Friendship and ethics - why do some Thais risk it all for $$s?

[onlycw]

When I was looking for a new house, a friend knew someone who had one for rent. The rent was on the high side. Suddenly, the friend dropped the price by 40% without consulting the landlord. Apparently, she had "marked up" the rent. WTF?

 

Is this common? 

[96tehtarp]

"Is this common?"

 

Yes.

Edited August 15, 2014 by 96tehtarp

[Seastallion]

She was never a real friend.

I know Thais that would never do that to a friend. I know Thais that wouldn't do it to a stranger.

Edited August 15, 2014 by Seastallion

[robblok]

She was never a real friend.

I know Thais that would never do that to a friend. I know Thais that wouldn't do it to a stranger.

Of course.. Thais would not do that to a real friend.

 

My wife just spend a couple of hours getting a new cap for a camera lens she lost while carrying the camera of a friend (to help her) said friend told her not to bother. She bought two lens caps one to replace the one and one as a gift as those get lost easy.

 

Real friends don't overcharge other friends Thais included. Maybe she was not a real friend or your mixing with the wrong kind of people.

[Seastallion]

Or, she was told by the landlord to ask the higher amount first to, quite understandably, try for it. She may have been asked by the landlord to negotiate, but as she is a friend, she went straight down to rock bottom that the landlord had allowed.

She would have then told the LL quite honestly that you baulked at the higher rent but finally settled for the lowest.

So maybe she is a good friend.

 

And maybe she is a smart and good friend; She asked for much higher than the LL set as a start point, knowing you'd not like it, giving her a chance to go to the bottom price immediately, yet she could still say to the LL she started high but got negotiated down.

Edited August 15, 2014 by Seastallion

[choochoo]

Or, she was told by the landlord to ask the higher amount first to, quite understandably, try for it. She may have been asked by the landlord to negotiate, but as she is a friend, she went straight down to rock bottom that the landlord had allowed.

She would have then told the LL quite honestly that you baulked at the higher rent but finally settled for the lowest.

So maybe she is a good friend.

 

And maybe she is a smart and good friend; She asked for much higher than the LL set as a start point, knowing you'd not like it, giving her a chance to go to the bottom price immediately, yet she could still say to the LL she started high but got negotiated down.

with friends like this girl who needs enemies!

 

 

 

really sounds like girl could make  big commission if she got op to take higher rent.

Edited August 15, 2014 by choochoo

[dagobert]

Thats what it is the "commission" usual the person "the finder" expects commission
totaly exeptable practice

[Naise]

This is very normal,  I normally agree on a lower rental price and the spotter gets the first months rent. I never have any problems with this.

 

The house I am in now the deposit on top of the first months rent was virtually given back to me to make the improvements I wanted to and those the landlord wanted to make to help me live here. The spotter got the first months rent.

 

Welcome to a country that loves playing games with money and this country has one of the best cultures for compromise.

 

I hate it but find it is like being called farlang. Just takes a bit of getting used to. 

[Star Dust]

"Is this common?"
 
Yes.

YES

[mrtoad]

I don't think this type of practice is limited to Thais either.

[dagobert]

The same here in Indonesia ! IE: house sale 5%,

[EmptyHead]

Many Thais wouldn't screw their friends, many would.

 

Different cultures do things diffently, i'm afraid.

 

Sometimes money is more important than anything to people.

 

I have seen people fall out over nothing, in the west and here.

 

Ethics?  I was recently told, "Cheating is a way of life here."

 

Another belter.  I know a chap who build a house for his wife.  For 1.2m they got a carport with walls. Family did the job.

[shirtless]

She wanted to make a quick buck on you this is Thainess.

[DaddyWarbucks]

She wanted to make a quick buck on you this is Thainess.

If you think that "Thainess" doesn't go on all over the world, you'd have to be brainless as well as shirtless.

[96tehtarp]

 

"Is this common?"
 
Yes.

 

YES

 

 

It's also common in Thailand.

[ravip]

It also depends on the type of society you frequent with - in Thailand or elsewhere.

The fault maybe on your side.

 

[Bender]

you are not friend, you are just a farang, delete his/her number phone!

[mrjohndub]

^It's spelled furlung, okay? Jeez.

[Thai at Heart]

When I was looking for a new house, a friend knew someone who had one for rent. The rent was on the high side. Suddenly, the friend dropped the price by 40% without consulting the landlord. Apparently, she had "marked up" the rent. <deleted>?
 
Is this common? 

Happens all the time. Thais don't really understand favours for farang friends.

[mesquite]

onlycw,

 

Yes it is common and you are very lucky that you have gone through this.  It's all about money.  Whenever you begin to doubt that, you can look back on this rather painless incident to remember...it's all about money.  Many people have to go through much more painful experiences to get it.

 

They are not friends the way we think of friends.

 

It's all about money.

Edited August 16, 2014 by mesquite

[bendejo]

Once when staying in a decidedly non-posh hotel in Cambodia I got to talking with another person staying there.  He asked why I didn't eat at the hotel's restaurant, I told him it was too expensive, and pointed out that I saw him settling up after dinner one night, him paying equiv of US$10. 

He said that back in Norway that would be the cost of a hot dog.  When you know that there are people thinking like that ....

 

 

Edited August 16, 2014 by bendejo

[Banzai99]

No Farang would ever try to rip you off.......:)

[KittenKong]

In nearly 40 years of visiting/living in Thailand I've never met anyone here of any nationality whom I would really trust.

Why do so many people (not just Thais) here risk friendship and ethics for a small monetary gain? Simple: friendship and ethics are worth absolutely nothing to them and they have no integrity at all. Once you have understood this life becomes very easy here.

[AYJAYDEE]

For the same reason SOME people of all nationalities do

[benalibina]

For the same reason SOME people of all nationalities do

But in Thailand...mostly thais.

[WitawatWatawit]

When I was looking for a new house, a friend knew someone who had one for rent. The rent was on the high side. Suddenly, the friend dropped the price by 40% without consulting the landlord. Apparently, she had "marked up" the rent. <deleted>?
 
Is this common? 

Happens all the time. Thais don't really understand favours for farang friends.

A nasty and utterly dimwitted comment. Shame on you. In the '97 crash, my family really struggled. Our landlord cut our rent in half to help us survive. Couple years later we moved - Thai friend found a better place for us, negotiated the rent right down below market value. LL did not put up the rent in 13 years - in fact whenever she was in our part of town she would drop off fruit and little gifts for our daughter.

I could go on for screeds about Thai friends and colleagues who have done well by me. But maybe I'm more astute than you and have only good people by my side.

[AYJAYDEE]

 

 

When I was looking for a new house, a friend knew someone who had one for rent. The rent was on the high side. Suddenly, the friend dropped the price by 40% without consulting the landlord. Apparently, she had "marked up" the rent. <deleted>?
 
Is this common? 

Happens all the time. Thais don't really understand favours for farang friends.

A nasty and utterly dimwitted comment. Shame on you. In the '97 crash, my family really struggled. Our landlord cut our rent in half to help us survive. Couple years later we moved - Thai friend found a better place for us, negotiated the rent right down below market value. LL did not put up the rent in 13 years - in fact whenever she was in our part of town she would drop off fruit and little gifts for our daughter.

I could go on for screeds about Thai friends and colleagues who have done well by me. But maybe I'm more astute than you and have only good people by my side.

 

with the attitudes of some of these thai bashers around here, its not surprising thais dont feel like helping them out

[dagobert]

 

 

When I was looking for a new house, a friend knew someone who had one for rent. The rent was on the high side. Suddenly, the friend dropped the price by 40% without consulting the landlord. Apparently, she had "marked up" the rent. ?
 
Is this common? 

Happens all the time. Thais don't really understand favours for farang friends.

A nasty and utterly dimwitted comment. Shame on you. In the '97 crash, my family really struggled. Our landlord cut our rent in half to help us survive. Couple years later we moved - Thai friend found a better place for us, negotiated the rent right down below market value. LL did not put up the rent in 13 years - in fact whenever she was in our part of town she would drop off fruit and little gifts for our daughter.

I could go on for screeds about Thai friends and colleagues who have done well by me. But maybe I'm more astute than you and have only good people by my side.
 

with the attitudes of some of these thai bashers around here, its not surprising thais dont feel like helping them out

Yees shame on you lady!