was i fleeced ?

After near 20 yrs in Thailand I am an expert at being screwed by the Lovely and gracious thai people.
Employees, Cops, pretend cops. land lords, taxi drivers. The list is endless as are the excuses. A new added to the list yesterday.
I ride my push bike every day, sometime a short 20 K jaunt into Udon for such important purposes as a cup of decent coffee and picking up hamster food before the rodents die and I'm branded as murderer by my daughters.

Mostly the rides are about 60 / 80 kms, and as a result the Thai nationals sport of heaving used bottles out the cars window I get a lot of punctures, as I did yesterday.
Normally a fix costs 10 to 15 bt but yesterday I got charged 30 bt, when I asked why so expensive I got told because Bangkok have flood and now everything more expensive.

I must admit my simple mind failed to pick up on the link between floods 400 km away and a dry as dust Issarn country tire repair shop, but that's understandable because I'm only a simple and stupid farang.
Now I'm left with the nagging realization that maybe i got screwed again. What the consensus, did I ?

Nice. You can just imagine the gears slowly churning in their heads to come up with that scam.

I got a puncture on a mocy in the middle of the countryside near the monkey sanctuary in northern phuket a couple of years ago. The guy did the job and asked for 100 baht. I was relieved that it was only $3 when a puncture repair will set you back $50 in aus and this was the middle of nowhere so I couldn't shop around so I gave him 200. But I guess in fact I was shafted even with Rice Bunny there to referee proceedings and this is another example of the rampant corruption that is driving Phuket to the dogs. Maybe he was an agent of the Tuk Tuk mafia following directives from the jangwat police colonel.

I would pay anything to get it fixed, so no scam

^ fair enough Dr A but I'm so miserable that I would ride 10 km on the deflated tire to save 10 Bt.

might pay to get a repair kit and fix your own punctures next time??you tight prik:)

Luckily they didn't do it the way they do in the UK when you take your car to a 'reputable' main dealer who doesn't scam customers because punters are protected by consumer laws:

"It's not possible to repair that sir. We will have to send to Japan for a new tyre, wheel, brake pads and discs."

"Why?"

"Because you have no other fuking option now that we have computerised all components"

"How much then?"

"1,500 quid for the part, 120 pound per hour for labour (minimum 5), 50 quid for air, 100 quid for miscellaneous extra parts, elastic bands, sticky plasters for example and VAT"

"I only paid half a quid in Thailand to repair something like this"

"Fuk off back there then"

"OK"

I had 2 nails in 2 tyres the other week done in 10 minutes 100 baht each here in loverly Phuket, stop fuking moaning!

Perhaps the spare parts, glue, equipment coming from Bangkok costs the guy more... thus he is forced to pass on the costs too you PP.

^^ You lucky bugger FR, i simply cant wait to get another puncture and save some more cash! :)

The guy who fixed the tire had no choice, because yesterday when he went to the market the person selling food used the same excuse when he was charged more for whatever he bought and the same bullshit excuse was used by the vendor.

It makes me laugh when I see the stuff on the telly with the smiling lines of thais shifting sandbags along with some hastily thrown together nationalistic bullshit song by Carabaou playing the background.

The idea that Thais love Thais and that they show compassion, kindness and charity towards one another is bullshit, their lives consist almost exclusively of attempting to fuck each over at each and every opportunity to gain more coin than the person next to him or her is paramount.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Spin

The idea that Thais love Thais and that they show compassion, kindness and charity towards one another is bullshit, their lives consist almost exclusively of attempting to fuck each over at each and every opportunity to gain more coin than the person next to him or her is paramount.

---

Yup, totally, and on your most important line you forgot the word 'other', because it's easy to forget sometimes that they fuck each other over far more than they do us, be it charging their fellow man 500 baht for a flood boat ride over to the floating market or the Thai girl who thinks nothing of cheating on her boyfriend.

Every Thai woman I have dated has had a boyfriend, which is why I never get to involved or take one seriously. If they are desirable then they keep their options open. The last one was a bit disappointing, because she was half Thai and was born and raised in Holland and so I had high hopes, but no, she's got some rich Thai man on the go.

poor Scamp, second fiddle....

never mind, if you go with that type of girl you just have to pretend you are rich; buy champagne, lots of presents, smart car etc and use gold encrusted condoms

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by peterpan

Now I'm left with the nagging realization that maybe i got screwed again. What the consensus, did I ?

---

Probably not in this case.

Costs for everything have gone up - food mostly but for some stuff coming north from BKK, prices have increased. Only exception tho is building materials. The Yingluck government announced the other day there will be no price gouging on materials needed to repair flood damage. Wallboard, cement etc will stay at pre-flood prices.

My tessaban just increased the price of garbage pickup - 50 baht per month at twice a week for one can. Inflation man...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by peterpan

I'm so miserable that I would ride 10 km on the deflated tire to save 10 Bt.

---

typicle tight arse kiwi..not related to ANT are ya?:rolleyes:

No you haven't been ripped off. I'd say you probably have been ripping the dumbass repair shops off for the last 20 years. You should be happy for what you have gotten and enjoy the rest of the holiday season.