I want to add my 2 cents here, because this topic is something that I have thought about, a few times, in the last couple of months. I most recently (before seeing this post) revisited the topic over the weekend when I read a reader submission on the Stickman BKK blog (I highly recommend reading it, will certainly give you some food for thought -
https://www.stickmanbangkok.com/ ... covid-impact-story/).
The situation in the real economy is quite bad. I know we don't see it (probably since we're at home a lot) and HK has always been good at hiding this sort of thing but for low skilled workers (which would be the vast majority of WGs), there are not many alternative options to make a living. While I also believe in free market capitalism, we simply don't live in that world. HK is giving 10K to PRs, the US has given cash handouts, even the Thai Govt. has helped people out of a job (except the WGs...). While the govt. who taxes us should be responsible for helping out those in need, I think we can try to be more compassionate in these tough times (for those of us with a decent and stable income and/or significant wealth). My guess is that once we can resume human contact and so resume our debauchery, help will come but in the near future, most people prefer the comfort and safety of their homes.
I will echo what bro zebra wrote; this is the time to be generous, if you can. I understand that some bros might also be feeling the pinch (financially) due to covid or have a tight budget for punting. There is indeed nothing wrong with bargaining or agreeing on a price but I urge you to not take advantage of a WG's desperation.
I will end by mentioning that I do, on occasion, negotiate price and I don't like the feeling of having overpaid for the service or paid much more than others, but I have decided to be more generous, within my means, recently.
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Last edited by OscarPistorius at 18-8-2020 19:02 ]