There are some people that state...
...quiet the opposite of my heading and claim that they are always ripped off in Thailand. Well, Thailand is probably not the only Third World country to be accused of this. Holiday makers from all over the world seem to consider their visit to the country as some kind of development help. Certainly, many Third World countries live better with the tourism factor and can improve over time. However, it does not seem fair that the ordinary tourist expects then to get quality products of the country at minimum expenses.
I would like to debate a bit the hypocrisy of complaining about different prices for the local population and tourists. Usually these foreign visitors who complaint are on the low budget level. These people want on one hand the same prices as the residents but are not ready to spend time and effort to achieve this. At least here in Thailand, it is not a general fact that they have to pay automatically more money. Usually they are just too lazy to look around. Let's take for example Khao San Road in Bangkok. Of course you will have to pay more money there compared with Jatujak. So, go to Jatujak. Then you go to the market and you see that you have to pay more money than a Thai shopper. Hang on, do you think that there are no differences between shops on a massive market like that? First, not all shops overcharge you. Second, shops have different prices. So, if you saw that the Thai paid 50 Baht but you had to pay 70 at a different shop, then blame the shop but not the attitude of Thai people. How can you know that the Thai was not a regular customer? You know, maybe it is difficult to understand but wholesale customers just pay less money and some just need sometimes a single item. Third, how can you dare to complaint paying 20 Baht more? Spend just a second to think what you get from 20 Baht in your own country. So, I am sorry to say that but you should get your act together before raising your voice to judge this condition. Or even easier, just stop going on holidays into foreign countries!
Now, even conditions like this have their origin not in Third World countries but the First World countries. It is a continuation of colonialism, to exploit poor countries because the people there need the money. So, the development that foreign tourists are asked for more money is slightly correcting the imbalance in worldwide unequal distribution of resources.
I would like to debate a bit the hypocrisy of complaining about different prices for the local population and tourists. Usually these foreign visitors who complaint are on the low budget level. These people want on one hand the same prices as the residents but are not ready to spend time and effort to achieve this. At least here in Thailand, it is not a general fact that they have to pay automatically more money. Usually they are just too lazy to look around. Let's take for example Khao San Road in Bangkok. Of course you will have to pay more money there compared with Jatujak. So, go to Jatujak. Then you go to the market and you see that you have to pay more money than a Thai shopper. Hang on, do you think that there are no differences between shops on a massive market like that? First, not all shops overcharge you. Second, shops have different prices. So, if you saw that the Thai paid 50 Baht but you had to pay 70 at a different shop, then blame the shop but not the attitude of Thai people. How can you know that the Thai was not a regular customer? You know, maybe it is difficult to understand but wholesale customers just pay less money and some just need sometimes a single item. Third, how can you dare to complaint paying 20 Baht more? Spend just a second to think what you get from 20 Baht in your own country. So, I am sorry to say that but you should get your act together before raising your voice to judge this condition. Or even easier, just stop going on holidays into foreign countries!
Now, even conditions like this have their origin not in Third World countries but the First World countries. It is a continuation of colonialism, to exploit poor countries because the people there need the money. So, the development that foreign tourists are asked for more money is slightly correcting the imbalance in worldwide unequal distribution of resources.
At the beginning was the backpacker
Well, actually even not. At the beginning was the American soldier, during the Vietnam war. However, that would make it too easy for my story. The US soldier was here, yes okay, but this did not start tourism in Thailand. It just gave Thailand the idea to make some good money by focusing on the male sex drive. The Vietnam war created Pattaya but the soldiers on their leave were hardly interested of breaking down the prices of the local traders. They were rather happy to have a break from the war and did not count their pennies. So, after all at the beginning was the backpacker.
The backpackers alone would have been not that bad. I can hardly accuse peaceful hippies and the first travelers of having brought a bad condition on Thailand and destroying prices. Unfortunately, these early visitors of the country had hardly any money, well like at most other places when you meet them. They started to buy cheap stuff and resold it in their own countries to finance their journeys. Again, I still do not see any problem with that. However, now something started that brought the entire system out of balance. As usual, the price on the market depends on the conditions of supply and demand. The demand on Thai products was high but not many people traveled to Thailand and sold then their souvenirs in western countries. This made the prices climb in the West at stagnating prices in Thailand. Now, smart business people saw an opportunity to export from Thailand for high profit margins. The backpackers had started the trade with Thai goods but were now no longer parts of the game.
In Thai perspective
The average Thai person that is manufacturing handicraft is not very educated and does not understand business on an advanced level. The whole concept of trading, export and market laws have been long time only visible for the educated and financial powerful classes of the country. Some of these people have tried to make business with other countries but usually do not focus on handicraft. They are in natural resources trading, food processing and other rather lucrative kinds of business. So, the western trader or exporter who came to the country around thirty years ago, had the advantage of information, education and business experience. This put him into an overpowering position towards his Thai business contacts. The Thai manufacturer and seller had first to learn a lot and it stayed over a too long time an unequally balanced business relationship. The Thai was happy to get enough money to feed his family and was not aware how he got exploited by his western customers.
The western business person was quickly able to dictate the prices. Additionally, other Thai people saw that the manufacturers of handicraft were able to improve their families' lives and so over the time more people started to craft articles. This competition was of course not helpful for the price level and the articles became even cheaper.
The western business person was quickly able to dictate the prices. Additionally, other Thai people saw that the manufacturers of handicraft were able to improve their families' lives and so over the time more people started to craft articles. This competition was of course not helpful for the price level and the articles became even cheaper.
The travel magazine and book industry
It would have not been easy for western business people if the system had not been strengthened through the right propaganda. A very malicious role has played the travel magazine and book industry. A lot of these books like to depict the beautiful sides of Thailand, give some information about the country and embrace the foreign tourist. Now, what should be wrong with this? Actually nothing, but in the end everything.
First, these magazines and books advise the traveler to haggle and barter hard to get good discounts. Now, that sounds initially good if you just keep it as shallow as these books. People who follow these advises can of course get some discount but it is an urban myth that you get on single articles a discount of 30%. You will also not make yourself particularly popular if you haggle aggressively in Thailand. Well, yeah, I forgot you are only on holiday and so you maybe don't care about the feeling of the people as you brought your money to the country. They should be happy these locals that you spend your money. Well, if that is really your attitude don't complaint that people don't like you. Probably, you will trust then these magazines and books that Thai people don't appreciate foreigners. Frankly, Thais like foreigners but are not that crazy to like assholes!
Second, these books and magazine raise the interest in Thai handicraft and so they help the keen business people to expand their markets. Unfortunately, it hardly helps the local producers a lot. As liberal they may present themselves they are only contributing to ongoing exploitation.
Further, think one more time as above already mentioned about the twenty Baht that you wanted the item being reduced. First, an item declared on 70 Baht and being reduced to 50 Baht means a discount of 30%. When do you get that in your own country? Let me know and I will visit your place. Second, the 20 Baht compared to your flight is minimal. You will also hardly have any meal in Thailand which cost you only 20 Baht as you are scared of hygienic measures. A Thai person indeed sometime seats for 20 Baht a meal. So, thinking in the extreme you just took away the meal of a local person because you could not give a part away from your own. That does not sound fair!
So, you eventually understand if I call you a contradicting delusional person not understanding life and the world. Please, follow in future my advice to haggle and barter a bit out of fun or just admit that you are a capitalistic conservative person.
First, these magazines and books advise the traveler to haggle and barter hard to get good discounts. Now, that sounds initially good if you just keep it as shallow as these books. People who follow these advises can of course get some discount but it is an urban myth that you get on single articles a discount of 30%. You will also not make yourself particularly popular if you haggle aggressively in Thailand. Well, yeah, I forgot you are only on holiday and so you maybe don't care about the feeling of the people as you brought your money to the country. They should be happy these locals that you spend your money. Well, if that is really your attitude don't complaint that people don't like you. Probably, you will trust then these magazines and books that Thai people don't appreciate foreigners. Frankly, Thais like foreigners but are not that crazy to like assholes!
Second, these books and magazine raise the interest in Thai handicraft and so they help the keen business people to expand their markets. Unfortunately, it hardly helps the local producers a lot. As liberal they may present themselves they are only contributing to ongoing exploitation.
The contradicting delusional tourist
It is not that extreme even that it is really bad. I think most people on this world are trapped into conditions that they are not able to reflect anymore. Most people learn from their childhood that they support countries when they travel to them. This is only limited correct. If you are traveling to a country like Thailand, please accept the offered prices. It is okay to barter and haggle a bit but don't expect that everybody falls to your feet and has to follow your price offers. Now, you think that you are a liberal thinking person but you are proud of your haggle skills. Hang on, you are just contradicting yourself. Probably opposing concepts that you grew up with, you think that your haggling is only an expression against capitalistic conditions. How wrong you are! You are probably used to that capitalistic powers dictate the prices in your country. Here, in Thailand, your haggling has only one impact, to make the life of a struggling family even harder. So far with your liberalism, instead of supporting poor people, you just help to exploit them. what kind of liberal are you then? So, you maybe slowly start understanding that these travel magazines and books are only an instrument of western no-colonialism.Further, think one more time as above already mentioned about the twenty Baht that you wanted the item being reduced. First, an item declared on 70 Baht and being reduced to 50 Baht means a discount of 30%. When do you get that in your own country? Let me know and I will visit your place. Second, the 20 Baht compared to your flight is minimal. You will also hardly have any meal in Thailand which cost you only 20 Baht as you are scared of hygienic measures. A Thai person indeed sometime seats for 20 Baht a meal. So, thinking in the extreme you just took away the meal of a local person because you could not give a part away from your own. That does not sound fair!
So, you eventually understand if I call you a contradicting delusional person not understanding life and the world. Please, follow in future my advice to haggle and barter a bit out of fun or just admit that you are a capitalistic conservative person.
