PM Prayut speaks out! No more ripping off of tourists - it's bad for Thailand's wonderful image

[dallen52]

I think the word is hypocrisy. 

The big cheeses in military regalia were instrumental in the creation of Many problems related to the tourism industry. 

They cannot gouge and extort and keep ripping people off, and ultimately resort to violence and assault, then whinge about the falling number of tourists. 

 

They cannot continue to allow the exchange rate to remain favourable for import and trade at the loss of tourism. 

Export is just about crippled. 

Companies like Toyota are already seeing the writing on the wall and looking for other countries to manufacture in.

 

(For those who want to understand the problem,  a 500,000 baht export vehicle was £10,000 to buy 2 years ago. 

Today the same vehicle would be £13,150 ...)

 

This whole problem is bigger than tourists...

[hobz]

Statements like these prove (if it was at all unclear before) that this leader is completely incompetent.

 

[Parsve]

3 hours ago, CLS said:

The figures must be really bad if a Thai admits doing something wrong.

Or it might be that what he try to say is that sparrows should not take what is ment for eagles.

[nickstav]

2 hours ago, British Bulldog said:

It really doesn't cost much to purchase an International Drivers license in your Country of residence, IF you think you may decide to drive in another Country, Thailand Police accept International Drivers Licenses. I frequently drive from Vientiane to Pattaya to obtain spare parts for my outboard motors and to have outboards repaired/serviced etc. ... my Lao Driving Licenses is acceptable by the Police to about Khon Kaen, after that, they get smart and ask for an International Drivers License (as they cannot read the Lao Language I think ... not sure if they can read English either) but no problem. My sons have brought Aussie International Lic's also, and no problem.

3000 Baht for a ride from P. Airport to a Hotel ???? We rent a 10 seater Mini Bus from Budget at Phuket Airport for 1300 baht per day ... and drive ourselves, admittedly we know our way around. It would still be cheaper to rent the mini bus and then tell a tuk tuk drive to drive to the hotel and follow him .... ha ha ha

The original point was that If you had a Thai drivers license or showed them your passport with long-term visa stamp they would charge you the local's price. But that practice has apparently gone by the wayside.

[nickstav]

2 hours ago, ZeVonderBearz said:

I think the point is that in the US and Holland people from abroad who are working in, paying tax in and have residence in said countries are able to access such things also, not just those hold passports of the country.

It doesn't matter if you are a foreign resident or just a tourist there for a week. In the US you would pay the same as everybody else.

[harada]

It's only been happening for about 30years that I know of, might take a while to sort this one out uncle.

[shaurene]

 The PM should be ashamed being the leader of this country and cannot do anything about the extortionists, thieves, scammers and double payments for tourists.

Ha. If this was the Philippines, it would take their Leader to get rid of this within 1 week. DEUTER.????

My daughter in law is from his city he was mayor in, no drugs there what so ever. The druggies would be taken for a walk in the bush and never come out.

why can he not do something solid about it all. All this is going to kill Thailand for tourist's.

the forieners are waiting for him. 

[sammieuk1]

26 minutes ago, kellersphuket said:

funny that, as just this very morning I was in a taxi down in rawai and the moron tried to charge me 700 baht for a 5 minute ride.

 

word musnt be getting out down here just yet? ???? has anyone got K. Prayuts phone number?

Yes the number is 555 if he answers you can enquire about a repatriation visa to save time????

[amdy2206]

I am sure Thailand's wonderful image was destroyed when the Junta took over. It is, and always be, a country run bu the army and so called Elites. 

[CLS]

I only went once to Phuket and found it "interesting" that they wanted all 300 THB to drive around the corner a few streets. Would cost less in my home country if a Taxi was nearby.
At Nimman in Chiang Mai I see many cafes, for 180 THB I get cake and a coffee to sit beside stinking black exhaust fumes - again same price as in many parts of Europe, but clean air.
When I dare to tell Thai people the reason why so many people leave, they do not understand it.

I assume 99% of the Thais have never been abroad. How can they then judge their malfeasance in an international context?


Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[dave moir]

How about some warm hospitality and not stop bars from serving alcohol between 2pm and 5pm then making them close at 12am!!! give good Thai people some help to make a living instead of hindering at every opportunity!????

[When you know]

8 hours ago, Eligius said:

'Someone who stole an entire country' - yes: TWICE OVER!

PM inspired by the old Remington shaver ad, ´I liked it so much that I stole it twice'.

[Artisi]

9 hours ago, johng said:

How about the dual priced National parks and most other tourist attractions that charge tourists 2 -10 times the "Thai price" ?

But that's different, or didn't you realise that ????

[lkv]

Thailand has the impression they are above Japan.

 

One of the nicest parks in Tokyo I visited costed 500 yen (150 baht), which is equivalent to 3 short metro trips in Japan standards.

 

Most others were free.

Edited July 18, 2019 by lkv

[JonBreadMan]

4 hours ago, Guderian said:

What's so special about Phuket? A mate of mine did his back in here in Pattaya. Usually he walks or takes a Baht bus everywhere, but after a few beers in Jomtien he felt unable to walk back to his condo as he was in so much pain and he took a motorbike taxi instead. It's 700 metres to his condo as the crow flies, and they charged him 200 Baht. The normal fare is 40 Baht, and I think even that it 10 Baht too much. They saw that he could hardly walk and so in the best charitable Thai-Buddhist manner they ripped him off as much as they felt they could. Where's the PM when you need him?

Twice I had my foot go bad on me and needed a bike (tendonitis), a running problem, and twice the motorbike taxi  was great and helped out, and one time when I fainted on the back of a bike due to food posing again was amazing 5 stars, that said been ripped of as well, but more good than bad for me.

[Golden Brown]

1 hour ago, transam said:

For those who have a paid job, the zillions working in fields, on the sidewalk selling grub, low paid pay nothing, unless all those I know are keeping quiet about it..????

The low paid in many countries throughout the world pay no tax.   These people you are talking about earn very little, barely enough to buy food and other necessities to survive.   What's wrong with you people?   Do you begrudge them even the basic's in life!   The majority get maybe Bt300 a day (those zillions you talk about working in the fields) and YOU expect them to pay tax on that!   Your a sick man who has obviously forgotten where you come from!

[findlay13]

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Edited July 18, 2019 by findlay13
delete

[soalbundy]

3 hours ago, MartiniMan said:

If only we had a Thai Trump... enough talking lets see some action plans and hear whats being done not what is going to maybe be thought about!!

Things aren't bad enough here hah ?

[Call]

Not worth to comment

 

[soalbundy]

3 hours ago, asiaexpat said:

How to change an entire culture? Anytime we go out to buy something my wife tells me to stay away when she asks prices because she does not want to pay Farang prices. Ripping off non-Thais is part of doing business in LOS.

I had a different experience here, I and the missus took her mother to an Orthopedic surgeon at his practise in Surin. I was the one who said I won't go in because of farang prices so I walked up and down outside looking into shop windows, after about 15 minutes the doctor said to my missus what on earth is that farang doing outside. She told him the truth and he just laughed, "Tell him to come in out of the sun, I don't do farang prices". So I came in somewhat sheepishly and was even offered some cold water, The whole treatment, an x-ray and two injections came to 700 Baht.

[rocketpreacher]

Dual pricing for ferangs is normal business practice throughout Thailand. For instance, if I an American go to a particular vendor at a night market and buy a single bottle of water, the vendor says 20 Bht. My Thai wife goes to the same vendor and pays just 10 Bht for the same size and brand of bottle of water. If we go to the national park or zoo, I pay 400 Bht to enter, while she pays 100 Bht.

[ross163103]

55555 that's funny, better he takes a better look around if he's worried about this, national parks come to mind as just ONE example!

(Sorry rocketpreacher, didn't read this far before posting.)

Edited July 18, 2019 by ross163103
Spelling

[Fairynuff]

Has Mr P forgotten that he’s the head of a government that sanctions rip offs at government run attractions such as national parks?

 

[midzo]

9 hours ago, GalaxyMan said:

That's not the least bit unusual anywhere in the world. In Holland, there are train and museum passes for local residents. When I last lived there, it was €40/year for a museum pass to almost all of the museums in the country, whereas the usual admittance fee, for tourists, was €12.50. It's a perfectly sensible way of doing things. The USSA has their national parks pass.

And the US National Parks pass is available for purchase by anyone, regardless of nationality. Note that the pass is for an entire carload of people, the driver and all passengers. Pretty good deal at US$80/year. 

Source: https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm

Edited July 18, 2019 by midzo

[chrissables]

7 hours ago, British Bulldog said:

It really doesn't cost much to purchase an International Drivers license in your Country of residence, IF you think you may decide to drive in another Country, Thailand Police accept International Drivers Licenses. I frequently drive from Vientiane to Pattaya to obtain spare parts for my outboard motors and to have outboards repaired/serviced etc. ... my Lao Driving Licenses is acceptable by the Police to about Khon Kaen, after that, they get smart and ask for an International Drivers License (as they cannot read the Lao Language I think ... not sure if they can read English either) but no problem. My sons have brought Aussie International Lic's also, and no problem.

3000 Baht for a ride from P. Airport to a Hotel ???? We rent a 10 seater Mini Bus from Budget at Phuket Airport for 1300 baht per day ... and drive ourselves, admittedly we know our way around. It would still be cheaper to rent the mini bus and then tell a tuk tuk drive to drive to the hotel and follow him .... ha ha ha

Laos is in ASEAN, their driving licence is by law accepted in Thailand.

The Thai police will be able to read the Laos licence, both languages are similar.
They are just playing you. 

[rott]

It is time the Government got involved, 1,000 baht and 1,500 baht barfines !!!

Ridiculous, no wonder tourist numbers are dropping. Something must be done.

[Ketyo]

The government's nationalistic export promotion policy is backfiring. Penalising imports through tariffs and taxes and subsidising exports has created a huge current account surplus which is pushing the baht to unsustainable levels. This causes exports such as farm produce, manufactures and tourism to suffer as the equation tries to balance itself.

 

And the common Thai anti logic is making things worse for sellers and buyers.

 

As the baht goes up and imports get cheaper you expect that to feed through to cheaper prices of imported goods in shops, supermarkets and restaurants. Not happening. The sellers don't want to lower prices. 

 

And as tourist demand drops you would expect prices to fall too. But many Thai businesses are putting up prices to make up for the shortfall. Tourists are getting ripped off. Tourist operators are physically fighting each other for customers.

 

There is nothing ChanOCha can say to alter the laws of economics. His misguided nationalistic economic policies have created the current problems Thailand is facing.

 

The BOT is trying to reduce capital inflows to put a brake on the rise of the Baht. In fact the proper thing to restore balance in order is to moderate this nationalistic export promotion policy that has come back to bite exporters ... the very people it was supposed to help.   

[White Christmas13]

2 hours ago, rott said:

It is time the Government got involved, 1,000 baht and 1,500 baht barfines !!!

Ridiculous, no wonder tourist numbers are dropping. Something must be done.

I lived in Thailand for many years and I never ever went to a bar

explain to me what a bar fine is

[taxin]

14 hours ago, essox essox said:

if one has Thai driving licence you might find that you could/would be charged only 20 baht.....

Not anymore, I’ve been to 3 or 4 national parks in the last 18 months in different parts of Thailand, not one of them would accept my Thai driving license.

 

One of them I shown my work permit and even a tax receipt showing that I paid over 300,000 baht in personal income tax, they just laughed at me and said “you farang, not Thai, have to pay more”.

[lkv]

9 minutes ago, taxin said:

they just laughed at me and said “you farang, not Thai, have to pay more”.

I have said many times in the past on this forum.

 

The strong anti foreigner rhetoric in the media over the last few years, coming from the Central Comittee, would have an effect on how ordinary Thais perceive foreigners.

 

They always had the farang = ATM perception, now it seems it's gotten worse.

Edited July 18, 2019 by lkv