I totally agree. What make me angry as well: are
- taxi drivers refusing puting the taxi meter ON
- tuk tuk drivers charging you 10 times more that the standard rate
- tuk tuk drivers taking you to jeweller's shop against you
- in the restaurant you never get your plate at the same time as your friend, usually you finish and the second plate arrives
- charging 200 Baht for entrance to National Parks much more than Thai people pay.
- creating National Park areas so tourist can be charged crazy prices to enter and then see rubish and trash everywhere. Where is this money go?

- you ask for vegeterian dish and you find a chicken inside


Just some examples...but Thailand is still a lovely place)

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For some of these things they should only happen once. Once burned twice shy!

In Bangkok, if the taxi driver does not agree to put the meter on - don't get in! More taxi drivers will put the meter on because it is the law. I never approach a parked taxi, they more often want to bargain the fare and you pay more. Wave a moving taxi over.

In Bangkok, after the first tuk-tuk run-around taking you to jewelry stores, don't use tuk-tuks anymore. Meter taxis are cheaper than tuk-tuks providing you use the meter. I really like the Skytrain in Bangkok even more now with the connection to the Airport Rail Link. I just hope that someday the Rail Link will stay open an extra hour or two for late arrivals at the airport.

I do understand that in other cities you may have to use what is available. But local transportation in Bangkok is a good deal! Just never use the tuk-tuks!

A country that prides itself on service....
But all you get is a lot of smiles and excuses for yet another mistake.
"I have finished my meal, but my friend's meal has not yet arrived" - "Sorry Sir/Madam", can mean anything from there is a problem to I forgot to tell the kitchen to cook it. Whatever, you are expected to be happy!
Later - The meal still does not come..."Sorry Sir/Madam" usually means - 'what did you order'?
Still no food?.....ask again! "Sorry Sir/Madam, the ????? is finished, what would you like to order?"
Yes, you want to strangle them to death, but they are ever so sweet. Shame that they are also abjectly stupid!
It may all seem cute, and perhaps humorous when you are holdaying there, but when you live there.....hand me that shotgun!

I live in Thailand for work - definately not by choice.

I have learnt my way around 'Thai culture', vis-a-vis lies and cheating. Taxis, shops and touts to mention just a few.

The official Government racism - charge foreigners more, and treat them differently to locals by law.

The moral is:- Visit Thailand for a holiday. Expect that you will be ripped off. Smile and leave saying - 'that was an adventure'....

I agree with the more optimistic posters above.

Once you do your homework, like reading this thread, you quickly learn what to do and not to do, where to go and not to go, etc.

It's the main tourist areas that people are complaining about, because they arrive uninformed and expect everything to proceed without a hitch in another part of the world.

Research the forums, then plan your trip accordingly. Avoid obviously disreputable or overly eager people who approach you; make sure the taxi uses the meter; get off the beaten path and discover the real Thailand, which is a lot more fun with a lot fewer issues.

When I was visiting Thailand, it was a piece of cake. But, living here can be very trying!

One recent example:

I was at HomePro, shopping for wood chips for my smoker. Not being able to find them with the charcoal, the logical spot and where they normally were, I finally found a few bags, scattered amongst the few displayed BBQs.

I noticed that most of the bags had special, orange tags, marking them down to about half price. Do we smell a closeout?!

Well, one of the hickory chip was still marked at the regular price. I figured i was a mistake. I went to the checkstand and was told that it was full price. I took it to customer "service" and they called over "someone from that department". Some mousey little clerk showed up and explained that the manager told the to mark down some product to move it out. I guess "some" implied that the manager didn't want it all moved!!!!!

This is what we term as a "TIT" moment. "TIT" stands for "This is Thailand".

I gave up. At that time, it wasn't worth my time. Besides, I know that had I gotten the store manager involved, I would have got the chips at the markdown price (been there; done that, previously). But, being Thailand, I probably would have had the clerk fired too.