To bargain - or not to bargain in Thailand

Should I bargain for everything I buy in the market? Can you give me an idea what not to bargain for?

Q: I have a question about bargaining in Thailand. I know it does not apply on fixed priced products in department stores or food at stalls and restaurants, but should I bargain for everything I buy in the market? Can you give me an idea what not to bargain for?

A: It's difficult to provide strict guidelines on how low a seller may be willing to go down from his or her original quoted price, and on which products.

However, bargaining can be fun so don't get too serious about it. You can try your skills with a big smile. This way, you can bargain on any goods on the streets and markets. There are no set rules on what you can't bargain for. Sometimes, Thai housewives even negotiate over a bunches coriander though that's more out of habit than to bring the price down. It's best to have an idea of how much you want to pay for an item. Some merchants quote an inflated price and it is okay to haggle. This is likely to happen in tourist areas like Patpong market or Sukhumvit.

It is best to start bargaining for an item you want to buy after browsing the market for a few days and getting some ideas about its price. Start of by asking the price at a few stalls, smile as you acknowledge it and walk away. Once you have the price in your head, you can start bargaining.

The best move is not to start haggling straight away. First ask the seller to give you the best price, which should bring the cost down before you start haggling. If the seller is not interested in your price, you can always walk away.

Sometimes the price of goods in the market is low anyway, and it's not worth bargaining. I once spotted a tourist trying to bargain a T-shirt price down to Bt50, which made the merchant justifiably angry.

But if you go to Platinum Mall in Pratunam to buy some nice clothes, it is likely that you won't get the chance to bargain hard, as the merchant there will turn her back on you. But it's okay to bargain for fun and you may get Bt50-Bt100 discount as a reward. Average Thai sellers these days don't mark up the prices too high, unless you are in the tourist area. If you go to Chatuchak weekend market where all the goods are at bargain prices, you can ask for some discount if you are buying in bulk.

Q: We will be in Thailand in mid-November and are travelling to Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Krabi. Can you tell me when I should make my hotel reservations for that period? All I want is good budget hotels during my trip. Can I wait a few more months before booking? Thanks for your advice. Steve.

A: It is fine to book far in advance especially when you plan to travel during the high tourist season like the end of November. That way, you can be certain your preferred hotels are still available, especially those with good reviews on websites and in guidebooks. If you're not too fussy about the hotel provided it's within your budget, you'll find plenty whenever you start booking.

The good part about advance booking is that you can still cancel or rebook your hotel room at any time without penalty. So you can keep checking rates even after you have made a booking.

Usually, hotel room rates vary depending on supply and demand during that period. If the hotel is getting a lot of bookings for the period you want to stay, it is likely they will start raising rates. On the other hand, if they have plenty of rooms, they will probably work out a deal for you. The hotel's perception of its eventual occupancy level changes over time, so you can also ask directly if they have any special deals. Good luck!