Bangkok's legendary rip-off restaurant gets probed over THB1,000 tom yum

[impulse]

such a robbery! i just walk away in situations like that. haaa! how to complain with such ignorant?

Let us know next time you plan to walk on a bill in Thailand. We'll send someone to drive you to the hospital.

[bkk75]

the simple resolution to this is to force all businesses (make it law) that serve/sell to the public to clearly display their prices especially for drink and food, it is as simple as that, they have every right to charge what they want for their produce/sevice provided that those purchaing have a clear understanding of how much it will cost, I honestly get fed up having to ask for the price of something before I proceed with an order

Sorry but most places already do. It's just the few exception. As I said vote with your wallet.

[SOTIRIOS]

.........will they do anything to stop it from ever happening again.....

..that is the question.....

...investigation means squat.....

...they have proof in hand....

[siamcrut]

600,-- baht for an omelet, hahaha, f...ing hilarious!

Wonder how much do they charge for a portion of plane rice??

Does anybody know their location on google map?

Gonna try this joint next time I'm in Bgkk.

[impulse]

the simple resolution to this is to force all businesses (make it law) that serve/sell to the public to clearly display their prices especially for drink and food, it is as simple as that, they have every right to charge what they want for their produce/sevice provided that those purchaing have a clear understanding of how much it will cost, I honestly get fed up having to ask for the price of something before I proceed with an order

Sorry but most places already do. It's just the few exception. As I said vote with your wallet.

If it's like some of the famous seafood places in BKK, the price is clearly posted. But it's in Baht/100g (with the number in Roman numerals, but the "/100 grams" in Thai- so tourists don't have a clue) Then the fish may weigh a couple of kilograms so the price is 20x the expected bill. By the time you realize that, it's too late.

Problem with tourist areas is that there's always enough "fresh meat" and they don't really need repeat business. Just touts, taxi and tuk-tuk drivers to rake in the virgin suckers.

[Mister Fixit]

I was in Hua Hin a few times, helping out a Thai chap I now who organised golf tournaments. I'd check the English etc and got to stay in nice hotels and with free food.

One day, we went to the other night market in HH, (outside some big hotel, forget the name - the Grand?) Anyway, we (about 9 or 10 Thais and me) sat down at a restaurant there and were handed menus, all in Thai. The boss of the tournament got straight up, handed all the menus back and got pretty stroppy with the waitress.

Then she came back with other menus. Puzzled, I asked what was going on, because there were a lot of black looks flying around - it turns out she'd given us the foreigner menus which were 3 to 4 times the Thai price! He'd ticked her off and demanded the Thai menus which were all about 30 to 50 baht a dish instead of 150 baht and up. He said she'd seen my white face, abd stereotypically, assumed I was going to pay ...

No tip left, needless to say - personally, I'd have just walked out and they'd have lost almost a dozen customers in one go. Ah, Thainess ...

[Mister Fixit]

I was in Hua Hin a few times, helping out a Thai chap I know who organised golf tournaments. I'd check the English etc and got to stay in nice hotels and with free food.

One day, we went to the other night market in HH, (outside some big hotel, forget the name - the Grand?) Anyway, we (about 9 or 10 Thais and me) sat down at a restaurant there and were handed menus, all in Thai. The boss of the tournament got straight up, handed all the menus back and got pretty stroppy with the waitress.

Then she came back with other menus. Puzzled, I asked what was going on, because there were a lot of black looks flying around - it turns out she'd given us the foreigner menus which were 3 to 4 times the Thai price! He'd ticked her off and demanded the Thai menus which were all about 30 to 50 baht a dish instead of 150 baht and up. He said she'd seen my white face, and stereotypically, assumed I was going to pay ...

No tip left, needless to say - personally, I'd have just walked out and they'd have lost almost a dozen customers in one go. Ah, Thainess ...

Edited December 18, 2015 by Mister Fixit

[lvr181]

Tourist have reported this restaurant several times to the Thai authorities: Tourist police and local police. Apparently, it remains business as usually.

The Supreme Junta needs to follow China's Xi Jinping blacklisting individuals with A history of chronic corruption and fraud.

The Supreme Junta could simply wave his hand and "poof".

Maybe the Supreme Junta has a reason/excuse for not doing so? I mean they cannot seem to learn anything from Singapore (who is light years ahead with anything in 50 years compared to Thai 100's of years) why would they learn something from China? Maybe too many "vested interests" in high places?

[anon467367354]

weren't the prices on the menu?

[ggt]

Is this just another Thai bashing post? The PM has assured us that he has corruption under control...no restaurant can get away with this robbery without high level protection...corruption reform will need to start at the top and work it's way down thru the population while moms and dads teach the young ones that "your integrity in your spoken word and ethical practices define you"...

How would you define most Thais?

[alfalfa19]

"Sriayudhya Seafood Market, the Phaya Thai restaurant that many tuk tuk and taxi drivers love to recommend to tourists"

that right there would prevent me from ever walking through the front door.

[arrowsdawdle]

Had a similar situation at another very well known upscale BKK eatery and instead of balking at the bill and causing the waiter to lose face for the obvious and obscene overcharge, he had to stand impatiently watching the pages of the bill being scrutinized slowly and deliberately in silence until he could stand no more and pretended to suddenly notice something in the bill and apologized that he had brought a wrong bill that belonged to a different table, despite the items on the menu being accurate. Moral of the story: If you resist the urge to confront and leave a Thai room to exit a situation without losing face you often enjoy better results.

[roo860]

I am not familiar with this p,ace but font they have a price list ... it's called a menu I think? One might think to leave if there is no prices listed. Understanding of course that even the Nigerians land a live one once and a while.

?

[Mister Fixit]

weren't the prices on the menu?

If you are referring to my post, then of course they were. That's why the chap handed them back. Duh!

If not, please make it plain which post you are referring to.

Edited December 18, 2015 by Mister Fixit

[howbri]

Just a misunderstanding. The price is more because the portions were bigger for farang.

Got caught in this scam several years ago by a Tuk Tuk driver on my first trip to BKK. I paid the bill and got the hell out of there as the "waiters" looked like Muay Thai fighters!

[taony]

We can stand out front in a group and warn people as they come in.

[impulse]

We can stand out front in a group and warn people as they come in.

My offer in post #31 applies here, too...

[spidermike007]

Tourist have reported this restaurant several times to the Thai authorities: Tourist police and local police. Apparently, it remains business as usually.

The Supreme Junta needs to follow China's Xi Jinping blacklisting individuals with A history of chronic corruption and fraud.

The Supreme Junta could simply wave his hand and "poof".

China appears to be interested in pursuing corruption, at least at the lower levels. So does Malaysia, Vietnam, and India. Obviously, few members of the CCP are being investigated, and they are ALL very corrupt, and fabulously wealthy from this corruption. But, in Thailand even most mid level guys are not being pursued. Little P, is simply not interested, and never was. Poof is not going to happen. It could happen to you or to me, if he wanted it to. It is happening to some hapless locals, who are being scapegoated, to make an example of them, for doing innocent things like "liking" the wrong post on Facebook. If he only understood the amount of enmity and hatred, and egg on his face worldwide, and within Thailand, for doing such a simple minded act as that, one wonders if he would refrain?

Does the "consumer safety and protection" arm of the government care? You can absolutely bet everything, the answer is what it has always been, an emphatic NO! The average Thai continues to be ignored, disdained, not looked after, not cared about, and not taken into account. As far as this government is concerned, the average Thai does not mean anything to them. They are vulnerable to the wrath of the junta. The ones with big ripoff joint restaurants, and the ones with a lot of cash are not.

Good on TV for naming this restaurant. Let us all unite and do everything in our power, to make sure nobody on this forum ever visits this sewer of a restaurant.

[Youaredoomed]

The name of the place should show that it's owned by untouchables.....

[mikebell]

I don't know what is the issue here. If the prices are on the menu and you are still ordering it then you knew what your bill was going to be. Vote with your wallet and never visit again.

I have walked out of restaurants that do not show the price on the menu

I walk out of places that operate a ++ scam. Why should I pay 10% for what Thais laughingly call service?

[Deez]

At least they were not charged for damaging the plates. That is 30K-40K baht

[lee b]

Just close the place down !

[fekman]

This is the Thai over charging in a nutshell... they are just following the same price difference as other private and government facilities do!

The first thing is the national parks that charges 20 Baht for Thai and 200 for us foreigners. Wat Prakeo that is free for Thai even charged me 500 Baht when I went there on a field trip with my students, when the director of the college asked the guide and workers why it was not free for me as I'm a teacher the guide just said "Farang phen farang, farang 500 Baht!".

I can also compare between myself (living here) and my sister that came down for holiday as we both need to eat allergy medicine from time to time.

Last time I spent 80 Baht in the local government hospital for seeing the doctor and 20 allergy pills without using any insurance or anything (50 for the doctor and 30 for the medicine).

My sister went to a private hospital and had to pay 500 Baht + that the hospital charged the insurance company and that was for her seeing the doctor and get 20 allergy pills... Not even the imported stuff but the same Thai brand that I usually get!

Why did u go to a hospital for allergy pills? Never heard of a pharmacy?

[fekman]

A busted Thai restaurant that accepts credit cards??? Thats the first sign to run, not walk. And these people hand them their debit cards after being charged 2500 for a fish? Their numbers are probably being shopped around as we speak.

.

Order food without the price? These are the same people running tabs in nightclubs and strip clubs. Face palm.

[waighty]

Sorry i must be a little thick as I do not get the Thai Airways connection. Or is it just more Thai bashing?

Just paint FF in front of every business that cheats farang. It will be our code. (FF=farang fuchers)

I know...you don't have to tell me. There won't be any place with out the dreaded FF in a months time.

Actually there won't be enough paint to finish the task

Don't worry, THAI airways has got plenty of stock...

[WorriedNoodle]

>The bill listed absurd prices for an omelet (THB600)

Sorry to be pedantic but Coconuts is over cooking this story. The bill clearly says TWO omelets are 600THB ++ as with other items which are multiples of dishes as well. Still fracking expensive and a rip off, but news reporters need to get the facts correct before laying in IMHO.

Edited December 21, 2015 by WorriedNoodle

[impulse]

Sorry i must be a little thick as I do not get the Thai Airways connection. Or is it just more Thai bashing?

Just paint FF in front of every business that cheats farang. It will be our code. (FF=farang fuchers)

I know...you don't have to tell me. There won't be any place with out the dreaded FF in a months time.

Actually there won't be enough paint to finish the task

Don't worry, THAI airways has got plenty of stock...

Mostly just bashing, but probably refers to this:

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/09/09/travel/thai-accident-logos-blurred/

Edited December 21, 2015 by impulse