Manners and Culture in Thailand: Is Haggling Good Etiquette?

When you google up tips and tricks on visiting Thailand, chances are good that you’ll run into reviews, travel advisories and posts on travelers’ forums that inform you of a crucial aspect in Thai culture: haggling. Horror stories will be told of how many have come home with luggage packed to the brim with baubles for which they paid six times their worth because they were scammed by street vendors in Chiang Mai at the Night Bazaar or in Bangkok at the Floating Market. Problem is: it’s not true. Sure, there are crooks who’ll trick you out of your money, but really haggling—also known as “being a cheapskate”—isn’t necessarily the way to experience Thailand’s culture to its authentic full. Just like anywhere else, nobody likes “that guy.” Have a glance at this primer to pick up a few facts on Thai haggling: when to do it, where to do it, and when doing it is gonna just embarrass everybody—you most of all.

1. Crafting villages, Night Market, Walking Street. This is where the myth that haggling is the thing to do does the most damage. Chiang Mai is a city of creativity and artists: often the merchants you see selling you that stuff is the same folks who made it. No corporations involved, no middleman, there isn’t even an Etsy in the between. Hence the price tags they’ve set are pretty reasonable, because you’re getting it straight from the source. Apart from that, artisans in northern Thailand make quality products and they’re proud of it. What they sell is hand-made, unique, high-quality and well worth the asking price (which isn’t that high to begin with! Again, compare to Etsy). Yep, there’s room for negotiation, but it’s not like they have got mark-ups that go sky-high and they do have to make a living. Don’t you think it’s awful that tourists force their profit margins to a negligible point, i.e. they barely break even? The best source for merchandise direct from artists and makers are the Sunday and Saturday Walking Streets, occasionally at the Night Market. (Crafting villages et al have higher mark-ups as they need to pay tour guides commissions, whereas people selling at the Walking Streets/Night Bazaar don’t have to.)

2. Supermarkets, department stores. "What are you saying?” I can hear you ask. “Who on earth tries to haggle at department stores?” Believe it, some do. There’re tourists who take the whole “haggling is part of the culture” very literally against all odds of common sense. Oh, that’s not you, naturally, but in case someone else is going to visit Thailand, you might want to give them the heads-up that really, don’t bother trying to pull that off at a 7-11 or a Tesco/Lotus even if the cashier’s Thai. Barcode isn’t exactly flexible, you know?

3. Gold and silver. The funny thing about precious metals is, everyone wants some and it’s sort of the thing that keeps world economy going. So when you’re buying jewelry that’s heavy on the gold or silver side, you should know that they go by the weight and the asking price is dependent on the trading rate for the metal itself, plus the price of the precious stone(s) and the craftsmanship. Should the merchant refuse to accede to your unreasonable expectations for discounts, remember they aren’t trying to rip you off. They just want to make sure their profit margin is a bit higher than “zero” or “negative.” Sapphires, emeralds, rubies and the like do give you more room to wriggle, though.

4. Hotels. This is where you can certainly haggle, as long as you pick the right hotel. My advice? Don't try this at hotels that are part of a huge international chain-Le Meridien, Shangri-La and all. They operate much like their counterparts across the globe and you simply don't walk into a five-star expecting bargains unless you are a card-carrying member with marks to redeem or have frequent flyer miles to burn. Independent hotels in Chiang Mai that are attached to no mega-corporations? That’s a different story. What’s more, you will be spoiled for choice, too: three- and four-stars hotels are everywhere in the city, serving with high standards and hospitality you just won't find anywhere else and certainly not at home. Pool your friends together and tell them you're looking to book three or five rooms, or even just one room over many days (say five) and the desk clerk or the reservation officer will almost certainly get you fantastic deals as long as you don't expect anything unreasonable like dancing girls or half price off. Most properties offer long-term rates too, with varying definitions of what constitutes "long-term." (Generally seven to ten days is a safe bet.)

5. Prices, scaling, and currency. Most tourists don't bat an eyelash paying full price for a cup of Starbucks, which in Thailand is enough to buy a good meal for one at a good restaurant. It's probably worth considering what you are about to buy is really worth and how much more you'd get out of it than a cup of Starbucks or a scoop of Hagen-Daz. Many vendors rely on selling their goods to get by, and they certainly can't afford a glass of coffee that costs almost as much as some of their pricier wares. After a certain point, haggling only saves you maybe half a USD while making the vendor's life just that little bit harder, possibly thinning their next meal. You don't have to care, of course, but it's something to think about, right?

As with any other kind of etiquette, common sense is the main guiding force behind the art of haggling in Thailand. Have fun shopping!