price paid on a market stall is no guarantee of quality of build at all - you will not get even what you pay for - expect the hands to fall off or it to just stop working or fog up when humid, etc. Better off at the stalls in BigC/Tesco or the malls - at least they will still be there when u go back. I once bought a watch from a women in the art building (with the photographers and antiques up stairs and art down stairs - on the same side as Panthip, opposite Kalare / Boys Blues Bar) - women said it was water proof (resistant to 40m) even when I rechecked - so I dropped it in a glass of water after buying it - she took it back no problem

[wolf5370]

I would have thought 1800baht for genuine Rolex was very reasonable.

I was once Ordered Out of a ROLEX shop in Zurich when I went in to have the battery changed on my "Genuine" Bali-bought ROLEX.

First up, they give you the "evil eye" before opening the door. Once inside, I saw a young lady behind the counter and explained I needed a new battery, she then called over her boss and I handed him my ROLEX which he promptly dropped on the counter with a look of total disdain, curled his top lip, sniffed/snorted and told me to Get out of his shop.

My Swiss G/F at the time was cringing in embarrassment outside and offered me no sympathy at all over the discovery that my "Genuine Bali Rolex" which I would have paid the equivalent of about 1-Thousand Baht for was a rip-off.

battery,rolex,ha ha no rolexs have batterys.

Quite - they are either kinetic or self wind (old type), Rolex makes no electronic watches (although they did - see edit -- >). Surprised he even bothered to look at it [ Edit due to brain fart : There was a series that did have batteries - called QuartzElectronic or something similar - they didn't make them long - no one wants a luxury watch that behaves like it was made in Taiwan - same as Rolls Royce once made a mistake putting in digital dash boards, quickly went back to old style clocks - that's what the punters expect - they have a small 5 year battery I think ]

Easiest way to tell is to take the straps off, under the strap pin will be the serial number and the model number - most fakes do not bother faking that - they are not etched either, but also not deep. The serial number can be deciphered to give date of manufacture (early ones to year - later ones, post 1980, down to quarter), model and style (e.g. Oyster with gold faces have different serial number ids to steel faced, those with 22ct are also different from those with 18ct or lower - and so on). There is a database that shows serials that were never produced and even those registered as stolen, or commonly used as fakes (for the better fakes - not the type you get here - they may try to fake serial no's also, but tend to use the same number (or set of) for easier machining).

Never really understand why they try and fake Rolexes any more, more expensive watches available (designer types) and much harder to identify - many Rolex experts these days - or at least fake spotters - any pawn broker can spot one from ten feet away!

[uptheos]

I think you'll get a good idea if it's genuine Rolex, if they start talking in 10's or hundred's of thousands and not ones.

Also - Never buy a Rolex from someone who is out of breath.