** This is a part of a series of posts about my blog trip to Thailand. **

Continuing the Hua Hin night market experience, I am surprised by the number of foreign tourists in Hua Hin. There were so many that it’s easy to think they might have outnumbered the local population! People were speaking different languages all around: English, German, French, even Arabic! I heard Arabic speakers there who did not wear their traditional dishdasha clothes.

So what brought the flock of tourists there at night? Not the souvenirs!

Booze and food everywhere.

I left the booze part of the market and went on shopping actually looking for capris or shorts since I mostly brought jeans and it was not appropriate for the warm weather there!

I bought a very comfortable pants I initially thought to be patented as “MC Hammer pants” but later found out to have the official name “Aladdin’s pants” or fisherman’s pants or harem pants  – soft fabric with wide waist band, 3/4 in length and just have that airy feel to it. The lady told me the price is 400 Bahts (US$13). I don’t have any idea if it’s expensive or cheap or if I should outright pay or haggle. I am not good in haggling but isn’t it what night markets are for?

Aaaah, I should have drank some booze for that extra push!

Uhm, 350 Bahts? I batted my eyelash as I wipe the sweat off my upper lip. It was hot and balmy plus I was nervous. She smiled. I *shamelessly* dived in for more… 300 Bahts? She said YES. So I got two pants at $10 each.

The thing is, I only haggle when I think the price is much lower and of course, if the place is appropriate for haggling. Otherwise, I pay for the price if I can. And asking for less than $10 was really a bit over the top because c’mon, who couldn’t afford $10? I got this trip for free so the least I can do is pay the street vendor. I shouldn’t even haggled, come to think of it!

So, I came home thinking I got a good bargain. While we were driving home, I saw an advert outside the building by the street: “Room available, 300 Bahts per night”. It was a pretty decent hostel and one night costs 300 Bahts, the same amount I paid for my Aladdin pants!!

But I love the pants and I’m going to wear my 10 dollars for a long time, never mind if I paid more than what the real value, WHATEVER that is.

*****

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* Photos taken using Canon EOS 550D and Canon PowerShot SD960IS