The First Customer Of The Day
In each country, there are certain practices that visitors may notice over time, and praderm is one of them. The word literally means the first purchase of the day. Understanding this tradition will help you build a good relationship with Thai vendors.
Praderm is a form of superstition, and as you may already know, most Thais are superstitious. Vendors believe that if their first customer of the day is a so called good customer, their goods will sell well throughout the day. In addition, food vendors think that all the food they have prepared will be sold before closing time, that way nothing goes to waste.
A good customer is someone who is easy to deal with and often spends a lot of money. On the other hand, a bad customer is demanding. For example, he only wants to buy a few bananas, when they are sold by the bunch, or two apples, when they are offered in 4-packs.
Most vendors at local markets sell their fruits per kilo or half kilo. However, you can buy small amounts of fruit at the supermarket, but the prices are usually higher.
After the first sale, many vendors pat their remaining goods with the largest bank notes received from the first customer. While patting, they say khai dee or heng heng, which means sell well or good business. The practice is a form of blessing.
Some vendors who don't want to risk having a bad first customer, pretend to be a customer themselves, and pay for the goods with their own money. As a result, they don't have to worry about having a bad first customers.
A final tip. If you just want to buy a few fruits at the market, make sure you're not the first customer. Otherwise, you may be faced with an unpleasant vendor...
In each country, there are certain practices that visitors may notice over time, and praderm is one of them. The word literally means the first purchase of the day. Understanding this tradition will help you build a good relationship with Thai vendors.
Praderm is a form of superstition, and as you may already know, most Thais are superstitious. Vendors believe that if their first customer of the day is a so called good customer, their goods will sell well throughout the day. In addition, food vendors think that all the food they have prepared will be sold before closing time, that way nothing goes to waste.
A good customer is someone who is easy to deal with and often spends a lot of money. On the other hand, a bad customer is demanding. For example, he only wants to buy a few bananas, when they are sold by the bunch, or two apples, when they are offered in 4-packs.
Most vendors at local markets sell their fruits per kilo or half kilo. However, you can buy small amounts of fruit at the supermarket, but the prices are usually higher.
After the first sale, many vendors pat their remaining goods with the largest bank notes received from the first customer. While patting, they say khai dee or heng heng, which means sell well or good business. The practice is a form of blessing.
Some vendors who don't want to risk having a bad first customer, pretend to be a customer themselves, and pay for the goods with their own money. As a result, they don't have to worry about having a bad first customers.
A final tip. If you just want to buy a few fruits at the market, make sure you're not the first customer. Otherwise, you may be faced with an unpleasant vendor...
Praderm is a form of superstition, and as you may already know, most Thais are superstitious. Vendors believe that if their first customer of the day is a so called good customer, their goods will sell well throughout the day. In addition, food vendors think that all the food they have prepared will be sold before closing time, that way nothing goes to waste.
A good customer is someone who is easy to deal with and often spends a lot of money. On the other hand, a bad customer is demanding. For example, he only wants to buy a few bananas, when they are sold by the bunch, or two apples, when they are offered in 4-packs.
Most vendors at local markets sell their fruits per kilo or half kilo. However, you can buy small amounts of fruit at the supermarket, but the prices are usually higher.
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After the first sale, many vendors pat their remaining goods with the largest bank notes received from the first customer. While patting, they say khai dee or heng heng, which means sell well or good business. The practice is a form of blessing.
Some vendors who don't want to risk having a bad first customer, pretend to be a customer themselves, and pay for the goods with their own money. As a result, they don't have to worry about having a bad first customers.
A final tip. If you just want to buy a few fruits at the market, make sure you're not the first customer. Otherwise, you may be faced with an unpleasant vendor...