Why I'm not accepted everywhere as a retired tourist to buy a government low price bus ticket?

[Alfa]

Hi,  Even if I have been in Thailand very long time, I didn't know the Government buses had a low price tickets for everybody over 60 years old, not only for Thai people. 

Last year on a bus trip, very kind retired thai man told me that. He said the low price is for everybody, Thai or Alien , it doesn't matter. I know I'm an alien. It writes on my thai stamps if they are in English. I feel like an Alien in Thailand.

 

So I tried to buy a reduced ticket for my next trip to Bangkok...…  She said she has to ask her boss first, later said the boss told her reduced retired ticket only but only for Thai citizens. But I insisted then she said the tickets are sold out. No more tickets for me. Later when I see people coming there and buying tickets. The answer is they made order by telephone.

 

So I arrived to Bangkok another way and visited my Embassy. On the way back I arrived to The Bus Terminal Sai Thai Mai. I found the cashier for Government buses which is 999 at the second floor and asked for a reduced retired ticket and I bought it for round 400 Baht. There was no problem. Full ticket price is round 600 Baht. 

 

Today I was on Phuket and I wanted to check if it works on Phuket. Government bus cashier at the Bus Terminal told me it's absolutely for only Thai Citizens. 100% sure about that even if I showed my low price ticket from Sai Thai Mai.

 

Then I saw there is an information disk. GOOD GOOD. I go there and ask them why they don't sell a reduced ticket to me from the Government Bus Cashier?  She said reduced ticket is only for Thai Citizens. Then I showed her my reduced ticket. SHE LOOKED AT ME AND SAID INFORMATIONEN IS CLOSED.

Then I go to the neighbor ( taxi order ) and I asked when the information is open, he said it's open now, there is 2 women sitting there. I answered that woman telling me that information is closed. Then he laughed and came out and going to talk to them.

When I followed to the information they told me I have to go and talk to the POLICE about my reduced ticket. Where to find them. I had to go to a special building to find a tourist police. I didn't have time to do it. So they lie to my face for money.

Only 10 years ago you saw more happy thai people, 20 years ago much more. That means money can't make people more happy.

But today this happened to me, that's why I don't feel fine. I don't want that kind of things happen to us. Can't they be more honest and be happy???????

[473geo]

Be honest it wasn't the reduced ticket price that was important, you enjoyed watching them try to wriggle out it ????

[elliss]

 Play the part ,  watch you tube .

Adopt  a  limp ,  works wonders , for discount, flights/ wheelchair priority  etc .

   I was on mobility in the UK , for all my non working life. No qualifications..

    Thx UK taxpayers, where ever you are.. 555

 

 

 

 

Edited July 8, 2019 by elliss

[Puchaiyank]

5 hours ago, elliss said:

 Play the part ,  watch you tube .

Adopt  a  limp ,  works wonders , for discount, flights/ wheelchair priority  etc .

   I was on mobility in the UK , for all my non working life. No qualifications..

    Thx UK taxpayers, where ever you are.. 555

 

 

 

 

You are proud of having hard working tax payers pay for your sorry-ass to scam the system?   Shameful behavior...miserable excuse for a human being...☠

[cnx355]

Senior ticket on Skytrain: only for Thai National Only 

 

Senior ticket on metro ( underground ) :Thai and non -Thai can buy them.

 

It seem there is no clear policy emplemented by the government for senior that are not Thai National.

 

 

[dotpoom]

On 7/8/2019 at 9:22 PM, elliss said:

 Play the part ,  watch you tube .

Adopt  a  limp ,  works wonders , for discount, flights/ wheelchair priority  etc .

   I was on mobility in the UK , for all my non working life. No qualifications..

    Thx UK taxpayers, where ever you are.. 555

 

 

 

 

Seriously....I always wondered why so many people in Thailand, male and female, Thai and Farang....were such bad walkers, so many people have limps...I think you've just "cracked it" for me.

[dotpoom]

On 7/8/2019 at 9:03 PM, Alfa said:

Only 10 years ago you saw more happy thai people, 20 years ago much more.

I said it before and I'll say it again...."I blame the mobile phone for all this crankiness".

[newnative]

21 minutes ago, cnx355 said:

Senior ticket on Skytrain: only for Thai National Only 

 

Senior ticket on metro ( underground ) :Thai and non -Thai can buy them.

 

It seem there is no clear policy emplemented by the government for senior that are not Thai National.

 

 

   Yes. I was able to get a senior fare card with MRT.

[steven100]

If one has to go to so much trouble just to save 200 baht one shouldn't be living in Thailand.

It's too expensive for you .. ????

[royalmice]

[1FinickyOne]

Sounds like you made yourself very annoying to people who try and be pleasant and non-confrontational... not something to be proud of... 

On 7/8/2019 at 9:03 PM, Alfa said:

But I insisted

I am sure your insisting was a very unpleasant experience for people who were just trying to do their job w/o problems, fights or arguments.. which is the Thai style and pleasant way of life... so, as a guest, tourist here, you can pride yourself in making people feel bad and unhappy. 

[cracker1]

18 minutes ago, steven100 said:

If one has to go to so much trouble just to save 200 baht one shouldn't be living in Thailand.

It's too expensive for you .. ????

Or Steven has heaps of money and enjoys spending it !

[zyphodb]

Why? the answer is obvious...

 

  You're an alien  ???? 

[4MyEgo]

On 7/9/2019 at 12:03 AM, Alfa said:

I didn't know the Government buses had a low price tickets for everybody over 60 years old, not only for Thai people. 

In any country in the world, one would normally assume to get a discount as a senior, you would be required to have a seniors discount card issued by the government. I know that is the policy back in my home land, and probably yours, so listening to a little birdy telling you everybody over 60 is entitled to a discount, e.g. Thai or Alien are just words.

 

When in Thailand as an Alien, regardless of age, expect to pay the norm or double, you are a farang and we farangs/aliens are rich or haven't you heard, especially now since the $, pound, Euro etc etc have skyrocketed ????

 

Edited July 12, 2019 by 4MyEgo

[moe666]

Why lie about it you got one discount ticket. Your time and energy must be worth something to you but nah Ill waste my time bugging people. My wife got made one time because I got a discount at the Royal Floral Show in CM and she could not get one.

[Bangkok Barry]

1 hour ago, steven100 said:

If one has to go to so much trouble just to save 200 baht one shouldn't be living in Thailand.

It's too expensive for you .. ????

 

I think you miss the point. It's the principal. There is a law, but all too often Thais refuse to accept it (now, there's a novelty!) and deny a foreigner what is rightfully his purely and only on the grounds that he is not Thai, the chosen race superior to all others. Hardly news here, is it. The OP was only trying to stand up for what is his right, but getting a Thai to admit they are wrong and to back down is more difficult than trying to build a nuclear bomb in your garden shed. Especially backing down to a foreigner.

I remember a case some years ago where a foreigner tried to buy a ticket for a bus he took regularly. The girl selling tickets told him there wasn't a bus at that time, so he sought help from the information desk, who came and told the girl there was indeed a bus at that time. The girl still refused point blank to sell him the ticket and just did the stare through him as if he wasn't there thing, like a three-year-old caught doing something wrong, and he was forced to take the next bus.

A Thai is never wrong. Ever. About anything. Even when they are. Just pathetic.

Edited July 12, 2019 by Bangkok Barry

[Bangkok Barry]

Always interesting to see the Thai apologists come out and support ignorance and racism. Plenty of them on this post. Always interesting to read those who support double-pricing on the basis that we aliens are guests in Thailand, and blaming the OP for being offended. It's a very strange way to treat guests, and not the way I would treat my guests. Perhaps I should charge Thais for the wifi when they visit my home and make it free for only my alien friends.

[essox essox]

2 hours ago, cnx355 said:

Senior ticket on Skytrain: only for Thai National Only 

 

Senior ticket on metro ( underground ) :Thai and non -Thai can buy them.

 

It seem there is no clear policy emplemented by the government for senior that are not Thai National.

 

 

no good if one wants to go by bus....as the original poster indicates????!!

[Ulic]

When we were traveling in Vietnam we were not aware of a senior discount for train tickets. We didn't ask they just gave it to the people who qualified when we presented our ID (as needed) when booking the fare. Very helpful, inexpensive, and a lovely trip from Saigon to Nha Trang in a sleeper car. Cheap as chips. I can see Vietnam eating Thailand's lunch on the tourism front once the word gets out, cheaper, cleaner, friendly. When Vietnam opens up it's visa exempt list and extends it to 30 days Thailand's tourist numbers will drop dramatically.

[crazykopite]

If you have a yellow house book you should have got a pink ID card with it I use this card all the time for ferry trips and so on and always pay a reduced price . It maybe worth getting one if you use the bus a lot 

 

 

[holy cow cm]

2 hours ago, steven100 said:

If one has to go to so much trouble just to save 200 baht one shouldn't be living in Thailand.

It's too expensive for you .. ????

Save 200 10 times and that is 2000 baht. Saving money is ok if can do it. Why not!

[Old Croc]

Expats in Thailand really need to accept the country for what it is.

 

Bleating about real or imagined unfairness is not going to change anything. It's only going to detract from your own experience here.  In an under educated country that is still steeped in tradition and centuries old culture, change is usually a lengthy, difficult, even violent, process, effected without influence from outsiders. 

No alien, whose temporary presence in the Kingdom is barely tolerated anyway, is able to change, or even slightly affect, their way of doing things.

Duel pricing, however unfair or even illegal will continue to be commonplace. The ticket sellers will do as they have been told by their bosses, not the irate foreigner looking for a discount.

I'm not condoning the way Thais treat visitors, just advising that acceptance of their ignorance of the basic manners we may consider the norm, will enable you to adapt to life in this madhouse. 

 

[mlmcleod]

2 hours ago, steven100 said:

If one has to go to so much trouble just to save 200 baht one shouldn't be living in Thailand.

It's too expensive for you .. ????

200 baht is not that much money but everything adds up in Thailand! Immigration scams, police scams and discriminatory pricing are everywhere!

 

Panama looks better every day!

[Pilotman]

You are not a local. You are here to spend your money, not get discounts, that's how the system is here for expats. Quite right too 

[ThaiBunny]

2 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

You are not a local. You are here to spend your money, not get discounts, that's how the system is here for expats. Quite right too

I just checked the public transport discounts in Australian cities. Residents yes, tourists no

[Bangkok Barry]

39 minutes ago, crazykopite said:

If you have a yellow house book you should have got a pink ID card with it I use this card all the time for ferry trips and so on and always pay a reduced price . It maybe worth getting one if you use the bus a lot 

 

 

 

But you shouldn't NEED to, should you.

[BritManToo]

2 hours ago, kenk24 said:

I am sure your insisting was a very unpleasant experience for people who were just trying to do their job w/o problems, fights or arguments.. which is the Thai style and pleasant way of life... so, as a guest, tourist here, you can pride yourself in making people feel bad and unhappy. 

Unpleasant people deserve unpleasant experiences, if they were just trying to do their job they should have sold him the discount ticket. These people were racist scum, it's not as if the discount comes out of their own pockets.

Edited July 12, 2019 by BritManToo

[MikeN]

3 hours ago, cnx355 said:

Senior ticket on Skytrain: only for Thai National Only 

 

Senior ticket on metro ( underground ) :Thai and non -Thai can buy them.

 

It seem there is no clear policy emplemented by the government for senior that are not Thai National.

 

 

They are both private companies, so can do whatever they like (almost) unless the govt was to bring in an actual law governing this.

I was at the Khon Kaen zoo once, where they had a big sign in Thai and English for the admission prices. It clearly said, in perfect English, people over 60 half price .....but when I asked for that discount it’s “no, Thais only”  Then why the heck have a big sign in English ? I suspect it was the sales staff making up their own rules.

We had a handicapped Thai teenager with us who should have got a discount too according to the sign but they refused him too.

[hansnl]

3 hours ago, steven100 said:

If one has to go to so much trouble just to save 200 baht one shouldn't be living in Thailand.

It's too expensive for you .. ????

That is, obviously, not the issue.

The issue is that the rules say that anybody aged 60 or older are eligible for reductions due to their age.

The problem is there are so many Thai officials who don't know the rules and nearly automatically deny foreigners that right, and of course will not back down because of the stupid "face" thing.

Edited July 12, 2019 by hansnl

[Spock]

2 hours ago, kenk24 said:

Sounds like you made yourself very annoying to people who try and be pleasant and non-confrontational... not something to be proud of... 

I am sure your insisting was a very unpleasant experience for people who were just trying to do their job w/o problems, fights or arguments.. which is the Thai style and pleasant way of life... so, as a guest, tourist here, you can pride yourself in making people feel bad and unhappy. 

This is ridiculous. You are defending the right of government employees to deny lawfully available concessions on the grounds that it may be uncomfortable for them to be challenged by someone insisting that their entitlement be recognised and granted. If the employees did their job correctly their pleasant work experience would not be upset. There is a limit to which people's behaviour should be conditioned by cultural norms, and that limit is reached in a situation such as this one.