Mental arithmatic

[Seastallion]

I've read many comments here about shop keepers who use a calculator to work out the most basic additions or subtractions, and I've seen it myself.

Sometimes I'm sure they do it to show me, the farang, what the total price is so I can understand. Sometimes it does seem like sheer innumeracy.

However, I went to a plant shop the other day to buy various plants and pots. The old lady owner was very helpful and even gave me a whole lot of fish for the porch water bowl.

As I chose plants and asked the price of each, I was keeping a running tally of the total cost. I had selected 13 items and the total was 1050 bht. All piled up on the footpath and time to pay, I watched with delight as she very quickly, out loud, totalled the lot.... "ha sip...roi ha sip, song roi yee sip, song roi jet sip ha (and so on)......pan ha sip baht (1050 baht).".

This very old lady I'm sure, from her attire, state of her teeth, zero English language etc, was not an educated lady, but her mental addition was fast and flawless.

Just keep this in mind all those people that are constantly putting Thais down with sweeping generalisations.

[Sigurris]

Its a different generation who grew up without calculators. I was in the last generation where we were not allowed to use calculators (only slide rules) and even with the tools I have to hand I prefer to do the sums in my head.

[enuff said]

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Yes it's time for the "My God they use calculators to add up numbers" method of degrading Thai people with a "I know one who doesn't" twist.

Did you ever think their supervisors may require them to use a calculator? Haven't you seen them use a calculator even when someone is buying only ONE item? Just coz someone is in a shop, doesn't mean they own the shop.

If you were the owner of a shop, you would NOT use one for clarification? for assurance? for customer confidence in a multi-multi-multi lingual atmosphere of high level noise and confusion? lest someone think you are stupid?

'nuff said

~

Edited May 13, 2014 by 'nuff said

[marko kok prong]

I think this would be true for a lot of the world as sigguris says,the older generation,had either to do it in their head or on paper,a classic example of this was when i was at a drive thru Mcdonalds in Australia,i only had a S100 dollar note,the girl looked panic stricken,"er how much change should i give you' she asked,i was perplexed,she advised me that the till did not go up to 100,so she did not know how to work out the change,i quickly worked it out in my head and told her.

[Mrjlh]

Many Thais do not know how to express numbers in English and the buyer doesn't speak Thai. So the easiest method is to do the calculation on a calculator to show you what the price is. This can lead to people into thinking they don't know how to do math. Typical of TVer's who complain too much.

[BFD]

....i quickly worked it out in my head and told her.

$103.99 right?

[Mrjlh]

Many Thais do not know how to express numbers in English and the buyer doesn't speak Thai. So the easiest method is to do the calculation on a calculator to show you what the price is. This can lead to people into thinking they don't know how to do math. Typical of TVer's who complain too much.

[weegee]

The OP did it right....add up yourself in your head, as a check....

Great to see she did it that way, but the wife told me a long time ago, they use calculators a lot because they don't speak english, and just show you the screen, Makes it easier for them to communicate with anyone not Thai....thats a good idea too....

[cooked]

I was a bartender in the UK in the sixties . 12 pence one shilling, 20 shillings one pound, half pennies... All of us could keep track of complicated orders and never made mistakes ... Not accidentally, anyway .

[weegee]

I was a bartender in the UK in the sixties . 12 pence one shilling, 20 shillings one pound, half pennies... All of us could keep track of complicated orders and never made mistakes ... Not accidentally, anyway .

I was a bartender in the UK in the sixties...

That makes me younger than you, but i do rememer the 12pence 1 shilling, but only just.... and that was in Australia.....

Being able to do arithmetic in our heads still, at our age....keeps the mind tuned up...correct?

[Seastallion]

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.

Yes it's time for the "My God they use calculators to add up numbers" method of degrading Thai people with a "I know one who doesn't" twist.

Did you ever think their supervisors may require them to use a calculator? Haven't you seen them use a calculator even when someone is buying only ONE item? Just coz someone is in a shop, doesn't mean they own the shop.

If you were the owner of a shop, you would NOT use one for clarification? for assurance? for customer confidence in a multi-multi-multi lingual atmosphere of high level noise and confusion? lest someone think you are stupid?

'nuff said

~

Actually, my post was the opposite of degrading Thai people, and was intended to counter those that do. Yours on the other hand seems to be one of the posts that always moan about other TV posters. 'nuff said.

[Seastallion]

The OP did it right....add up yourself in your head, as a check....

Well, I would hate her to have missed something and under-charged me.

[sirineou]

.

.

Yes it's time for the "My God they use calculators to add up numbers" method of degrading Thai people with a "I know one who doesn't" twist.

Did you ever think their supervisors may require them to use a calculator? Haven't you seen them use a calculator even when someone is buying only ONE item? Just coz someone is in a shop, doesn't mean they own the shop.

If you were the owner of a shop, you would NOT use one for clarification? for assurance? for customer confidence in a multi-multi-multi lingual atmosphere of high level noise and confusion? lest someone think you are stupid?

'nuff said

~

^^^^

I used to have two retail outlets, I always used a calculator, and require my sales staff always use one.

When you make a large number of transactions calculating mistakes are inevitable,

Nothing more embarrassing when you overcharge some one and you get called on it.

or disappointing when you undercharge and loose money.

[enuff said]

.

.

.

Yes it's time for the "My God they use calculators to add up numbers" method of degrading Thai people with a "I know one who doesn't" twist.

Did you ever think their supervisors may require them to use a calculator? Haven't you seen them use a calculator even when someone is buying only ONE item? Just coz someone is in a shop, doesn't mean they own the shop.

If you were the owner of a shop, you would NOT use one for clarification? for assurance? for customer confidence in a multi-multi-multi lingual atmosphere of high level noise and confusion? lest someone think you are stupid?

'nuff said

~

Actually, my post was the opposite of degrading Thai people, and was intended to counter those that do. Yours on the other hand seems to be one of the posts that always moan about other TV posters. 'nuff said.

You can't see how, by saying "I found one who is not stupid" you are saying the same as those who say they are all stupid?

I moan about stereotyping a people who are as diverse as any culture in the world. Many foreigners come here and immediately start to measure them by their own cultural standards. They see nothing wrong with it. mmmmmmmmmmmmmoooooaaaaannnnnnnnnn

Can't we just all get along?

'nuff said

~

Edited May 14, 2014 by 'nuff said

[speedtripler]

The OP did it right....add up yourself in your head, as a check....

Well, I would hate her to have missed something and under-charged me.

not much of a compliment to thailand is it ?

holy shit ,i found a shopowner that can count to 1050 without a calculator !

[BillyBobThai]

I think this would be true for a lot of the world as sigguris says,the older generation,had either to do it in their head or on paper,a classic example of this was when i was at a drive thru Mcdonalds in Australia,i only had a S100 dollar note,the girl looked panic stricken,"er how much change should i give you' she asked,i was perplexed,she advised me that the till did not go up to 100,so she did not know how to work out the change,i quickly worked it out in my head and told her.

Must have hard for her to tell you, the customer, look, I am stupid and can not figure your change.

[Thakkar]

.

.

.

Yes it's time for the "My God they use calculators to add up numbers" method of degrading Thai people with a "I know one who doesn't" twist.

Did you ever think their supervisors may require them to use a calculator? Haven't you seen them use a calculator even when someone is buying only ONE item? Just coz someone is in a shop, doesn't mean they own the shop.

If you were the owner of a shop, you would NOT use one for clarification? for assurance? for customer confidence in a multi-multi-multi lingual atmosphere of high level noise and confusion? lest someone think you are stupid?

'nuff said

~

Actually, my post was the opposite of degrading Thai people, and was intended to counter those that do. Yours on the other hand seems to be one of the posts that always moan about other TV posters. 'nuff said.

You can't see how, by saying "I found one who is not stupid" you are saying the same as those who say they are all stupid?

I moan about stereotyping a people who are as diverse as any culture in the world. Many foreigners come here and immediately start to measure them by their own cultural standards. They see nothing wrong with it. mmmmmmmmmmmmmoooooaaaaannnnnnnnnn

Can't we just all get along?

'nuff said

~

At the end of your posts, you keep enticing us with the tantalizing promise, "'nuff said" and then renege on that by coming back to say more.

Here's a suggestion for your signature:

Lemme tell you 'bout myself. I'm a very private and secretive person. 'Nuff said.

You're welcome.

T

[marko kok prong]

I think this would be true for a lot of the world as sigguris says,the older generation,had either to do it in their head or on paper,a classic example of this was when i was at a drive thru Mcdonalds in Australia,i only had a S100 dollar note,the girl looked panic stricken,"er how much change should i give you' she asked,i was perplexed,she advised me that the till did not go up to 100,so she did not know how to work out the change,i quickly worked it out in my head and told her.

Must have hard for her to tell you, the customer, look, I am stupid and can not figure your change.

Yes she did look a little red in the face,interesting to think what a Thai person would have done in a similar situation.