Have you ever been discriminated by Thais?

[Stevemercer]

I live in a town in Mahasarakham province. For the most part there is no price discrimination. Some places will try it on, but will instantly relent if one knows the correct price and complains. Of course, they will try it on with other visiting Thais from Bangkok or anyone who does not know the normal price. I'm not sure that farangs get special treatment in this respect.

 

Thai vendors will just as often give a freebie, or discounted price, as overcharging. 

 

For example, a new karaoke bar might try it on with an inflated price for beer, but will quickly charge the normal price if one complains. Once people get to know you, or recognise you, they seldom try to overcharge.

 

Some of my singe friends complain about double pricing for a girl at a new karaoke bar, but they will usually get the Thai price once the bar owner recognises them.

 

I sometimes go motorbike riding with a few Thai friends. They always seem shocked if we want to traverse a national park and I get quoted the farang price. Sometimes they make such a fuss that the extra fee is waived.

 

By the way I don't speak any Thai. But I find that there are often plenty of honest Thais who will speak up for me if they think someone is trying to overcharge me. This has happened a few times at markets where I haven't known the normal price and bystanders have shamed the vendor for trying to charge too much.

 

Edited September 24, 2018 by Stevemercer

[wwest5829]

On 9/22/2018 at 11:56 AM, mauGR1 said:

That's about right.

One time though, i had the satisfaction to see a couple, probably from Bkk, being overcharged at the local mom&pop store.

Oops, the 500 versus 200 baht fines just came to mind.....

[micmichd]

No. 

I look like them (even as a Farang), move like them, smile like them, speak like them, and probably smell like them.  

And no dual pricing at all. Of course, if I insist on Farang food - but then that's up to me. 

Edited September 24, 2018 by micmichd
Add-on (money)

[Mbaki]

1 hour ago, YayaManos said:

You area is?

 

WaengYai district, Khon Kaen province ????

[mauGR1]

11 minutes ago, wwest5829 said:

On 9/22/2018 at 11:56 AM, mauGR1 said:

That's about right.

One time though, i had the satisfaction to see a couple, probably from Bkk, being overcharged at the local mom&pop store.

Oops, the 500 versus 200 baht fines just came to mind.....

Oh, in that case it was just a few Bahts over a couple of beer bottles, but funny nonetheless seeing Thais in Thailand being charged more than me.

[YayaManos]

3 minutes ago, Mbaki said:

WaengYai district, Khon Kaen province ????

Need to meet up with head man. village boss, when visiting especially after five pm, bring along a case of beer, this will break down the barrier.

[Mbaki]

15 minutes ago, YayaManos said:

Need to meet up with head man. village boss, when visiting especially after five pm, bring along a case of beer, this will break down the barrier.

Had many a drinking session with the head man or chief as he is known by, makes a lot of things go through very smoothly. No hassles or waiting times for council documents which I know some people (even Thai’s) wait months for. Khon Kaen immigration easy to get along with as well ????????

[Tchooptip]

As regards double prices. I ask myself a question, stupid perhaps, are there no international trade laws that would prohibit pricing based on race? One can not even say based on nationality since the "Farangs" have dozens of different nationalities. What would Trump think, for example, or other head of state if they were told in Thailand that your compatriots are paying officially twice the price of Thais for entering the national parks?

Double pricing in shops is another story since it related to individuals shopkeepers.
 

[falangjim]

A stupid foreign tourist won't have the same rightfully jaded attitude of an expat living and working here. <deleted>.

[mauGR1]

42 minutes ago, Tchooptip said:

As regards double prices. I ask myself a question, stupid perhaps, are there no international trade laws that would prohibit pricing based on race? One can not even say based on nationality since the "Farangs" have dozens of different nationalities. What would Trump think, for example, or other head of state if they were told in Thailand that your compatriots are paying officially twice the price of Thais for entering the national parks?

Double pricing in shops is another story since it related to individuals shopkeepers.
 

Officially, in National Parks, the foreigners pay the right price, while the Thais get a discount.

Hard to discuss that logic.

 

Edited September 24, 2018 by mauGR1

[TonyClifton]

7 minutes ago, falangjim said:

A stupid foreign tourist won't have the same rightfully jaded attitude of an expat living and working here. <deleted>.

According to you, are all tourists stupid?

[Tchooptip]

8 minutes ago, mauGR1 said:

Officially, in National Parks, the foreigners pay the right price, while the Thais get a discount.

Hard to discuss that logic.

 

Sometimes I am a little slow to understand, suffice a clever explanation like yours so that everything becomes clear in my mind and I am acknowledging it you can believe it

[falangjim]

1 minute ago, TonyClifton said:

According to you, are all tourists stupid?

Not all. I chuckle to myself as I watch tourists up and down Silom getting solicited by the tuk-tuk drivers.  Some tourists have done their homework and know that a '20 baht ride to anywhere'  is not a 20 baht ride to anywhere.  And yeah, when I see a tourist in fishermen pants and a Chang tank top strolling in the city, my first thought is they are  'stupid.'  But I guess some of them have read and are not easily parted with their money.  An amusement attraction is much different, though.  If I'm taking my family somewhere and there's dual pricing, I show my work permit and bank cards, and tell them my children were born here.  I've never had a problem.  If tourists want to pay more, that's there issue, not mine. 

[The manic]

4 hours ago, Ks45672 said:

Most of those things are crap tbh

If they were happening in my garden I wouldn't look out the window.... 

They are brilliant. You should stay at home. How can thousands of people fit in your garden BTW?

Edited September 24, 2018 by The manic

[puipuitom]

Go out with some Thais for a dinner or so. They will chat all the time in Thai and at the end, they will switch to English to explain the bill is for you.

[NoshowJones]

I am not saying I have never been discriminated by any Thai, but I have experienced so much honesty I find it hard to remember any discriminaton.

I take the point about double charging and once refused to pay and showed my work permit, they still refused me entry so I just walked. 

[Bangkok Barry]

When they are giving out free samples and see me approach and the outstretched arm is withdrawn. 'Falang rich, not need free' attitude. Thais only.

[Cake Monster]

Discrimination 

Just the other day I decided to get a hair cut. Couldnt be bothered to go all the way down Pattaya Tai as normal so I just popped into a Barbers shop close by.

I walked into the shop  which had zero customers, and asked for a hair cut " Yes , but I have a customer "

The customer seems to be some HiSo pillock that is still parking his aircraft carrier outside, so I said " I was here first , he can wait " and proceeded to sit in a chair

Anyway the guy comes in and glares at the lad who is the barber and says something in Thai that made the poor fellow go all subservient and cowardly.

I have never seen this before, but living here I have obviously heard about this kind of thing.

Anyhow the lad proceeds to cut my hair, but would have put Edward Scissor hands to shame with the speed of it

Needless to say the hair cut was really bad and he even stabbed me in the head with the clippers such was his panic over this HiSo and drew blood.

 

[BritManToo]

1 hour ago, puipuitom said:

Go out with some Thais for a dinner or so. They will chat all the time in Thai and at the end, they will switch to English to explain the bill is for you.

Thai's usually pay for my dinner, unless I'm expecting to bang them later, in which case I'm happy to pay.

I don't really do 'chat', they seem happy enough to blather on without me intruding.

Edited September 24, 2018 by BritManToo

[NightSky]

Every country has some people who will discriminate against the 'unknown' or attempt to take advantage of those less familiar. In general tourists will have a very different view on things than longer term expats or foreign residents of the Kingdom.

 

For example being called farrang by every tom dick and harry sometimes makes things impersonal whereas as a resident you might want to feel more included as a 'human' by be called by your real name. However being called farrang is much better than being called 'hey you' although 'excuse me sir/madam what is your name please' might be MUCH more respectful (and yes I do use sir/madam myself when addressing people whom Ive just met and whom Im yet to discover their name).

 

As for duel pricing for foreigners that's just a scam and shouldn't happen anywhere (although it does happen in many countries I haven't seen it in the UK yet. from what Iv'e seen instead in the UK they charge their own citizens double prices as well as foreigners in the tourist areas and are blatantly obvious about it on the price stickers).

 

Normal prices are far too expensive in Thailand these days against some other currencies (GBP) anyhow.

 

The one time I felt really discriminated against was when I walked into an approved APPLE dealer store a few years ago and I ask for a refund for a stylus pen that broke the moment I opened it from the packaging.

 

The young male Thai clerk say very loud 'this is Thailand' so everyone could hear in the shop and they all turned to stare. This was totally over the top and unwarranted and I suspect the young fella had been caught at the wrong moment but even still I remember that event as an eye opener. He looked so young I probably had been paying taxes in Thailand almost as long as he'd been living on this planet.

 

Generally though I feel welcomed as a second class citizen unless I have money to spend (oops did that slip out) but isn't that unfortunately the way of the world these days in MOST places? Its a shame. 

 

On other days I feel MOST welcomed, people are not all the same and should not be pigeon holed. I would feel there is much more discrimination in other parts of the world and Thailand being a place where it is least apparent.

 

Lets not spoil it by complaining about it too much? :-)

[BritManToo]

26 minutes ago, NightSky said:

Every country has some people who will discriminate against the 'unknown' or attempt to take advantage of those less familiar.

It's not usually sanctioned and practised by the government though.

[Raymonddiaz]

Why not interviewing Those who really live here...not backpackers...Yes i have been discriminated many times but again i took it easy.. it's  Thai culture and i think the word Racism doesn't even exist in their language...Discrimination exist between Thais also..

[ToddinChonburi]

Anytime you hear the word Farang you know they are talking about you. Lol

[Kadilo]

13 hours ago, BritManToo said:

There's always a back entrance.

Keep it clean

[Thian]

On 9/21/2018 at 1:49 AM, theguyfromanotherforum said:

sorry, but what I gather from this video is that "millennials" are not the whiny ones complaining about dual pricing unlike most TV posters ?

It shows that millenials haven't been seriously scammed yet...yes maybe for 10-100 baht but not the big scams like pay 100.000 for the broken jetski.

 

And Herman the German was quite happy to get overcharged, it's normal for him as he said.

 

Now ask them about the 220 baht surcharge they had to pay for using any atm....

[Thian]

On 9/22/2018 at 2:10 PM, Jingthing said:

Talking to fresh off the plane tourists, some don't even know about the word farang. Silly!

Which is totally understandable because the Thai call us FaLLang and not Farang...kob khun klab.

[Damrongsak]

On 9/22/2018 at 8:10 AM, Jingthing said:

Talking to fresh off the plane tourists, some don't even know about the word farang. Silly!

Farang is also a fruit - guava.  In Isaan called Mak See Da.  So that's what some of my relatives call me.  I want to have a T-shirt made with that as a logo.

[The manic]

12 hours ago, puipuitom said:

Go out with some Thais for a dinner or so. They will chat all the time in Thai and at the end, they will switch to English to explain the bill is for you.

Or they will pay for the bill for everybody including you as a guest.  

[Ks45672]

11 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

When they are giving out free samples and see me approach and the outstretched arm is withdrawn. 'Falang rich, not need free' attitude. Thais only.

I usually get offered free samples but it's usually crap they're struggling to sell so your not missing much.... ???? 

 

The ironic thing that busts the "farang rich" stereotype is when you see someone in a new ferrari or lambo worth 30 or 40 mil it's gonna be a Thai, not a farang

 

 farangs living/working here are probably "richer" than they would be at home and  more disposable income than the average somchai 

 

 doubt many farang are

 even in the same ballpark as the Thai 1%  but the myth of the "rich farang" lives on.... ???? 

 

[Bangkok Barry]

1 hour ago, Ks45672 said:

I usually get offered free samples but it's usually crap they're struggling to sell so your not missing much.... ???? 

 

The ironic thing that busts the "farang rich" stereotype is when you see someone in a new ferrari or lambo worth 30 or 40 mil it's gonna be a Thai, not a farang

 

 farangs living/working here are probably "richer" than they would be at home and  more disposable income than the average somchai 

 

 doubt many farang are

 even in the same ballpark as the Thai 1%  but the myth of the "rich farang" lives on.... ???? 

 

 

True. And many Thais who look poor are not. I knew of a noodle seller who had three houses. They tend to not spend the money they have on stuff like foreign holidays and 60" tvs etc like we do.