Two tier pricing: Thai temple slammed for ripping off tourists

[hotchilli]

If you don't agree with the admission charges vote with your feet... the message will soon be acknowledged.

[Stargeezr]

If you want a good fee, go to Dubai and pay 25 to 40 US dollars just to tour a hotel.

50 baht is peanuts just over 2 dollars Canadian. If you do not want to pay the fee, go to your nearest bar and buy a beer and forget about it! Thats how I de stress from my worries and concerns.

Geezer

[connda]

There are literally thousands of temples in Thailand and South East Asia.  If one charges foreigners, go to the next one down the street.  Each is wonderfully unique, but not enough to consider one so special that you should pay money to enter.  Ask for a donation?  Sure.  Demand an entry fee called a 'donation' - that's not a donation, it's an entry fee.  It's not danna.  But it is racist and xenophobic and the antithesis of Buddhism. 

 

 

Edited January 29, 2019 by connda

[mrfill]

14 hours ago, shy coconut said:

Just about every cathedral in the UK charges an admission fee, St Pauls in London

is around a tenner, but an incredible building. 

 

The fee is the same for all comers, I believe, I didn't see any sign of dual pricing.

 

There are a few touristy places up here in the Highlands where locals get a discount,

but that is based on postcode rather than nationality.

 

Back in London, the walk up price for the big wheel on the south bank is twice what

you would pay a day before online, the queues for the walk up tickets are predominantly

Chinese tourists, but with the pound on its knees, it is probably good value in Their eyes.

The same is true with Salisbury - £10 entrance for all. Very popular with Russians studying the fascinating 123 metre spire and local door knobs.

[kannot]

On 1/28/2019 at 11:54 AM, webfact said:

Aronong said it was not appropriate for religious and cultural sites like this to charge foreigners as they were not there to make a profit. 

seems he knows  nothing of his compatriots

[tifino]

pay 50baht , and also get a Sarong!  - lets see if you can take it home!!

 

 

the only CL locale temple we recently struck a foreigner fee, was up at Doi Suthep...  poor old lady went running up and downstairs trying to lassoo each of us, spread at various steps and , well... it was worth it

 

 

we found quite a good scenario to compare with CM; and that was when we did the same tripping around the massive Pagodas of Yangon.

Mrs thai, well she was very put out (having to pay a foreigner fee too)

There, it was more extreme in policing entrances and sarongs etc!

The sarongs were 3000Kyat each, and at least one gets a full refund if you return it!

 

and so strict the attendance! that one has to leave by the same entrance; and there's one for each point of the compass!   You get a specially N/S/E/W coded sticker stuck to your boobie, and the glue sticky is so pathetic that it falls off within minutes.  I actually did a wacko tourist type act, of searching around on the ground... and found one! - but for the wrong entrance. later I was not allowed out the d=same gate we had entered by. Met the others back at the orib=ginal one, after having to walk around the perimeter from the W gate, their's the N gate

 

Surprised  there was no direct Charge to step up to Thailands' highest Buddha, at the top of Doi Inthanon!

[Redline]

17 hours ago, GalaxyMan said:

I wonder where it goes? Couldn't be the iPhones or gold Rolex watches I see monks wearing, or the expensive restaurant meals. I was never so shocked as when I first saw a group of monks in an expensive restaurant partying. They might call it Buddhism in Thailand, but it doesn't resemble any Buddhism that I've studied. Nothing but parasites on the body of society.

Yes, it’s quite the opposite of Buddhist though actually.   Many temples have too much money because people pay for luck and their lack of following Buddhist principles.

[GalaxyMan]

7 hours ago, Redline said:

Yes, it’s quite the opposite of Buddhist though actually.   Many temples have too much money because people pay for luck and their lack of following Buddhist principles.

Not to mention the hundreds of million US dollars the government gives to the temples each year out of the treasury, tax money of the people.

[ttrd]

On 1/29/2019 at 9:32 AM, connda said:

There are literally thousands of temples in Thailand and South East Asia.  If one charges foreigners, go to the next one down the street.  Each is wonderfully unique, but not enough to consider one so special that you should pay money to enter.  Ask for a donation?  Sure.  Demand an entry fee called a 'donation' - that's not a donation, it's an entry fee.  It's not danna.  But it is racist and xenophobic and the antithesis of Buddhism. 

 

 

Its a huge difference between the temples containing the whole scale from poor maintained ordinary to well maintained awesome and to take a small fee for the awesome is not any different from what we do with tourists coming to see different historical buildings.

 

https://www.thecrazytourist.com/25-awesome-temples-to-visit-in-thailand/

 

 

Edited January 30, 2019 by ttrd

[Burma Bill]

I have just returned from visiting the Golden Triangle and stopped to see this new Wat Huay Pla Kang temple complex to the north of Chiang Rai City which emphasizes Chinese Buddhism. It is fantastic and entry is FREE including transport in open-sided minibuses for those who may have walking difficulties or just need to relax their legs.

[mok199]

Check out the prices of Chinese new years trinkets, paper lanterns, banners and such.....made in china ,sent to Thailand to sell to  back to the Chinese at 1000% mark up......

Edited January 30, 2019 by mok199

[Redline]

On 1/30/2019 at 9:13 AM, GalaxyMan said:

Not to mention the hundreds of million US dollars the government gives to the temples each year out of the treasury, tax money of the people.

I don’t know why they don’t use the money for affordable housing, instead of building more buildings they never use

[Awinkl]

On 1/28/2019 at 4:44 PM, SammyT said:

 

Solid use of CAPITAL letters there to EMPHASISE your point. Especially when DOUBLE the price EQUALS about ONE DOLLAR more in most cases

It is NOT the amount that's the issue here - it's the DOUBLE standard & the principle behind it!! Last time I went to Nong Nooch Tropical Gardens - the price difference between Thai Visitors and Farangs was NOT just one  $$!!!

[androokery]

I don't have a need to see ANY more religious places, whatever they charge me. Churches and temples alike can all burn as far as I'm concerned.