What do locals think about tourists?

I had the worst experience dealing with people trying to scam us in Bangkok. One notable example was with a taxi driver from the airport. We chose a "metered taxi" as it’s recommended everywhere. The fare on the meter showed 289 baht, plus a 50 baht airport fee.

Strangely, the driver stopped for a bathroom break on the highway, which felt odd. When we finally arrived at our destination, he quickly pulled out his phone calculator and claimed the fare was 650 baht. I pointed out that the meter was still running and clearly showed 289. He pretended not to understand and mumbled something incoherent. Eventually, we settled on 340 baht—quite amusing, really.

When I handed him a 500 baht note and asked for change, he claimed he didn’t have any cash, even though most people pay him in cash. After I got change from the hotel lobby, he suddenly insisted the fare was 400 baht.

This was just one of five similar situations we encountered during our three-day stay.

So, it made me wonder—what do locals think when they see tourists? Do they actually make good money with these tactics, or is it more like a game to them?