Went to the waterfalls for Songkran but only Thais get in free, not foreigners.

[dotpoom]

On 4/14/2019 at 10:24 AM, Pilotman said:

I dont have a problem with differential charging at attractions and venues here.  The way I see it, my disposal income is probably higher than the average Thai families, it's their country not mine, so I pay a little more to access them.  Having said that, many, especially around the tourist spots of Pattaya and Phuket,  are not worth the money anyway, which is a different argument.   

Have to agree....cannot see for the life of me how looking at a waterfall is anything special.

[brokenbone]

so what ? vote with your feet like everyone else

[Nielsk]

Foreigners whining about price differentiation make me sick ????

[Classic Ray]

Acceptance of dual pricing, like acceptance of corruption, simply fosters its continuance.

 

Only by shaming and resisting the practice will anything change.

 

Thais are not the best at proactivity, but if all foreigners actively resisted both visiting national parks and attractions with this attitude and refused to pay “commissions”, Thais might be encouraged to join in. That’s how things changed in Singapore and Hong Kong, and actually in the UK and Australia as well.

[puukao]

Tuk Tuk has different prices

girls have different prices

sometimes food

parks

immigration

 

really scammed every day of your life!!!!!!!!!!!  

 

Good thing is in my country I can save 20 million baht.

 

so who really wins???

[richard_smith237]

14 minutes ago, Nielsk said:

Foreigners whining about price differentiation make me sick ????

Congratulations - some critical insight in to the issue with this golden droplet of genius...

[jesimps]

On 4/14/2019 at 10:20 AM, faraday said:

How much were you expected to pay?

Immaterial. He's probably on about the principle not the price. I expect you may be about to call him a cheapskate. I could be wrong.

[PerkinsCuthbert]

Love this perennial trope - guaranteed to get hoary old farangs' danders up. Actually, it used to do the same to me, but since the Internet came around, you can pretty much always avoid the situation these days, with a little research. 

[jesimps]

On 4/14/2019 at 10:24 AM, Pilotman said:

I dont have a problem with differential charging at attractions and venues here.  The way I see it, my disposal income is probably higher than the average Thai families, it's their country not mine, so I pay a little more to access them.  Having said that, many, especially around the tourist spots of Pattaya and Phuket,  are not worth the money anyway, which is a different argument.   

I disagree with your first two sentences and never go anywhere that I know has double pricing out of principle. Your last sentence backs up the fact that I don't miss going to these places at all.

Edited April 15, 2019 by jesimps

[uhuh]

39 minutes ago, puukao said:

Tuk Tuk has different prices

girls have different prices

sometimes food

parks

immigration

 

really scammed every day of your life!!!!!!!!!!!  

 

Good thing is in my country I can save 20 million baht.

 

so who really wins???

Those Thai guys who can save 20 million baht in Thailand.

They get the best of both worlds. 

Hint: most of them are of a certain well known ethnicity...

[forqalso]

I’m with you, Despondent Foreigner.  Everything should be the same for everyone.  Let’s march into our company’s HR and demand Thai wages too.

[donim]

3 hours ago, pacovl46 said:

Yeah, the thing is, though, that when a foreigner legally lives in Thailand then he has to pay only the Thai price. The entrance fee for Khao Yai for a Thai is 40 Baht, for a foreigner it is 400. When I was still living in Thailand I went there quite a lot. They were asking for 400, but after showing them my work permit I had to pay only 40. Assuming that the poster legally lives in Thailand he should’ve gotten in for free. Having said that, the double price policy makes sense to me. I wouldn’t expect a Thai who makes considerably less money to pay the Falang fee.

There are two main points in this thread.

 

1. We don't know if the OP, or his wife, did mentoin a WP or anything else that connects the foreigner as living in thai instead of being a foreign-tourist, when the park manager hold their car.

The story is the wife just turned the car and they went to swim at the foot of the waterfall. (the park, with entrance fee for foreigner visitors, is on the top)

 

2. Many National Parks,  other parks and public locations with entrance fees; they won't accept the WP, Thai DL or anything and still forces the foreigner, living and even working in Thailand, to pay the fee for foreign-tourists.  Of which many of us don't agree with and some of us agree with and there are some being neutral on this. Three sides meet in this thread now.

 

 

[observer90210]

Wonder how they would feel if say EuroDisney Paris,  made non EU passports,  pay double ?

 

It's not a matter of the amount.....but dual pricing seems plainly a legal and social message,  encouraging Thais to overcharge foreigners. Disgusting.

Edited April 15, 2019 by observer90210

[pogal]

I went to the ancient city in Samut Prakan (which is privately owned) with my parents who were on holiday and when asking for tickets spoke Thai, the lady quickly asked do I work here and I replied yes and a Thai drivers license was enough to get me in at Thai prices. She then apologized and said my parents would have to pay tourist rates which I expected anyway. 

All this was without me asking. it was a proactive gesture from staff there. 

I was also very surprised to know that in NZ (and many western countries) there are also dual pricing in certain places. Ie: you must show a NZ passport/driving license or any form of ID including a bill from your house or rental (ie: overseas students etc. can also get local price). 

I think there are examples of dual pricing in many countries and it is also random. 

It does seem the government owned places in Thailand are the worst though and won't even accept residency papers from foreigners (or so I've heard) and yet others will accept a non~B passport and yet others need a work permit. All quite random. 

[khunPer]

On 4/14/2019 at 5:18 AM, Despondent Foreigner said:

Utterly disgraceful behavior. Shame on them!

Politely disagree.

 

I think it is very fair that the nations people can enjoy the nature, whilst we foreigners that actually can afford to pay, pay a fee. Compared to our foreign income we can relatively afford – if not, we cannot afford to stay in Thailand – and we should gladly contribute; I do...????

 

How much did they charge in entrance fee for foreigners.

 

Do you have a Thai ID-card, and if so, showed it..?

 

In your home country, do they give free entrance, or reduced fee, to children, or students, or retired elder people; and is that racial, or discrimination, of the working age folks..? 

[faraday]

7 minutes ago, forqalso said:

I’m with you, Despondent Foreigner.  Everything should be the same for everyone.  Let’s march into our company’s HR and demand Thai wages too.

And this, is most probably why there is two tier pricing.

 

It can be interpreted as xenophobia, but really, I don't think Thai people are anymore racially biased than the rest of us.

 

However, the serial moaners, who seem so bloody dissatisfied with just about everything, choose to get upset.

 

But hell yea, let's unite, start a petition, march to Bangkok, & show them we ain't gonna be trifled with!!

 

Forward my brothers!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MunkyBoogar]

On 4/14/2019 at 1:17 PM, Kieran00001 said:

 

They have not singled out Caucasian people, its either you're a Thai national or you're foreign, if you get residency they you get the discount, and there are locals discounts the world over, Californian residents get into Disneyland cheaper than non-locals, for instance.

And California residents also pay California taxes that are 10 times more than the average salary in Thailand. So let's flip it: Say Cali residents get a 30% while all other US citizens pay full price. Well hell, you are a foreign tourist who can obviously afford to travel abroad so we are going to mark up the price by 300%. Imagine having to pay 2 or 3 thousand dollars just to enjoy a crowded amusement park. 

 

On several occasions parks and tourist traps (Wat Pho, Phimai, one of the Floating markets near BKK, a Temple in Chiang Mai, and more) have tried to charge my Thai wife the farang price because they thought she was a Chinese tourist. The look of embarrassment on the Thai staff was absolutely hilarious every time she produced her Thai ID card or license.

 

On one occasion I met up with my wife and her friends at a restaurant after drinking with some friends. My wife and her 4 friends had been there for 2 hours. After I showed up an english menu with different prices was produced. Beers that were 80baht for them suddenly became 150baht, the food prices doubled and there were actually less items on the english menu. Let's just say, all 5 women at the table had some choice words for the staff and restaurant owner. The sad part is I had been to this place several times and had always paid the Thai price but on this particular day there was a huge group of German tourist present. I really wanted to just leave without a fuss but the ladies were HEATED. A business owner sitting nearby that I knew in passing told the owner he would also leave with his group of 20 people if the issue was handled properly. I didn't feel comfortable after all of the ruckus so we changed venues after having a couple drinks without ordering food. The food and atmosphere at this place is actually really good so I went there again a year later with my wife and her family while we were visiting. Guess what? We were charged the normal Thai price because I was the only farang in the group of 12 people but there were also no other farang present. 

 

The whole argument of "we make more" is just silly. Theoretically, a Thai citizen who arrives in a car baht or on a big bike that cost more than 300k should pay the same price as farang. Or they can use the gold standard; if a Thai person has more than 1 gold showing on them they have to pay the farang price.... lol. 

 

I usually knuckle up and just pay the extra 3$ to 9$ to enter places because I know putting up a fuss really will not make a difference. Making a Thai person "lose face" causes too many problems even if it was unintentional.

[helloagain]

On 4/14/2019 at 10:22 AM, Despondent Foreigner said:

does it matter?

I totally agree with the orginal statement. I wish other countries  or forieng owners here of businesses would charge thais more how about that. 

Edited April 15, 2019 by helloagain
Spelling

[Bangkok Barry]

On 4/14/2019 at 10:24 AM, Pilotman said:

I dont have a problem with differential charging at attractions and venues here.  The way I see it, my disposal income is probably higher than the average Thai families, it's their country not mine, so I pay a little more to access them.  Having said that, many, especially around the tourist spots of Pattaya and Phuket,  are not worth the money anyway, which is a different argument.   

 

So you're saying that the entry fee should be based on income. Really? And how would you do that? The old chestnut that all foreigners are rich and all Thais are poor nonsense. The locals must love you for perpetuating the myth. FYI, there are many hard-up foreigners and even more very rich Thais in Thailand. Maybe the Thais should pay more. I even know of an on the face of it poor market vendor who owns three houses. Thais tend to save money rather than spend it on luxuries and foreign holidays. The fact that they don't flash the cash doesn't mean they are poor.

[newnative]

   My God enough already with the dual pricing griping!  Get over it!  'Despondent foreigner'--good lord, if this is all you have to be 'despondent' about count yourself lucky.   I assume you're a foreigner and have not become a Thai citizen--so, sometimes you'll be charged more than a Thai citizen.  Big deal.  If you're a foreigner going to college in America, likely you will be charged more than a US citizen--it has nothing to do with race or racial profiling.  If you're an 'out of state' student from one state going to college in another state, get ready to pay more, too.  Thailand is not the only country with different pricing structures for citizens and non-citizens.

[richard_smith237]

4 minutes ago, newnative said:

   My God enough already with the dual pricing griping!  Get over it!  'Despondent foreigner'--good lord, if this is all you have to be 'despondent' about count yourself lucky.   I assume you're a foreigner and have not become a Thai citizen--so, sometimes you'll be charged more than a Thai citizen.  Big deal.  If you're a foreigner going to college in America, likely you will be charged more than a US citizen--it has nothing to do with race or racial profiling.  If you're an 'out of state' student from one state going to college in another state, get ready to pay more, too.  Thailand is not the only country with different pricing structures for citizens and non-citizens.

 

Enough with the Dual Pricing gripe???  That’s the thread. Why are you responding?

 

And... you are wrong on all your examples. My Wife’s Thai Cousin how has an English Passport after working there for a handful of years - her child will get free education in the UK.

Your ‘shifting of the goalposts’ takes on additional measure as it also identifies how difficult it is for foreigners to obtain Thai Nationality (if they wanted it) compared to Thai’s in our home countries. In using this example you’ve highlighted that the issue is worse !!!

 

Your comparison of ‘out of state vs in state’.... All the US citizens need to do is to move state and a foreigner living in State paying US tax and having done so for long enough to make them eligable for residency’s status (and in many cases Citizenship) can get the local rate. 

 

The only thing thats right about your post is that this is not a racial issue. Its not, its potentially an anti-foreigner issue... known as xenophobia.

[Hans Rayong]

Get a pink ID card and you pay the same amount as a Thai. Thai driving license is not enough.

[Despondent Foreigner]

10 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Enough with the Dual Pricing gripe???  That’s the thread. Why are you responding?

 

And... you are wrong on all your examples. My Wife’s Thai Cousin how has an English Passport after working there for a handful of years - her child will get free education in the UK.

Your ‘shifting of the goalposts’ takes on additional measure as it also identifies how difficult it is for foreigners to obtain Thai Nationality (if they wanted it) compared to Thai’s in our home countries. In using this example you’ve highlighted that the issue is worse !!!

 

Your comparison of ‘out of state vs in state’.... All the US citizens need to do is to move state and a foreigner living in State paying US tax and having done so for long enough to make them eligable for residency’s status (and in many cases Citizenship) can get the local rate. 

 

The only thing thats right about your post is that this is not a racial issue. Its not, its potentially an anti-foreigner issue... known as xenophobia.

richard_smith237 for PM!

[GroupA]

What's the big deal? So they want to charge you B200. You know it's going to happen and you have a choice of going or not. If you don't want to pay say no thanks and leave graciously or pay and say thanks. Arguing only makes you look stingy. 

It's not so much as charging foreigners more as it's making it accessible to all Thais. 

If you wonder why Thais look down at you look at your behavior.

[chuang]

Just because of a few bahts you spoil your family's outings and fun. Sad.

[K in BKK]

So what, when I went to Washington DC a few years ago I inquired about the White House tour, I was informed that it was for US citizens only. Who cares

 

 

 

Edited April 15, 2019 by K in BKK

[LukKrueng]

6 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

And it is this very point which makes it a xenophobic policy.... Its discriminates based on Nationality and not based on residency which would still be unfair, however, given the arguments presented in support of dual pricing charging based on residency could be considered morally tolerable.

as some other posters wrote already, salaries of Thai people are considerably lower than foreigners who live or visit here. So you can view it as an unfair xenophobic rule, or you can view it as if the government subsidize entrance for locals while charging the full amount from non locals

[mauGR1]

20 minutes ago, chuang said:

Just because of a few bahts you spoil your family's outings and fun. Sad.

What is really sad, apart from the dual pricing based on race/nationality, is that some people are apparently happy with the dual pricing.

If you people have money to throw away, why don't you donate to orphan children, or some in real need ?

[marcusarelus]

12 minutes ago, mauGR1 said:

What is really sad, apart from the dual pricing based on race/nationality, is that some people are apparently happy with the dual pricing.

If you people have money to throw away, why don't you donate to orphan children, or some in real need ?

The price is what it is.  If you don't have enough money to live and do the things you want to in Thailand go somewhere where you do have the necessary money.  Not having enough cash to rent an apartment in NYC is not the fault of NYC rent subsidy system.  Go to Arkansas where rent is cheaper. 

 

In NYC, NYC makes the laws in Thailand, Thais make the law. 

[mauGR1]

5 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

The price is what it is.  If you don't have enough money to live and do the things you want to in Thailand go somewhere where you do have the necessary money.  Not having enough cash to rent an apartment in NYC is not the fault of NYC rent subsidy system.  Go to Arkansas where rent is cheaper. 

 

In NYC, NYC makes the laws in Thailand, Thais make the law. 

Thanks for you pearls of wisdom, i am content with boycotting attractions who practice dual pricing, and, if you don't mind, i can say what i think about it.