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| You can find some great bargains in Koh Samui! |
The most important thing to
remember when you are dealing with shopkeepers and stallholders on Koh Samui is
to smile. It might sound trite, but the smile is one of the most important
parts of getting a good deal. Smiling establishes good intent and even if you
don’t end up agreeing a price or buying anything, so long as it's done with a
smile, nobody loses face. An aggressive, confrontational approach is not the
way to go about shopping in Koh Samui.
Most stall holders and market
vendors are willing to do a deal. If the price isn’t marked on the item you are
interested in, then there will usually room for negotiation. To get the best
deal, don’t ask for the price straight away. Try and establish a rapport with
the person selling; smile, get them to smile or better still, get them to
laugh. It doesn’t mean you have to launch into a 20 minute stand-up comedy
routine, but if you have a sense of humour in your haggling you will definitely
get a better deal. Thais like everything to be "sanuk" (fun!)http://www.thaizer.com/culture-shock/sanuk/
and that includes shopping. Ask them if the item is hand-made and if so, did
they make it themselves.
Compliment themhttp://www.thaizer.com/culture-shock/thai-flattery/ on how nice their stall is, how nice their smile is or how good their English is. If it’s a DVD you’re buying, ask them if they’ve seen the film, ask if it’s any good, tell them they look like Jackie Chan or Miss Thailand Universe - anything to make them smile!
Compliment themhttp://www.thaizer.com/culture-shock/thai-flattery/ on how nice their stall is, how nice their smile is or how good their English is. If it’s a DVD you’re buying, ask them if they’ve seen the film, ask if it’s any good, tell them they look like Jackie Chan or Miss Thailand Universe - anything to make them smile!
Don’t worry about trying to
speak Thai. In most tourist areas, shopkeepers can speak English to some
extent. As a tourist you won't be expected to speak Thai,http://www.thaizer.com/language/learning-the-thai-language/
but if you’re polite and remember your "sawatdee kha/khrap" and your
"khop khun kha/khrap",http://www.thaizer.com/culture-shock/being-polite-in-thailand/
you’ll establish a good rapport immediately. At some stage of your browsing you
will probably notice the ubiquitous big calculator. Just about every stall that
deals with tourists will have a large calculator on hand to save any misunderstandings
when it comes to agreeing a price. If the seller doesn’t speak much English,
you can still guarantee he’ll understand the words "how much?". Once
you’ve uttered those magic words, then the fun begins and the stallholder will
either quote you a price or key it into the calculator and show you.
Normally, this will be a
price well above what the real price is. When he gives you a price, smile. You
should counter with an offer well below that which you are expecting to pay.
However, be sensible. Decide before you start haggling what you think is a fair
price and how much you’d be prepared to pay. After a few offers and counter
offers you should come to an agreement.
At markets and in tourist
areas many shops and stalls sell similar items so you can ask around at a few
stores to establish what the average going rate is and decide on how much you
want to pay. If you are buying in bulk that’s obviously perfect from the
shopkeeper’s point of view and he may offer a discount straight away, but
there’s still usually room for extra negotiation.
Department stores and large
shops work on a fixed price, so these are not the place to start haggling.
However, if you have bought a really expensive item, there’s no harm in asking
for a discount or a free gift. Very often this may be offered automatically,
but if it isn’t, just smile and ask politely.
