Have you received too much change in Chiang Mai?

[paddyfield7]

My story has no direct relation to Chiang Mai, but as I live here since 3 years, and it's about cashiers, it may amuse some nevertheless. It was a few decades back in Switzerland when the arrival of the latest crop of Bordeaux came into the shops. I found a wooden case of 12 bottles/75 cl Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1990, a so called "super second" rated by Rober Parker Jr. with 99 points. There was an eye-catching orange sticker stapled to the wood, showing a price of CHF 42.50 - around THB 1,500. At that time Eurocheques were still in use, and I asked the casher to multiply CHF 42.50 by 12 on her calculator to give me the total for which I had to issue the cheque. She got angry and shouted to me, questioning whether I could read at all, as the price was clearly shown in big letters to be CHF 42.50. I tried to explain to her that this was the price per bottle, and I needed the total amount for the whole case, which must have been around CHF 500 (or approx. THB 18,000). She got even more excited and insisted I should give her CHF 42.50 in cash now and move on. I asked for the shop manager, but he was not around, and in the end she kicked me out - with the whole wooden case on my trolley for roughly THB 1,500. Well, did you ever drink a 99 points Parker, super second Bordeaux wine at around 42 Baht?

[smotherb]

On 11/15/2016 at 10:42 AM, taotoo said:

Once or twice in 7/11. Kept it. Figure it balances out with the times they short change me.

Seems to me if you got short-changed, it was your fault--don't you count your change?

[amexpat]

On 11/15/2016 at 10:42 AM, taotoo said:

Once or twice in 7/11. Kept it. Figure it balances out with the times they short change me.

 

Very unlikely the person who had to pay for the loss was the one who shorted you. Count your change. 

[LawrenceN]

Mrs. LawrenceN recently bought some salapao, those stuffed steamed buns. She paid with a 500, and was given change back as if she had paid with a 1000. She noticed when we were already down the road. The business's phone number was on the bag, though, so Mrs. called when we got home, and we dropped off the extra 500 the next time we went by the market. Madame Salapao was friendly, grateful, and gracious.

[grin]

At Global House I gave the cashier in the back by the tools and lighting area 100 baht for a small purchase. I wasn't paying close attention as I walked away but something seemed wrong. I checked and she had given me 900 baht and change, obviously thinking I had given her 1000 baht. I stepped back to give her the extra 900 baht but she insisted that I had given her 1000 baht.

 

Normally I don't carry cash or coin. I only carry credit cards as my wife always has cash. I had asked my wife for the 100 baht when I left for Gobal House as I didn't want to use a credit card for a small amount. When I got back I told her what happened and she confirmed that she had only given me 100 baht. So she then takes the 900 baht and drives all the way to Global House herself to give it back. This is par for the course as she will return to a market to return as little as 10 baht in extra change.

 

She came back also unsucessful in returning the money. But she had a good theory on why the cashier assumed that I had given her 1000 baht. It is a well known fact that foreigners always pay for tiny purchases with 1000 baht bills. And of course being the keeper of the cash in our household she kept the 900 baht.

[Sandy Freckle]

Yes...., and to the degree that I've now become totally unrecognisable...., I wish 

[taotoo]

13 hours ago, smotherb said:

don't you count your change?

 

13 hours ago, amexpat said:

Count your change. 

 

I do - that's how I know when I'm being short changed.

 

[elektrified]

21 hours ago, off road pat said:

One other time I needed to pay 90 Bath, I gave a 100 bill, and the waitress went to get a calculator and calculated that she had to give me back 10 bath....!!!.....left me speechless !!!!!

A few years ago I was friendly with a woman whose daughter had just graduated pharmacy school at CMU. For graduation, the mother had bought the daughter a brand-new, well stocked pharmacy in the city. She suggested I drop in, and if possible, send some business her way. I will never forget how I dropped in one night and introduced myself. I made a purchase of an item for 60 Baht and handed the girl 100 Baht. I saw her looking around for the longest time, and then disappearing in the back for a good 10 minutes or more. This was odd I thought. Yes, you guessed it. She had misplaced her calculator! She could not, apparently, subtract 60 from 100 in her head - after what - 5 years at CMU!