Thai Gardners

[leight02]

I recently had my garden cut by a thai gardner/motor cylcle taxi and i was charged 300 bhat for 30 min work, the garden is only 6x6 meters

do you think thats fair or have i yet again been done!

[emwobberlydee]

Depends upon where you live, in rural Surin you can pay B140 per day, there labour is readily available and cheap. B 300 seems too high for 30 minutes anywhere in Thailand.

Does he have a mowing attachment on the back of his motorbike, if so where can I get one!?

[JacknDanny]

I recently had my garden cut by a thai gardner/motor cylcle taxi and i was charged 300 bhat for 30 min work, the garden is only 6x6 meters

do you think thats fair or have i yet again been done!

I think thats a bit high.

On second thoughts he could be Thaksins EX gardener in which case you got the job done cheap!!!

[bkkmadness]

I recently had my garden cut by a thai gardner/motor cylcle taxi and i was charged 300 bhat for 30 min work, the garden is only 6x6 meters

do you think thats fair or have i yet again been done!

Well and truly done. How I don't know. You live in this country, you have a house here, but you think 600 baht an hour is a reasonable rate for a guy to cut your grass?

Next time grab one of the local kids in your neighbourhood, sling him 50/100 baht for the job. Its still over the top money really, but the kid will be buzzing and you won't be left feeling like you've been done. You might gain a bit of 'face' in your neighbourhood rather than losing it as well.

[Tywais]

I pay 300 baht for our gardner but he usually spends well over an hour and not just cuts the grass but trims the trees, prunes the shrubs, picks up junk in the yard and sweeps the grass/shrub cuttings and carts them off. That is in an area of about 25 meters x 25 meters, so yes believe you paid too much.

[toptuan]

Your gardener is definitely overpaid.

The lady who owns a cow across the street from me comes by once a month to negotiate about cutting all the grass on my long plot beside the house (1.5m X 20m), to feed to her cow. Each time, I hum and haw, but then reluctantly agree not to charge her for the grass. She pulls out her little sickle, slaves away for about an hour, and walks away with a cart-load of grass and a Cheshire Cat grin, thinking she's pulled one over the farang, for another month in a row. Ya gotta love this country.

Edited November 4, 2006 by toptuan

[Sing_Sling]

[chownah]

I recently had my garden cut by a thai gardner/motor cylcle taxi and i was charged 300 bhat for 30 min work, the garden is only 6x6 meters

do you think thats fair or have i yet again been done!

minum wage is under 200 baht per DAY. You are paying 4,800 baht per day based on a half hour at 300 baht......do you think you paid too much?

Chownah

[The Skipper]

600 bt / hour is a fair wage,

....in California

[Nawtilus]

Sucker comes to mind.

I have paid 300 for someone to cut mine, but it was by hand and used scissors to trim the edges.

[LaoPo]

600 bt / hour is a fair wage,

....in California

...or Europe for a gardener/cleaning lady, paid cash.

LaoPo

[Donz]

whats the difference between 200 baht and 300 baht?

If you got duped then it is probaly about 100 baht, thats like $3.00 in australia.

Its also your first post and talking about getting ripped for such a tiny amount. hmmmmmmmmmmmm

[LaoPo]

whats the difference between 200 baht and 300 baht?

If you got duped then it is probaly about 100 baht, thats like $3.00 in australia.

Its also your first post and talking about getting ripped for such a tiny amount. hmmmmmmmmmmmm

..the difference of such a tiny amount is 50% +

LaoPo

[Donz]

whats the difference between 200 baht and 300 baht?

If you got duped then it is probaly about 100 baht, thats like $3.00 in australia.

Its also your first post and talking about getting ripped for such a tiny amount. hmmmmmmmmmmmm

..the difference of such a tiny amount is 50% +

LaoPo

which in this case is 100 baht

[Upcountry]

Given the wide gap between rich and poor here, in Thailand, I'm beginning to wonder if it is a bad thing to try to pay the "underclass" so little.

Part of the reason an "evil-o-maniac" like Mr. T could take over like he did is the fact that poor people are being exploited.

With all the other overly expensive things in LOS it's easy to take some satisfaction or relief in small savings here and there, but as long as farang are not being ripped of by tuk tuk divers, etc., shouldn't we be thinking about helping the underprivileged find a way up?

I think that's why they have unions in the US, and why under educated but trained plumbers, etc., get a good wage in return for their work.

It's certainly part of the reason why people worldwide are turning militant in one way or another. The cause of so-called religious or political conflicts are usually based in economics. As "guests" here in this country maybe we should think about that.

[johnnyk]

Depends upon where you live, in rural Surin you can pay B140 per day, there labour is readily available and cheap. B 300 seems too high for 30 minutes anywhere in Thailand.

Does he have a mowing attachment on the back of his motorbike, if so where can I get one!?

Yes, that's 600B an hour! Huge money, BG wage scale actually.

They most likely think you are a fool. For 36 sq. m about 100B.

Edited November 4, 2006 by johnnyk

[macb]

Well I dont pay anyone I do it myself along with the wife.

I did have one village guy weeding but he spent more time siping his Thai whisky so I binned him.

My grass is cut by way of strimmer and I do it myself, when the day arrives when I cant then someelse will benefit, basically I dont want to sit and Fester all day, I like to do things in my own grounds. If I did pay it would be in the region of 100 bht depends on how much they would have to do, but not more than 150 bht

Edited November 5, 2006 by macb

[phusingpete]

Well I dont pay anyone I do it myself along with the wife.

I did have one village guy weeding but he spent more time siping his Thai whisky so I binned him.

My grass is cut by way of strimmer and I do it myself, when the day arrives when I cant then someelse will benefit, basically I dont want to sit and Fester all day, I like to do things in my own grounds. If I did pay it would be in the region of 100 bht depends on how much they would have to do, but not more than 150 bht

I take it you have a work permit then!!!!.If not do not let the whiskey sipping Thai,you 'binned', see you, could end up festering in jail.......

[toptuan]

Part of the reason an "evil-o-maniac" like Mr. T could take over like he did is the fact that poor people are being exploited.

A win-win situation is not so bad. She wins because she gets her cow munchies free. I win because I am paid the same as other Thai teachers (10% of my home country's salary) and this is an affordable arrangement for me, as well. I live in a 2,500-baht a month apartment and drive a cheap used motorbike for transportation.

Now, if I were still living high-on-the-hog like Mr. Upcountry, still basking in my riches from my former life, I'd reconsider the business arrangement. All in all, good points, Mr. U.

[Upcountry]

A win-win situation is not so bad. She wins because she gets her cow munchies free.

I agree, nothing wrong with that in any corner of the world.

I'm making less than you are at this point in time, and appreciate low prices. Many of the Thai's we do business with here and there couldn't dream of a 2,500 baht apartment. Half of that at best. It's depressing to see the shacks next to the railroad tracks coming into the Bangkok train station. A rising tide doesn't necessarily lift all boats.

Edited November 6, 2006 by Upcountry

[Donz]

If you really want to save money on your gardening, then either do it yourself or concrete your back yard.

Edited November 6, 2006 by Donz

[toptuan]

I'm making less than you are at this point in time, and appreciate low prices. Many of the Thai's we do business with here and there couldn't dream of a 2,500 baht apartment. Half of that at best. It's depressing to see the shacks next to the railroad tracks coming into the Bangkok train station. A rising tide doesn't necessarily lift all boats.

Well, the lady I'm dealing with owns a successful restaurant across the way, and is probably making twice my own salary.

All in all, good points. I think a wonderful way to do some permanent good for the bottom of the economic ladder is get a promising person to teach you Thai, and pay a generous (but not outrageous) wage. This accomplishes several things:

1) You can form a long-term friendship and really get to see what the family's needs are. As you become true friends, they will begin to accept your gifts and acts of friendship to benefit their situation.

2) You are allowing them to make an honest baht, rewarding them for their knowledge/skill.

3) You can improve your Thai!

Most bleeding-heart soap-box liberals who fret over poverty, whom I've known, weren't too quick to get their hands dirty and rub shoulders with the dirt poor. I hope you're an exception to that.

[TAWP]

whats the difference between 200 baht and 300 baht?

If you got duped then it is probaly about 100 baht, thats like $3.00 in australia.

Its also your first post and talking about getting ripped for such a tiny amount. hmmmmmmmmmmmm

'We' pay our workers ~32baht an hour, so 600 baht an hour isn't 100 baht difference, it's 568baht difference, or 18.75 times difference. Welcome to highschool math.

[Donz]

whats the difference between 200 baht and 300 baht?

If you got duped then it is probaly about 100 baht, thats like $3.00 in australia.

Its also your first post and talking about getting ripped for such a tiny amount. hmmmmmmmmmmmm

'We' pay our workers ~32baht an hour, so 600 baht an hour isn't 100 baht difference, it's 568baht difference, or 18.75 times difference. Welcome to highschool math.

Well depends on what you think im replying too.

[Noel]

Well I dont pay anyone I do it myself along with the wife.

I did have one village guy weeding but he spent more time siping his Thai whisky so I binned him.

My grass is cut by way of strimmer and I do it myself, when the day arrives when I cant then someelse will benefit, basically I dont want to sit and Fester all day, I like to do things in my own grounds. If I did pay it would be in the region of 100 bht depends on how much they would have to do, but not more than 150 bht

I take it you have a work permit then!!!!.If not do not let the whiskey sipping Thai,you 'binned', see you, could end up festering in jail.......

Really!

Utter crap...

[Spaniel]

I would say by Thai standards you paid him to much. If you are married to a Thai or have Thai GF then I would let them do all the negotiating for such things.