Let's Make a Deal!

Hello all, back from Thailand and the Chinese New Year holiday. Fireworks are still going off infrquently at night here, even though this is now Day 8 after the official start of the Lunar New Year.

We spent last week going to Chiang Mai for 3 days, a city in Northern Thailand, and then to an island in the southeast, Ko Chang. I will have pictures to post from those locations; hopefully it will all be up this weekend.

Chiang Mai has a night market that is a tourist destination - and it was right down the street from our hotel, so we frequented it several times during the trip. It's clear that I am not the best bargainer in the world.

But it's not all my fault! A lot has to do with leverage - who has the leverage in the negotiations?? And it is a FACT that if you have kids with you, you have no leverage.

We stopped at a sunglasses stall the first night - we all needed new ones - and immediately the boys saw the rows of multi-colored Oakley and started trying them on. Even Martin got into the act, and after 3 minutes he was in love with these yellow-framed Oakleys.

Well, it was finally time for the payment.

The vendor pulled out the calculator; "555 Baht for all of them."

The rate is about 30 Baht to 1 US Dollar.

I tried to be suave and negotiate. "How about 300 for all 5?"

She looked at the kids. Freddie and Warren already had theirs on; Martine was actually going up to strangers and saying, "See my new sunglasses? They're yellow!"

She replied: "I'm sorry, fixed price. 555 Baht".

I tried one more time. How about 400?

"No, sir, fixed price. 555 is the best".

500?

"550 is my final offer."

Done! I got her to come down 5 Baht!!!! That's......well, that's 16 cents.

But without kids, you have the leverage. I went into a clothing store to look at some T-shirts. "200 each" was the reply.

I said "I'm not interested", and walked out.

I got 3 steps away, when the man called back "100 each!". Done! I bought two.

I heard every line in the book out there from the vendors trying to guilt the white man into paying full price.

"It's Chinese New Year, this is the best I can do for you".
"Ooooh, you look like someone who appreciates good quality! Let me show you my other golf hats I have."
"I can't come down on price, I have children to feed."

And yes, all those lines worked on me.