how much

[bedbugy1-old]

just got back from a spending spree
bought some dandy shoes and socks
the b/f remarks
how much
is this the same with your b/f

Who the fcuk cares !

[puckered_penguin]

just got back from a spending spree
bought some dandy shoes and socks
the b/f remarks
how much
is this the same with your b/f

Sure, you are spending his money. He will say ''your money is my money and my money is my money.'' No problem if you are spending it on him or his entourage.

[bing]

Who is in control? He can ask all he wants, it is your purse, opps may be wallet. It is up to you to set parameters of relationship. Whatever you purchase, it should be because it gives you pleasure to buy it. If you get into the frame of reference that you must buy this for him,, Watch out, you are on slippery slope, as you can never buy enough things. The answer to the question might be, "Sweetie, you are worth every baht of it."

Generally yes, but not in my relationship, bing.

"My" wallet is legally "our" wallet, but one of the few things that causes a disagreement between us is shopping; it is, for example, now several months since I suggested I buy him some new shirts and the answer is still "next week". It would give me pleasure to buy it if only I could!

And bedbugy 1, this is a perfectly normal and acceptable question for Thais, even amongst strangers. Some say it is a means of establishing your wealth and status; personally I think it is no more than idle, childlike curiosity.

[TrongpaiExpat]

And bedbugy 1, this is a perfectly normal and acceptable question for Thais, even amongst strangers. Some say it is a means of establishing your wealth and status; personally I think it is no more than idle, childlike curiosity.

Yes, that what I though the OP was getting at but others seemed to have jumped to an other conclusion and one irritable uncalled for rude response.

Learn to speak Thai and they all seem to be always asking how much this and that cost. The first thing a Thai upon entering our place is how much does this cost. If a farang wants to know how much I am paying first he has to establish that he has a need to know, some reason to ask like he wants to rent a similar place and then he has to determine carefully that it's OK to ask and then and only then is the question presented for consideration. Then the farang response is often something like Snowkat's comment above.

In Thailand you're dealing with a culture where bargaining is still common and so the prices of things are much more flexible. My boyfriend will often ask "How much you pay?" when I've bought something but it's often a prelude to him claiming that he could have got it cheaper or even if he doesn't say so I get the impression that he thinks he could have. He's very careful with money and guards every Baht.

He's also amazed at the cost of items that I bring from the UK even when I consider them cheap. A lot of the time I don't remember the cost of things but I make something up just to keep him quiet.

It can be a little irritating to a non Thai to be asked the price of a gift you've just given someone but I've found it happens quite often.

[markie1]

Youa re right they always seem to want to know the cost ,dont really dont why ,but they always ask ,very different to the uk where you would not dream of asking how much you payed for a irem you were given has a present ,but i am used to it now and i just say it aws expencive look after it .

[Bob]

Khun Jon has it right.
In my view, they are hard bargainers and they generally believe that we falang are "ting tong" to pay what we usually pay.
So, when asking, they're just trying to figure out how smart or stupid you are in the bargaining process. If you've paid 500 baht for something they think they would have paid 300 baht, at a minimum you'll see the reaction when they roll their eyes.

[Impulse]

So what if they ask what something cost! How else will they learn how much things are? i had a boy ask me why falangs make so much more money than Thais.To me it was a good question,but after giving it some thought I really didnt know how to answer it! Its like salaries,why such a big secret how much different people make?If I had known and was told I might not have settled for such a piss poor paying job I have now. :geek:

Basically it's the same question as:
"Where are you going?" (pai nai?)
"What are you doing?" (tham arai?)

Just curiousity.

About cost: every Thai is especially curious about how much things cost, especially when foreigners bought it.
The rent of the house, the price of the car, the price of the phone, etc.

[Beachlover]

It depends, which way he asked it, tone of voice and all.

It's probably just a casual question... not a possesive one.

In Asian it's common to ask how much people paid for things... just like girls often ask each other how much they paid for a blouse or something. It's a social thing.

It's also common to ask how much a present cost... it's just in their culture. They are hard bargainers and "getting the best deal" is often part of the fun and sport for them.

And to ask how much you earn is also very common... a trick is to say the weekly amount. They will go wow, and assume it's the monthly amount. Don't tell the them the monthly amount. The truth can be enough to make a grown man cry...

[elephantspike]

just got back from a spending spree
bought some dandy shoes and socks
the b/f remarks
how much
is this the same with your b/f


Not sure, but if you phrase it like this, it makes great Haiku:

Just got back from a
spending spree bought some dandy
shoes, socks, boy remarks


It's a beautiful phrase!

[Aunty]

just got back from a spending spree
bought some dandy shoes and socks
the b/f remarks
how much

I would have looked at him and simply said:- three blow jobs and two fucks!

Everybody asks that question you dickhead! Friends, boyfriends, parents, siblings. geesh.

Do any of you stupid old fools here actually realise that in many jurisdictions where same-sex defacto (common law) relationships exist and are recognised in law, (including civil unions) when you live with a guy as your partner he's entitled legally to varying amounts of your property as prescribe by law. Your property (including your money) becomes relationship property, it's no longer just my property/money, it's our property/money. Consider yourselves lucky you are living in Thailand which still seems to have an unsophisticated approach to these matters.

Consider yourselves lucky you are living in Thailand which still seems to have an unsophisticated approach to these matters.

The approach is only "unsophisticated" until your domestic partner drags you into court to take half of everything you own. Can and does happen, here as elsewhere.

[Aunty]

Consider yourselves lucky you are living in Thailand which still seems to have an unsophisticated approach to these matters.

The approach is only "unsophisticated" until your domestic partner drags you into court to take half of everything you own. Can and does happen, here as elsewhere.

For same-sex couples as well?

[bao-bao]

just got back from a spending spree
bought some dandy shoes and socks
the b/f remarks
how much
is this the same with your b/f

Not sure, but if you phrase it like this, it makes great Haiku:

Just got back from a
spending spree bought some dandy
shoes, socks, boy remarks

It's a beautiful phrase!

I agree, Elephantspike. I think I've already posted this - although a cursory search didn't turn up anything - so I'll mention it (perhaps) again:

Did you know that any haiku can be sung to the tune of "Moonlight in Vermont"? Members old enough to remember or have been exposed to older standard songs from the 40's or 50's have undoubtedly heard it. Try it!

Five beats to the line
Seven beats then five again
Everything's haiku

(with thanks to Jon Carroll of the San Francisco Chronicle) :cheers:

[Brad the Impala]

Consider yourselves lucky you are living in Thailand which still seems to have an unsophisticated approach to these matters.

The approach is only "unsophisticated" until your domestic partner drags you into court to take half of everything you own. Can and does happen, here as elsewhere.

Cite examples please.

"How much money do you make" is generally regarded as an invasion of farang privacy.Privacy you say? It's rather vulgar, that's all. But perhaps you are an American? As I recall, Thailand is the only country that asks for "annual income" on its arrival form. Damn cheek. Like everything else on these sorts of forms, I never give the correct answer to a question they can't verify on the spot, on the basis that it's simply none of their business where I'm staying or how much I earn. If a Thai asks me how much I earn I have a standard response - "Oh, very poor man. You can lend me some money?"

..... and they generally believe that we falang are "ting tong" to pay what we usually pay.
....

That is why I avoid buying things from small stores or street vendors, where bargaining is expected.
You don't see anybody bargain at Central department stores, do you? That's where I buy my stuff...much more enjoyable experience.