Haggling, Bargaining, Negotiating in Thailand- Thai culture.

 

Hill trip trinket sellers in the night market Thailand

Haggling, Bargaining, or Negotiating is an art form and nowhere more interesting than in Thailand. Haggling, Bargaining, or Negotiating is about getting your own way and has been one of the chief life skills of man through the ages. Here is my take on it after 20 years in Thailand and I end with a few suggestions and strategies. It is mainly aimed at tourists arriving in Thailand, those who fancy haggling at a night market but there are some useful tips for those negotiating in business. I hope the tips make sense and are useful. Happy haggling.

Haggling, Bargaining, or Negotiating is where one man pits his trading skills, and uses humour, leverage and an adaptive mind as well as reading all the nuances of the moment to get what he wants. The psychology of a meeting of two strangers is critical for know when to ask directly for what you want.

So how does it work in Thailand. What special Thai knowledge do you need to get the bargain you need.

Is this old map worth time bargaining over?

Average, general, ball park Prices
Preparation is everything. Get a general feel of prices among shops selling the same thing. In business this is quite a process and often means a lot of work researching and meeting suppliers maybe spending some time on line. For a night market situation I would walk along the shops and work out which shop and which sellers look like the most agreeable. I would then ask their neighbours about the prices of the goods I am interested in. This is a fact finding process and it is important to not bite at the first shop that promotes what you are looking for the way you like.

Haggle for a bargain in anight market Thailand

The Haggling dilemma
Both buyer and salesman have key advantages. The sales man has a price he has bought the goods for and therefore knows what the minimum market price makes senses to him. The seller also can haggle all day as this is his job whereas the buyer is often fitting it in between the beach and restaurant time.

The seller has the wallet and an approximate idea of how much he would be happy with and probably knows an approximate price he would pay in his home country. So the main question for the buyer is How to push the seller to come down to his minimum sales price.

How much would you pay for these coins in Thailand?

Haggling using time.Very few sellers are rushed to sell. Street sellers have all day. Business is a process. However you can often see buyers rushing in and hope that by battering down the salesman defences they will get a deal. This in your face style invariably fails as the sales man is more patient, it's his job.

I have done it myself. I go in and start trading prices before the salesman has got up off his chair. The frustration caused by not getting the deal you want is painful indeed and needs to be avoided. You know the taxi ride should be price A, why doesn't the taxi man just say it and be done and we can all get on our merry way. But this idea looses sight of the key part of the equation. This is the sellers livelihood and he is more than happy to wait to increase his sales price even by 5%. So, slow down be patient and you will get a better deal than if you are rushed.

Chatuchak street market, a perfect place to test your negotiating skills

Get the buyer to like you. Treat the seller with respect.
This is a simple enough idea but more progress is made with people who like you than with 'strangers'. Your counter offer is more likely listened to if the sales man is smiling and you are having a crack. I was always told to compliment another persons property. 'Nice shop you got here', 'is that golf course in the photo near hear, looks great'. Some might say it's a schmooze to far but if it is a genuine interest in the human in front of you I think it's OK and also, what's important to me, it seems to help the bargaining.

Negotiating with a smile in Thailand

Thai psychology in a negotiation.
It helps a lot to understand a bit of Thai psychology. Thai self respect or Face, humour, and the Thai smile are key components in haggling for a t-shirt, a wooden jenga game. If you can get this right and even throw in a couple of mini phrases in Thai you can get a great deal.

Chatuchak market in Bangkok Thailand

Thai Face
Thai Face in a negotiation is all about making the Thai man feel comfortable and not making any mistakes with body language. So, 1. Do smile non stop, 2. try to be happy, 3. be ready to laugh. 4. Don't point or 5. don't touch a Thai person's head and 6. apologies if you accidental touch any body with your feet. 7. Don't point with your feet.

Thai people are not usually big on hearty hearty hugs or embraces, often keeping back from touch ( it can be a hot and sweaty country after all) so a 'minimalist you ' can be your best you.

Enjoying some market food in Thailand

Haggling and Money
As a European I can be serious when it comes to money but in Thailand this idea can't be pushed to hard on the outside even if this is what your mind is telling you on the inside. For a street trader the sales are free and easy and if you go along with the idea that this is just a game, the negotiation flows more easily. The freer the flow of the bargaining the more times you can get your counter off in without it being turned down.


Thai Language
I have learn't Thai language over the years but it doesn't come easy to me. See the other Thai Language Blog here. I find the Thai for hello or thank you useful but one of phrases like 'Lot Noi Dai Mai' really makes a difference in the street market. This phrase means can you drop the price a bit and is said with a huge smile on your face to show that it isn't too serious. I only use it towards the end of the negotiation as it it is a last squeeze but I am always surprised by how many people are unnerved enough to drop another bit again.

Bargaining or negotiating tactics.
Always aim high in the street marketing process. Talk about, compliment and show interest in the most expensive item in the shop. This gets the trader's mind engaged. It is probably the item that creates his most profit. The next phase is to ask the price and then revert to talking about the most favoured item, complimenting as you go. Next I would comment that it's a price more than I am interested in paying. In this situation you will get the first counter offer from the seller. Next I will ask about whether it includes deliver or if I buy 2. This will get another lowering or improvement of the deal. And so on, until you say with regret that after all it is not in your budget. Now you can go to another item which is cheaper and start the process again..... and if you have the time, again.

Finally when the seller is really starting to know you, show interest in the item you want. By this time the seller understands you are not a push over and you will be offered a more reasonable price from the beginning.

Make it a negotiation.
From the tactics above you see that a simple request for a price has been drawn out and so from a sales situation, where there is a fixed price, to a haggled final price there has been a negotiation.


There are born negotiators everywhere but the art is a process and must be practiced with patience. Give it a go. It can be a lot of fun.

A typical night market in Thailand

 T shirt world in Thailand

Chinese New Year (CNY) hotel availability in Thailand

Chinese New Year Hotel availability is of key concern to all people looking for accommodation in Thailand during this yearly festival. Whether you are coming in from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore or from Europe there can be major issues of availability in Thailand during this time. You should read the tips here if you are having trouble with getting hotel accommodation.

Chinese New Year greeting and feeding the dragon, Thailand

It is difficult to express how big a yearly festival and annual migration the Chinese New Year represents. Traditionally every conceivable mode of transport is used to get home to your birthplace to catch up with your family and renew. See below for more on the Chinese New Year festival) Nowadays many see this holiday as a welcome break from work and want to get out of town and enjoy some down time. For whatever the reason, availability in the hotels is difficult.

Size Matters in Thailand when it comes to hotel availability.
One trick that has worked for me on these holidays through the years is, aim for size. If you are late to book a hotel or resort, if it has more than 150 rooms you are more likely to have availability than the more boutique type hotel / resorts where their 50-70 rooms get snapped up early.

Tips for availability around Thailand.

Department stores are dressed for Chinese New Year Thailand

Availability in Bangkok Hotels
If you are arriving into Bangkok there will always be somewhere to stay as Bangkok has more hotel rooms space than all of India. However, to get something you really want might not be so easy. For sure if you want a room down near Yaorawat Rd Chinatown it might be impossible unless you are booking months in advance. For most people a bit of cunning is needed. If you check you maps you can choose to stay away from Yaowarat say in a district like Sukhumvit where you might want to look at the 5 star Plaza Athenee Bangkok, 4 star Amari Boulevard Hotel or the 3 star Ambassador Bangkok.

Plaza Athenee Bangkok during Chinese new Year (CNY) Thailand

The other tip for Bangkok is follow the MRT (Mass Rail Transit ) line and stay near this as you are then close to an awful lot of Bangkok. This will cut your travel times down between points of interest.

Phuket Hotel Availability
There is a large Chinese community here and there are many Chinese Nationals who come here to celebrate Chinese New Year. Most of the key Chinese temples are in Phuket town and on the road up to the airport and out at Chern Talay near the Laguna Resorts.

Local Chinese Temple art work Thailand

The trick for availability is the large resort town of Patong where you might look at the larger resorts of 5 star Millennium Resort Patong Phuket, 4 star Phuket Graceland Resort And Spa or Amari Coral Beach and 3 star Sunset Beach Resort or Poppa Palace.

Phuket Graceland Resort during Chinese new Year Thailand

Other areas you might consider are down in the far south, hotels and resorts in Kata Beach or Nai harn Beach.

Phi Phi Island Hotel availability
Primarily this does not have many Chinese Thai's working here but thge Phi Phi Hotel group is run but a Chinese family from Had Yai. Likely availability will be at 4 star Phi Phi Island Cabana Hotel and the 2 star Phi Phi Hill Resort.

Phi Phi Hill Resort at Chinese New Year Thailand

Samui Hotel availability
Chaweng is the main beach town for Samui and here you will often find some availability so look at hotels like 5 star New Star Beach Resort, 4 star Chaweng Regent Beach Resort and 3 star Chaweng Cove Beach Resort or Baan Kao Hua Jook Boutique Villas And Serviced Apartments.

New Star Beach Resort during Chinese New Year Thailand

Chinese New Year Dates (CNY dates)

2012	January 23	Dragon
2013	February 10	Snake
2014	January 31	Horse
2015	February 19	Sheep
2016	February 8	Monkey
2017	January 28	Rooster
2018	February 16	Dog
2019	February 5	Pig

New to the Chinese New Year?
The Chinese New Year celebration is about the family and ancestors. It's a celebration of all those who have come before you and brought you to this time, blessed to be surrounded by family. Chinese New Year is a quiet day to be with family and maybe visit the extended family.

The head of the family will lead the everybody to the shrine where they will give thanks to their ancestors. The family will offer food to the family ancestors and pray for them. Interestingly the food will have meaning so if an uncle loved belly of pork there might be a small dish of this among the sweet cakes. To the outside world this might seem a random collection of food types but the symbolism is a very strong and binding gesture that keeps the notion of family at the forefront of Chinese belief system.

Chinese New Year offerings to the ancestors

Leting off fire crackers is very important to Chinese people to ward off bad spirits

Incense is lit and used in part while bowing 3 times at the ancestral shrine and bowing towards the family elders. This sign if respect is in keeping with the day#'s ceremony. Only after these acts have been performed can the celebrations for Chinese New Year continue. The Chinese feast day is the biggest day of the year.

New Years Eve
The Chinese New Years Eve celebrations are famous for colour noise and offerings on the street. Legend has at that a strange and exotic beast called ' Nien' would come and ravage the streets and town so Chinese people placed offerings decorated the house with red, wore red and lit firecracker to ward off this evil.

Vibrant Colour surrounding the Chinese New year Celebrations Thailand

During the New Years Eve celebrations, adults will hand red envelopes 'ang pao' the the children. Theses money presents are always of great delight to young and old, giver and receiver. Thai Chinese communities will set off firecrackers in their thousands and the noise and colour is immense. Bangkok Chinatown along Yaowarat Rd will have dragon dances and acrobat processions all day and night and the restaurants will be packed with people celebrating.

Sale of Chinese New Year Decorations Thailand

Cheap Air Tickets to Thailand -Guest Blog

Cheap Air Tickets to Thailand

Thailand is one the most popular beach destinations in the global tourism industry because apart from the panoramic beaches to rejuvenate and abundance of water activities to enjoy it offers luxury at budget prices. Thick jungles, crystal blue waters, lip-smacking cuisine, exotic culture and cheap yet ultra-modern accommodation facilities attracts millions of tourists from across the world to relax, refresh and rejoice in this vivid land, Thailand. If you’re also looking forward for a budget friendly vacation in Thailand, the first thing is book cheap airline tickets at the earliest and rest assured that the whole trip would be suitable to your pocket.

Here are some tips to book cheap airline tickets to Thailand:

1) Plan your trip 30-60 days in advance: Except for July and August months (being monsoon season), there’s a lot of traffic to Thailand. The fewer the seats vacant, the higher the ticket cost is. Hence, waiting for last minute deals won’t be a great idea. Hence, waiting for last minute deals to Thailand is certainly not a good idea if you want to book cheap air tickets.

2) Travel on week days rather than weekends: Many people make their travelling plans on weekends taking care of their working schedule. This is the reason air fares tend to be higher on weekends.

3) Check for Early Morning or Late Night Flights: Early morning and late night flights are usually cheaper as not many people prefer to board flights during odd hours. If you are not travelling with kids, it would be a great idea to book these flights as there will be comparatively less number of passengers on board.

Thus, planning for departure on a weekday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, and coming back on early Saturday or Sunday morning may help you in getting air tickets for cheap. And by booking your tickets a month or two before departure may fetch you the cheapest fare for the same dates.

4) Subscribe CheapOair RSS: This will keep you update about special airline deals CheapOair has and about when the fares are going up and when are they going down.

To know more about airlines tickets or book your tickets online, visit CheapOair.com. CheapOair is an online travel company, an online travel company providing cheap air tickets, hotels, car rentals and vacation packages.

Author: Rachna, CheapOair Travel Blog

Co Phi Phi

Co Phi Phi is magic. According to a WIN-Gallup International center survey, the happiest people live in Co Phi Phi (85%). It certainly has won many accolades for it's beauty and as each year roles by and the ferries round the headlands of Co Phi Phi Don, a new wave of visitors gap with pure delight as they catch their first glimpse of Tonsai Bay.

Co Phi Phi is not a resort town, or resort bay experience but an eclectic mix of simple and luxury hotels nestles around a bustling village where you are just as likely to enjoy some serious diving or snorkeling as you are to take on some serious nightlife partying. And if this seems all too much there are plenty of places to just sit and soak up paradise and while a way a few perfect days in the sun.

Kicking Back on Co Phi Phi Thailand.

One thing all visitors have in common is their love of the way the sand feels between their toes... sheer pleasure. The seas are a gorgeous 29 degrees all year round so you can swim as long as you wish, either to take the heat of the day off your back or play at night in the moonlight and experience that special romantic moment.

Maya Bay Co Phi Phi Thailand

Co Phi Phi is about romance for many who visit it's shores. The elegant settings, the lack of the serious world makes this an ideal place to unwind and let the moment and the rhythm of nature take you where you need to be. Phi Phi Island Village Resort And Spa, Holiday Inn Phi Phi Island, Zeavola Phi Phi Resort are the high end romantic getaways in the north of the island. Mama Beach Residence and Phi Phi Island Cabana Hotel are the main ones for Phi Phi Don Village.

Holiday Inn Phi Phi Thailand

One of my biggest loves of this special place is that there are no cars. Walk. Yes you must walk everywhere and this means take it slow or you will get too hot. So everybody including the market traders are taking it slow as this is the best way to move around. This adds to the laid back atmosphere of Phi Phi. Air conditioning is an important part of your decision making process when you book accommodation on Co Phi Phi. Those who don't need air con and can cope with the heat but for many the air con and swimming pool are essential.

Co Phi Phi revolves around the sea as nearly every piece of land turns into hill as soon as you get more than 150 meters inland. The beaches and boating trips seem to dominate the main activities and there is plenty to see.

The traditional boat of the islands is the Longtail boat which is basically a tractor engine with an extra long prop shaft that acts as a rudder as well. These used to be very noisy affairs but in the last few years mufflers and petrol engines are being used which makes for a much more pleasurable ride. The longtail is the main taxi, tour and excursion boat that gets you from bay to bay or out to Phi Phi Ley. Out in the fresh air, with the wind blowing past your face and out on the sea... there's nothing better.


For those who need a bit more that the 5-8 passenger longtail boats, the wooden converted fishing boats are a great way to tour. These boats often have a toilet and are more sea worthy but on the down side will have tours with 20 or more people on them.


Bamboo island sits to the north and has a commanding view of Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Ley in the distance, is surrounded by a huge coral garden and has a sandy beach that need a sunglasses warning on it as the sand is that bright!


Phi Phi Ley is about 97% cliff which seems impossible until you get their. The sheer faces drop straight into the deep blue sea. Wall diving is a key draw on this island. The Viking Cave is where the Bird's Nest Soup ingredients are farmed and this is Co Phi Phi 's primary industry outside tourism. The 2 beaches are a joy to be seen. Loh Samah has a tiny beach and a lovely coral reef. Maya Bay beach is where the shot the movie for Leonardo Di Caprio's classic 'The Beach'. This island has many tour boats so it is best to visit out of hours.


Co Phi Phi Don has the accommodation and here you can find everything from dormitories to 4 and 5 star resorts. The island can only sleep about 6400 tourists but there is such a diverse group of people that party nights can be quite brilliant.

Kayaking on Co Phi Phi Thailand

Co Phi Phi Hotels and Resorts are predominantly on the beach and 50% of them will have a swimming pool. Guesthouses, dormitories camping (camping not in place every year) will be inland but JJ Bungalow is in the middle of the island and it is only 180 meters and 220m from Loh Dalum beach or Tonsai Bay. Best Budget Hotels and Resorts, Best Mid Range Hotels , Best Beach Front Resorts on Phi Phi are useful links for good accommodation.

Fruit seller on on the main pier

Co Phi Phi is a collection of 6 islands, the two many Phi Phi's Bamboo island Moskito Island and the 2 rocky diving outcrops of the Bida's. The geography of the island is stunning with near vertical cliffs dominating the landscape where ever you look. The only real flat land is at the main Co Phi Phi Village by the main pier and at Loh Bagoa where the famous Phi Phi island Village Resort holds court. Co Phi Phi is reached by ferries from Phuket Krabi and Lanta Island some 45km away and for more details in getting there see the main transfer to Co Phi Phi help page.

phi-phi.com is the predominate website for detail and good research on Co Phi Phi Weather, Phi Phi Photo Galleries, Phi Phi Interactive Map.

Cliff jumping off Phi Phi Don

Co Phi Phi is also known by Koh Phi Phi or Phi Phi island or Phi Phi Thailand.
See more Aerial shots of Phi Phi here.