Bangkok Haggling

In Bangkok it’s impossible to leave your hotel room without being approached every 30 to 45 seconds by someone trying to sell you something, take you somewhere, and generally trying to separate you from your hard earned $’s. This goes for the purchase of any non food related items as well. Before arriving we were warned that only the dumbest of travelers ever pay the original asking price for anything…EVER! Knowing this we arrived ready to flex our negotiating skills and make some great deals. The only problem is that we are really really crappy at haggling. Here’s how the typical negotiation went.


WADE: “Hey that’s a nice shirt. What does it cost?”
CLEVER ASIAN LADY: “Oh. Me like you. Me give you big discount.”

WADE: “Excellent! Thank you. So, how much?”
CLEVER ASIAN LADY: “For you?.....special price … 1,000 bhat.”

WADE: "1,000 Bhat! That seems a bit high. How about 600?
CLEVER ASIAN LADY: bursting into laughter, “Oh no! You crazy. But I like you. I give you special discount. 995 bhat.”

WADE: 995? That’s not really a discount at all is it? C’mon now, how about 650 bhat? That’s a good price."
CLEVER ASIAN LADY: clutching her chest and bracing herself against the wall to stop from falling to the ground as though a sharp spear has been thrust through her heart: “Oh no! you make me VERY poor.” <insert random Thai words spoken quickly and angrily. Most likely curses>. Then in English, “Ok, for you, special price…995 Bhat."

WADE: "But that’s what you just said! How about...oh nevermind...here you go."

In the end, after walking away twice, and negotiating for over an hour I believe I saved 30 bhat from the original asking price, which is about US$0.75. On the plus side I am sure it was very entertaining for anyone listening to the “Western Idiot” trying to haggle.