All in a Day's Shopping

I just got back from my own solo Sunday Session. It was a lot less educational than Charish and Dave's Sunday Session, but still fun and relaxing all the same. I've been shopping the local markets just outside the mall and I found some great deals.

I've learned that you should never shop in the mall. Everything is as overpriced as you think and there's really no such thing as a "sale." Outside the mall is a huge market called The Pin klao Market, a tent with a thousand little stalls selling everything a woman would need to stock her walk-in closet.

*WALK-IN CLOSET* I'm talking to you Noah *WALK-IN CLOSET*

Purses, shoes, jewelry, sunglasses, underwear, dresses, school uniforms. . . like I said, everything. While shopping in Pin Klao, I've become a lot more savvy in negotiating prices.

One thing I recommend in Thailand is learning key phrases in the language before shopping. Duh. It might be an obvious one, but I've seen westerners forget this and they end up talking louder, getting frustrated, and sometimes getting scammed.

I amble. I try not to walk as fast as I would on the street. I take my time, stop every other two feet and thoughtfully touch something. I give a "hmm." That's all it takes to attract a salesperson, sometimes a lot less. They greet me and I always smile and say "sawadee kaa." They will pitch their sale to me as if I understand. I have no idea what they are saying. I nod, always thoughtfully, furrow my brow, and say "hmm" some more. When I've spotted something I think I might like, I ask, "Tow rai?" How much? When they give me their price, I nod again. By now I sound like a Campbell Soup commercial. "Hmm. . ." Right now, is their chance to talk up this product some more:

"It's hand-made!"
"It's made of genuine leather!"
"It's from Paris!"
"We have it in extra large!"

I hear that last one often. If their price isn't doing it for me, I'll slowly back away with a pensive, losing interest expression. At this point, they might start talking faster.

"Maybe discount for you!"

Oh yeah?

Sometimes there's something I really want and I have to take a more offensive approach. That's where my knowledge of Thai numbers comes in handy. They are impressed that I know that much Thai in the first place. They don't expect it. Little do they know that's all the Thai I can speak. Once I saw a shirt for 280 baht. I inspected it in front of the saleswoman and put it back on the wall. "hmm."

"240," I told her.
She frowned and shook her head. A lesser woman would back down. I looked through the other tops and saw that the one I wanted was the only grey one. "No more grey," I told her. "Plus, it's medium! 240."

She pauses and I know I've got her. "270."
We keep this up until we've reached a compromise with 250. We both feel like winners.

Then there are just magically moments that occur without my doing anything. Like today. I was able to get discounts off of two items because. . . well I don't know. Maybe it's because I'm just a nice gal. When those happen, I just smile, thank them, and make a mental note to bring my business back.

Whew, I'm a little tired from all that walking and looking and spending money. I want a caramel latte. I'm getting spoiled :(