Bargaining
Street vendor
At markets and with street vendors it is expected that one will bargain for items which you are buying. Many westerners feel very awkward doing this for the first time. Thais use bargaining as a social activity and it is
expected. Many times a visitor will have no idea what price they should pay, so they ask the vendor how much? The vendor will always give a high price. But, how high were they? Only experience and lots of shopping will give you a clue, but it is not unreasonable to come back with a counter offer between 50 and 70 percent of the vendors first offer. They will come back with a counter offer and then it is up to you to start the serious negotiations.
Remember, this is a social custom and there are a few basic rules. 1) Don't raise your voice. 2) Always keep a smile on your face. 3) Don't bargain for something you really have no intentions of buying. 4) When the transaction is concluded, make sure you check your bag before you walk away. 5) Have fun! The Thai's enjoy talking and having a conversation with you even if most of it is using sign language.
Most vendors are very honest and will enjoy the bargaining process. They understand Arabic numerals so don't be afraid to write your offers so that they can read them. Many times they will use a calculator and show you a figure so that you can understand the price.
There are some places where you do not bargain. Do not bargain for food at a restaurant or with a street vendor. If you want to bargain for food then go to the morning market.
Many upscale department stores and tourist outlets do not bargain. Again, go to the street vendors, markets, or night bazaars for practicing your bargaining skills. |
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Past and Future Tours
How fast the time flies! It seems like only a few months ago I was planning the tours for 2010 and already the tours for 2011 are taking place. I really believe the January tour was a success and I am looking forward to the first summer tour later this year.
The November tour is always great because of the weather and it is a tour that can become very habit forming. Basical
ly it is a few very busy days, followed by a few not so busy days and then a few days of total relaxation.
The 2012 tours are already forming up with the Isaan tour now scheduled for February. I have not locked in the dates yet but will be posting them on the web very soon. I am still in hopes of offering this tour but I must have at least eight people in order to make it a go.
I am planning a leisure tour for January of 2012 but a summer tour will have to wait and see. I will be in Bangkok in July 2012 for the 50th Anniversary of the Peace Corps in Thailand. I will be working on several day and half day tours for that event. It may be possible to schedule a tour either before or after that event. Of course, I am planning a November or December tour in 2012. I wanted to schedule an "End of the World Tour" for December 2012 but since they have decided that the Mayan calendar was misread, I have given up on that idea. |
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The first tour of 2011 for H2T3 Tours is now history. Once again, it was great to travel with such great people. The joy of sharing the culture, food, history, and wonderful people of Thailand with new people is so gratifying. I think I can honestly say that we all had a great time and enjoyed ourselves. We stayed at a couple of new resorts and some of the old stand-bys. It is always interesting to me to see which hotels and resorts most people like and would like to return too. Sometimes it is not possible to get the accommodations that we would like, but then we ususally get "bumped up" to an even better hotel or resort. The weather at Ko Samui, could have been a little better, but it was not all that bad. I try and be in charge of as many things as I can, but I simply cannot control the weather. Other than the few rain clouds at Ko Samui, the weather was in the 80's most of the time and actually dipped down into the 60's once or twice at night. Remember, it is winter and many Thais consider this very cold.
The tour in July has generated some interest but no reservations as of this date. It is a relaxing and overview type tour, not one of the special circle tours that have been so successful. More leisure time is scheduled than on some tours but this is because we will want to do our site seeing in the mornings when it is cooler, and then enjoy the air-conditioned or pool side activities in the afternoon.
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Wat Rong Khun (The White Temple)
Photo by Charles Kamba on tour in 2010
A few kilometers south of Chiang Rai, on Highway #1, is a relatively new temple that is only recently becoming one of the foreign tourist destinations. Wat Rong Khun, better known to westerners as the White Temple has been, since its inception, a primary destination for Thai tourists. Even though the internet has picked up on this amazing site, the guide books to Thailand have only recently been listing it. When you first catch a glimpse of Wat Rong Khun, the mind fails to register what the eyes are seeing. What seems to be a totally white, mirage soon becomes a glistening, sparkling ice berg, which within a few seconds is registering as a huge sculptured wedding cake. When one finally leaves their vehicle at the edge of this temple the total awe and wonder of what one is seeing finally sets in. It is not a corruption of the Taj Mahal but is a Thai Temple, exquisite in every detail and yet it is lacking all the gold and bright colors of all the other temples that one has come to expect. The tiny mirrors and glass that are embedded in the the solid white gives the whole panorama a feeling of a Disney like fairyland. Nothing could be farther from the truth!
Photo by Charles Kamba
Charlermchai Kositpipat, a leading Thai artist, has returned to his home village to create this outstanding work of art. Started in the late 1970's it is a work in progress. The temple grounds have grown from 3 rai* (a measurement for land in Thailand) to 10 rai. When it is completed, it will consist of ten buildings. It is already a fully functioning Buddhist temple with resident monks. Charlemchai has begun training local persons to carry on his mission in case it is not finished at the time of his death. There are many riddles hidden in the work that is already completed and one can but wonder what is in store for the future. To get to the the assembly hall (ubosot) that holds the relics of the Budda, and usually the focal point for most foreigners, one must walk a path that soon turns the fairytale magic into stark human reality. The path goes through scenes from hell and then one crosses the bridge into the enlightened teachings of the Buddha. Color is everywhere inside the ubosot. What is different is that the paintings are not typical of Buddhist temples. Paintings such as Superman, scenes from New York City on 9-11, Batman, rocket ships and gasoline pumps are just some of the images one sees.
 
Photo by Charles Kamba Photo by Lee Porter
All the color is not contained in the ubosot however. There is bright red in the sculptured signs that announce "no smoking" and "no alcohol". One finger nail of a person in hell is a bright red calling attention to a bony hand making an obscene gesture. Also, the golden toilet is very obvious. While some tour groups of foreigners have started making stops at this temple, it is still predominately visited by Thais. * 1 rai is equal to 1600 square meters. 2.5 rai is approximate to 1 acre |
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Thai guides and drivers
Thai Guide, Khun Sunsanee with tour group
Photo by Lee Porter on tour in 2010
I must thank the guides and drivers I hire for doing an excellent job of making each tour a success. Also, with each tour I learn new things and my love for the country just keeps on growing.
Guides in Thailand are licensed by the government and must meet very strict requirements. There are college courses for guides in the colleges which prepare students for the hospitality trade. As with any trade, all graduates are not equal and some tour companies have been very keen to hire the best that are available. Most guides work with one company but their company will let them contract out to other companies if requested. While I use several companies for my suppliers of guides and drivers, I have been fortunate to be able to cross companies and name request certain guides when designing my tours. Since no two tours are completely identical, it has been wonderful to rely on the expertise of individual guides to help make each tour successful. Many times, having the right guide in the right place has meant extra benefits for my customers. The guides are very happy to explain things that come up while traveling. When a persons asks, "What were they selling at that roadside stand?" and it turns out to be something of interest, we can then stop at the next stand and partake of the offerings. Or we can say "No way will I eat rat!" and continue on to the next attraction. Some guides have spent their own money to buy things for the customers to enjoy. I have had guides and drivers who have paid for food, balloons, fish and crocodile food, etc. none of which was expected or required in their contract.
At many of the more common tourist attractions, there are warning signs in English that warn tourists of hiring unlicensed tour guides. If traveling on your own, please remember this warning and ask to see the identification card that each licensed tour guide must have.
Drivers are easier to hire but requesting them by name or number is not as easy as it might seem. I have found that by requesting certain guides, I can almost always get good drivers because the guides will simply refuse to travel with some drivers. Drivers unlike the guides rarely speak English to any degree. I find this to be a great asset for me. While the guide is conducting a tour of a temple or palace that I have been to a dozen times, I can talk to the driver and find out other places which might be of interest, including restaurants, stores, natural sights like hot springs, caves, or parks. Many times I will visit these places later on my own to see about putting them on a future tour.
Driver Khun Naa Khao
Photo taken by Lee Porter on tour in 2010 |
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Jim Thompson's House
Jim Thompson's house
Photo by Lee Porter on tour in 2011
On a narrow Soi (street) in Bangkok, is located one of the premier art collections to be found in Southeast Asia. Of course, I am speaking of the Jim Thompson House. Jim Thompson was an American who fell in love with Thailand and decided to live there. He was captivated by the hand weaving of silk and was instrumental in reviving this Thai tradition. He was instrumental in making Thai silk a product that was known throughout the world. Jim, acquired six old Thai teak buildings and had them dismantled and moved Bangkok. These buildings were up to two centuries old and represented traditional Thai architecture. He then had them reassembled to form his house, keeping the authentic Thai style as much as possible. Even the roof and red paint on the outside walls were authentic and keeping in the Thai tradition. He moved into his house in 1959. Because of his fantastic art collection, it was only a short time before he opened his house to the public. All proceeds were donated to Thai charities and to projects which preserved Thailand's cultural heritage. While on a trip to Malaysia in 1967, Jim Thompson disappeared. What happened to Jim is still a mystery, but his house and Thai silk stores still remain. The administration for the property of Jim Thompson was granted permission in 1976 to form the James H.W. Thompson Foundation. This foundation continues to support a wide variety of projects which support the preservation of Thai art and cultural heritage.  Garden of Jim Thompson's house Photo by Lee Porter on tour in 2011 |
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Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter. I am certainly aware that all of our email boxes get lots of mail and we must be selective in which ones we read. I do enjoy your feedback and comments and am extremely pleased when you forward the newsletter on to others. Even if you will never be able to go to Thailand, you may know someone who would like too. I hope that sharing this information makes us all better citizens in a world that is getting smaller and smaller every year. While our cultures are vastly different, the more we know and learn from each other, the more we realize how similar we are.
To the new readers of this newsletter, I say welcome. The idea is to share information about Thailand, including, but not limited to it's culture, history, people and food. I try to have a newsletter every other month and I honestly try to pick topics I think you will enjoy. I welcome ideas of interest from you and hope you understand that these are my impressions and thoughts and should be treated as such.
Feel free to forward this newsletter to others who you think might be interested. |
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Sincerely,
Lee Porter
H2T3 Tours, LLC
571-244-4363
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