Barber Shops

Post by **Barney** » December 9, 2014, 5:28 pm

parrot wrote:
parrot wrote:
papaguido wrote:
parrot wrote:Just to clarify my post above......I didn't intend to question the op's posting. Merely my own observation. I would be most interested in a photo of the price listing.
Pinched from a friends FB page...

Quite clear........wouldn't get my business. Seems pretty ballsy, even by Thai standards.

I was running errands in town today....lots of them......needed a haircut and passed by this shop with a nice shady parking spot nearby. I didn't remember the dual pricing story associated with this barber.....but shortly after telling the barber how to cut my hair, I noticed the small sign on the mirror......."Haircut....American....European....150 Baht". I didn't want to create a scene by walking out (snip snip snip already taking place)......so used my normal 15 minutes of meditation time to consider my predicament.
The sign clearly said "American" "European". Yet, I didn't show ID as I entered and doubted I would when I paid. So.....after telling myself to be jai-yen-yen no matter what happened, I concocted my story.
Now, I was happy with the haircut.....the facility was clean and air conditioned......but the owner (I'm guess he was the owner......shaved head, heavily tatooed) was yakking loudly...joking...with his staff the whole time I was trying to meditate. No matter the pricing outcome, I told myself I wouldn't be back.
When it was time to pay, I asked the ?owner? (in Thai) how much. He said 150. I asked him (again, in my most polite Thai), did he know what country I came from. He said "American". I told him, again speaking as politely as possible (in Thai again), that I was from South Africa and thus didn't qualify for the increased cost.
He looked befuddled.....said I didn't look like a South African (I can only guess what he meant by that).....but quickly pulled out his business card and said (in Thai).....'whenever you come here for a haircut, you show this card to the barber'....and he wrote in Thai on the back.....'haircut price 100 Baht'.
I thanked him, wai'd, and left.
Mission accomplished...even if I missed out on my meditation ritual.

So Parrot are you going back on your word to yourself and returning for a haircut? Now you have the gold pass.

Post by **parrot** » December 9, 2014, 6:30 pm

Barney wrote "So Parrot are you going back on your word to yourself and returning for a haircut? Now you have the gold pass"

I think not. A - had I realized this was the dual-pricing barber shop before I entered and the snipping began, I would have walked out.

B - I value my 15 minutes every month or so of indulgence in being pampered by someone other than my wife. The quieter the barber....the better the experience, for me. This barber shop was far too noisy for my liking. While I'm not particularly fond of the elderly barbers at Remember Barber......I believe the owner (Mr. Kiti) has a policy of keeping things quiet.

C - I might have to confront a situation of me paying 100 Baht at the same time another foreigner (American or European) pays his 150. I'm not sure I want to hear the fireworks.

On a related note.....last year while on vacation, I had my hair clipped......posted price was $13 (pretty much the going rate in San Antonio). When I paid, the barber rang up $8.95. I inquired. She responded....."senior rate". I tipped generously.
This year, same location, the barber advertised a special rate of $6.99 for the month of November. Same same haircut as the $13 posted price. I doubt you could find a better haircut deal in the US these days.

C -

Post by **cali4995** » December 14, 2014, 3:43 am

rather awkward , this place has always had friendly staff and i imagine most farangs tipped
on top of the standard rate , but a mandatory surcharge ?

makes one feel uncomfortable

Post by **Earnest** » December 14, 2014, 5:19 am

Ah, splendid, Cali's back on the scene. What more chums could a chap need when Uncle Tilo, Jack Spratt and Cali are posting?

Barber shops? My missus, Fat Lil, has a barber shop in Blighty. Here she is scalping a scouser scally.....

Post by **pomps** » December 14, 2014, 6:45 am

She looks like a nice strong lass,probably good at the neck and shoulder massage =D>
And cali posting again $\:D/$

Post by **merchant seaman** » December 14, 2014, 8:17 am

Bought a hair clipper in Nong Kai at the market for 800 baht, wife now cuts my hair.

Post by **GT93** » December 15, 2014, 9:11 am

I trust she doesn't charge you more merchant seaman because you aren't Thai.

Post by **merchant seaman** » December 15, 2014, 11:05 am

Really doesn't matter I don't have any money she has control of it all and pays for everthing.

Post by **old-timer** » December 15, 2014, 1:26 pm

merchant seaman wrote:I don't have any money she has control of it all and pays for everthing.

How crazy is that?
If you don't have any money and she is paying for everything, respect.
If you hand over to her all your money and she controls the spending, crazy.

OT............... $\:D/$

Post by **pomps** » December 15, 2014, 2:49 pm

Presumably hair clipper oil is a further drain on your resources,happy with Somchai my barberman $\:D/$

Post by **merchant seaman** » December 15, 2014, 4:00 pm

Just take a wee bit of oil from the wifes motorbike.

Post by **Shado** » December 15, 2014, 4:44 pm

My wife is a licensed hair dresser and had her own shop before we married. Of course she has all of the gear for cutting hair and I once asked her to cut mine. She did and that was the last time. I have a full head of hair and she had a bit of a problem of knowing where to stop.

I now have a young barber who does a great job at an extremely reasonable price and is located less than 5 minutes from the house. He needs the business and home life remains pleasurable.

Post by **stattointhailand** » December 15, 2014, 6:29 pm

merchant seaman wrote:Bought a hair clipper in Nong Kai at the market for 800 baht, wife now cuts my hair.

Be careful a second one doesn't sprout MS ..... much harder to cut when there are two

Do you use the Bobby Charlton style and overcomb it until it looks like 4 or 5 hairs ?

: bobbycharlton1.jpg (10.79 KiB) Viewed 1727 times

just kiddin

Post by **merchant seaman** » December 15, 2014, 6:39 pm

cuts it high and tight just like a U.S. Marine.

Post by **stattointhailand** » December 15, 2014, 6:45 pm

merchant seaman wrote:cuts it high and tight just like a U.S. Marine.

suppose it's easier to teach the barber how to cut a Marine's hair than it is to try and teach loads of marines how to use a comb :-"

Post by **merchant seaman** » December 15, 2014, 7:05 pm

You gonna get SemperFiGuy's blood pressure up for sure.

Post by **semperfiguy** » December 15, 2014, 7:08 pm

merchant seaman wrote:You gonna get SemperFiGuy's blood pressure up for sure.

Yep...I'm pretty pissed and offended right now!

$\:D/$

Post by **merchant seaman** » December 15, 2014, 7:22 pm

You went and done it now. SFG will be popping them valium like candy tonight.LOL

Post by **stattointhailand** » December 15, 2014, 10:14 pm

Sorry SFG ...... it was just too good a set up to miss the chance

Post by **semperfiguy** » December 15, 2014, 11:22 pm

stattointhailand wrote:Sorry SFG ...... it was just too good a set up to miss the chance

No problem statto! I guess most of us 18 year olds who joined the Corps had more brawn than brains, especially those of us who volunteered to go to Nam. When Uncle Sam said he was "looking for a few good men" they didn't expect to get guys with good sense who would actually believe that being "first to fight" was a smart thing to do. We got our higher education in the jungle, and I'll take "street smarts" over book smarts any day of the week. Semper Fi!