4 tourists pay THB8,840 for seafood meal

[paul-s]

My Thai wife of some 20 years often reminds me when we think of visiting a restaurant where the fish swim in tanks outside: A Thai family she claims she knew indulged themselves at a similar seafood restaurant in Bangkok and ended up having to leave their car behind as payment.

These expensive fish places have been around for years - I am so glad I don't really like seafood.

[Bluespunk]

I told you to look at #1 item on the bill and work your way through and repeated it at least twice but wasn't going to do your math for you. I'm not arguing with you as I already spotted your error.

I did mention the service and VAT charge but you didn't listen.

So, you are saying that I'm your maths teacher now? Notwithstanding your general argumentative attitude on this forum. Get a grip.

Spotted my error did you?

Don't think so.

My error was on the final item not the first.

Edited May 18, 2015 by Bluespunk

[wooloomooloo]

As I say, doesn't seem to be too much to me, but there are ways to do business and ways not to.

More humble pie for Bluespunk at table 2. That's 400 baht with extra service and VAT.

Then a taxi for Bluespunk. Make sure the meters on as that'll be another complaint.

[Bluespunk]

As I say, doesn't seem to be too much to me, but there are ways to do business and ways not to.

More humble pie for Bluespunk at table 2. That's 400 baht with extra service and VAT.

Then a taxi for Bluespunk. Make sure the meters on as that'll be another complaint.

Nope, said much earlier on that I didn't consider the bill excessive.

Do try to read all the posts.

[wooloomooloo]

I told you to look at #1 item on the bill and work your way through and repeated it at least twice but wasn't going to do your math for you. I'm not arguing with you as I already spotted your error.

I did mention the service and VAT charge but you didn't listen.

So, you are saying that I'm your maths teacher now? Notwithstanding your general argumentative attitude on this forum. Get a grip.

Spotted my error did you?

Don't think so.

My error was on the final item not the first.

You got it wrong, my friend. Get over it.

And you say you can afford it now but not a good way to do business. You're twisting and turning like, erm, a fish.

What do you mean, not a good way to do business? You can afford it you say? What's the bad business that you don't like in the OP. LOL.

[tingtongfarang]

Rip offs or prices aside i think its time we all stopped eating seafood, the oceans have been raped and are all but dead.

[dcsw53]

More fool them for not adding the bill up themselves. Before the tip it comes to THB 7001, they should have handed it back instead of going on line.

[Bluespunk]

You got it wrong, my friend. Get over it.

And you say you can afford it now but not a good way to do business. You're twisting and turning like, erm, a fish.

What do you mean, not a good way to do business? You can afford it you say? What's the bad business that you don't like in the OP. LOL.

What do I mean not a good way to do business?

I mean that disguising the true cost of a bill is underhand, deceptive, deceitful and unlikely to bring in repeat customers.

The posts on the trip adviser thread all say this happened.

[samuibeachcomber]

Experiencing Thainess, its all part of the campaign to show the world how generous and welcoming Thais are to tourists.

See how they make the 800bht tip mandatory, how much more Thainess can that be

the tip i suspect is "service charge"....which i hate cos they are assuming the food and service warrant it,which is not always the case.

[ratcatcher]

Too many HiSo crab guzzling posters here with too much time on their hands and too much money in their pocket.

You forgot the champagne and a dazzling Thai girl to spend that candlelight dinner with.

Oh, FairyNuff, you are beautiful when you are jealous!

In your honor, tonight I will have an extra helping of crab, and if it OK, make it a surf and turf with New Zealand lamb. A bottle of the bubbly to start, and after dinner, a nice Armagnac with a # 5 Monte Cristo.

Then off to a nice rooftop to listen to jazz, before Miss Thailand (sorry to say, third runner up) and I retire for the evening.

Do stop by the cigar club some time old boy !

You sound wealthy enough to be a "merchant banker".

[farang1979]

I can't believe some of the posts on here. Anyone who thinks 8000B is reasonable for a seafood meal deserves to pay it with a tip on top. Yes the tourists were gullible to follow a friendly taxi driver (who would've got a 500B bung for dropping them off). But there's no way this meal should be 2000 baht ahead unless you're eating in a high end establishment which I've a feeling this was not.

[MaeJoMTB]

I have seen the same prices at the seafood restaurants on walking street in Pattaya.

150bht per portion of rice seems a little on the high side though.

[diehard60]

This is typical Thai. One price for Thai and an other price for the rest

[MESmith]

Wonder if they ended the evening out at a karaoke joint

[CapeCobra]

Charging THB 40 for a towel would piss me off in such a place.

The bill looks ok. Food AND Drinks 8039. Then the food is itemized. Not the drinks, except for 1 tea. Less than 10% tip added.

Contrary to the believes of some punters, mandatory service charge of 10% plus VAT is the rule in most expensive places. If the service was good you add a small tip for the waitron. But, they will give you a decent VAT invoice.

This restaurant has no class. Lack of customers is the result. Paying commission to Tuk Tuk drivers tells it all. Stupid tourists deserve no better.

10 years ago, I went to the Ratchada Seafood Market and ordered a lobster. What size? Give me the biggest, I said. Little did I know. They gave me a 3 kilo giant served on the biggest plate I'd ever seen. A number of waitresses watched the scene giggling all the way. I started eating without batting an eyelid and finished it off. I paid over 5000 Baht and my Thai business associates laughed for days about my foolishness. But, best lobster I ever had. Absolutely delicious. Since then, I check the lobsters before I order. Btw, the protein overdose did no serious damage. My fear of turning into a sperm whale was unfounded.

[Scully]

When I read the headline I presumed it would be another restaurant with an even more dubious reputation.

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g293916-d1675970-Reviews-Somboondee_Seafood_Restaurant-Bangkok.html

[DavisH]

Idiot customers didn't add the bill up to check. Every Thai i know checks the bill. The fish looks very expensive, especially if pla krapong or something similar.

[bernd1616]

this is almost the monthly salary of thai people...... means in germny you have to pay about 1500 euro for a seefood dinner with 3 friends compared with the thai price. thais like them i would put behind bars for at least 5 years for ripping off tourists.

[wooloomooloo]

Bluespunk, all is forgiven. LOL.

[bruceybonus]

It looks exorbitant to me based on what they ordered. Just plain basic old seafood chucked on a plate at over 2k per head! Compare that to Lord Jim's sea food buffet at the Mandarin Oriental. A veritable treat for seafood lovers at around 2k per person. Loads of choice and as much as you can eat in a classy, clean restaurant. Incomparable!

[Bluespunk]

I go to many eating establishments in LOS and quite a few high-end restaurants charge an additional service charge (10%) and VAT (7%). It's all there on the menu.

There's a lot of food on that bill and, divided by four, doesn't sound too dramatic to me.

Many similar places in London.

Spotted my error did you?

Dear Dickie. I worked it out for myself.

I've better things to do than spot your errors. Thank you and good night. LOL.

You didn't spot squat.

Just so you know, Bluespunk. You should have read the thread from the absolute beginning. LOL. Post #7 reveals all.

I've read every post.

My point was simply that the numbers on the bill didn't add up. My error was reading 17% as 171. At no point did you highlight that.

You went off on a big one because you felt I was saying the price was OTT.

Which I wasn't.

[Guest]

Idiot customers didn't add the bill up to check. Every Thai i know checks the bill. The fish looks very expensive, especially if pla krapong or something similar.

If my Aunt had a willy, she would be my Uncle.

This was a long trip to nowhere. What is your point?

555

[nycjoe]

This happened to me when I first got to Thailand, went to a Seafood restaurant at the Asok intersection and didn't know my baht. That is life, sometimes you eat the bear and sometimes the bear eats you. it's the law of compensation. Life is like that, I would rather laugh it off and move on than carry a resentment.

[Oziex1]

I no longer eat Thai seafood, why?

I don't like the slave trade.

Boycott now!

[wooloomooloo]

I've read every post.

My point was simply that the numbers on the bill didn't add up. My error was reading 17% as 171. At no point did you highlight that.

You went off on a big one because you felt I was saying the price was OTT.

Which I wasn't.

Like I said, forgotten about. Let's move on.

[Argus Tuft]

Sorry, but the bill adds up for me.

Note the 11th line down, just below 'towel' 40. That is service and tax 17%..

Items add up to 6830, for me, then add 10% service, then add a further 7% VAT to that total and it comes to 8040 THB.

So they paid approx 680 baht for service in the main list plus a further 800 baht 'tip' . That is the rip off, not the price of food which is in the right area for a tourist place.

Ah, got it, I saw that as 171 not 17%. Makes more sense now.

Cheers.

Me too, did exactly the same thing and read it as 171.

Well spotted ThaidDown

[lostmebike]

Thai-Chinese ripping off Malay-Chinese ... oh the irony!

[dansan]

this is such a non topic.

How much did the menu say it would cost?? didnt bother to check then tough. Same as getting in tuk tuk and not setting a price.

Is it a scam - yes, when you have a job interview and discuss your salary, do you honestly say what you think you are worth to the company, or the absolute MAX you think they will pay.

And besides - they never complained about the food, seafood is expensive and if it was decent there is a seafood restaurant here in Phuket I go to that has prices that match this. Better location than BKK i suspect, but it is not WAY over the top.

And if you get taken to place because your taxi driver suggests it - you get what you deserve.

There is a thing called the internet - do some research.

You sound like the kind of person who would be great to have a beer with...

[wabothai]

If they went elsewhere it wouldn't have been much cheaper .... maybe 1,000 - 1,500 max.

2,000 baht each for seafood dinner, crab, fish & river prawns, drinks etc ...

Price seems to be at the high end of mid-restaurant market rates, however not exorbitant.

Case closed .

Correct !

However not anywhere in the world is a tip part of the bill.

Very bad practice of the restaurant and indeed smells of thainess.

[elgordo38]

Could be me, but those numbers don't add up to 8,800, even when the tip is included.

My dear fellow it is called rounding out the bill. It saves making change in small coins.