Dodger, now ya mentioned it...it got me thinking....
You have the kid/mother selling chewing gum, the cigarette sellers, the rose sellers, the garland sellers, the cigarette lighter & keyring sellers, the iguana & gibbon photographers, the dvd sellers, the chiang mai sellers, plus any others I forgot.
Depends on how quiet there business is, but I reckon I've been approached by all of them, sometimes within 30 mins of sitting down in a bar.
That's all before you get the "what's you name, where you from, how long you stay" line from.5555555
As to the OP, Mav's advice is what I often use in dealing with annoying BG's.....let em know you hab girlfriend.
[email protected] have a head like a smashed crab.