[rockytop2000]

Is there a such thing as a person who hires out as a shopping guide/ translator in either BKK or Pattaya?

I know that Thai's can buy stuff cheaper than farangs. Their bargaining skills are far better, IMO, then mine as well. You just know that they don't say "up to you" to each other that often... or do they?

I'm aware that just about any gogo boy would be pleased to offer his services, but he would be more interested in shopping for him than me. I'm looking to find someone who would be reasonably fluent in English that would be able to take me shopping & do the bargaining for me.

They would get a set days pay and I would expect that they could arrange some commission with the sellers as well. I understand that that any sellers commission would still be coming out of my pocket, but heck if they can save me 30% while only scamming 10%, we would both profit nicely!

The truth is I can't afford to travel much, but being mainly a farmer I have lots of time on my hands this time of year. As well as having a desire to experience new things, like traveling to another land. I found out years ago that if I can buy the right stuff to resell after my journey, the whole thing is paid for. So far I have only done this in Mexico & South America, but I know it works.

I would love any info or suggestions you might have. I would also enjoy hearing about shopping experiences that you have had while in LOS...

Thanks, Lee

[luvthai]

Your better off dealing with an estabilshed tour guy than using barboys for this type of shopping. The tour guides have already gotten the connections and kickbacks arranged for themselves. I use to use a guide in chiang mai but sadly he passed away unexpectedly a couple years ago. Be advised tho that shipping cost have risen sharply over the last couple of years. DHL I think still offers the best deals. If shopping in Chiang Mai there is a UPS shipping office in the night market area. I use to buy for a couple shops I owned and found that art and silver and jewelry items did well for me but not the cheaper items as they are readily available here also. Good luck and remember it is when you try to deal too cheaply with the boys that problems arise and you put yourself in a dangerous position.

[sing_lofty_sing]

I thought sometime ago about bringing cheap goods back to the UK and selling them. Warning bells rang in my head as my bag was searched at the airport for the first time.
I didn't think its worth the risk

[luvthai]

Thats why you go and fill out the papers and ship it home. Preferably in several smaller packages.

[rockytop2000]

Thanx for the advice Luvthai! I was thinking of asking if anyones BF might be skilled at shopping, for others. I've had problems with proffessional guides, in that they tend to pressure me into only going to shops that they already have deals set up with. Not that that is entirely bad, but I want to wander. They often seem to resit this.

I was thinking of offering 800-1000 baht for a day, + a couple meals... is that unreasonably cheap or generous?

I tend to get as sense of prices by shopping alone for a day, so I have a good idea if am saving $ with the guide early on.

I'm more interested in cut, uncut or mounted.... gems. I also am looking for silk costumes and clothing.

My purchases would mostly be shipped, but I would be honest in paying duties.

[TheDingo]

A Thai "to take me shopping & do the bargaining for me" will not work in my experience.

For anything involving bargining, the sight of the farang face will keep up the price.

I always cost anything my friend wants at a few stalls and we do our best bargining to find the best farang price. I then give him half the money and tell him to go to another stall. Invariably he'll return, purchase in hand, uttering those three beautiful words: "You were right".

[Edith]

A Thai "to take me shopping & do the bargaining for me" will not work in my experience.
For anything involving bargining, the sight of the farang face will keep up the price.

1. I went shopping for a jade & diamond ring. Saw one I liked, looked it over with a loupe. Salesperson quoted me 800,000 THB. I started to walk away. She did the old, 'I talk to my manager,' thing. ("Bzzz, bzzz, Bzzz," They probably swapped beauty secrets: the benefits of elephant dung on crows-feet... or, most likely: big-dumb-shit farang sucker. Back in a minute Zap! 400,000 THB. Thai friend walked up...immediately...ZAP! price dropped to 200,000 THB!...She undercut the 'manager!' I decided, while the diamonds were VG the jade was probably jadeite..or worse...and told her, I'd think about it.

2. At a (So Called.) 'factory store' in Chaing Mai, (Where the day tour\sightseeing bus stopped.) you'll get exactly what you pay for, meaning about the same or a bit more than back home, and that's about it: few bargains, stuff looked like K-Mart 'blue-light specials'; probably was made for that (Export) market. But interesting to get a beanch-mark price before looking elsewhere--And fun to piss off the tour guide when you finally walk out empty-handed.

3. On a day I was bored with the beach, shopped Pattaya for a rather generic stone ring. Prices quoted ranged from 20,000 to 150,000 baht. One saleswoman said she did not have a loupe. A salesman pretended to be insulted when I asked to use his loupe--Always a bad sign--his was a lab (man-made) stone being touted as natural--And the fake was not the least expensive. Don't bother to call them on it. they will always have some mythical difference that makes their crap** worth more than the good one(s). **And you don't know what you are talking about if you tell them it's not good--He is expert, you know-nothing--And if you happen to be a gemologist, take my advice: best you keep it to yourself.

Not only that; I've found the same price differences on exact same (Thai) gold items. If we believe what we are lead to, the prices should be about the same: 'Fixed by the market price (Printed in the newspaper)x weight + something for workmanship.' Tain't necessarily so...not when they see a farang face grinning like Alfred E. Newman--And a chance to make a weeks profit\rent on just one sale. Buyer Beware.

I have heard that more farang are 'stuck' on gems than anything else--And believe it. Before going, do your homework re stone(s) that interest you. Know what stones & diamonds should look like under a loop. And know what fakes look like. I know a store with the motto, "An educated shopper is our favorite customer." Meaning, they are the most satisfying\fun...to rip-off?

[Scott123]

I always buy from department stores if I want to avoid the hassle of bargaining.
In fact, nowadays, I buy as Little as possible in Thailand. You can get almost anything in the U.S., so why carry them?
A friend of mine bought a bunch of nicely arranged silk flowers, he did not want to put them in suitcase and crush them, so he hold them all the way to airport and through transit......I can only laugh.

[rockytop2000]

Thanx so much for the advice Edith! I do carry my own loop, as well as calipers & an accurate scale. Tho I don't use them until a reasonable price has been set, then I test the quality before saying yes. It worked for a while in Brazil, til I got to the 5th shop & the owner asked me if I wanted to use his or mine before we started serious negotiating... they have a communication net work that would make gogo boys jealous!

I understand your point Scott, but bargaining is half the fun! When all is said & sold the shop keeper secretly chuckles at a 300% profit & the farang is please to have 'saved' 70%! Every ones happy.

A Thai silk sari can be bought for 100-300 baht, 4 dozen of them can fit into a mid sized suitcase, without exceeding half of the customs duty limit. I.E. no extra taxes & no shipping charges. The same sari's sell for 75-100$ each in the US. Figure in a 40% cut for the US shop owner, then do the math. Or trust me, it pays for the trips air fair & hotel... Or you can double the # of saris and off half of the boys in town.... up to you.

Of coarse it does take time to sell them off, but they will sell.

Be Well, Lee

[Dick]

Thaiboy.net offers a gay guide service.
http://thaiboy.net/service/default.asp? ... 5754166667
I haven't tried them myself, but the prices seem attractive compared with official guide services available from some of the better hotels. And as its a gay orientated service, they'll likely point you in the right direction if other services required too.

[homintern]

If I want Thai prices I take a Thai boy, either someone from my "little black book" or someone's boyfriend. We don't appear to be together and I do not speak Thai to the person trying to sell me. However the boy knows when I start asking a price that that's what interests me. I walk off, he follows to confirm that's what I'm after, he then goes back a few minutes later and gets the Thai price for it. That has even happened when I've been buying "bald, fat, old, cunt" size belts or shirts. Obviously a tip is in order, although usually it gets rolled up into the tip he gets for "personal services". If it's someone else's boyfriend he usually refuses anyway - it's a matter of honour (yes, even Thai boys who are or have been money boys often have a sense of honour)

[Sen Yai]

If it's someone else's boyfriend he usually refuses ........

The tip or the 'personal services'?

[Edith]

The tip or the 'personal services'?

Of which 'tip' are you speaking, Khun Sen Yai?

[Scott123]

...A Thai silk sari can be bought for 100-300 baht, 4 dozen of them can fit into a mid sized suitcase, without exceeding half of the customs duty limit. I.E. no extra taxes & no shipping charges. The same sari's sell for 75-100$ each in the US. Figure in a 40% cut for the US shop owner, then do the math. Or trust me, it pays for the trips air fair & hotel... Or you can double the # of saris and off half of the boys in town.... up to you.

Of coarse it does take time to sell them off, but they will sell.

Please check out the price of thai silk sari on ebay, definitely not $75-$100.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Silver-Gold-Texture ... dZViewItem

[homintern]

You can ... off half of the boys in town. Of course it does take time to sell them off, but they will sell.

The boys I choose sell very quickly 8)