Do you buy anything from people that are selling items while you are eating/drinking?

[benj005]

You guys know the people. You're eating in a restaurant or drinking at your favorite bar and along comes an old lady trying to sell overpriced flowers. How about the guy who is trying to sell those cheap lamps, or the woman who is desperately trying to sell you candy. 

 

I feel bad for these people. What an awful job. To walk into a bar and have 99% of the people there give you dirty looks. Who wants to buy something when you have been drinking or eating all night.

 

What about the people who wait at the busy intersection selling flowers? I just can't even fathom the amount of smoke they must be breathing in day and night. They normally stand out there for hours baking in the hot sun. What do they make? $500 baht if they're lucky. 

 

What do you guys normally do? Do you buy something from them, or do you just ignore them?  

Edited August 17, 2014 by benj005

[mrtoad]

As I live in an Ivory Tower, they aren't normally able to get in to pester me

[Costas2008]

In the restaurants, never buy anything, although the wife does sometimes, as she feels sorry for them.

On the road, on the intersection before I turn to go to my house, there is a little boy, about 6 or 7 years old selling flowers.

I always give him 20Baht and don't get the flowers.

He knows the car by now and he runs to me when he sees it.

I know the money is for the arrogant father watching from the other side of the road, but I can't resist of giving it to the kid.

 

[benj005]

As I live in an Ivory Tower, they aren't normally able to get in to pester me

 

lol..

 

You don't go out to dinner? Drive to the store?  

 

I was eating at a restaurant in Bangkok last night first there was an elderly lady trying to sell flowers. I felt bad for her as people were just ignoring her. Then an plus size lady came in and was trying to sell candy. Who the hell wants candy at 9pm? She was also ignored and people were not kind. At last an older guy came in and was trying to sell those cheap Simpson lamps. He also had a glowing rubix cube. I wanted to tell him that the Simpsons are out of style. This isn't the mid-90's anymore. He left without selling anything. 
 

I really felt bad for the old lady. It looked like she hadn't sold anything in a long time. 

 

The bar I was at is owned buy a ladyboy. I don't know the name. It was one of those outside restaurants. The food was your standard Thai fare. 

 

Very delicious.  

[rgs2001uk]

I live in a non tourist part of Bkk and never see what you mention up where I live, when either eating out or in a local bar area.

 

The only time I witness such things is in the lower part of Suk.

 

What a pleasure it is to sit in a local Thai area and not be pesterd by hawkers hookers and peddlars.

[benj005]

In the restaurants, never buy anything, although the wife does sometimes, as she feels sorry for them.

On the road, on the intersection before I turn to go to my house, there is a little boy, about 6 or 7 years old selling flowers.

I always give him 20Baht and don't get the flowers.

He knows the car by now and he runs to me when he sees it.

I know the money is for the arrogant father watching from the other side of the road, but I can't resist of giving it to the kid.

 

 

Yea, I try to show some compassion because I never know what's in store for me in the future.

 

I might run into bad luck and be the falang selling flowers to you while you're eating in the restaurant.  :(

[chrisinth]

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As I live in an Ivory Tower, they aren't normally able to get in to pester me

 

lol..

 

You don't go out to dinner? Drive to the store?  

 

I was eating at a restaurant in Bangkok last night first there was an elderly lady trying to sell flowers. I felt bad for her as people were just ignoring her. Then an plus size lady came in and was trying to sell candy. Who the hell wants candy at 9pm? She was also ignored and people were not kind. At last an older guy came in and was trying to sell those cheap Simpson lamps. He also had a glowing rubix cube. I wanted to tell him that the Simpsons are out of style. This isn't the mid-90's anymore. He left without selling anything. 
 

I really felt bad for the old lady. It looked like she hadn't sold anything in a long time. 

 

The bar I was at is owned buy a ladyboy. I don't know the name. It was one of those outside restaurants. The food was your standard Thai fare. 

 

Very delicious.  

 

 

I would need to ask myself why the owner/staff allow the sad people in to sell their wares.................

 

Leads to distraction from the sweet trolley I find.

[mrjohndub]

Only sex.

[tifino]

Beach Rd beach, old lady with the cage of little birds.

She's chatting thai ti wifey, and wifey gives her a wad of baht, about 300. she's given little cage with birdie in it.

I treid to tell her of the scam, but wifey wanted to do good luck and free the birdie.

 

so she heads down the sand, while old lady heads away through the beachchairs.

Wifey comes back to chair "why bird not fly away free?"

so again I explain it, and eventually wifey relents and turns to where I am hinting her to look...

 

old lady is scooping birdies back up into their cage...''

Wifey is pissed...but I expand on the notion that the little birdies are smart, and know to come back to mummy, where the food is...

 

I couldn't believe thai wife never seen this before??

[AnotherOneAmerican]

Bird scam,

Buy the birds, stamp on the cage with them inside.

End of scam.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

 

 

 

I would need to ask myself why the owner/staff allow the sad people in to sell their wares.................

 

 

 

I asked the owner,

They said, the beggars and hawkers are all run by a violent gang of criminals.

If you don't let them operate in your place, it tends to end in a fire or a beating.

[benj005]

 

 

 

 

I would need to ask myself why the owner/staff allow the sad people in to sell their wares.................

 

 

 

I asked the owner,

They said, the beggars and hawkers are all run by a violent gang of criminals.

If you don't let them operate in your place, it tends to end in a fire or a beating.

 

 

Really?  Maybe the gangs should fun another form of making money. 

 

These people who sell their wares can't make more than $500 baht a night. 

[winnerinsix]

My Missus will tell the blokes and gals you see with cards looking for cash, Or young flower girls, Sun glass sellers etc, to go away.....BUT, she always buys something small from the very old ladies or people with obvious disabilities who sell things, or just give them a small amount of cash.  Her reasoning?  She reckons the old and infirmed, who try to eek out a living, selling stuff,  are at least having a go, so she is happy to support them.

[mrtoad]

jokes aside the only time I see this is when in certain parts of Sukhumvit, Phuket andPattaya. Never get it in the areas that I live in Eastern Thailand or Bangkok other than lottery tickets. I got fed up of people trying to flig me fake watches last time I was in Pattaya, really annoying

[kurnell]

Why tf these people don't sell something useful is beyond me. Condoms? KY? Blue pills?

[mrtoad]

One of the funniest things I saw was in Makati, Manila road side sellers selling hat stands .

[benalibina]

Bought occasionally because i felt sorry for an elderly lady or young sweet innocent girl. Like AOA stated its all been run by gangs. So buying something keeps it running. In 2005 i was in Hua Hin with my wife, gf then, and sitting at a poolbar when a sweet innocent 3/4 year old girl came by selling roses. She was so lovely but instead of buying a rose i bought a coke for her and the 3 of us chatted. 4 years later i was again in Hua Hin and met up with a couple of guys at a bar in same area. A guy told me to look at a girl selling flowers. I did and he asked me to look at her eyes. It was the same girl as 4 years earlier. Her eyes looked as cold as ice and i cried somewhat inside. All the life kicked out of the innocent girl by walking these shores for years and needing to sell flowers. Innocence gone. Couple of days later i was eating out and saw her being brought by 2 adults, parents??, to start work her rounds for the evening. Spoke with the waitress about it and she told me, yes they come here to drop her off every evening for long time already. Sad...sad...what a life....

[choochoo]

Bird scam,

Buy the birds, stamp on the cage with them inside.

End of scam.

let the bird fly away and shoot em with skeet..................lol.

[VBF]

My Missus will tell the blokes and gals you see with cards looking for cash, Or young flower girls, Sun glass sellers etc, to go away.....BUT, she always buys something small from the very old ladies or people with obvious disabilities who sell things, or just give them a small amount of cash.  Her reasoning?  She reckons the old and infirmed, who try to eek out a living, selling stuff,  are at least having a go, so she is happy to support them.

Your good lady sounds very "jai-dee" and practical too! 

[ryanhull]

I bought a little lamp off one guy whilst eating, still use it today sat next to my bed, for 120 Bhat you cannot go far wrong... I also buy air freshner flowers for my car off the same guy at a certain traffic lights every few days, nice guy. Sometimes I also buy mints off an old women who comes in a restaurant I go in, usually do not eat them but gives her 10bhat in her sky rocket and tbh I feel sorry for her she should be at home resting up!

 

The way I see it, I would sooner give too these people then those begging and not even trying, that's my personal opinion anyway. Giving is good!