My boyfriend and I are leaving for Phuket.
Chalerm booked a hotel. This was a lot of fuss. Chalerm assumed his role as a travel industry professional from Farang D.’s office and asked for a discount. Or rather a kickback for sending me, the customer, and “a friend”.
This means I pay Chalerm, Chalerm sends money to the hotel, and the hotel puts money back into Chalerm’s private account. He got 35%.
The correct word for this scheming is “corruption”. Where did Chalerm learn it? In Farang D.’s office.
I thought this was too clever by far. But I decided to hold my moral lecture for some other time. This is Thailand. Let them do it the Thai way.
But it is a small hotel we have booked at. The woman Chalerm spoke to on the phone will probably be the same who greets us at the reception. Chalerm is supposed to be in Bangkok. He is not supposed to show up as one of the customers. Will he be found out?
Actually this scheming may be the only way to get a discount. If I call a hotel they always say “discount already!”. They are more willing to give money under the table to middlemen than they are to offer a better price to real customers. The honest way is bad form.
Tags: gay Thailand, Phuket
xxx
August 24th, 2007 at 3:36 pm
Hey Silom Farang, 35% doesn’t sound like any big deal to get into a moral frenzy over. I thought that around the world people who represent travel agencies get discounts as well as airline staff, travel writers, photographers and lots of others as well. When I travelled a few years ago with a friend from Hawaii who had nothing more than a letter from a travel agency (which he did not work for but which was owned by a friend of his) we were getting a minimum of 50% discounts at hotels and at some 5 star places in Thailand we got as much as 90% discount and sometimes even on our food and drink.
Anyway, this sounds like a very reasonable commission for bringing customers to a place. The fact that he is your BF and with you, doesn’t really change matters as far as I can see. I am surprised that he is only getting 35%! Are you sure Chalerm is coming clean with you? Or is it one of these real cheapies you are staying at and they just can’t afford to pay more for business?
If you think this is a scam, you should see what happens elsewhere in the world, even in the West.
August 24th, 2007 at 6:37 pm
Hope you and Chalerm have great time.
A chance to hopefully spend some loving, quality time together.
Looking forward to reading all about it
August 24th, 2007 at 8:08 pm
Bon Voyage
August 25th, 2007 at 1:47 am
Travel agency commissions are no big deal. The fact that he’s not passing on the discount might be something to argue about.
August 25th, 2007 at 3:01 pm
Chalerm has passed the comission on to me.
August 27th, 2007 at 2:11 am
aren’t hotels there like $40 USD a night even for a 4 star??