Hi, I just returned from a 4 days trip. I often read from the forum that we should bargain at least 50% of the offered price. However, I always did not manage to do that. When I bargain, the store owners give me a weird look like I am a stingy lady! I am just wondering, is it really a possibility of paying only 50% of the offered price? Maybe I do not have the art of bargaining???
Example, when things are 199Baht, are we supposed to offer them 100Baht? Because the maximum discount for 199Baht is 190 Baht after discount. Jeans are sold at 700Baht, best I got was 650Baht. I am not getting the 50% bargaining deal. Am I stupid or what?
Some people tell me they managed to tailor work shirts at 450Baht each. The best deal I could get was 700Baht each. Am I bad at this game or what?
Bargaining in Bangkok
Hello gv,
Yep. you%26#39;re pretty bad at this game! :-)
Bargaining can be seen as an art, a tedious chore, or a playful experience. But to be truly successful at it you must look at it as a combination of all of the above.
Art - It is essential that you have at least a basic understanding of how much things cost in the place you%26#39;re visiting. Once you know how much common items cost at a supermarket, the cost of public transportation, and the cost of items in fancy stores and department stores where bargaining is limited to modest discounts, you can better appreciate what you SHOULD be paying for items you purchase through bargaining.
Tedious - Sometimes the shopkeepers themselves are in a surly mood and it can put one off. Don%26#39;t let this put you off or pressure you to settle. If they could not be bothered to make a sale then there are generally many other vendors who will be more accomodating.
Oten, vendors in a particular market or shopping centre will not lower their prices significantly because they%26#39;re all working together cartel-style to maintain artificially higher prices. In this case you can either simply buy elsewhere or hope to come across someone with whom you %26#39;click%26#39; and will be willing - quietly - to lower his/her prices.
Additionally, shop around. Always engage in some half-hearted bargaining just to see what everybody is asking for the items you want and how low they will go without much prompting. That way, you can start from this lower price when you really do want to make a purchase.
Never appear to be eager to make a purchase. If you%26#39;re a couple or a group it%26#39;s easy and fun to play %26#39;good cop, bad cop%26#39; where one member of your group claims to really want the item and the other is not too sure. This usually drives the price down pretty quickly. Don%26#39;t be afraid to turn and walk away. At worst you%26#39;ll soon see that nobody else is willing to go down beyond a particular price and you can always return an get the item you originally wanted.
A playful experience - Have fun with it. Engage the shopkeepers in jovial dialogue. Feign shock at how high their prices are. Show you are knowledgeable about how much the vendors around the corner are charging for the same item. All this takes time and patience that some people may not have but I prefer to look at it as part of the holiday experience so if I%26#39;m in a rush I generally won%26#39;t buy unless the price quickly goes down to what it should be.
Also, while I expect the price I eventually pay to dramatically go down by 50% or more, I never conduct a negotiation by immediately offering half of what the vendor is asking. I find this to be too aggressive and offputting. If you%26#39;ve stuck to the guidelines mentioned above, through knowledgable and friendly banter, it%26#39;s fairly easy to pleasantly keep the vendor reducing his price gradually till you get to the price you%26#39;re willing to pay.....or that the market dictates.
Two other points to remember:
1.) Most people, at some point, will overpay for something. Look at it as a learning experience and do not let it get you down or make you more aggressive in subsequent bargaining. In the specific case of common Bangkok purchases; when examined in dollar/euro/pound terms, the amounts involved are generally negligible anyway.
2.) With regard to the Pratunam market (one of my favourites for cheap clothes and knock-offs) or the Chatuchak weekend market, both of which can be said to cater to locals as much as to tourists, the deeper you explore the alleys of the market the more likely you are to come across vendors who really ARE manufacturers and wholesalers and in quite a few cases (in my experience) these vendors will give you an initial price which is WAY below what others quote and from which there is little if any chance of deviation.
Just thought I%26#39;d share my thoughts in case they help you and others in the future. Obviously, other people will have differing opinions and additional helpful tips which would be interesting to read.
Cheers,,
CP
Bargaining in Bangkok
Good post, CP.
Question for ya - you say you expect to get the price down by at least 50%, but you also say that when you start your negotiating, you never make 50% your first offer.
So, how DO you start your ';bidding';?
Yeah how do we start?
My husband is pretty annoyed when I bargain. he said 199Baht is only $6 USD. Why bargain so hard for something already so cheap?
But to me...its the thrill of being able to bid at the cheapest possible price that matters. I realise some store owners are very firm.....they actually did not bother when I walk away!!!! :(
Question for ya - you say you expect to get the price down by at least 50%, but you also say that when you start your negotiating, you never make 50% your first offer.
So, how DO you start your ';bidding';?
Honestly, Monkey.......I hope you do not mind the informality regarding your nickname :-).................like much inlife, it has alot to do with adequate preparation and then %26#39;reading%26#39; people and situations. Also, never lose your sense of humour and always be prepared to walk out without the coveted item. (Or...pay what they ask and be happy with it.)
I%26#39;m not a fan of the hard-sell or aggressive bargaining. Instead of making a 50% less counter offer to the vendor I prefer to make an obvious joke and offer to pay next to nothing while constantly hinting that I really do know what I SHOULD be paying and then let the vendor work his way down the priceline till we reach a price we%26#39;re both happy with.
As I mentioned in my post, it%26#39;s essential to be familiar with prices of at least a few everyday items and services and also with what other vendors are asking so that you know basically what an item you desire SHOULD cost. As at home, shop around before you buy.
Some vendors start so high that it%26#39;s very obvious that a 50% or more reduction is called for. Mostly though, there%26#39;s a generally agreed upon starting price and %26#39;discount price%26#39; from which the majority of the vendors start their negotiations and a bottom price they are unwilling to cross.............especially if other vendors or tourists are listening/watching. Be assured that, if you have the patience and luck (yes, you need you luck out with a vendor....though if you%26#39;re persistant you%26#39;ll find one you can do business with) you can still achieve a futher 30-40% reduction on the already %26#39;discounted%26#39; price.
Let me just say at this point that in Bangkok (of recent years at least) I%26#39;ve not bought anything more expensive than cheap clothing and luggage, and souvenirs, because, quite frankly, I%26#39;ve never found it to be the shoppers paradise others perceive it to be. For me personally, it%26#39;s great for nicknacks and incredibly cheap clothing of dubious - though generally rather durable - clothing, but that%26#39;s about it.
In any case, very quickly in the bargaining process there comes a time when I am asked what I want to pay for an item and then you have to %26#39;read%26#39; the vendor (and this includes paying attention to where he%26#39;s located and whether other people - vendors or tourists - are present) and say something like:
Whatever will put a smile on both our faces./Whatever is fair for both of us.
or
What I WANT to pay would make you/your calculator laugh. Why don%26#39;t YOU tell me what I SHOULD be paying?
or
Well, not the same price you%26#39;re quoting everybody else....
or
Well, the other day in [market of your choice :-] I was quoted [price of your choice but don%26#39;t exaggerate!] and as you can see I didn%26#39;t buy at that price either.
or
Well, I%26#39;ve never heard from anybody else that they paid THAT price!
or some such comment as the situation dictates.
Then there%26#39;s more generalised banter and joking; talk by both sides on how they cannot possibly alter their offers but that they will try to accomodate each other; occasional consultations with others (on our part accompanied by frowns, puzzled expressions, fiddling with the item and pointing out flaws, borrowing the vendor%26#39;s calculator (don%26#39;t use your own!) and fake much considered recalculation of the price in dollar/Aussie dollar terms, fake talk on whether we really need the item etc.); talk about lower prices if purchasing more than one item; a near-exit from the shop/stall, a discussion about how much the item costs the retailer; and the gradual spiraling down of the price of the item.
For the most part this process does not take up as much time as it seems by reading the above description. Nonetheless, at some point it%26#39;s always good to throw in a comment on how you%26#39;ve enjoyed talking to the vendor though you could have moved on to another stall and that you%26#39;ve go other things to do that day and you really just want to get a good price on the desired items(wife or hubby can fake impatience at many points along the bargaining process.), so what%26#39;s the absolute best he/she can do for you before you leave............? This will either get you to the price you want to pay (and that the market will bear!) or will necessitate some good humoured expressions of exaspiration that after all this time the price is still unrealistic because you KNOW what a realistic price is for the item. More often than not, a futher reduction will follow.
Whew! I%26#39;ve written too much.....again!
Bottom line: Some preparation and local knowledge, some luck, and then bargain softly, with a smile, and good-natured persistence.
A good read and cool tips CB. This advice is worthy of a ';sticky';.
Yep, good post again, CP. LOL, I don%26#39;t mind being called Monkey, I%26#39;ve been called much worse! (monkeybeag means little monkey anyway)
I%26#39;ve bargained hard in Malaysia %26amp; Egypt %26amp; already use a lot of the tactics you suggest. I think it%26#39;s always important to keep it friendly, whilst not being a soft touch.
Offering what is a laughably small amount is a good tactic to draw your seller towards reality (I%26#39;m sure we%26#39;ve all done that without realising it at the time!).
Anyway, thanks for all the advice, and if I can pass on a little of my own, which concurs with yours........enjoy it- it%26#39;s all part of the fun!
Yeah thanks for your advise.
I do agree that in Bangkok its more of getting cheap clothing and accesories. I travel to Bangkok to play golf too.
Thanks again!
Stumbled accross this thread whilst browsing prior to visiting Bangkok and Hua Hin in a couple of weeks time (our first visit to Thailand).
Just like to compliment Cheeseburger on an excellent post - a brilliant description which made me laugh and reminded me of many experiences when travelling.
Your post could be used as a definitive guide for anybody new to the art of barganing. I%26#39;m sure you could sell it as an article to a travel magazine !!!
Cheers
Stewart
the idea is simple. if the price is not right, don%26#39;t buy. simple.
you can find the same thing some where else. and if you don%26#39;t, then maybe you don%26#39;t need it. leave it to fate.
also, ability to speak Thai helps. once you speak a foreign language, your bargaining ability is immediately almost a zero chance.
oh yes, don%26#39;t forget S$1 = 22.7B. so if you have money, then 199B is not expensive. just buy. better still go for quantiy. then i%26#39;m sure you%26#39;ll get a bigger discount.
big quantity = big discount.
What a great read,
I loved what you said CB, Want to come shopping with me!!! lol
I think the jovial attitude and your acting skills definately would work. I am going to picture you each time I do it....if CB can do it effectively than so can I.
I do have to say though I get a bit of a laugh out of my hubby when we walk away and we say wow we saved ourselves $2. lol.
Sometimes when I have walked say away from a cab about 1/2 km because I didn%26#39;t want to pay the extra 50 cents i am mortified at how carried away I get. ohhh its the principle I say. not paying that when such and such got it for less hehehehhe.
It is so much fun but you can get so caught up like I have in the process.
I think I am going to print off what you said and take it away when I go. i will also report back as to how I went. This is now my bible. hail CB!!!!
Thanks so much for a wonderful read and good advice.
Wendy
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