Tourists Complain Of Being Cheated In Double Pricing Scams

[george]

Tourists complain of being cheated in double pricing scams

Authorities admit the problem is not new

BANGKOK: -- Several complaints from foreign tourists about being ripped off at seafood restaurants during the New Year holidays have alerted the Department of Internal Trade to take action on unscrupulous businesses, officials said. According to complaints revealed by deputy director-general of the department Songklod Ubolsing, foreigners claimed they were charged 200 baht for a dish of stir-fried morning glory, while some have paid 4,500 baht for one giant prawn.

In the latest complaint, a group of 10 foreign tourists dined at a seafood restaurant, ordered a few dishes and were charged more than 45,000 baht.

The department will [more...]

--Bangkok Post 2007-01-07

[my friend I]

Ah yes, one giant prawn.

[rainman]

was going to post this news myself since its a few days old and nobody seemed to post/discuss it on here i think the police has been well aware of this for a long time, they just don't care.

[ryu]

I am wondering why no tourist complaint about the double pricing at the National Parks.

40 THB Thai, 400 THB foreigners is a joke!

[Jingthing]

The old seafood scam! This happens in western countries too. Its the by weight thing that will really get you. However, if the morning glory was listed at 200B on the menu, it is not a scam. The only way I know to avoid this is when ordering by weight seafood, pick out the items, watch them weigh them, and get the price promised upfront. Then no 45K baht surprises.

Now why did they cut out AMAZING Thailand from the tourist campaigns? 45K for a few dishes. AMAZING!

About those prawns, at prices like that, maybe they (the prawns) should look into a Thailand Elite card ...

Edited January 7, 2007 by Jingthing

[thaigene2]

Stop the presses!! Foreigners are being overcharged in Thailand!

Can't believe it was on the front page of Today's Bangok Post..

[Finansjohan]

All the restaurants and stores that pay large kickbacks to taxi/tuk-tuk drivers when they take unexpecting tourists to their door to sell overpriced stuff should be dealt with as well. Very common rip-off-technique if you ask me, part of the same problem.

[Rhodo]

I am wondering why no tourist complaint about the double pricing at the National Parks.

40 THB Thai, 400 THB foreigners is a joke!

I agree, though some posters (moderator) on this forum seems to find it normal.

[thaigene2]

All the restaurants and stores that pay large kickbacks to taxi/tuk-tuk drivers when they take unexpecting tourists to their door to sell overpriced stuff should be dealt with as well. Very common rip-off-technique if you ask me, part of the same problem.

It's just part of the culture here. The idea is to outsmart someone to part with their money. There's nothing racially insulting in it. The ethnic Thais learned this approach from the chinese merchant class immigrants who, as you are probably aware, pretty much have the run of the place now. It was easy pickings for them - and thus you now see the fruits of their er, .. labour

In other words Noi the pineapple seller, isn't charging you more for your pineapple cause you're farang. It's only cause she knows you have more money than her and she will be able to get away with it - with little or no consequence - if found out.

You'll notice she probably wouldn't try that approach if some big-hair lady climbed out of her Benz to buy a pineapple...cause she would be afraid of the consequences if found out.

It's a cruel but fair world..caveat emptor.

[falux]

You can get seafood dishes for less than 3K (2persons) of which you never even dared to dream of, as long as you stay out of tourist areas.

[womble]

All the restaurants and stores that pay large kickbacks to taxi/tuk-tuk drivers when they take unexpecting tourists to their door to sell overpriced stuff should be dealt with as well. Very common rip-off-technique if you ask me, part of the same problem.

It's just part of the culture here. The idea is to outsmart someone to part with their money. There's nothing racially insulting in it. The ethnic Thais learned this approach from the chinese merchant class immigrants who, as you are probably aware, pretty much have the run of the place now. It was easy pickings for them - and thus you now see the fruits of their er, .. labour

In other words Noi the pineapple seller, isn't charging you more for your pineapple cause you're farang. It's only cause she knows you have more money than her and she will be able to get away with it - with little or no consequence - if found out.

You'll notice she probably wouldn't try that approach if some big-hair lady climbed out of her Benz to buy a pineapple...cause she would be afraid of the consequences if found out.

It's a cruel but fair world..caveat emptor.

This is true, they try to rip each other off aswell, it's not just because your a farang it's because they think they can get away with it, the thing is here is to know the price of what you are buying, then it is harder to be ripped off. You should also always agree a price for any service or good before it is used or consumed, if you do this you should be ok.

[BAKABAS]

I am wondering why no tourist complaint about the double pricing at the National Parks.

40 THB Thai, 400 THB foreigners is a joke!

I have friends that just returned from Thailand. They experienced exactly what you mentioned, down to the last red cent. They were charged 40 THB because one of them was Thai. Other tourists were charged 400 THB.

[bkkmadness]

This isn't the Seafood Palace in Bangkok they are talking about is it? Heard a few dodgy reports from that place.

[isaanbrit]

Well how about the double price smams AGAINST Thais???

I heard that a bus ticket to Kho Samui the other day, would cost 450 for a ferang or 700 baht for a Thai.

Secondly - FERANG ARE RICHER THAN THAIS - its a fact. Paying an extra quid for something when we can easily afford it is fine by me - stop being such tight fisted @*$&@($%&$($('s

:-)

[isaanbrit]

I am wondering why no tourist complaint about the double pricing at the National Parks.

40 THB Thai, 400 THB foreigners is a joke!

Because you can't stop people being able to enjoy their back garden just because someone richer from round the corner decides that they want to.

If you don;t wanna pay - dont go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

BTW - did you know that if your a teacher with a WP, you dont need to pay the ferang price. Same for volunteers and anyone else who can blag it :-)

[TAWP]

Well how about the double price smams AGAINST Thais???

I heard that a bus ticket to Kho Samui the other day, would cost 450 for a ferang or 700 baht for a Thai.

Secondly - FERANG ARE RICHER THAN THAIS - its a fact. Paying an extra quid for something when we can easily afford it is fine by me - stop being such tight fisted @*$&@($%&$($('s

:-)

If I send you my account#, will you send over a few grand? I'm sure it's no money for you to talk about anyway.

[bkkmadness]

I heard that a bus ticket to Kho Samui the other day, would cost 450 for a ferang or 700 baht for a Thai.

That's not true if go by public transport. These private bus companies from K San might charge more though, some will not even let Thais on board.

Secondly - FERANG ARE RICHER THAN THAIS - its a fact.

No it's not a fact. Some are richer, some are poorer, that's a fact. I expect there are more than a few Thais in this country that are a lot richer than you.

[rainman]

I am wondering why no tourist complaint about the double pricing at the National Parks.

40 THB Thai, 400 THB foreigners is a joke!

40 to 400 is double? its 10x the price! the problem is, most tourists don't know this and just pay whatever is asked of them. in most european countries, entrance fees for foreigners are cheaper than for locals, which keeps tourists happy and coming back.

[TAWP]

I am wondering why no tourist complaint about the double pricing at the National Parks.

40 THB Thai, 400 THB foreigners is a joke!

40 to 400 is double? its 10x the price! the problem is, most tourists don't know this and just pay whatever is asked of them. in most european countries, entrance fees for foreigners are cheaper than for locals, which keeps tourists happy and coming back.

'Double pricing' = two set of prices.

[astral]

Most tourists do not realise they are overcharged at the Parks.

The signs are sneaky, using Thai digits for the Thai price.

[rainman]

Secondly - FERANG ARE RICHER THAN THAIS - its a fact. Paying an extra quid for something when we can easily afford it is fine by me - stop being such tight fisted @*$&@($%&$($('s

last year i went to pha taem national park with my family. we had a whole bus full of people. about 10 thais and 3 farangs. when we reached the entrance, the admission fee was 50 baht per thai and 500 baht per farang. i'm not joking. obviously i was a bit angry, but was going to pay it anyways. my wife decided against it however so we went somewhere else instead.

therefor, instead of the national park guards making 650 baht (13x50 baht), they made 0 baht. we came back at 7am the next day and no guards were there and the gate was open ...everyone driving in free of charge.

[1Lucky]

"In the latest complaint, a group of 10 foreign tourists dined at a seafood restaurant, ordered a few dishes and were charged more than 45,000 baht."

Why did they pay? Personally I would leave what I thought was a fair price and go. If there was 10 of them then they shouldn't have been intimidated into paying either.

Also - why don't the articles name and shame the restaurants in question - surely that is the best way of dealing with them? Does anyone know which places these were? Even better if they have an e-mail address let us know what it is.

Lucky

[Jingthing]

A few dishes for 10 guests. They must have left both hungry AND broke!

Why did they pay?

Hmmm. Fear of arrest for not paying a bill for items consumed would work for most.

They certainly should have demanded a detailed explanation of the bill.

[Rinrada]

What they are really saying is that TOORISTs are stupid,idiots,foreign and deserve to be RIPPED OFF.....

and a lot even ENJOY the experience.......its something different ...welcome to LOS....

Long timers would never dream of paying more than the official going rate on say a "ha bt" song theo in Patti...ie 5 baht...would they??...Of course they.....wou......

[Rhodo]

Well how about the double price smams AGAINST Thais???

I heard that a bus ticket to Kho Samui the other day, would cost 450 for a ferang or 700 baht for a Thai.

Secondly - FERANG ARE RICHER THAN THAIS - its a fact. Paying an extra quid for something when we can easily afford it is fine by me - stop being such tight fisted @*$&@($%&$($('s

:-)

Idiot :D :D

[grtaylor]

Some research was done on this scenario in London a few years ago, where they sent out some people, who pretended not to speak English ("Solly, no speakee Ingrit") to buy simple things like a can of pepsi from a street vendor, and many of them were overcharged. I'm not excusing it here, just making the point that its not unique to Thailand.

By the way, I took out my wallet to pay the 400 baht National Park fee on Koh Samet the other day, and when the official saw my Thai Driver's Licence he only charged me 40 baht. Good for me, but the tourist friends I was with were mightily p****ed off with it!

G

[bkkmadness]

Some research was done on this scenario in London a few years ago, where they sent out some people, who pretended not to speak English ("Solly, no speakee Ingrit") to buy simple things like a can of pepsi from a street vendor, and many of them were overcharged. I'm not excusing it here, just making the point that its not unique to Thailand.

And you know the Black Cab drivers love a foreign tourist as well.

By the way, I took out my wallet to pay the 400 baht National Park fee on Koh Samet the other day, and when the official saw my Thai Driver's Licence he only charged me 40 baht. Good for me, but the tourist friends I was with were mightily p****ed off with it!

With enough people you are better taking the speedboat over there, drops you right off on the beach and you don't have to pay entrance fees that way.

[The Dan Sai Kid]

Stop the presses!! Foreigners are being overcharged in Thailand!

Can't believe it was on the front page of Today's Bangok Post..

There must be no news.

[geaussie]

Tourists complain of being cheated in double pricing scams

Authorities admit the problem is not new

BANGKOK: -- Several complaints from foreign tourists about being ripped off at seafood restaurants during the New Year holidays have alerted the Department of Internal Trade to take action on unscrupulous businesses, officials said. According to complaints revealed by deputy director-general of the department Songklod Ubolsing, foreigners claimed they were charged 200 baht for a dish of stir-fried morning glory, while some have paid 4,500 baht for one giant prawn.

In the latest complaint, a group of 10 foreign tourists dined at a seafood restaurant, ordered a few dishes and were charged more than 45,000 baht.

The department will [more...]

--Bangkok Post 2007-01-07

[Tornado]

Well how about the double price smams AGAINST Thais???

I heard that a bus ticket to Kho Samui the other day, would cost 450 for a ferang or 700 baht for a Thai.

Secondly - FERANG ARE RICHER THAN THAIS - its a fact. Paying an extra quid for something when we can easily afford it is fine by me - stop being such tight fisted @*$&@($%&$($('s

:-)

Ok, pop around and Ill cook you up a few dishes for 45k.