If you like shopping and you are any good at bargaining, lots of good deals can be made in the small shops of Thailand. Here are a few tips to bear in mind when going shopping in town.

• Avoid shopping for the first couple of days of your holiday. It is important that you get to know the currency before you start bargaining and buying.

• You should do your shopping in the morning when the salesmen are able to give you all the time that you need.
In Thailand many salesmen think that it is ther god who brings the first customer of the day and that this will bring luck for the whole day.
You may therefore receive special treatment at this time of day.

• Do not enter a shop where the salesmen are practically grabbing you from the street. In these shops the salesmen are likely to push you to buy and, if you should choose not to buy, they can become very aggressive.

• Always make the salesman tell you a price before you start getting more information about the goods. Salesmen become upset if they have spent a lot of time trying to sell you items which you refuse to buy in the end because they are too expensive for you.

• A thumb role is that one should always bargain on all prices except food . If you are any good at bargaining, you could get the price down by as much as 50 percent in some places. With jewellery it is possible to get the price reduced by up to 10 percent. In regards to tailors be aware that if you bargain to hard - the quality might reflect on this.

• You should never be satisfied with getting ”the best price” at an early point in the process – have patience and you will be rewarded!

• In general the salesmen are honest and you therefore do not have to worry that you are being tricked into buying a copy at the price of an original. Usually the price will reflect the authenticity of the goods. You will often find that even if the item is a copy it is of very good quality nevertheless.

• When you are going to pay you should know which rate of exchange is valid. You can then borrow a calculator and figure out exactly how much you are paying in your own currency.

• If you are buying something expensive such as jewellery, be sure to ask for a certificate of guarantee with the name of the store on it.

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