How can newbies to Thailand avoid paying farang prices?

[JimmyJ]

In another thread someone advised a person moving to Thailand: " Don't pay clueless farang prices."

 

I've read that for goods and services with no price tags or prices posted, that there is (often? / always?) a Thai price and a farang price.

 

But a farang would need to know what the Thai price is to be able to insist on that same price or walk away.

Other than going shopping with a native Thai, how can a newbie farang avoid prices being higher?

Edited January 2, 2017 by JimmyJ

[tgeezer]

I hae been buying things in Thailand for quite a long time and all I can sugget is don't pay more than you think is fair.


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[sanemax]

There is no way to avoid paying felang prices .

There are felang shops and there areThai shops and felangs are not allowed into Thai shops .

7/11's are felang shops and 7/12's are Thai shops

Felangs are not allowed into 7/12 shops, they dont even tell us where they are, they are hidden in the back streets .

    There is no point in asking your Thai partner to go into these 7/12s to buy goods at HALF-PRICE of 7/11's because they are part of the conspiracy to make us pay more for everything

[sanemax]

I went into a bar the other night and one of the ladies was drinking orange juice , which costs 50 Baht , when I bought the same drink, I got charged 120 Baht!!!!!

   I also had to pay the bar 500 Baht to take her out for a meal and I was also required to pay her 1500 Baht the next morning .

  The very next day , just as the bar was closing , a Thai guy came and picked her up and drove off togethger on his motorbike and he didnt have to pay 500 Baht and I very much doubt whether he had to pay her 1500 Baht the next morning .

     DOUBLE PRICING 

[impulse]

With the exception of entrance fees to some attractions, I don't look at them that way.  

 

There's always one price for people who know how to negotiate and another price for those who don't.  I get to decide what price I'm willing to pay.  Or I walk over to the next vendor and start negotiating again.  Sometimes, I go home empty handed.  But not often.  And so do locals.

[Deepinthailand]

Easy when they say one price half it and go from there. Usualy they have a calculator after they give you there price use there calculator make it look as though you understand what your doing then type in half of what they say and show it to them. If they say no thank them and walk away if they want your buisness they will talk and try stopping you walking away.

In the end on clothes there still going to make a killing. If your in a tourist area I'm afraid your screwed pretty much. But what you can do is bar fine a girl and take her shopping with you for a few hours then she can go back to work later. If you explain this to her she will be fine buy her a couple of drinks or a dress whilst your out shopping. 

[mick220675]

I think when you first arrive in Thailand shop in stores witch have the prices displayed. If you pay 55 baht for a beer in Tesco, you can expect to pay double in a bar or restaurant.

 

In the long run learn to ask 'how much is this' and how to count, it is not that difficult. If you are at the market or local shop and you can talk a little Thai it makes a big difference.

 

But don't be to upset if you get charged more than the going rate, Thais rip Thais of as well.

 

 

[sanemax]

6 minutes ago, mick220675 said:

I think when you first arrive in Thailand shop in stores witch have the prices displayed. If you pay 55 baht for a beer in Tesco, you can expect to pay double in a bar or restaurant.

 

   Although you can pay as little as 65 Baht for a big Chang in bars / restaurants or 135 Baht or more, for the same drink in other bars .

 Its not a rip off though, because the prices are usually clearly marked

[Berkshire]

5 hours ago, sanemax said:

There is no way to avoid paying felang prices .

There are felang shops and there areThai shops and felangs are not allowed into Thai shops .

7/11's are felang shops and 7/12's are Thai shops

Felangs are not allowed into 7/12 shops, they dont even tell us where they are, they are hidden in the back streets .

    There is no point in asking your Thai partner to go into these 7/12s to buy goods at HALF-PRICE of 7/11's because they are part of the conspiracy to make us pay more for everything

 

Funny.  If the OP is this paranoid, he ought to just go the freak home.  Otherwise, he will ALWAYS be paying the farang price. 

[fruitman]

8 minutes ago, Berkshire said:

 

Funny.  If the OP is this paranoid, he ought to just go the freak home.  Otherwise, he will ALWAYS be paying the farang price. 

 

Has nothing to do with going home or being rich/poor. It's just the idea of getting ripped off which is very annoying. Even for 1 baht. 

 

If you come from a decent 1st world country where everybody pays the same prices it can be shocking to see them charging you double the amount.

Even more if you have have sponsored the Thai for decades by having a foster parents child in Thailand for example. (My parents had one in Thailand for decades and sent him money every month without ever seeing him, he was my foster parents brother as we called him).

 

Now when my parents come here to see us they have to pay a 10foulded price to see the crappy waterfall and maybe that foster parent-son is behind the register.

[Berkshire]

1 minute ago, fruitman said:

 

Has nothing to do with going home or being rich/poor. It's just the idea of getting ripped off which is very annoying. Even for 1 baht. 

 

If you come from a decent 1st world country where everybody pays the same prices it can be shocking to see them charging you double the amount.

Even more if you have have sponsored the Thai for decades by having a foster parents child in Thailand for example. (My parents had one in Thailand for decades and sent him money every month without ever seeing him, he was my foster parents brother as we called him).

 

Now when my parents come here to see us they have to pay a 10foulded price to see the crappy waterfall and maybe that foster parent-son is behind the register.

 

We're not talking national parks and the like, are we?  We're talking day-to-day.  Do you get ripped off at the Big C?  Tesco?  Esso?  Rim Ping?  7/11?  Give me a freakin break.  If you go to a night market and try to buy unpriced products..what do you expect?  It's capitalism at work.

 

By the way, the USA also has local and tourist prices, so you can get off your high horse. 

[steve187]

5 hours ago, sanemax said:

I went into a bar the other night and one of the ladies was drinking orange juice , which costs 50 Baht , when I bought the same drink, I got charged 120 Baht!!!!!

   I also had to pay the bar 500 Baht to take her out for a meal and I was also required to pay her 1500 Baht the next morning .

  The very next day , just as the bar was closing , a Thai guy came and picked her up and drove off togethger on his motorbike and he didnt have to pay 500 Baht and I very much doubt whether he had to pay her 1500 Baht the next morning .

     DOUBLE PRICING 

That was her husband

[Deepinthailand]

11 minutes ago, fruitman said:

 

Has nothing to do with going home or being rich/poor. It's just the idea of getting ripped off which is very annoying. Even for 1 baht. 

 

If you come from a decent 1st world country where everybody pays the same prices it can be shocking to see them charging you double the amount.

Even more if you have have sponsored the Thai for decades by having a foster parents child in Thailand for example. (My parents had one in Thailand for decades and sent him money every month without ever seeing him, he was my foster parents brother as we called him).

 

Now when my parents come here to see us they have to pay a 10foulded price to see the crappy waterfall and maybe that foster parent-son is behind the register.

No they don't have to pay 10 fold now do they. They don't have to go at all if they don't want. As for the sponsored child that was there choice to do so and may I add a very very nice thing to do. But not there faults about pricing is it.

[Deepinthailand]

3 minutes ago, steve187 said:

That was her husband

Or her brother

[sanemax]

38 minutes ago, fruitman said:

If you come from a decent 1st world country where everybody pays the same prices it can be shocking to see them charging you double the amount.

 

   Many Western Countries have reduced prices for local people .

Entrance to Thai National parks are not a rip-off, the prices are clearly marked and if you consider it too be too expensive, then, dont go .

   The price difference between fleang and Thai prices is 6 Pounds ish , it maybe unfair, but I just "Tut" and shrug my shoulders and quickly forget about it 

Some foreigners tend to be in a constant bad mood about having to pay more to go into the places that they hardly ever go to

 

[fruitman]

1 hour ago, Deepinthailand said:

No they don't have to pay 10 fold now do they. They don't have to go at all if they don't want. As for the sponsored child that was there choice to do so and may I add a very very nice thing to do. But not there faults about pricing is it.

 

They do have to pay that 10foulded price at the national parks. Why not? They are farang and the Thai don't give a poop if you helped their country in the past or never at all.

 

It's the same with the tsunami, they got big money from my homecountry but still treat them like criminals. And only the G7 have special visa-rules, the others are all the same to them.

[1FinickyOne]

There is no substitute for knowledge and experience. You will quickly learn where prices are negotiable and where not. Most places you will be spending money like restaurants and supermarkets, the price is not negotiable. You will quickly learn when and where transportation prices are negotiable and what the proper price is... 

 

I assume what you are referring to somewhat is the oft contentious issue here of national parks and some tourist attractions having two tier pricing with farang paying more. 

 

If you are talking about "goods" in a shopping mall, prices are marked. If it is a market or private store, sometimes prices can be negotiable and there are times when someone might try and go for a bit more - - if the price sounds high to you, you can leave and price the item elsewhere. They might also try for some extra with my Thai wife too. 

 

If you want one tip, if the vendor hesitates when you ask the price and appears to be thinking, it is probably not a good sign. I would just walk away. But, this will really not be a big issue for you. As a newbie, you may get clipped a little here and there but not much or often. Learning some language will also help. 

[Deepinthailand]

2 minutes ago, fruitman said:

 

They do have to pay that 10foulded price at the national parks. Why not? They are farang and the Thai don't give a poop if you helped their country in the past or never at all.

 

It's the same with the tsunami, they got big money from my homecountry but still treat them like criminals. And only the G7 have special visa-rules, the others are all the same to them.

What are you babbling g on about read my post carefully as you obviously haven't. 

[fruitman]

27 minutes ago, sanemax said:

 

   Many Western Countries have reduced prices for local people .

Entrance to Thai National parks are not a rip-off, the prices are clearly marked and if you consider it too be too expensive, then, dont go .

   The price difference between fleang and Thai prices is 6 Pounds ish , it maybe unfair, but I just "Tut" and shrug my shoulders and quickly forget about it 

Some foreigners tend to be in a constant bad mood about having to pay more to go into the places that they hardly ever go to

 

 

Again has nothing to do with how much us farang have to pay extra because we have a big nose. It's just the principle of being extorted by racist motivs which is very illegal in my homecountry, we can call the police for that and they will take hard action to stop that.

 

Everybody is equal and pays the same price for public things. Only elder people get discount for things like busfares but nobody pays extra. And nations who helped us in the past might get extra discount on special occasions. 

[Jingthing]

I avoid situations where the prices aren't fixed as much as possible. 
In cases where I can't and I don't know the market price, I gravitate to where I can watch a Thai buy the same thing and then pay the same, or fahgettaboutit. 

I'd rather avoid stress and conflict than always get the best price. 

BTW, it's not unusual at all for marked store prices to be as good or better than you're going to get on the street. 

Edited January 2, 2017 by Jingthing

[sanemax]

Just now, fruitman said:

Again has nothing to do with how much us farang have to pay extra because we have a big nose. It's just the principle of being extorted by racist motivs which is very illegal in my homecountry, we can call the police for that and they will take hard action to stop that.

 

  Are you feeling OK ?

What is the "big nose" comment all about ?

What is the "racist" comment all about ?

What is the "extorted" comment all about ?

This is really nothing to do with either nose size, racism or extortion .

Unemployed people on low incomes get subsidised entry into numerous UK attractions .

   British people get Government hand outs, which foreigners cannot get .

This is Thailand and you are not Thai , so you ate not entitled to some things that Thais are entitled too .

   This is Thailand, some things are different here compared to your home Country

[sanemax]

Just now, Jingthing said:

I avoid situations where the prices aren't fixed as much as possible. 
In cases where I can't and I don't know the market price, I gravitate to where I can watch a Thai buy the same thing and then pay the same, or fahgettaboutit. 

I'd rather avoid stress and conflict than always get the best price. 

 

   Thats exactly what I did recently .

Saw some street grilled chicken on sale ,

Waited for a Thai to buy one and saw he paid 100 Baht

I asked how much they were and was told 120 Baht

I just walked away , I didnt even bother offering 100 Baht

[1FinickyOne]

ps - much of the bargaining is done in places where they sell tourist items, watches and trinkets, like in the night bizarre in CM or street vendors in Bkk. - - and most of this occurs on discretionary items, things you don't need, but may want. And if you shop around, you will also find them in regular stores too w/a stable price. 

 

I live outside of tourist areas and it is very rarely part of life that I have to bargain. 

 

Just be aware and you will quickly learn the prices of the items you purchase regularly... 

[sanemax]

18 minutes ago, fruitman said:

 

And nations who helped us in the past might get extra discount on special occasions. 

 

  So, in the UK, you think that Americans should be discounts and Germans shouldnt get discounts ?

[geriatrickid]

10 minutes ago, sanemax said:

 

  So, in the UK, you think that Americans should be discounts and Germans shouldnt get discounts ?

 

I do. If Beyonce walks in, you bet she should get a massive discount, just for being luscious. If that shrivelled up fascist creep Heino shows up, he merits a surcharge just because he looks like he's depraved.

 

Anyways, whats the  obsession with street markets? The merchandise is of low quality, and it is all sourced from the same dozen or so big family syndicates who have a stranglehold on imports from China. It's like chicken, and other  agricultural products: One family in Thailand controls most of the market. I shop where most people in Thailand shop, at one of the big malls or chain stores. I value  consistency and some semblance of quality. Many Thais don't have the patience  for haggling anymore than farangs do. I know my friends hate it and prefer to shop where there is a fixed price.  As for food, I don't use street vendors and I eat at establishments with declared prices. There really is no need to haggle with anyone over anything except when one gets  to the purchase of a big ticket item or professional fees just as one does in the west.

[sanemax]

1 minute ago, geriatrickid said:

Anyways, whats the  obsession with street markets? The merchandise is of low quality, and it is all sourced from the same dozen or so big family syndicates who have a stranglehold on imports from China. It's like chicken, and other  agricultural products: One family in Thailand controls most of the market. I shop where most people in Thailand shop, at one of the big malls or chain stores. I value  consistency and some semblance of quality. Many Thais don't have the patience  for haggling anymore than farangs do. I know my friends hate it and prefer to shop where there is a fixed price.  As for food, I don't use street vendors and I eat at establishments with declared prices. There really is no need to haggle with anyone over anything except when one gets  to the purchase of a big ticket item or professional fees just as one does in the west.

 

    After a while, you begin to realise the real price of things and you know which shops or markets give the real price and which places are likely to charge inflated prices .

    I do find that some of the market clothes are a lot cheaper than malls, and the quality isnt much different .

[Jinxed]

Bring a Thai girl along

 

Although then they'd expect you to shop for two, so it'll end up costing more all up anyway

So don't bring a thai girl along

Hope this helps!

[naboo]

Where I am, there's a price for people who speak Kam Muang, a price for people who speak Thai, and a price for people who speak English. The assumption is, people speaking English are rich, people spealing Thai are rich, and people speaking Kam Muang are poor.

 

Given its hard to learn a language that quickly, my advice is dress like you have no money, you will get the lowest price.

[daveAustin]

Op, a clueless Thai will still pay inflated prices the same way a farang would in tourist and non-tourist areas alike. In the likes of the Night Bazaar in CM, neither would get a great price even when using the ole walking away ruse because the vendor knows full well that some sap will be right along behind them. If you knew a fair bit of Thai and how things work, you might fair better, but a fresh-off-the-boat farang with no experience of the world of Thainess will generally be bent over and delivered a nice big fat wet one at every turn. 

[JHolmesJr]

1. Learn some basic thai words that you might use.

 

2. Learn to speak thai english….broken short sentences….i look shampoo…..u go with me….where you go…..stuff like that.

I have seen some lord fauntleroys trying to speak with thai folks the way they talk at the pub back home. That is asking for a rip off.

Blend in as much as you can