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

[newnative]

2 hours 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.

    I responded because it's much ado about nothing, in my opinion.  The OP was 'desolate' because he was charged as a foreigner and Thai citizens got in free.  Boo hoo.  If something trivial like that leaves him 'desolate' I wonder how he gets out of bed in the morning.

    My examples were pointing out that dual pricing exists in other countries--and it can be based on whether one is native to the country or a foreigner.  Whether there are ways around the dual pricing is not really relevant--the dual pricing is still there for those who don't become citizens or move from state to state.

    Recently I toured a number of historical sites in Ayutthaya with my Thai spouse and his family.  They all got in free to the sites and I had to pay, as a foreigner.  Did it ruin my day and leave me 'desolate'?  Of course not; I didn't give it a thought.  Instead, I enjoyed a wonderful day.  Learn to 'bend with the bamboo' and perhaps there will be fewer things that leave one 'desolate'.

 

[MeePeeMai]

I guess the real reason that we have to pay up to 10 times the normal price is ... 

 

Because we're special. ????

[newnative]

On 4/14/2019 at 9:16 PM, Despondent Foreigner said:

Could you provide some examples please?

 

As you said 'every country' I specifically would like some examples from westernized countries, preferably from: Australia, New Zealand, USA, UK, Denmark, Norway & Germany.

 

Thanks in advance!

Some for USA:  College tuition based on in-state, out of state, and foreign students.  Senior discounts for all sorts of things.  Veterans discounts.  Student discounts.  All sorts of special membership/affiliation discounts.

[uhuh]

4 hours ago, observer90210 said:

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.

Not double - tenfold.

And not for non-EU - specifically for Thais. 

I would love to see their faces. 

It's not going to happen,  unfortunately. 

[roquefort]

On 4/14/2019 at 4:39 AM, Despondent Foreigner said:

Does that make it right then? Imagine this kind of thing happening in the UK or the states to asian people.. There would be absolute uproar and rightly so! Free for Americans but asians must pay! Could you imagine?? CBS news would have a meltdown!

 

 

You're not in Kansas now, Dorothy. BTW when I was a kid parts of the US were still practising apartheid.

[mike787]

On 4/14/2019 at 3:38 PM, Benroon said:

Wow your marriage must be a laugh a minute

 

Most national attractions are maintained for the local populace many of whom haven't got a pot to piss in and would miss out on learning of their own culture, not for you! Did they say to you you've got to pay because of your skin colour or are you just adding that racial statement to add gravity to your sulk ?

 

You've got the cash to help maintain it so stump up or stop whinging and go somewhere else

Hate to say it, but to me, much like sin sot and everything else in LOS.  No money, No Honey! Its the cost of doing business...

[Isaanbiker]

On 4/14/2019 at 10:28 AM, Despondent Foreigner said:

My wife was driving. She refused to let me pay. 

 How much were they asking for? 

[Isaanbiker]

11 minutes ago, roquefort said:

You're not in Kansas now, Dorothy. BTW when I was a kid parts of the US were still practising apartheid.

How can you live happily here, if such a little "problem" upsets you that much? Things are a bit different here, methinks. Innit? Gotta love Dorothy. 

Edited April 15, 2019 by Isaanbiker

[MeePeeMai]

The last time my wife and I went to Phu Rua, I showed my Thai driver's license and still had to pay the farang price but we were given two Thai priced tickets (receipts).  Unfortunately I did not notice it until later and when I pointed it out my wife did not wish to go back and speak to anyone about it ... mai pen rai she said.

 

I will never go back there again.

[Seth1a2a]

"Does that make it right then? Imagine this kind of thing happening in the UK or the states to Asian people.. There would be absolute uproar and rightly so! Free for Americans but asians must pay! Could you imagine?? CBS news would have a meltdown!"

 

Please do me a favor and find out how much it costs for a Thai tourist to visit New Zealand , USA or Great Britan for thirty days.  (don't forget the non- refundable fees for those who are rejected for various reasons ).  Also , you do have the option of becoming a Thai citizen and receiving the same treatment as a regular Thai.

 

Story Of My Thai Citizenship Application

 

Currently the price structure of entry to this Landmark is legally posted.

The face value of your complaint only matters if you were treated differently than any other foreigners who showed up on that day. You were not tricked , lied to ,misled or deceived in any way. If you wish to protest or challenge Thai laws, principles or practices you may have a better chance as an actual citizen of the Kingdom with full rights.

 

 

 

[Bangkok Barry]

10 hours ago, Hans Rayong said:

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

 

Why should you need to?

[jackdd]

5 hours ago, Seth1a2a said:

If you wish to protest or challenge Thai laws, principles or practices you may have a better chance as an actual citizen of the Kingdom with full rights. 

Afaik a naturalized Thai is a citizen second class and does not have full rights.

For example he can't work in a Thai government job, so how would becoming a Thai citizen help changing laws?

[jdwilko]

I have a thai id card different color (pink ) but so far everywhere i go i pay same thai .

[wilcopops]

12 hours 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.

"Thailand is not the only country with different pricing structures for citizens and non-citizens."

 

I fail to see how the failings of other countries in any way mitigates or justifies the failings of Thailand.

 

"America, likely you will be charged more than a US citizen-" foreigners in Thailand are charged a blanket fee ten times the rate for Thais...... I very much doubt you can find any comparable action in the USA.

you kay be confusing discounts with surcharging.

Edited April 16, 2019 by wilcopops

[rwill]

My wife and I are both over 60.  People over 60 get in free to parks.  Unless you are a farang. Oh well.  It is just the way it is.  I have got into many parks for the Thai price just showing my Thai drivers license; once just by saying, in thai, that I was Thai.  But it has been a couple years now so I don't know if they are still lenient on this.

[wilcopops]

41 minutes ago, jdwilko said:

I have a thai id card different color (pink ) but so far everywhere i go i pay same thai .

I've found that in the last year or so this is no longer the case....I have managed to "embarrass" the odd official but the new policy seems to be ALL foreigners.

In the end though it isn't about how individuals can buck the system it is about a seriously flawed charging system that in no way helps maintain Thailand's national heritage.

Edited April 16, 2019 by wilcopops

[jdwilko]

I've found that in the last year or so this is no longer the case....I have managed to "embarrass" the odd official but the new policy seems to be ALL foreigners.

I was in nong nooch tropical gardens last week and paid thai price

Sent from my SM-G935F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[wilcopops]

I think some posters and the DNP don't realise the negative effect a ten-fold surcharge actually has.

To suggest that the "extra money" actually helps is far too simplistic.

With a comprehensive non-discriminatory pricing system based on product rather then nationality both income and visitors would increase.

With the present system a week long visit to a national park or multiple parks quickly becomes prohibitively expensive for a family of 4.

Entry is 1600 baht plus 130 for vehicle and any other expenses. If they leave the park and re-enter or enter another park they pay again...another 1600 plus etc etc...a so it goes...it really doesn't compare that favourably in the end with a weeks stay at a coastal resort.

This kind of cost (and attitude) drives people away....it does not help fund the parks.

Even the few parks, mostly marine, that get millions of are unable to manage their resources effectively and have had to take retroactive measures such as closing down altogether. The money they take is not seen by other national parks either.

Edited April 16, 2019 by wilcopops

[jackdd]

8 minutes ago, jdwilko said:

I was in nong nooch tropical gardens last week and paid thai price

Sent from my SM-G935F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

This is a private business, they can do what they want

People in this thread are talking about national parks run by the Thai department of national parks

[papa al]

In America, discounts for senior citizens, military, and disabled are common.

Pretty disgusting discrimination, right?.

????

Edited April 16, 2019 by papa al

[papa al]

11 minutes ago, jackdd said:

This is a private business, they can do what they want

People in this thread are talking about national parks run by the Thai department of national parks

They [parks] can do what they want too.

[marcusarelus]

11 hours ago, mauGR1 said:

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.

Makes as much sense as complaining about the weather.  A lot of folks still do it. 

[jdwilko]

This is a private business, they can do what they want
People in this thread are talking about national parks run by the Thai department of national parks

I was at plu waterfall koh chang last year , paid 20 baht same my wife and two children with my pink card , must depend on who serve you in kiosk .

Sent from my SM-G935F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[jackdd]

6 minutes ago, papa al said:

They [parks] can do what they want too.

No, they have to do what the department of national parks tells them.

And the department of national parks has to do what the Thai government tells them.

[mauGR1]

19 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

Makes as much sense as complaining about the weather.  A lot of folks still do it. 

Glad that we agree on something.

[newnative]

1 hour ago, wilcopops said:

"Thailand is not the only country with different pricing structures for citizens and non-citizens."

 

I fail to see how the failings of other countries in any way mitigates or justifies the failings of Thailand.

 

"America, likely you will be charged more than a US citizen-" foreigners in Thailand are charged a blanket fee ten times the rate for Thais...... I very much doubt you can find any comparable action in the USA.

you kay be confusing discounts with surcharging.

   I don't see a different price structure for citizens and non-citizens as a 'failing'.  Common sense to me to charge foreigners more.  As far as America goes, here's one example.  If you're Canadian, or from some other select countries, the admission charge to America is free.  If you are Thai, or from 150 or so other countries, the admission charge is $160.  Fair?  Debatable.  But, if the price is too steep, vote with your feet and visit another country.  Same with Thai attractions that have a different price for foreigners--if you think it's too expensive, don't go.

[BobbyL]

I have no issue paying slightly more, eg - 80b instead of 40b.

 

What I do have a real annoyance to is some of the places charging 8 or more times the price. I was in Ayutthaya last year and was forced to pay 320b for a ticket to 4 or 5 of the temples when my wife paid just 40b. They rudely wouldn't accept my WP, DL or even my wife showing her Thai ID with my surname added on it.

 

I pay about 13,000b / month in tax so over the course of a year that is 156,000b Thailand gets from me working here. I am not expecting hordes of gratitude, but being treated fairly would be appreciated, as would an entry line at airports for people working here (like many other countries) and not being forced to queue with the hordes of tourists at immigration. 

[cracker1]

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

So you've been here long enough to know that this is Standard Operating Procedure? You should have worked that out already since you have to extend your visa year after year rather than what your home country would do if you took your wife there

"Then a woman dressed in yellow approached the car who confirmed what the soldiers said and told my wife that this is a new law"

[evadgib]

41 minutes ago, newnative said:

   I don't see a different price structure for citizens and non-citizens as a 'failing'.  Common sense to me to charge foreigners more.  As far as America goes, here's one example.  If you're Canadian, or from some other select countries, the admission charge to America is free.  If you are Thai, or from 150 or so other countries, the admission charge is $160.  Fair?  Debatable.  But, if the price is too steep, vote with your feet and visit another country.  Same with Thai attractions that have a different price for foreigners--if you think it's too expensive, don't go.

Thailand does it at-a-glance on skin colour whereas your example presumably contains built-in fail-safes designed to prevent such discrimination.

[newnative]

6 minutes ago, evadgib said:

Thailand does it at-a-glance on skin colour whereas your example presumably contains built-in fail-safes designed to prevent such discrimination.

 Never said the system is perfect--just said I don't have a problem with a different price structure for citizens vs. non-citizens.