Hanumann avoids the big rip-off in Bangkok!
Some fancy cafes are traps for free spending farangs. Well, Hanumann ran into one of these traps his last night in Bangkok and like the wise seasoned traveler that he is, he cleverly did not spring the trap. Ok, let me set the stage. I made arrangements to meet my good friend, Fatcheek for our final get together at The Emporium, an upscale shopping complex located adjacent to one of the BTS skytrain stops, about one mile and an easy 5 minute / 1USD taxi ride from my hotel. We agreed to meet at the café on the ground floor. The plan was to have some coffee and tea and maybe a pastry or two. Well, after locating my friend at one of the tables in the café, I proceeded to look at he menu and did not like what I saw. Let’s see, for a cup of coffee or tea, 95 baht (2.40USD) for a small glass of canned fruit juice, 100 baht (2.50USD). As I was treating my friend, and I did not like the idea of allowing myself to be ripped off on my last night in Bangkok. I wasn’t about to, pay more than 55 baht (1.40USD) for a cup of coffee, which is what Starbucks in Thailand charges. Now if the café had some real ambiance like Agalico (the Royal Café), I might consider paying these outlandish prices but this café had a very faux and tired art deco look that turned me off.
Now, no normal Thai person would patronize a phony overpriced place like this unless they had same inferiority complex or had some issues with trying to enhance their status. This place was obviously a trap for free spending farangs who had absolutely no concerns about money. After recovering from my shock, I suggested to my friend that we go to the Black Canyon Coffee Shop located upstairs in the BTS Skytrain terminal. Now the Black Canyon is a cozy little place without any pretensions and with more down to earth prices. We proceeded to sit down and chat; I had a cup of blue mountain coffee and Fatcheek had some tea and we shared a pastry. Total bill was about 105 baht (2.60USD) plus tip! Bottom line, it pays use your brain and watch your money!
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