I completely get it. In a part of the world with little to no welfare or social security, people's livelihoods depend on the money they can get from tourists. I'm not condemning the practice of street spruiking - or (my new favourite word) 'costermongering' - but what do you do if you're not interested? If you're travelling on a budget, and are not interested a brand new tailored silk suit? Here's what I've found to be the best strategies for getting away from spruikers, country by country.
Thailand
Outside the most tourist-heavy areas, Thai hawkers tend to be quite easy-going. Walking through a market, you'll hear plenty of cries of "sa-wat-dee!" ("hello!") as you pass by stalls. In most cases, a simple "sa-wat-dee" in return, coupled with a big friendly smile, is enough to keep walking without being rude. The same goes for spruikers standing outside businesses. Be polite and friendly, but keep walking. If you stop or slow down, the spruiker will take this as a sign that you are interested, or at least can be brought around if he tries hard enough. If this does happen, or if - as some of the more determined hawkers will do - he starts to walk alongside you, a firm but polite "no, thank you" is usually sufficient to throw them off. If he's especially persistent, just repeat the "no, thank you" and keep walking. He'll get the idea.
In Thailand's most popular tourist spots, such as Bangkok's Khaosan Road district and Patong Beach in Phuket, the hawkers can get far more determined. I've been followed around for almost 15 minutes by a man offering me a cheap private tour of the city, had a lady chase me up the road with a wooden frog, and had a warm beer physically pressed into my hand by a guy outside a bar - at 10 in the morning. In these situations, the best tactic I've found has been to fake aloofeness and misunderstanding. Thai spruikers are unique, in that many will learn their spiel in the most common backpacker languages - generally English, German, French, Chinese and Japanese. After being accosted a few times by people who were more persistent than I was comfortable with, Tash suggested a different response - Spanish, a language no spruiker seemed familiar with. "Lo siento" ("I'm sorry") and a warm smile, followed up with a "no hablo Ingles" ("I don't speak English") to sell the illusion - and it worked like a charm. We made our speedy escape while the spuiker was still scratching his head, trying to figure out what we said.Laos
If anything, I found the hawkers in Laos to be even more laid-back and easy-going than their Thai counterparts. The women working in the multitude of sandwich stalls and juice bars on the streets will smile and greet you, but just like in Thailand, a friendly smile is all that's required in return. There are spruikers outside bars and travel agencies, but most of the time, if you don't look directly at them, they won't even bother to get up out of their chairs to talk to you. They're happy to sell to you - as long as you come to them and they don't have to do much. Every time you walk by, you can see them go through a mental checklist, deciding whether to try and sell their wares to you:
- How comfortable is my chair?
- Does this person look like they might be interested?
- How cold is my beer?
The other people that are likely to call out to you are tuk tuk drivers. In Thailand, they tend to be too busy, to the point where finding one when you actively want it can be a challenge. In Laos, on the other hand, you'll usually find them parked in groups of up to four along the side of the road. Assuming they're not to invested in their card game or napping in the back of their vehicle, you'll hear "tuk tuk?" as you pass. If you smile and shake your head, most drivers will go back to what they were doing. A few may ask you where you're going, but often it can be more friendly curiosity than trying to get your business. To date, Laos is the only country where I've found this to be true.Cambodia
The golden rule for dealing with hawkers in Cambodia is this: ignore them. If you're travelling with someone, try and carry on a conversation while walking. Cambodian spruikers are a lot more dedicated than their Thai or Laotian counterparts, and a lot less likely to take no for an answer. Walking down the street, you'll hear calls asking you where you are going, if you have a hotel, what you're doing today - most of the time there are so many that you simply have no choice but to ignore them. That's fine. In Cambodia, it's not seen as rude to just ignore someone who's calling out to you as you pass, and even responding with a "no, thank you" can be an encouragement for most hawkers. If a spruiker for a hotel or tour company does decide that you seem worth his time, it can be easy enough to tell him that you already have a hotel, or plans for the day - even if that's not true. They'll probably ask you where you're planning on staying/going, but there's no need to answer. If
you can convince them with your attitude that you've given your business to someone else, they'll give up and move on to the next passing tourist.
By contrast, the tuk tuk drivers in Cambodia are far more tenacious. If a driver without a fare passes your way on the street, be prepared for them to slow down and call out to you, "you want tuk tuk?" For South East Asia, this isn't particularly uncommon. If you wave them off, or even ignore them, however, they will start to follow you, still asking you where you're going. If you absolutely must respond, I find it best to gesture vaguely into the middle distance and say "over there". The driver will most likely still ask you if you want a lift, for "cheap, cheap!", but the further along you go without responding, the less he'll try, and eventually he'll speed away.
Note: If you do have to repeat yourself over and over to a hawker, it's important not to get frustrated and lose your cool. In South East Asia, and Cambodia in particular, getting angry or yelling at a hawker is a great way to instantly demonise yourself (and other tourists by association) to anyone watching nearby.
Vietnam
That may seem like a weird statement - after all, doesn't every spruiker need you to by what they're selling? Isn't that their job? Well, yes, but hawkers with more popular wares, such as those selling sunglasses or watches or handing out flyers for beauty parlours aren't going to be particularly bothered if you wave them off. After all, there are a lot of tourists in Vietnam, and if you won't buy something, there are plenty of others who will. The spruikers who don't have that level of job security, however, will follow you, try and block your path, try and strike up a conversation - anything they can do to try and convince you to buy a shoeshine or a cheaply made tie. Pedicab drivers in particular can be the most insistent - as there is little demand for this slow and not-so-cheap form of transport in a world of motorbikes and tuk tuks.
Hawkers aren't evil
This is in no way meant to be a condemnation of street spruiking. Remember, street spruikers are just trying make a living, and throughout most of South East Asia, they're not likely to have any other source of income. There's a saying in Thailand which is also true for the rest of the region - "don't mess with the rice bowl". At the end of the day, the money a hawker makes is their bottom line, and if they don't make their money, they can't pay their rent and feed their families. However, if you don't want what they're selling, you shouldn't feel at all pressured to buy it. While we've been in South East Asia, we've found plenty of great stuff in street stalls, and often you can bargain the prices down and get a great deal on things that you want. However, you're also going to get offered a lot of things you don't want, don't have time for, or just can't afford.
Sometimes, however, no amount of tactics will help you to deflect a partciularly tenacious hawker. On our last morning in Ho Chi Minh City, I was walking to a currency exchange booth when a peddler noticed my beaten-up sneakers and offered to fix them for me. I politely declined and went to walk away, only to have to politely decline about twelve more times as he followed me up the street. When I sat down at the currency exchange, I felt something tugging at my pant leg. He'd followed me in and was now determined to fix my shoes. When I pulled my feet away from him and told him to go away, he took my shoes off so he could glue the holes closed. I was dumbstruck, but that was nothing. He then stood up and told me I owed him 450,000 VND (almost $25) for something I'd told him several times not to do! Of course, he didn't think that was a reasonable argument for why I shouldn't have to pay him. When he tried to offer me a 100,000 dong discount, I shook my head, shoved a 50,000 dong note into his hand and ran away before he could say anything else.
For some reason, Tash found that story a lot funnier than I did.
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