Cheapcharlies - myth or real?

[RolandRat]

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Cheap+Charlie

"A cheap person, giving as little as possible - money wise".

Seen plenty of them around

Origins from the Vietnam war (apparently)

Edited March 11, 2016 by RolandRat

[jacko45k]

Of course they do.

The reality is though is the term gets used by a Thai with limited English when referring to foreigners who do not want to pay for something that is overpriced.

I was called CC only a few days ago for not wanting to pay 250 bahtx2 for a massage for me and the Mrs at a country fair when I can get one for 200 baht in town.

Sure the old ladies will give an original experience but a few years ago it was 100 baht.

I like that special with that old ones,

Ohhh Mister ! your skin is so soft,

you are so hansam,

from where r u ?

want some more ???

Well they seem to be able to manage a good bit of English and I wondered over their history.

But one looked a bit too much like Yoda.

[Gutenberg]

Wasn't charlie used for Vietcong by the Americans. Somehow that must be lost in the translation, in reality they are the cheap charlies.

[Gutenberg]

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Cheap+Charlie

"A cheap person, giving as little as possible - money wise".

Seen plenty of them around

Origins from the Vietnam war (apparently)

Damn, where I can meet the hotties left and right.

[thaiduncankk]

I dont know if any of the OP's reading this topic have ever owned a bar? Well,i did in Pattaya.Iv'e seen more tricks than you can imagine.

One guy used to come in,buy a soda and would try and talk to the girls for the chance of a grope.He would buy the girl a drink but would want it at bar price,no 30bht for the girl.He complained that the girl wasn't all over him and was quite angry when she moved on to another guy who was a bit more generous.All the girls then started to ignore him when he came in.Needless to say,we were quite glad to see him go.

People don't seem to understand that the girl isn't really interested in the drink,she wants the 30 baht for herself to go towards her salary. The best customer is the guy who comes in,chats to a girl,buys her a few lady drinks and then bar fines her.People forget,these are working girls,not free entertainment.That's their job,Its what they do.If you don't want to pay for a lady drink,then drink alone or go to the 7 and sit outside,or find a doorstep bar that has no girls.

I think it would be fairer for the punter if the drink was bar price + the 30 baht for the girl.

[smotherb]

I dont know if any of the OP's reading this topic have ever owned a bar? Well,i did in Pattaya.Iv'e seen more tricks than you can imagine.

One guy used to come in,buy a soda and would try and talk to the girls for the chance of a grope.He would buy the girl a drink but would want it at bar price,no 30bht for the girl.He complained that the girl wasn't all over him and was quite angry when she moved on to another guy who was a bit more generous.All the girls then started to ignore him when he came in.Needless to say,we were quite glad to see him go.

People don't seem to understand that the girl isn't really interested in the drink,she wants the 30 baht for herself to go towards her salary. The best customer is the guy who comes in,chats to a girl,buys her a few lady drinks and then bar fines her.People forget,these are working girls,not free entertainment.That's their job,Its what they do.If you don't want to pay for a lady drink,then drink alone or go to the 7 and sit outside,or find a doorstep bar that has no girls.

Yeah, there are lots of tricks and I know most of them--but then I had bars in Saigon, Angeles, and Puerto Galera. I like the lover boys who would rather give the girl B100, cheaper than a ladies drink and the girl stays to talk and grope with them--much better than B30 and they get it now. Similarly, instead of paying bar fines, get their number and arrange a meeting after work. Or, the old party gimmick, give the girls a couple of hundred baht to buy food and/or a bottle. Then have a little party with all of them and cull the herd--works best in a bar with few/no customers; which seems to be easy to find these days. And, for all of you cunning linguists out there, a little knowledge of the language goes a long way, especially here in Thailand where so few girls speak English--of course, all these work better with the newbies on the block, once a girl has worked for a while; she picks up some good tricks of the trade herself.

[chicowoodduck]

Once, many moons ago had a Thai gf who would have s shit fit if I tried to leave a tip??? ?

[ardokano]

This is hight cost coutry if you live in by Western standart.

Even its cant be by western standarts.

My life in Thailand is entirely at the same western standard as my life was in the UK.

Can't see where Thailand can be considered a high cost country compared to England.

I would like for you to do a weekly grocery shop of solely western food stuffs in Thailand and compare the price to that of the same items in the UK the increase due to import tax will be substantially higher that much is a fact.

That said if your eating only Thai food then your not living a western lifestyle.

I eat mainly western food, made by myself.

Ingredients for most western food is much cheaper in Thailand than it is in England.

(for example, today breakfast bacon rolls, elevenses coffee and croissant, lunch ice cream and apple pie, dinner chili and sticky rice, many cups of tea ...... everything much cheaper than in the UK)

You don't need to buy brand name imported junk food ....... it isn't good for you.

Sticky rice its not western food.

Becon from thailand pork too.

[ardokano]

This is hight cost coutry if you live in by Western standart.

Even its cant be by western standarts.

My life in Thailand is entirely at the same western standard as my life was in the UK.

Can't see where Thailand can be considered a high cost country compared to England.

cheese, beef (Thai beef is not true. the impression that the old cow-fed only hay old) pork (Thai pork is of poor quality, probably often overlooked during neutered. boar smell.)

Bear. I mean real bear not alcohol drink in thai call bear.

Car, motobike.assesory for car and bike.

Assesory for sport(golf,tennis,football etc)

Bicycles

Godd quality clothes( i even not talk about some lux name)

Sunglass and another assesory.

Some desing stuff for home.

AND many another thinks even not have in Thailand.

As so many model car ,bike.

show me where in Thailand wall of brick houses? wooden windows with two or three panes. Five years ago, I saw the house for 35 million Baht where the wiring phase is not through a switch on the line to the luminaire. even smooth wall is not cheap homes and apartments

Edited March 14, 2016 by ardokano

[MaeJoMTB]

This is hight cost coutry if you live in by Western standart.

Even its cant be by western standarts.

My life in Thailand is entirely at the same western standard as my life was in the UK.

Can't see where Thailand can be considered a high cost country compared to England.

cheese, beef (Thai beef is not true. the impression that the old cow-fed only hay old) pork (Thai pork is of poor quality, probably often overlooked during neutered. boar smell.)

Bear. I mean real bear not alcohol drink in thai call bear.

Car, motobike.assesory for car and bike.

Assesory for sport(golf,tennis,football etc)

Bicycles

Godd quality clothes( i even not talk about some lux name)

Sunglass and another assesory.

Some desing stuff for home.

AND many abother...

Cars and m/cs are way more expensive in the UK.

Denim jeans, they wear through the knees in around a year, 200bht (how long do your quality jeans last?)

Bicycles are 25-40% cheaper in Thailand than the UK.

Cycling outfits, are way cheaper than the UK (around 600-900bht for a full lycra outfit on Lazada)

Running shoes are now cheaper in Thailand than in the UK (1,500bht for size 11UK Reebok in Thailand).

You're right about the cheese.

Beef, I can live without.

Guessing you've never been to the UK as you don't appear to be a native English speaker.

Edited March 14, 2016 by MaeJoMTB

[ardokano]

Cars and m/cs are way more expensive in the UK.
Denim jeans, they wear through the knees in around a year, 200bht (how long do your quality jeans last?)

Ha ha you make my day.
Yes my English not native eve very poor but i be in UK even live.
And after you ansver i guess you never be in UK or in Thailand.
Or another they can you give me bmw 330i less than 1700k bath and many another car new or second hand.


You realy funny guys.
Denim 200 bath??
You sure you know what its mean "denim".
You make my day.

[CharlieH]

Off topic posts removed

[baneko]

Israelies in Samui. Bottle of water to use free desktop in my mates bar. He had to put a charge of 10baht per hour. They never came again although for us it was still free.

[Fookhaht]

Real. 'Cuz I are one. Or at least think I am.

Although I make a very comfortable salary from full-time work, plus retirement benefits from my old company, plus government retirement benefits, I still am looking for practical ways to save a satang: save those plastic bags from 7-11, not taking 2nd class bus or train if 3rd class will do, always buying used vehicles, etc. I do buy my underwear new, however. It's not an obsession, just a general lifestyle. I think a lot of "Cheap Charlie" traits come from our raising--a mom who darned our socks, heating the whole house by fireplace, sleeping in the car at nights while traveling, etc.

At the same time, I am known to splurge (a weekend at a five-star resort, bump up to Business Class, an afternoon at Starbucks, etc.). Does that eject me from the Cheap Charlie Club? I think it's all the in-between satang-pinching that helps me to justify letting my hair down once in a while. I'm comfortable with it, and don't impose my values/lifestyle on others. I do reject the "Cheap Charlie" type who crams it down everyone else's throats while wearing a cloak of superiority.

[Bangkokazy]

Retiring in Thailand you need 5 years' salary in a savings account, plus month payments pension.

Hundred thousand Pounds Sterling Savings Account

Fifth Hundred Pounds Sterling per month pension

Plus 2 to 3 percent increase in pension annually.

Hard to quote figures like that when everybody's circumstances are different.

A married man with 3 or 4 kids, where he is paying annual school fees, is completely different to, say, a single man,

Non smoker, goes out once or twice a week, and does not need to rent a 3/4 bedroom house, when a reasonable average size condo would be quite suffice for his needs.

When I said that I thought of myself

[Bangkokazy]

It is better to be called Cheap Charlie than to give away 10 percent of your week money

For people who really do not like you.

[nickmanchester2]

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Cheap+Charlie

"A cheap person, giving as little as possible - money wise".

Seen plenty of them around

Origins from the Vietnam war (apparently)

Damn, where I can meet the hotties left and right.

maybe start looking at Tommys Sports Bar Vung Tau Viet Nam

[Donutz]

I guess there are some, though one must ofcourse make a difference between being cheap because they don't have much of a choice (the backpacker, a pensioner who's pockets are pretty much empty ) and those who can afford to live a normal life but chose to save every damn cent or satang. Greatly annoying those around them or even commiting theft (stealing fruit or toilet paper...). Nothing cheap charly about going to a cheap restaurant or street vendor to eat. You can enjoy some good food and have a fun time with friends at say a food court. You are being a cheap bastard though when you don't even leave the few bahts of change (most Thai do leave the coins too), unless ofcourse for obvious reasons such a terrible experience while dining there. Or having had a mate help you out for a few hours and then thanking him with a 40 baht drink or plate of food... Or being the first to turn up when there is something to celebrate but not showing any such kindness in return.

"Cheap Charlie" is a whore term.

Whilst it is useful to understand whore Tinglish, it is not recommended to copy their vernacular outside of whoreville.

idem

monkey house

pom pui

same same

and many more

Can't say I ever heard the term Cheap Charley used by a Thai. Can't comment much on if it's bar language, having only visited those a few times a couple of years back. Pom pui, tingtong etc. I've heard often. My wife would frequent those words often, calling her sister pomp pui or how tingtong something was. Their cat was called Ting tong. Wasn't just her but when we'd hang out with her friends I'd hear words such as ting tong, baa etc. too and I can assure you those were all very normal middle class girls and guys with normal jobs (mosty office jobs). Might be a generation thing though, certain vocabulary or habbits are cool with the youth (teenagers, people up to 30 years of age or so) but not be used or done by elderly people (60 or 50+). Now if your Thai friends use some of this language not only amongst eachother but also towards other people such as serving staff, then you may need to ask yourself what sort of people you hang around with. 555

Or I might be victem of a very elabourate scam where all my wife's friends are actualy all just wh*** and in on it, and have been for years both during visits and with all those thousands of facebook updates they all like to post so much. Might explain why they'd borrow their car to us, must have been a gift from a customer rather then being earned by hard working hours on 20-30.000 baht wages.