Watch-sellers getting nasty...bit Mafiarish

[hhfarang]

The ones I hate the most are the sunglasses salesmen that are trying to push me to by sunglasses at night and when they can obviously see that I wear prescription glasses (bifocals no less)!

...and who buys those giant zippo lighters???

[BaaBaa.]

DVD-nice lads and they always change bad copies without question

The 2 that are always in Town are great lads.

[komfortablynumb]

In my experience. A polite no thanks seems to work. with a smile of course.
My wife taught me to say Mia to the sellers.
However she described it 'Like the sound of a cat'.
You may be ahead of me.
The first time i used it, sounded like miow extended.
(Like a cat on heat) MIIOOOWWWW. Krup.
Every one laughed. I turned red. But no sale.
I have always found. SO FAR that Thai sellers will give up if your polite.
The suit sellers are another breed.

[BaaBaa.]

My wife taught me to say Mia to the sellers.
However she described it 'Like the sound of a cat'.
You may be ahead of me.
The first time i used it, sounded like miow extended.
(Like a cat on heat) MIIOOOWWWW. Krup.

Mai ao.

Sounds like "my ow"

Means *Not want*

[caller]

I suppose my point was that it's easy to condemn the tourists and how they're all meant to be so aware of the realities of elsewhere, and that they should all read up on LOS and be aware of the background of these sellers and the like, but that's just not the reality for most and there does come a time when your patience is pushed to the limit.

Happened to me last April for the first time ever, when a 'map seller' came into a bar and let's just say he invaded my privacy after I had said 'no thanks', even put his arm around my back - that I did not like and I forcibly pushed his arm away. My reaction was automatic, like it was programmed, I certainly didn't think of the consequences. The guy then held both arms up as he moved away indicating, 'okay, okay'.

No doubt viewed as another farang with terrible manners overreacting?

[BaaBaa.]

No doubt viewed as another farang with terrible manners overreacting?

Not in the same league as what the OP talks about.

[changman]

Ive never had a problem with watch, Trinket or tat sellers, The lady in question should learn a few manners.

I find the flower girls around the bars more relentless, I say Mi Me Satang just to wind them up, If i intend to go to the bars i buy a load of chuppa chups lollies from Lotus to get them to go away, Im sure they all get collected up at the end of the night and resold the next day.

I saw one little girl last September being shown the ropes of flower selling, Daddy in the background keeping an eye on things, Was in London bar for Norman and Maureens aniversary if i remember rightly.
Poor little thing was hungry and as we were sat down she kept coming up to the table for some food.
I got upset and had to leave.

There is a real possibility of getting killed by watchsellers....i know a thai farang couple that got stabbed when the guy made fun of the seller..they both survived, no thanks to watchman...
a bit on the side...if you want to buy watches from these guys, go for the "belt" they carry around their waste, thats where the good copies are...

if u dont want to buy, avoid eyecontact, and simply say mai aow kap, with a smile.

regarding all the flowergirls, they are without exemption followd by their mother, who is constantly pestering them to sell.....

[margaretcarnes]

Pete mentioned always buying food for the flower girls in Pattaya, and yes, thats what I used to do there for our regular little girl. Wonder if you knew her Pete? Known as '10 Baht' she used to use the toilets in a plaza near the Police Stn to have a wash - and always left her money even when there was no attendant. I often wonder what happened to her.

As for the frogs - oooh nooo! So annoying. Theres a training place in ChiangMai for disabled people and I reckon thats where they learn to make the damn things. A kind of Thai Skillcentre.

[PeteC]

Will this post work this time...LOL.

My kids Margaret were along 2nd road west of South Pattaya road. I know where you're talking about though, it had to be the washrooms behind the Mini beer bar on Soi 7 as they were just a few yards from the side of the police station. Pete

[margaretcarnes]

Thats probably the place Pete - on Beach Rd. '10 Baht' used to do the Yamato area. I guess they all had their own patches.
At least in HH now there don't seem to be so many young girl flower sellers. Same ones - just getting older!

What I did notice in HH last year though was a 'fake' monk going around collecting 'alms' at night. Clearly a lot of tourists don't realise it's a scam, but at least there were no threats involved!

[bambergasgoigne]

trying to stay on topic, but another question for ye fountains of wisdom !

young flower sellers - i buy one day and everyone i'm with seems happy. I buy the next day, and an experienced farang tells me none of the money goes to the kid, but to the alcoholic parent waiting around the corner, or the controlling mafia don controlling the whole street. i don't buy the next day, and am ticked off for being mean, tight, and a farang with the wrong info on young flower kids. anyone know for sure !.

shoe cleaner - theres a great guy in town who only recognises you by your feet. does a fine shoe shining job and only looks for business when he sees my shoes are dirty.

connect 4 whizz - about 2 years a young boy used to bet against me playing connect 4 and either won or drew. I dont think I ever beat him. He seems to have disappeared. anyone play and lose against him.

bangkok flower sellers - got very 'happy' one night in bkk recently and bought my companion the entire bucket. the little flower seller nearly had a heart attack, took the money and nearly killed himself running across the road (to whoever the money goes to), and then I had to leave the bar for I was surrounded by a different bunch of sellers and they just would not understand they were too late (maybe tommorrow for them !).

anyway going back to topic - its all great fun, its all good humoured, we are after all the rich farangs, so even though we are probably all quite poor, enjoy it, smile and enjoying feeling richer than you actually are - no excuse for f**k o*fs, grumps, or anything else.

Enjoy the rest of the night
Bamber

[Spitfire]

Young flower sellers - i buy one day and everyone i'm with seems happy. I buy the next day, and an experienced farang tells me none of the money goes to the kid, but to the alcoholic parent waiting around the corner, or the controlling mafia don controlling the whole street.

Sadly Bamber, there's a very good chance of this being true, does happen a lot everywhere, and ofcourse, more so in touristy areas.

Same with the kids that ask you for money, it's money only, they won't accept a free meal though fear of what their "Handler" will do/say.

[bluezephyr]

My friend in Samorpong had her daughter and grandson stay and
he accidentally spilt some drink over one of the flowergirls when they were all out, With permission from the handler My friends daughter was allowed to take the young girl to the market and was bought a nice dress for a few hundred baht, She looked pretty and it was a nice gesture after her son spilt the drink.
The flower girl was never seen in the dress again. Probably sold

bamber, I won against a BG in Samui at connect 4, If you know the tricks in the first few discs you can win most of the time. Of course they arent pi$$ed up so they can concentrate better.

[sandman67]

I work on a very simple rule when engaging with Thais

WOULD YOU REACT THIS WAY/DO THESES THINGS AT HOME?

...if the answer is NO you dont do it here.....

act like a human get treated like a human

act like a farang...get treated like one.....end of

[kaokalok]

For the flower sellers,
there is one selling roses for years,you can see her growing year by year,she now looks like she learned a lot from the bar girls,but i think she's about 15 y o .I met her first about 8 years ago,she still there.
Would she had drunked mother waiting around the corner too,or even more involved to other gangs?
Or just be the little girl next door?