Dual pricing. Fair or price gouging?

[Kieran00001]

6 minutes ago, evadgib said:

Then please explain how westerners of Asian heritage get through so easily?

 

I haven't frequented anywhere practicing this lark for at least 15 years. I deliberately littered a NP in CM some years ago when they offered  'ferang leave rubbish'  to justify the policy when i protested and made damn sure i had my moneys worth.

 

Its because the ticket venders make mistakes not because the system is racist, obviously.

 

You don't belong in National Parks if you litter them out of protest, that is shameful childlike behaviour regardless of the nature of the press release.

[Kieran00001]

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

Not 2-3 times. Ten times as much is the practice in government parks here.

 

And most will not give the Thai price if you show Thai DL and Thai ID. They used to, but most no longer do.

 

Keep it real!  Do you visit the parks?  Did you bother to look at the prices on their site or did you just put your two cents in without even cinsideing fact checking first?

99% of national parks are free for foreigners and athais alike, of those that do charge, most charge twice the rate for foreigners, it is only a few that charge higher percentages.

[StayinThailand2much]

30 minutes ago, PatOngo said:

Why do most foreigners earn much more than locals!

Because of the assumption that most foreigners who visit these places make a living abroad and travel only once every two years for a week or so to Thailand. (This is flawed of course, as the average Indonesian, Indian, Russian, etc., doesn't earn more money than the average Thai.) No mention, of course, of pensioners or foreigners who work for a pittance in Thailand... 

[Thian]

1 hour ago, Kieran00001 said:

 

So you wont be visiting Japan or taking the train in the Swiss Alps then as they would offer you a discount as a foreign tourist.

 

And the direct correlation between successes in Thailand's National Parks and the dual pricing system being introduced would actually be pretty strong evidence that it is in the interest of Thailand's wildlife.

Yes Japan gives much discount on their supertrains and VAT but you'll have to rent a hotelroom anyway and that ain't cheap.

 

But whatever they charge, it's all worth the money...it's very safe, organised well and a great experience at the highest standards....same goes for Swiss.

[Cadbury]

I don't care much either way personally as I don't visit these sorts of places. But I think many foreigners would not mind paying the extra price if they thought the money was going back into the maintenance and improvement of the park. 

However the likelihood of that happening is extreme. Many probably believe that it goes straight into the pockets of the bent people collecting and administering the fees and that in itself may be the reason for some resistance toward dual pricing.

[Thian]

1 hour ago, PatOngo said:

The very fact that one man can afford 25 luxury watches while others cant afford 100 baht to enter a national park is a reflection on the country as a whole, regardless of how much farang make....obviously they are from countries that don't suppress the under privileged! In most foreign countries it is illegal to have dual pricing. I hope Big P noticed this on his latest travels abroad.....though I don't think he would be phased by it.

Exactly,

Thailand should raise the tax for the superrich and build nice free natural parks everywhere from it. 

 

But the money will be stolen by officials so it will never work..

[Kieran00001]

4 minutes ago, Thian said:

Yes Japan gives much discount on their supertrains and VAT but you'll have to rent a hotelroom anyway and that ain't cheap.

 

But whatever they charge, it's all worth the money...it's very safe, organised well and a great experience at the highest standards....same goes for Swiss.

 

And the National Parks in Thailand are the most successful in South East Asia, so what is your point?

[Kieran00001]

Just now, Thian said:

Exactly,

Thailand should raise the tax for the superrich and build nice free natural parks everywhere from it. 

 

But the money will be stolen by officials so it will never work..

 

Funny then that the price increases seen in 1998 correspond exactly with the time the parks turned themselves around from being among the least successful to the most in the area, so please tell, why oh why did the extra money not get stolen but actually find its way to improving the parks?

[Kieran00001]

5 minutes ago, Cadbury said:

I don't care much either way personally as I don't visit these sorts of places. But I think many foreigners would not mind paying the extra price if they thought the money was going back into the maintenance and improvement of the park. 

However the likelihood of that happening is extreme. Many probably believe that it goes straight into the pockets of the bent people collecting and administering the fees and that in itself may be the reason for some resistance toward dual pricing.

 

Yet those people believe a lie, the extra money raised has saved tigers from extinction in Thailand, fact.

[Sealbash]

We've been through all this so many times before.  Dual pricing is common throughout the world, however normally it is based on residency not nationality, in which case the OAP's and WP holders would be eligible for the same rate as Thai nationals and it would only be the tourists who were charged more.  If that were the case in Thailand I do not think we would be having this discussion.
 
And just to add, I visit the NP's a lot in Thailand, I have no issue paying the entrance fee, it costs the price of a beer more than my wife's ticket and since they introduced the new payments in 1998 the parks have gone from being among the worst in SE.Asia to being the best, so actually I am very happy to contribute.

Agree. Based on residency. And age - senior citizens who have earned money all their life get e discount where young people starting out in the work force do not. And gender - many places have “ladies night” with reduced prices for females. Dual pricing is very common in many countries.


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[Cadbury]

Just now, Kieran00001 said:

 

Yet those people believe a lie, the extra money raised has saved tigers from extinction in Thailand, fact.

Do you seriously believe that the people who collect the park fees rush around and put the farang money in another collection tin and donate it to a fund to help save the tigers. In your dreams!

[alant]

1 hour ago, PatOngo said:

This merely reflects the fact that most foreigners earn much more than most locals.

Could their earings be low because such schemes enable those in power to operate a low wage economy? Dual pricing may be the working Thai's enemy.

[DM07]

Okay...if some here can't see the difference between a dual price- system (Thai vs Farang) and a system that gives discounts to seniors, unemployed, school- children etc...they are just beyond help!

 

[alex8912]

2 hours ago, Sheryl said:

Not 2-3 times. Ten times as much is the practice in government parks here.

 

And most will not give the Thai price if you show Thai DL and Thai ID. They used to, but most no longer do.

A wee bit of drama going on! But in the potys you were the same. 

If government parks are the same as parks run by the military then why is the beach at Nang Rum ( very popular about 1 hour from Pattaya) just 20 baht for each Thai and foreigner? Also as other posters pointed out many are free for all.  Even if a Thai pays the equivalent one Euro and foreigner pays 5 Euro is that REALLY such a big deal?  At a nice park I think too many older foreigners have these severe “ principal” issues. Too many moaners on this overdone topic. Maybe the parks are better off without the whiners because they will just find something  else to complain about once they arrive. 

Also not in direct comment to you but how many times ad nausea do we see the same people saying “I will never go to that park or site or fly Thai air or buy some product” when we all know they never have!!! I get a big laugh on those posts. No one believes you! 

 

My only problem on dual pricing has to do with gyms in places like Hua Hin or Phuket charge Thai tourists less than foreign tourists. In gyms it just seems strange. But I still pay it and always let my Thai friends who come with me to ask and about 3 out 4 have a different price. Then they buy me a cup of coffee later! 

[madmitch]

Hasn't this topic been done to death? It comes up almost as often as booze-free days and the latest attempts to reduce the road death toll.

[realenglish1]

This practice is abhorrent. I live here in BKK have for 16 years but they want to charge me more This is truly

discrimination at its finest.

 

It should be Residents and citizens but they feel foreigners are rich so charge them more

 

Someone should take them to court on this bias

 

 

[puck2]

6 hours ago, Kieran00001 said:

<------->

And the direct correlation between successes in Thailand's National Parks and the dual pricing system being introduced would actually be pretty strong evidence that it is in the interest of Thailand's wildlife.

Dear Kieran00001, I appreciate your love for national parks (NP). The idea to save them from being vandalized and taking care for „.....is in the interest of Thailand's wildlife.“ Okay.

 

 

But the reality is

• Thailand has an abnormal number of NPs. Look here:

  https://www.thainationalparks.com/list-of-national-parks-of-thailand

And it's obvious they include nearly all nice places on beaches, lakes and in forests, mountains. What does come to my mind? Money interests of different kinds – not your ideals.

• sometimes Khon Thais are charged more than all the others, mentioned before. Believe it or not. We just have the nearly „amazing“ story of the very, very wealthy ITD Boss Premchai who killed a rare black tiger and liked to shoot other animals. Although he was caught by conscientious people of the NP in Kanchanabury P. did his „job“ protected by higher ranking people. I guess for a much higher "fee". That alone gives me the idea that at least not all money (fees) payed for the entrance of NPs goes the ideal way for saving wildlife. Instead, NPs serve the interests of some people for getting richer.

Charging the farangs higher than the Thai NP-visitors accelerates the time for getting …. richer … . Surprise , surprise.

[Thian]

1 hour ago, Kieran00001 said:

 

And the National Parks in Thailand are the most successful in South East Asia, so what is your point?

succesfull national parks? That's a new one for me...they are dangerous, filthy, unmaintened, and so on....if that's succesfull than i'm a rabbit.

[MaxYakov]

4 hours ago, Wiggy said:

It's racism.

Maybe. But it certainly is wealth redistribution. Nothing I want to see that badly in Thailand. Wealth redistribution is what I have Thai GFs for.

[GreasyFingers]

For all of the complainers do not go to a National Park in New South Wales. If you are a resident in the Municipality you get in for free, tourists pay. There is little difference to the Thai policy.

[MaxYakov]

1 hour ago, realenglish1 said:

This practice is abhorrent. I live here in BKK have for 16 years but they want to charge me more This is truly

discrimination at its finest.

 

It should be Residents and citizens but they feel foreigners are rich so charge them more

 

Someone should take them to court on this bias

 

 

Which court did you have in mind? 

[Dinobot]

Hey, at least there’s a sign, so a foreigner can make an informed decision. That’s a luxury usually absent where dual pricing is practiced.

Vote with your hard earned money. If there ends up being 10x the number of Thais visiting this venue and many others doing this, without the subsidy of the farang baht- they will quickly find it unsustainable and that will be plenty of punishment.

I wonder how authorities would act if foreign owned businesses charged Thais extra and everyone else the base rate. That would be damn funny.

[Dinobot]

This practice is abhorrent. I live here in BKK have for 16 years but they want to charge me more This is truly
discrimination at its finest.  

You’ve been here for 16 years and just now realized that they’ve been discriminating against you? I think it took me about 15 minutes after passing baggage claim the first time for that to dawn on me

[MaxYakov]

2 minutes ago, Dinobot said:

 

You’ve been here for 16 years and just now realized that they’ve been discriminating against you? I think it took me about 15 minutes after passing baggage claim the first time for that to dawn on me

 

Don't even have to catch a plane to Thailand to ferret out a lot of eye-opening things about Thailand:

 

In the case of dual pricing (example): Google "tourists protest dual-pricing thailand".

 

For general info there was (almost always) www.stickmanbangkok.com.

 

I read over 250 of Stickman's weekly three-part postings (ten years ago) before planting my you-know-what into an airplane seat that was Thailand-bound. Had plenty of time (and curiosity) on my hands (and still do).

[evadgib]

3 hours ago, Kieran00001 said:

 

Its because the ticket venders make mistakes not because the system is racist, obviously.

 

You don't belong in National Parks if you litter them out of protest, that is shameful childlike behaviour regardless of the nature of the press release.

Mistakes v busloads being ushered in are very different bedfellows. How often does the 'mistake' favour Caucasians?

 

Defend the indefensible all you like but the spare the remainder your sanctimonious drivel. 

[Kieran00001]

3 hours ago, Cadbury said:

Do you seriously believe that the people who collect the park fees rush around and put the farang money in another collection tin and donate it to a fund to help save the tigers. In your dreams!

 

You should get given a ticket stub with a hologram on it, the other half remains in the ticket book to show to their boss that they sold a ticket, its a simple system that is used the world over to prevent ticket collectors from stealing.  As for saving the tiger, you may care to read about Thailand's successes and the link to park entrance fees before commenting further, it is well documented fact that Thailand turned their situation around in 1998 by upping the entrance fees.

[Kieran00001]

2 hours ago, Thian said:

succesfull national parks? That's a new one for me...they are dangerous, filthy, unmaintened, and so on....if that's succesfull than i'm a rabbit.

 

Successful in what they are intended for, taking care of the wildlife, in that way they have great successes over the past 20 years, taking them from among the worst performing in SE Asia to the best performing, for instance Thailand has the only growing population of tigers.

[Kieran00001]

2 hours ago, puck2 said:

Dear Kieran00001, I appreciate your love for national parks (NP). The idea to save them from being vandalized and taking care for „.....is in the interest of Thailand's wildlife.“ Okay.

 

 

But the reality is

• Thailand has an abnormal number of NPs. Look here:

  https://www.thainationalparks.com/list-of-national-parks-of-thailand

And it's obvious they include nearly all nice places on beaches, lakes and in forests, mountains. What does come to my mind? Money interests of different kinds – not your ideals.

• sometimes Khon Thais are charged more than all the others, mentioned before. Believe it or not. We just have the nearly „amazing“ story of the very, very wealthy ITD Boss Premchai who killed a rare black tiger and liked to shoot other animals. Although he was caught by conscientious people of the NP in Kanchanabury P. did his „job“ protected by higher ranking people. I guess for a much higher "fee". That alone gives me the idea that at least not all money (fees) payed for the entrance of NPs goes the ideal way for saving wildlife. Instead, NPs serve the interests of some people for getting richer.

Charging the farangs higher than the Thai NP-visitors accelerates the time for getting …. richer … . Surprise , surprise.

 

Your little theory falls flat when you realize that less than 10% of those parks charge an entrance fee but still require staff to man them.

[Kieran00001]

5 minutes ago, evadgib said:

Mistakes v busloads being ushered in are very different bedfellows. How often does the 'mistake' favour Caucasians?

 

Defend the indefensible all you like but the spare the remainder your sanctimonious drivel. 

 

Never seen a bus load ushered in without paying, but I have seen their rep go and pay the group rate then all their tour group go in behind them.  Make crazy assumptions much?

[evadgib]

10 minutes ago, Kieran00001 said:

Never seen a bus load ushered in without paying, but I have seen their rep go and pay the group rate then all their tour group go in behind them.  Make crazy assumptions much?

Confirmation for any that needed it