Entry fee at Koh Samed (if you have a work permit & driving licence)

[Jessi]

^^^^^^ What he said.

[MadMuhammad]

2 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Is it not more like 10 dollars?

I too have stopped going to National parks and local attractions as the feeling of being discriminated against or simply taken advantage of aggravates me. I feel I am subsidising the locals and they don't deserve it. Time they started paying their own way.

 

I could understand if it was only applied to tourists but more recently they have been more strict and all foreigners have to pay the high price. The difference is excessive too. Also it isn't as if the money goes towards upkeep of the park, more upkeep of someone's Merc!

On Samet Thais have to pay as well, 60thb from memory. So at today's exchange rate the difference in AUD it's $5(US $4)

Again, I feel nothing to get my knickers in a knot over.

If I was forced to pay 3X the going rate for utilities etc I would definitely be bothered but for something I do very infrequently and is purely my choice I'm not bothered. That and I'm aware of the dual pricing beforehand so why get annoyed about something you're already aware of?

Where the money goes in of no concern for me. Do you know for a fact where the money is distributed?  Why is it source of such annoyance for a lot of people?

[alant]

On 9/23/2017 at 2:43 PM, Big Guns said:

Pink forienger I'd won't cut it.  You need Thai citizenship then u get a Thai ID card.  Just need to have been married to Thai & pay tax 3 years to apply. 

Is that all, I thought you had to have a work permit, get residency first, please point in right direction for this method thanks

[alant]

On 9/23/2017 at 1:12 PM, everett kendall said:

I have a Official Thailand ID card

(pink  in color).

It identifies me, just as a one issued to a Thai.  Not many farang have them as you can only get the after having the Yellow Book.

 

Have not been any where I could use it to get the Thai price.

Wonder if it works.

nope it doesn't

[Big Guns]

1 hour ago, alant said:

Is that all, I thought you had to have a work permit, get residency first, please point in right direction for this method thanks

You need to have worked for 3 years in Thailand & have been married to a Thai national for 3 years to be eligible for citizenship. The other route is 5 years PR if single. See the excellent thread on Thai Visa & visit Special Branch in BKK next to central world for more information. 

[saakura]

Nothing works in a national park except a thai citizen's id card. I have been working here since 20+ years, paying taxes at the highest slab (presently paying over 52,000Baht per month), speak/read/write thai fluently, have permanent residency, driving license, pink id card etc but still need to pay the dual price. Just got to accept it, though it hurts a lot.

[pearciderman]

On 9/18/2017 at 8:36 PM, Longbow212 said:

Just wondering if you can still use a driving license and work permit to enter Koh Samed national park for the local rate. I'm happy to pay the local rate to enter the park but will consider going elsewhere if they want to dual price me.

 

Are you Thai? No? Pay the published price.

 

Seriously, you think having a wp and driving licence makes you special?

 

Grow up !

[alant]

16 hours ago, Big Guns said:

You need to have worked for 3 years in Thailand & have been married to a Thai national for 3 years to be eligible for citizenship. The other route is 5 years PR if single. See the excellent thread on Thai Visa & visit Special Branch in BKK next to central world for more information. 

So no work no citizenship = not available

[Big Guns]

Yes sorry Alan if you don't work citizenship isn't available. However, the good news for all those expats with Thai wives who work here with a work permit is that you can gain Thai citizenship without being able to speak Thai. I recently was awarded Thai citizenship and my knowledge of Thai language is very very basic.

[DavisH]

On 9/23/2017 at 2:43 PM, Big Guns said:

Pink forienger I'd won't cut it.  You need Thai citizenship then u get a Thai ID card.  Just need to have been married to Thai & pay tax 3 years to apply. 

I thought Thai citizenship also has high salary requirements and be able to pass Prathom 6 Thai language exams doesn't it? (or something along those lines). 

[richard_smith237]

If you arrive at the Na Dan Pier (Main Passenger Pier) on Koh Same and take a Songtail to many / most of the beaches you will pass the National Park Check Point (near the post office). It is here where any transport with people & baggage will get stopped... everyone will be asked for the National Park fee. 

 

All foreigners have to pay the 'Foreign rate'... (200 baht I think).

 

IF you arrive and sort out your own island transport (i.e. an ATV or Motorcycle) its likely you will ride straight past the check point. 

 

Alternatively, if you have hired a speed boat directly from the mainland to one of the other beach's its hit-and-miss, there may or may not be a Park Ranger there to charge you as you alight on to the beach. 

 

OR, if you are staying on the North of the Island Ao Wiang Wan, or at the North Part of Sai Keaw beach (i.e. Sai Keaw Beach Resort) you will not pass in to the National Park... or if you do later to another beach (or bar or restaurant) you won't have baggage with you, its therefore unlikely you'll be charge. 

 

Ultimately - its 200 baht per person (foreigner), so its not a big deal. I don't like the double pricing, but it is what it is and its government sanctioned. 

 

 

 

[Big Guns]

9 hours ago, DavisH said:

I thought Thai citizenship also has high salary requirements and be able to pass Prathom 6 Thai language exams doesn't it? (or something along those lines). 

If you are married to a Thai national you don't have to be able to speak Thai if you have the required 50 points. You can gain points by being able to speak Thai and having knowledge of Thailand. My language ability consists of being able to count, knowing the days of the week and being able to order in a restaurant and I received Thai citizenship last week. I think the salary requirement used to be 80,000 Baht a month but I believe it's less than that if married to a Thai national (e.g 40,000 Baht). For more information check out the Thai citizenship thread on Thai visa or contact Special Branch.

[OJAS]

14 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

If you arrive at the Na Dan Pier (Main Passenger Pier) on Koh Same and take a Songtail to many / most of the beaches you will pass the National Park Check Point (near the post office). It is here where any transport with people & baggage will get stopped... everyone will be asked for the National Park fee. 

 

All foreigners have to pay the 'Foreign rate'... (200 baht I think).

 

IF you arrive and sort out your own island transport (i.e. an ATV or Motorcycle) its likely you will ride straight past the check point. 

 

Alternatively, if you have hired a speed boat directly from the mainland to one of the other beach's its hit-and-miss, there may or may not be a Park Ranger there to charge you as you alight on to the beach. 

 

OR, if you are staying on the North of the Island Ao Wiang Wan, or at the North Part of Sai Keaw beach (i.e. Sai Keaw Beach Resort) you will not pass in to the National Park... or if you do later to another beach (or bar or restaurant) you won't have baggage with you, its therefore unlikely you'll be charge. 

 

Ultimately - its 200 baht per person (foreigner), so its not a big deal. I don't like the double pricing, but it is what it is and its government sanctioned. 

 

 

 

Interesting point you make about the beach adjacent to the Sai Keaw resort, which I didn't realise before. I hired a speedboat there on my last trip to Koh Samed way back when, and there was certainly no park ranger around to relieve me of 200 THB (plus 60 THB for each accompanying Thai).

 

Had to pay 2,000 THB for the hire of the speedboat, though.

[Shovel78]

I have a work permit and work visa and it used to work to only pay local fee when there was only the national park guards running the place. Now with the military in charge they just waved away my questions and I had to pay farang price.

[Big Guns]

The pink I'd card as some chaps forgot identifies u as foreign.  A Thai ID card identifies u as Thai. Dead simple if u want to pay Thai price become a Thai citizen like I did. 

[Shovel78]

16 hours ago, Big Guns said:

The pink I'd card as some chaps forgot identifies u as foreign.  A Thai ID card identifies u as Thai. Dead simple if u want to pay Thai price become a Thai citizen like I did. 

It's not worth it.

[samsensam]

On 22/09/2017 at 4:20 PM, sandrabbit said:

if you're worrying about the difference in price , a beer, then going to drink lots of beer this isn;t the place for you.

 

or even Thailand

 

agree, if the cost is off putting then leave thailand , if it's the principle just dont go.