Bargaining On Your Thailand Holidays

You've already enjoyed your affordable vacation in Thailand by visiting all those recommended tourist places and immersed yourself in Thai culture. You decided to take a break from the experiential stuff and indulge in one activity that Thailand is famous for: shopping!

But as a budget traveler, you want to make sure that you get good value for your hard-earned money. You think it's difficult? Of course not, you just have to learn the art of bargaining on your Thailand holidays. Generally, the price is already fixed for items which have a price tag attached as in the case when you shop in shopping malls and other establishments.

However, in markets and bazaars where the goods are put on display without price tags, prices tend to be much more flexible. Bargaining is an acceptable and quite a normal practice, and both local and foreign shoppers frequently negotiate with the sellers for much lower prices.

Be a courteous shopper. Handle the merchandise with care, and always ask permission first from the seller if you want to touch or try on the merchandise (like clothes and shoes). Sellers are more inclined to give you good prices when you're friendly and respectful. It pays to smile!

For foreign shoppers, exert a little effort to know the local dialect even if it's just a couple of phrases.

While most Thais understand a bit of English, some Thai locals who are not conversant in English have to resort to sign language and hand signals to communicate with the buyer. Ask your local tour guide or hotel front desk for the local phrase for "Good day," "Please give me a discount," and "Thank you very much."

Who knows, aside from bridging the communication gap between seller and buyer, the seller might give you a discount for your effort!

Remember the old adage that says, "The early bird catches the worm?" It is also applicable here when trying to get a bargain. Usually, sellers give discounts to their first customer during the day as a sign of good luck, so sometimes getting up early is well worth the effort. Remember also the advantage of volume.

A lot of items are offered at a cheaper price when bought wholesale, so try to buy at least three pieces. If you're shopping with your friends, maybe you can pool your individual purchases so that you can all benefit from the discount. Remember that there is power in numbers, so take advantage of the discount by buying more!

On a final note, always thank the seller after completing your transaction, whether you have acquired the item for the price you wanted or not. Politeness is always appreciated anywhere around the globe, so be sure to thank the sellers for their time and effort.

Who knows, maybe this goodwill will translate to you being a favorite customer and enjoying another discount on your next visit.