Dual Pricing again, but different!

[mikosan]

14 hours ago, OneEyedPie said:

The pink ID card also appears to be the Thai way of embarrassing male expats.  Quite effeminate if you ask me.  

Real men wear pink and far from being effeminate it is statement.  I certainly wouldn't want to accused any of the Stade Francais rugby union players, who wear pink kit, of being effeminate either. Personally it wouldn't bother me having a pink ID card, in fact I would be grateful for a Thai ID card in any colour.  Just as a matter of interest, the UK driving licence is also pink, but I never heard anyone complaining about that.  No doubt you'll now accuse all poms of being effeminate.

[Captain 776]

Most places .....but not all take your Thai D L as u stated.

Yes, it gripes me also when they don’t.........in USA.......everyone pays the same price.

[Delight]

  I think dual prices is a reasonable position.

I would not take that view if I had to live on  a Thai income.

However I do not-and neither do you.

[1FinickyOne]

27 minutes ago, Captain 776 said:

Most places .....but not all take your Thai D L as u stated.

Yes, it gripes me also when they don’t.........in USA.......everyone pays the same price.

absolutely not so... 

 

out of state pay higher prices for state universities... out of county must pay more for using county golf courses... and on and on... but, you are used to these types of things and have come to see it as normal. 

 

Many more examples. 

[Mukdahanman]

1 hour ago, thurien said:

 

only for certain western countries, pink appears to be quite queer for guys.

In Thailand, PINK is the colour of Tuesday and many males do  walk around in pinkish outfit (shirt, cap, tie, shawl/bandana sometimes)

Yup, nothing wrong with pink 

Edited May 9, 2019 by Mukdahanman

[whimsicalmike]

I am over 60 and when going to Govt sites often there is no charge for over 60s so i enter for free

[ianezy0]

Just the same in some places in Australia.

if you are a local you can get discount rates.

[jackdd]

3 hours ago, kenk24 said:

All those years in USA when I paid full price at movies when those cheating elderly got in on discounts - and what about those awful people who went on Wednesday afternoon - half price!!

 

Universities that charge less for in state people then out of state - PUBLIC golf courses that charge less for local residents... and those spiteful coupon clippers at the grocery store... 

 

This is such a tired $2 issue... and yes, it is the money - I bet you don't protest in your home country when it falls in your favor... I don't think you will be asked or able to make the laws here, nor should you. You have choice - pay or don't go.  

3 minutes ago, ianezy0 said:

Just the same in some places in Australia.

if you are a local you can get discount rates.

 

But only Thailand draws the line at nationality, i never saw an example for dual pricing based on nationality in western countries.

Students do usually not have much money, so everybody is ok that they pay less. If Thailand would give free entrance for welfare card holders nobody here would complain about it.

If places are run by the government they often get funds from the local city. People in this city pay tax in this city already, so they get a reduced price. If a foreigner is living in this city he will also get the local price, he does not have to be a citizen of the country.

 

But the biggest problem of all is: Thailand charges foreigners up to 10 times the price of Thais when they go to visit a national park. If they would charge double we would probably hardly see any complaints, but 10 times?

This combined with jokes like this: https://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30364973 The noodle shop may not charge a foreigner more, but if the Thai government does it (afaik Grand Palace is free for Thais and 500 THB for foreigners) it's ok?

 

 

Edited May 9, 2019 by jackdd

[1FinickyOne]

57 minutes ago, jackdd said:

up to 10 times

but that is rare - right? Though not the point... I don't have a problem paying if I want to go to the Grand Palace and I am glad the Thai get in for free... it is their place, their country... many many national parks have let me in for free... but paying 200 baht is not going to ruin my day... one of my favorite waterfalls lets me in for free sometimes and the next time charges me... that's just how it is... 

 

seems people on this forum can be very upset over very minor expenses... and see illogic here but not in their own countries... 

 

 

59 minutes ago, jackdd said:

i never saw an example for dual pricing based on nationality in western countries.

So? There is dual pricing for other things, elderly, non-local, etc etc.. I never saw 20 baht noodle soup shops in Western Countries or Khao Soy restaurants - why do people come here and expect that the same old from back home is the way it should be here? 

 

I am here because I enjoy being in a different culture. It sort of amazes me that people come here and expect everything to be like home... there seem so many posts about having to pay 100-200 baht extra - and yet, not mentioning that they can have lunch in that same park for 10% of what it might cost back in the home country... 

[jackdd]

29 minutes ago, kenk24 said:

but that is rare - right?

At national parks a foreigner pays either 5 times or 10 times the Thai price, i don't know at how many percent it's 10 times, but i would say that at the majority it's 10 times. Especially at the bigger parks it tends to be 10 times, so while a foreigner might be able to visit a small waterfall for 100 THB where a Thai pays 20 THB, especially at the bigger parks with a higher Thai price, a foreigner pays 500 THB where a Thai pays 50 THB.

[Too young to be old]

15 hours ago, jackdd said:

The law (not really law, but the official rules regarding fees in national park) defines a price for Thai citizens and a price for foreigners (doesn't matter which kind of visa, even foreigners with permanent residency status). You are a foreigner, so you are supposed to pay the foreigner price.

I do not agree with this regulation, but that's how it officially is, so they just followed the official rules.

 

Which Thai law do you want to explain to them?

 

It is written in the Thai Constitution. All must be treated equal etc.

[newnative]

      So, your child's first visit to the park ruined over 100 baht.   I abhor tattoos but some of us need to have 'Don't Sweat the Small Stuff' inked on one arm as a reminder.  And, an extra fee for foreigners definitely falls under small stuff in my book.

[jackdd]

1 minute ago, Too young to be old said:

 

It is written in the Thai Constitution. All must be treated equal etc. 

The constitution is about Thai people, not about foreigners.

[losworld]

18 hours ago, CharlieH said:

As with many things here, its only a problem if you allow it to be.

 

Not worth getting upset about and ruining your day, smile and get on with your day.

Or possibly vacate in the near future.  This is the tip of the iceberg a hell of a lot more coming down the pipe in the next years...

[losworld]

6 minutes ago, jackdd said:

The constitution is about Thai people, not about foreigners.

Yeah in a country that basically doesn't allow anoyone to become a citizen except for a few with connections.

[losworld]

15 minutes ago, jackdd said:

At national parks a foreigner pays either 5 times or 10 times the Thai price, i don't know at how many percent it's 10 times, but i would say that at the majority it's 10 times. Especially at the bigger parks it tends to be 10 times, so while a foreigner might be able to visit a small waterfall for 100 THB where a Thai pays 20 THB, especially at the bigger parks with a higher Thai price, a foreigner pays 500 THB where a Thai pays 50 THB.

That's because foreigners leave garbage that tidy thais must dispose of haven't you read the stories?

[khunPer]

I would never get upset paying 100 baht being a "farang" instead of 50 baht Thai-price for historical parks, museum and like – I would be happy to contribute to keep these sites going, and it's not the number on the money, but the principle, wherefore I also gladly pay my 500 baht (I think it was last time) at Grand Palace, whilst my daughter and my Thai girlfriend walks in for free – and yes, I've been several times to Phanum Rung, and enjoyed it every time.

 

We farangs are aliens, and will – because of the way we look – always be aliens; just something we have to accept as fact, even we try to mingle in with yellow house books and pink plastic cards (I also have them). Furthermore I would never let 50 baht spoil what could be an excellent day...????

[manhood]

It's as simple as it can be: don't go to any places you are forced to pay more like locals. I don't visit any NP since ages...i saw more interesting natural resources than you can find in Thailand

[Nowisee]

There's very little here that's even worth paying the thai price for.   

[Pedrogaz]

I have had a simple policy.....I never enter a site that has advertised dual pricing, so they lose not only my money, but the revenue from those in my car, usually tourist farangs. 

National Parks always accepted a driver's licence to obtain the Thai price, they stopped a few years back. I have always refused to pay the higher price and have not stepped foot in such a park since.

[OneEyedPie]

11 hours ago, thurien said:

only for certain western countries, pink appears to be quite queer for guys.

In Thailand, PINK is the colour of Tuesday and many males do  walk around in pinkish outfit (shirt, cap, tie, shawl/bandana sometimes)

Don't read too much into it.  I was joking.

[OneEyedPie]

11 hours ago, mikosan said:

Real men wear pink and far from being effeminate it is statement.  I certainly wouldn't want to accused any of the Stade Francais rugby union players, who wear pink kit, of being effeminate either. Personally it wouldn't bother me having a pink ID card, in fact I would be grateful for a Thai ID card in any colour.  Just as a matter of interest, the UK driving licence is also pink, but I never heard anyone complaining about that.  No doubt you'll now accuse all poms of being effeminate.

The topic was reaching silly heights so thought I'd lighten the mood.  

 

Everyone's so consumed with moral outrage that one tongue in cheek post goes past them all.  

[OneEyedPie]

7 hours ago, jackdd said:

At national parks a foreigner pays either 5 times or 10 times the Thai price, i don't know at how many percent it's 10 times, but i would say that at the majority it's 10 times.

I wouldn't drill into the minutiae that far.  I'd consider whether it's a reasonable price for the entertainment on offer, or not.  

 

I've never done an about turn and walked away.  

[ericthai]

On 5/8/2019 at 11:18 AM, singburisam said:

The Thai government maintains certain sites, like the Grand Palace, as heritage for the Thai people.  It doesn't seem unreasonable that they offer their citizens a subsidized admission price.

 

I'm less enamored with certain attractions owned and operated by foreigners.  Does Ripley's Believe it or Not in Pattaya still use dual pricing?  It is owned and operated by foreigners, no?

 

(As I recall, Las Vegas offers discounts on many shows to those who present a local driver's license.  Is that reprehensible dual pricing?)

Disney world, SeaWorld, etc in flordia offer discounts for flordia residents.  I've been to places in Korea where they wont even let a foreigner in. So this is not isolated to Thailand. 

[Isaanbiker]

    I've been living here for 17 years and I usually get my stuff for the regular price. ( Well, not sure after this experience) Last Saturday, I almost lost my temper ( no, I finally did) when I bought an LNB for a satellite dish that I thought was broken. 

 

The mechanic then was only telling a lie that I'd buy something from the shop after telling him that I wouldn't get a signal and the receiver had already been changed. But the only problem was that the receiver and the LNB had to be updated, but that's not going to work without a signal. The mechanic knew less about it than I do, as usual. 

 

  One girl then told me that such an LNB would be 480 baht, but I knew that they're usually only half of this price. I had just bought a set for 1,400 baht, including all needed hardware. 

 

   My son then gave her a look with a smile in a way that he's a kind of upset without making her lose face and it was all in a sudden only 250 baht what she wanted for the LNB!

 

   Unfortatnelty did nobody give me a bill, the PC was already shut down, and all they gave me was their card and a brochure with different satellite dishes on it.

 

   That was on Saturday early evening, and I went back to the shop to get my money back because the LNB wasn't faulty. They're all there from Saturday including a woman who was asking for the bill.

I told her the truth, and she wanted to lecture me again and again that I felt so insulted.

 

The younger lady who took my money on Saturday then came with a 100 baht bill and tried to give it to me. No statement, no full cash!

 

   Then my lecturer started again in a very annoying tone as I was a little child, trying to tell me the tenth time that I'd need a bill. She got louder and louder, and I only told her what I'm doing for a living, that I didn't get a statement because all was already shut down, but she wanted to continue telling me the same old story again and again.

 

    The senior boss of the shop then said something to the girl, and she came with 200 baht! I denied and wanted to have my LNB back, which they couldn't understand.

 

 I left the shop, with an LNB I do not need and my blood pressure was pretty high. I don't care about 250 baht that I've lost, but the way they're treating me was so insane that I'd tell everybody I know not to buy anything there and eventually make some online advertisement on a different name using a VPN.

 

    It happened a few times that clerks at a 7 Eleven gave me change for a 500 baht bill after I'd given them a 1,000 baht bill, so I know that foreigners have to be careful. But such people also rip off Thai citizens who are not familiar with the regular price of an item. 

 

     

 

  

   

 

  

 

       

Edited May 9, 2019 by Isaanbiker

[TAILITYSA]

On 5/8/2019 at 2:44 PM, scoutman360 said:

I get it. If you have the time and patience, just say that you will wait until his/her boss comes. and talk to them. Of course they will say boss is not here, then start taking video and explain Thai law to them. And wait with video rolling. You might get in for free.

... for the mere fact that they won't live that long.  Not on these roads.

[ballpoint]

The sad part is, a guy will complain if he is charged 100 baht, and his wife 50 baht, but will happily pay 100 baht for each of them, because that's "fair".  Look at it as a 50 baht discount, rather than a 50 baht fee.

[MartinL]

I used to be dead set against differential pricing and have made my opinion clear many times on TV.

 

However, I've changed my tune recently, since my wife retired from work and I've taken more interest in her finances. She still pays Thai income tax on her pension. Last year, I found out that she gets a tax allowance for me as a non-working spouse - I think it's about 30,000฿ a year. That might amount to 10 National Park visits a year which is far more than we'd ever do.

 

Now I just see differential pricing here as a way to give back some of that tax allowance. Problem solved, for me at least. Now I can enjoy days out with the grandkids without that niggling, moaning voice in the back of my mind.

 

I wonder how many other people on here (unknowingly?) have an income tax allowance claimed for them by their spouse.  

[Jamesanderson]

On 5/8/2019 at 5:03 PM, Puchaiyank said:

When some Thais see a farang, that little devil that resides in all of us surfaces just long enough to frustrate the farang and give some sadistic pleasure to an otherwise mundane existence...

 

Laugh it off and move on...these little stinkers will never amount to anything or come close to reaching middle class...????

Yeah! right

[Delight]

 I would expect to pay Thai prices if I was on Thai wages

I am not

Nor is any Farang !