There can't be many seafood vendors where you live. So, If I was your wife, I would have paid the extra 20 baht this time and whispered to the vendor, next time give me same price as the other lady gets. This way, no one looses face and the vendor knows this woman is good.

So you are advising a Thai (the OP's wife) how to deal with Thais and their Face?

2 tier pricing is well and alive in New Zealand. The Auckland museum charges an outrageous price for foreigners and NZ people get in for a donation ( of a dollar or less if they choose ).

It's not just Thailand that exploits foreigners.

There can't be many seafood vendors where you live. So, If I was your wife, I would have paid the extra 20 baht this time and whispered to the vendor, next time give me same price as the other lady gets. This way, no one looses face and the vendor knows this woman is good.

So you are advising a Thai (the OP's wife) how to deal with Thais and their Face?

It's a compramise.

Upsetting a market stall vendor in a small town isn't good. Investing a few bahts for a better relationship with a vendor you're likely to use many more times. Better than walking away in a huff. Just my opinion.

So, the OP and his wife don't have a regular market which they patronize?

By reading your OP, it seems more like you taught her that principle and she wanted your confirmation to know if she acted correct. Anyway, good on ya.

No I didn't. As I have said, it's rare for me to come across it anyway so it has never been an issue. She asked because she knew I was looking forward to a bulgogi style squid dinner. I was actually across at another vendor and did not witness the scene.

Hate to nitpick but in your OP you said after she blew up she grabbed your arm and you walked away which infers you were there, so were you with her or across the street?

If you hate to do it, why do you do it? "across" is not "across the street". At the start, I was about 2 meters away. She did not "blow up"

2 tier pricing is well and alive in New Zealand. The Auckland museum charges an outrageous price for foreigners and NZ people get in for a donation ( of a dollar or less if they choose ).

It's not just Thailand that exploits foreigners.

I think you'll find that Aucklanders get in for free, because Aucklanders fund the place through their council rates. If it is all of NZ, then the rationale is the same but with taxes.

There can't be many seafood vendors where you live. So, If I was your wife, I would have paid the extra 20 baht this time and whispered to the vendor, next time give me same price as the other lady gets. This way, no one looses face and the vendor knows this woman is good.

So you are advising a Thai (the OP's wife) how to deal with Thais and their Face?

It's a compramise.

Upsetting a market stall vendor in a small town isn't good. Investing a few bahts for a better relationship with a vendor you're likely to use many more times. Better than walking away in a huff. Just my opinion.

Guess not many of you who replied have been in Hatyai....a small town....lol,... second biggest city in Thailand I believe.

Seastallion and his wife (who I have met) are still new to Hatyai....but they will be learning quick, where not to go. Hatyai is a whole new ball game.

Great to see your wife stood up for her principals. Just told my wife, and she also agrees with your wife...this should not be happening.

WELCOME TO HATYAI, old son.....

By the way everyone...Seastallion's wife is one of the most pleasant people, you could ever want to meet....AND Educated as well.

Edited June 15, 201412 yr by weegee

So she agrees a price for a good.

She then begins the buying process and handles the goods.

She then has a little tantrum and storms off because of the price she agreed to pay.

There can't be many seafood vendors where you live. So, If I was your wife, I would have paid the extra 20 baht this time and whispered to the vendor, next time give me same price as the other lady gets. This way, no one looses face and the vendor knows this woman is good.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing and you have made a good suggestion. I will keep that tactic in mind.

Actually we are about 20 minutes from Songkhla Port where a heck of a lot of seafood gets landed. There are many seafood vendors in the many markets.

There can't be many seafood vendors where you live. So, If I was your wife, I would have paid the extra 20 baht this time and whispered to the vendor, next time give me same price as the other lady gets. This way, no one looses face and the vendor knows this woman is good.

So you are advising a Thai (the OP's wife) how to deal with Thais and their Face?

It's a compramise.

Upsetting a market stall vendor in a small town isn't good. Investing a few bahts for a better relationship with a vendor you're likely to use many more times. Better than walking away in a huff. Just my opinion.

You are right - IF that is the only vendor.

At our small market there is more choice - and I am sure the vendors in the proximity of a rip off vendor will have heard and will have understood the lesson, so they will avoid loosing face in the future. That is why so few do it at our market.

Use Face against rip off artists!

Similar thing happened at the taxi rank in Chanthaburi.

I took taxis there many times - 40 bath, and I tip of course.

Then a new one asked 100 bath, I laughed in his face, and kept laughing when he lowered his price, and said I will walk - massive loss of face for him, and well deserved.

Next time when I took a taxi there, the driver apologised for the other taxi's behaviour.

It all gets a lot more serious when the service you are being charged for at a higher rate is medical treatment.

It gets dangerously serious when the higher 'Farang' price puts that medical service out of your financial reach - or more typically discourages a foreigner from getting early check-ups/interventions.

I step aside now for the apologists....

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he gave you a price you were happy with. what is the problem ?

The problem is that it is not right to rip people off whether farang or Thai. Often my wife won't let me come near a vendor saying "no, you stay here if he/she sees you the price will be higher". Sorry, I understand the system but I do not have to grin and bear it.

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Sticking a higher price to a farang is just what is done here. But sticking it to a Thai

because she is seen to be with a farang is pathetic. My girlfriend has told me many

times to not be near her when she is buying something from a Thai merchant....

Yes, my Thai wife does the same with me.

I hope you told the next customer that the guy was a thief.

It all gets a lot more serious when the service you are being charged for at a higher rate is medical treatment.

It gets dangerously serious when the higher 'Farang' price puts that medical service out of your financial reach - or more typically discourages a foreigner from getting early check-ups/interventions.

I step aside now for the apologists....

Actually, that's a very good point. I think you've found the reason why apologists defend themselves from critiscism for paying the dual charges - or even worse they are in complete denial of ever paying a higher price than a local. The reason is necessity, though they're embarrassed to admit that.

Before my Thai language skills improved to a point of being able to competently help myself, in most consumer situations, there were a few transactions which I hated or even completely avoided doing becuase I was afraid of not being able to verbally defend myself in the event of a scam or foreigner aimed overcharge.

Yeah, I was waiting for that point to be brought up.

It wasn't me, it was the wife. She doesn't see why we should be charged more. I don't see it either. Look at it the other way, the vendor was happy to receive the lower price, why should we give more? We are not a charity and the vendor is not destitute.

Have you ever been on an airline?

.

I live in Pattaya and never get charged a higher price ,the tourists do ,but thats worldwide.

So do I for 13 years but I am always charged a farang price and my wife the lower price. So. I do not know how you have escaped. Even when I show them my work permit, they say "you farang -high price". I asked why, and they said I was rich!!

I also went to the market with my wife and we bought our usual pile of veg. I asked the lady how much and she said 745 baht. I said rubbish and tipped all the veg back out onto the stall. My wife asked her in thai to price it again. We watched each bag go into the main bag and ended up at 218 baht.

She just laughed at me !

I guess it depends on how parents raise their children ... with dignity and principles or with no dignity and no principles. It doesn't matter if it is a 50 baht over charge or a 500 baht over charge. It is a cheap price to learn about another person's character. If they are a thief, never do business with them again ... like they care ... but you keep your principle and your money.

Yeah, I was waiting for that point to be brought up.

It wasn't me, it was the wife. She doesn't see why we should be charged more. I don't see it either. Look at it the other way, the vendor was happy to receive the lower price, why should we give more? We are not a charity and the vendor is not destitute.

Have you ever been on an airline?

.

No airline has ever overcharged me for squid.

True!

The other person could have been a regular customer or even her aunt… if you are disappointed, then maybe you are spiting yourself. I have also walked away when I felt that a price was unfairly high, but make your own judgment...

As to the age old farang price/double pricing - there are odd customs in many places.

In USA, you can buy a shirt at JC Penney for $30, the very next day, the same shirt can be on sale for $20, and if you went to Walmart, it might be there for $12… it is just a matter of what you are used to in terms of shopping. Bottom line is the $$ are in your pocket.

There can't be many seafood vendors where you live. So, If I was your wife, I would have paid the extra 20 baht this time and whispered to the vendor, next time give me same price as the other lady gets. This way, no one looses face and the vendor knows this woman is good.

Why would you worry about a cheats face.Catch em out,pay em out or it will go on and on.They would be bragging to their market mates what a mug you and your wife are,and they would all overcharge you.

There can't be many seafood vendors where you live. So, If I was your wife, I would have paid the extra 20 baht this time and whispered to the vendor, next time give me same price as the other lady gets. This way, no one looses face and the vendor knows this woman is good.

So you are advising a Thai (the OP's wife) how to deal with Thais and their Face?

It's a compramise.

Upsetting a market stall vendor in a small town isn't good. Investing a few bahts for a better relationship with a vendor you're likely to use many more times. Better than walking away in a huff. Just my opinion.

Guess not many of you who replied have been in Hatyai....a small town....lol,... second biggest city in Thailand I believe.

Seastallion and his wife (who I have met) are still new to Hatyai....but they will be learning quick, where not to go. Hatyai is a whole new ball game.

Great to see your wife stood up for her principals. Just told my wife, and she also agrees with your wife...this should not be happening.

WELCOME TO HATYAI, old son.....

By the way everyone...Seastallion's wife is one of the most pleasant people, you could ever want to meet....AND Educated as well.

Thanks Weegee, and of course your highly educated wife is a most pleasant and ladylike lady too. Don't be too modest.

Principles?? You're in Thailand bubba.

After reading the posts, I really feel for the " General"....He sure has a uphill battle on his hands, and a very long way to go.

May God give him the strength to keep going.

So, principles and principled people.

It's looking like General Prayuth and his team are men of principle.

As mentioned, Thailand will never get rid of corruption if the people leading the reforms are not highly principled.

For a Thai, being principled could be easy. I think having the discipline of a staunch Buddhist and having an honourable pride in oneself (not an egomaniacal self love) leads to being principled. Breaking with principles could mean loss of face.

Take all the women that no matter how they were treated as children still support their mothers...out of principle.

Or the women that have terrible husbands but remain faithful and loyal....out of principle.

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he gave you a price you were happy with. what is the problem ?

The problem is that it is not right to rip people off whether farang or Thai. Often my wife won't let me come near a vendor saying "no, you stay here if he/she sees you the price will be higher". Sorry, I understand the system but I do not have to grin and bear it.

Who was being ripped off though. the vendor stated his price that the OP was happy with and proceeded to shop.

It's called Capitalism. Thais aren't racist about this. Thai families usually have to pay more for hotel rooms because a couple will book in then half an hour later a pick-up truck full arrives. All staying in the same room.

Anyway as far as the squid incident goes why didn't you just tell the girl to put a few extra in, then everyone would have been happy.

Dont know about that.. Went to Patong beach 2 months back and there was a clear thai price and farang price at a nice resort. 1500b difference they made no bones about it that there was 1 price for thais and one for farang. Wife booked it and when we arrived I showed my work permit even with that they didnt want to give the cheaper but we got it.

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Just don't pay and walk away I do.

Pity more Thais don't behave like the OP's wifey.

I applaud her "I won't let you rip me off" attitude.

Truly makes me crazy when these vendors see foreigners as "mobile ATM".