Farang food pricing spat

[reader]

From Coconuts Bangkok

 

A viral Facebook post from a Thai woman who paid THB150 ($US4.7) for street food became the talk of town when the vendor admitted she overcharged the woman because the waiter mistook her for a Chinese tourist.

 

On Monday, Suthaporn Lee said she had a dish of pad kaprow moo grob (stir-fried pork belly with holy basil) at a pop-up stall at Neon Market, but she was charged THB150 for a dish that typically costs THB35-50 (about US$1-1.50) on the Bangkok streets.

 

The Neon Market is in Pratunam, an area popular among Chinese tourists.

 

But when reporters from Amarin TV went to the market yesterday and inquired about the situation with the stall’s owner, she admitted that THB150 is a farang price, and overcharging the Thai woman was a mistake.

 

Vendor Manee Maitree said that her waiter simply wrote down the price wrong because Suthaporn “looked Chinese.”

 

“She told me that there’s a Thai price, and the numbers on the menu are farang prices,” Worapan Khunthongchan, a Thai customer, told the TV station.

 

https://coconuts.co/bangkok/news/dual-pricing-happened-thai-charged-farang-price/

 

[vinapu]

nothing unusual the world over to try to take skin alive from unsuspecting foreigners, just greedy vendor bad luck.

[ChristianPFC]

I never experienced overcharging in Taiwan or Myanmar, and cannot imagine tourists being overcharged in Germany, France, the UK, or Switzerland. Expensive maybe, but not different prices for locals and tourists.

 

From the article, nobody seems to see anything wrong with the idea of overcharging tourists.

 

Long ago, I stopped eating at such markets after one experience of the food being served with single-use crookery and cutlery, and no table being free, so I and my friend had to sit on the curbstone to eat food that cost more than it would have in a regular restaurant, from single-use crookery and cutlery. Now I eat in a regular restaurant before going to such markets.

[reader]

Fortunately there are enough reputable restaurants and food vendors that do just fine by not resorting to cheating foreigners. Many of them are mentioned in this forum.

 

Thailand's largest food retailer (7-11) makes no exceptions for nationality.

 

Cheating is wrong regardless where it occurs or what the rationale behind it is.

[steveboy]

I never experienced overcharging in Taiwan or Myanmar, and cannot imagine tourists being overcharged in Germany, France, the UK, or Switzerland. Expensive maybe, but not different prices for locals and tourists.

 

From the article, nobody seems to see anything wrong with the idea of overcharging tourists.

 

Conservatives in the US constantly complain about too much government regulation. But we are lucky that so much discrimination is against the law.  And it is so in progressive countries. I don't see any justification for discrimination in countries where there is more poverty. Dual pricing for nationalities, genders, races, sexual orientations and... age is an abusive practice, except for social reasons.  For example, we older seniors (weak, helpless, vulnerable, poor) should get benefits of reduced fares, discounts.  

 

(I would like to see big fines to the owners of Sauna Mania and R3 for charging us more when we are over 50   ) 

[vinapu]

Conservatives in the US constantly complain about too much government regulation. But we are lucky that so much discrimination is against the law.  And it is so in progressive countries. I don't see any justification for discrimination in countries where there is more poverty. Dual pricing for nationalities, genders, races, sexual orientations and... age is an abusive practice, except for social reasons.  For example, we older seniors (weak, helpless, vulnerable, poor) should get benefits of reduced fares, discounts.  

 

(I would like to see big fines to the owners of Sauna Mania and R3 for charging us more when we are over 50   ) 

lots of seniors are not weak,  helpless , vulnerable or poor and they still get seniors discounts, clear example of double pricing.

 

Not that I'm against , mind you, but truth needs to be told.

 

Visa pricing is clearest of them all example of charging( or not ) different categories of foreigners differently  but somehow we , with visa waiver  to Thailand are not complaining for not being charged while others are.

 

While I don't like double pricing I see often justification for it and reason for that is disparity in income distribution. Can't see why Thai making minimum daily wage of 333 is supposed to pay the same 500 baht admission fee to Grand Palace   like foreigner living in jurisdiction where 364 baht is minimum hourly wage.

 

They give us ( or Chinese for that matter ) visa free access so we will support Thai economy by other means. We are inclined to scream that we were charged 150 instead of 50 for  a lunch meal but in the evening think nothing about shelling 500 for a dish which can be had two soi over for 120 in place with perhaps crappier  ambiance but not necessarily worse cook.

 

As for excesses of senior pricing in saunas perhaps fair exchange is if they let younger and fitter stock in for less or for free.

[vinapu]

 cannot imagine tourists being overcharged in Germany, France, the UK, or Switzerland. Expensive maybe, but not different prices for locals and tourists.

 

that's the reason, price level doesn't leave much room for an additional extraction of money but locals still have benefit of knowing cheaper places nearby

[vinapu]

Fortunately there are enough reputable restaurants and food vendors that do just fine by not resorting to cheating foreigners. 

 

 

Cheating is wrong regardless where it occurs or what the rationale behind it is.

unless price was clearly posted I don't see cheating in charging unsuspected farang more.

 

Deplorable and obnoxious practice , yes  but it's not cheating, it's market forces at work.

 

You may be driving car which cost you 2000 $ less than identical  car another guy  with poorer bargaining skills or just bad timing bought at the the same dealer few days apart.

 

There is a statistic chance that all passengers sitting in economy of  say, Bangkok  heading jet paid different price for their tickets. All departing and arriving at the same time , eating the same food and breathing the same fart infused air in the cabin.

[reader]

unless price was clearly posted I don't see cheating in charging unsuspected farang more.

 

 

According to the news account in the OP, the deceptive prices were posted.

 

 

Deplorable and obnoxious practice , yes  but it's not cheating, it's market forces at work.

 

 

Can't agree.  This was a deliberate attempt to over charge foreigners. Among the definitions of cheating is "deception" which this clearly was.

 

 

You may be driving car which cost you 2000 $ less than identical  car another guy  with poorer bargaining skills or just bad timing bought at the the same dealer few days apart.

 

There is a statistic chance that all passengers sitting in economy of  say, Bangkok  heading jet paid different price for their tickets. All departing and arriving at the same time , eating the same food and breathing the same fart infused air in the cabin.

 

In these above two cases you cite, market forces are in play and the customers is aware of it. These are very different in character than the dual food pricing which is undisclosed to the customer.

 

In the first situation, the buyer is aware that the price is negotiable. So they are forewarned.

 

In the second situation, buyer is aware that ticket prices are subject to change at any moment and that the price they agree to pay may be more or less than other fliers pay.  No harm, no foul. (to wit: I purchased ticket for my next trip three weeks ago but since then it has gone down $140. Not happy about it but I knew it was a possibility that that three things could happen after I purchased it: it could go up, go down or remain unchanged).

 

No matter what angle you examine this from, you can't escape the fact the vendor deliberately set out to deceive foreigners. To try to justify it by citing disparities in perceived wealth is to start down a slippery slope that can be used to justify deceptions in any other situation: posting price on items in a supermarket or department store that applies only to foreigners.

 

Selecting a class of people for deceptive practice by nationality, race, religion, color, age, gender or sexual preference is on its face discrimination. Excusing it only serves to encourage others to embrace it.

[vinapu]

According to the news account in the OP, the deceptive prices were posted.

 

 

this is not how I read it but if that was a case then I agree , it was cheating

 

 

 

Selecting a class of people for deceptive practice by nationality, race, religion, color, age, gender or sexual preference is on its face discrimination. Excusing it only serves to encourage others to embrace it.

 

 lots of big words but vendor did not use any of those criteria, she used 'ability to pay' test, exactly one  used in in taxation in most affluent i.e. Western countries

 

We agree to disagree. 100 % 

[steveboy]

lots of seniors are not weak,  helpless , vulnerable or poor and they still get seniors discounts, clear example of double pricing.

 

The more senior people are, the more weak, helpless, vulnerable, even poor. It is not practical to check for these qualifications, but it is very simple to check for age on an identification document. And there are no problems with this practice.

 

 

While I don't like double pricing I see often justification for it and reason for that is disparity in income distribution. Can't see why Thai making minimum daily wage of 333 is supposed to pay the same 500 baht admission fee to Grand Palace   like foreigner living in jurisdiction where 364 baht is minimum hourly wage.

 

They give us ( or Chinese for that matter ) visa free access so we will support Thai economy by other means. We are inclined to scream that we were charged 150 instead of 50 for  a lunch meal but in the evening think nothing about shelling 500 for a dish which can be had two soi over for 120 in place with perhaps crappier  ambiance but not necessarily worse cook.

 

If there were a clear justification for such double pricing, progressive countries would have it too. But they don't.  There is something inherently wrong with it:  open door to discrimination.  While a government can impose uniform double pricing, left to the individual it is too easy to be immoral. If someone discriminates farang vs local, what keeps him from discriminating black farang from white farang, gay from straight, etc.?  The Thai government should get sufficient benefit from tourism in the form of increased demand of the country's goods and services.

 

 

As for excesses of senior pricing in saunas perhaps fair exchange is if they let younger and fitter stock in for less or for free.

 

The lesser pricing for the young (regardless of fittness) and even their free entry serves a positive purpose of ATTRACTING attractive guests, which will benefit all without victimizing anyone.

The higher pricing for the older serves the purpose of REJECTING them, therefore victimizing them.

 

I understand that not being so young, you would not be indifferent to the money boys and massage places operating on a system of increasing charges for age like, say, for a 40 year old the short time is N baht, while for a 65 year old it is double.  You probably would not like it at all. 

[vinapu]

 

I understand that not being so young, you would not be indifferent to the money boys and massage places operating on a system of increasing charges for age like, say, for a 40 year old the short time is N baht, while for a 65 year old it is double.  

But they don't, it's why I like money boys and massages and don' t go to saunas.

 

as for rest of your post we agree to disagree as well. 100 %

[reader]

But they don't, it's why I like money boys and massages and don' t go to saunas.

 

 

To step back from the argument for a moment, massage shops are my favorite venue for many reasons (including the above statement).

 

There's one set of prices that apply to all and all are admitted as customers. What occurs in the privacy of the room is between you and the guy you selected. It's all very democratic. The secret to the success of the enterprise is in keeping their customers satisfied.

[bucknaway]

A few years back a Chinese friend took a group of friends to a Chinese restaurant in New York City. We looked at the menu and I balked at the prices. He told us to ignore the menu and had "Chinese" menus delivers to the table. He explains it was the same food but a fraction of the cost. He ordered for us and paid the bill. He explained that almost all Chinese restaurants had a secret lower priced Chinese menu given only to Chinese.

[reader]

So you're saying that the Chinese will be treated better in NYC than Bangkok.  Interesting.

[bucknaway]

I don't know if Chinatown bkk has a secret cheaper Chinese menu.

[reader]

He explained that almost all Chinese restaurants had a secret lower priced Chinese menu given only to Chinese.

 Well it's not a secret anymore.

[bucknaway]

If you can read Chinese.....

[reader]

Not read Chinese but can read your English post.  You let the cat out of the bag.

[bucknaway]

It's a well known secret it seems

 

 

https://www.chowhound.com/post/chinese-restaurants-insist-secret-chinese-menus-english-857367?page=2

 

https://www.quora.com/Do-all-Chinese-restaurants-have-secret-menus

[reader]

There I was, perfectly willing to give you all due credit for breaking the news about this "secret". You're an honest guy, Bucky.