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Tourism: An end to dual pricing? Tourism minister talks of stimulus measures


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8 hours ago, CNXexpat said:

So? Some countries have dual pricing others not. Generally we can say that developed countries don´t have. So every country has the chance to act like a developed country or like a 2nd or 3rd world country. 
I have no problem if poor people pay less. But if a Thai BMW driver has to pay 40 Baht and a simple tourist from Cambodia or Vietnam who saved one year for his one week Thailand trip has to pay 400 Baht something is wrong.

In a national park it's usually done visually, the 3 Singaporeans in the back seat get the Thai price, farang in front seat pays farang price:-(

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1 hour ago, Date Masamune said:

What is the point, you support racism?

Or 10 times pricing to see a dirty waterfall is a comparible to Machu Picchu?

 

What´s the point of a thread specific about that dual pricing is so horrible in Thailand, when it exists in many places even outside Asia?

Threads like this is continuing to feed all the day by day complainers on this forum.

No, I don´t think it´s such a big deal so that it has to be the top pick thread in a forum like this for a day or two.

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8 hours ago, CNXexpat said:

So? Some countries have dual pricing others not. Generally we can say that developed countries don´t have. So every country has the chance to act like a developed country or like a 2nd or 3rd world country. 

Great to hear that you have no problem. I think you missed something, that counts like a real problem, though.

You are one of those that have gone in with the masses and decided that they come from, or what is the definition of, a developed country. What would that be exactly, and do you believe that people from what you chose to down grade to 2nd and 3rd world countries agree with your definition?

Maybe they see themselfs as developed and more advanced in differenr sectors, like with dual pricing for example. They have created a system they have gotten away with for decades, which must be seen effective and luctrative. Now when the pressure get bigger and the protest comes they try to make a change to adjust for the best and most accepted scenario.  That is much more than PM May and PM Jonsson so far managed to do for their country and it´s people regarding Brexit. Also Mr Trump have problem creating accepted solutions.

 

I know it´s different areas to talk about, but in reality. How can someone just stand up and decide what developed or not, and what is to be considered as a 2nd or 3rd world country?

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Before we drove through Kao Yai when Thai DL worked for Falang.

 

Visited Koh Samet too, but after they changed the rules has not been any national parks at all in this scam country.

 

Naratiwhat, your home country travel insurance is not valid there!

 

Forget all national parks, go to international park aka Pattaya. No fees!

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For Art's Sake, in Hua Hin is one of these ripping off dual price places.  Thai adults paying 180THB, foreigners 300THB.
I just think, how about setting up a website where people can post places with dual prices, to inform other so they can avoid going there.

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After 10 years here, I recently took more interest in my wife's finances (at her request) and found that she gets an allowance for me against her income tax - 30,000 ฿ a year, I think.

 

That pays for any trips I make to places that use differential pricing. The Thai Government gives and differential pricing takes away. In reality, we make a profit because we rarely go to such places these days.

 

Don't get me wrong - I still detest differential pricing but am happy that, in effect, it's not coming out of my pocket.  

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Can't happen soon enough. I recently tried to enter a national park using my Thai DL to gain entry at same price as Thais. "No", I was told, "too many farangs are using fake licences to get in cheap".

My question is, "out of 30+ million tourists a year, how many have been proven to get fake DL?"

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4 hours ago, roamer said:

In a national park it's usually done visually, the 3 Singaporeans in the back seat get the Thai price, farang in front seat pays farang price:-(

The Tiger Zoo used to have prices for Thais, Asians and Westerners. When I went I think it was 50,100 & 200, about 12 years ago and never been back.

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42 minutes ago, CanterbrigianBangkoker said:

Reduce the pricing for foreigners so that it's level with what a Thai national pays and by doing so negate any rancour/feelings of discrimination of a large part of the customers that the place is supposedly aimed at - thereby leading to an increased likelihood of return custom AND instead introduce a membership scheme whereby locals (or expats) who become members can enjoy extra privileges at the price of a small montly/annual membership - a la National Trust - who also receive (some minor) government funding. In its current incarnation, the dual pricing scheme is nothing more than flagrant xenophobia. End of story. 

Totally agree. 

 

There's already a scheme for identifying the poorest in Thai society - the Welfare Card scheme (assuming it's still in operation). Holders of that card are officially poor. All other Thai citizens, therefore, are not poor by government definition.

 

Equalise all entry fees - not necessarily at the current Thai national level but somewhere between Thai/Foreigner levels- then give a VERY substantial discount for those who can produce a Welfare Card.

 

How about being a bit more imaginative? Family rates - 2 adults and children? Or charge by the vehicle. For example, flat rate for a normal saloon car and its occupants, rate for tour bus and its occupants etc., etc.

 

BTW @CanterbrigianBangkoker I think you might have misunderstood my earlier post to which you responded 'Confused'. All I wanted to say is that, since the government gives 'us' back the tax on 30,000 ฿, I'm not quite so inclined to stay away from these 'farang price' establishments as I used to be. I've posted quite a lot on here about my refusal to enter these places over the years but now I do sometimes go in, but only when it's with my grandchildren. The tax reduction pays for that so it soothes my resentment of differential pricing a bit.

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13 minutes ago, MartinL said:

Totally agree. 

 

There's already a scheme for identifying the poorest in Thai society - the Welfare Card scheme (assuming it's still in operation). Holders of that card are officially poor. All other Thai citizens, therefore, are not poor by government definition.

 

Equalise all entry fees - not necessarily at the current Thai national level but somewhere between Thai/Foreigner levels- then give a VERY substantial discount for those who can produce a Welfare Card.

 

How about being a bit more imaginative? Family rates - 2 adults and children? Or charge by the vehicle. For example, flat rate for a normal saloon car and its occupants, rate for tour bus and its occupants etc., etc.

 

BTW @CanterbrigianBangkoker I think you might have misunderstood my earlier post to which you responded 'Confused'. All I wanted to say is that, since the government gives 'us' back the tax on 30,000 ฿, I'm not quite so inclined to stay away from these 'farang price' establishments as I used to be. I've posted quite a lot on here about my refusal to enter these places over the years but now I do sometimes go in, but only when it's with my grandchildren. The tax reduction pays for that so it soothes my resentment of differential pricing a bit.

Yes, in America they charge by the vehicle. Not vehicle + occupants like Thailand does.

 

What's this tax back scheme about? Never heard of it before.

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5 hours ago, Matzzon said:

What´s the point of a thread specific about that dual pricing is so horrible in Thailand, when it exists in many places even outside Asia?

Threads like this is continuing to feed all the day by day complainers on this forum.

No, I don´t think it´s such a big deal so that it has to be the top pick thread in a forum like this for a day or two.

I see but Thailand has no world class attractions, and it is there business to apply racist pricing schemes based on nothing more than a poorly thought out concept that "foreigners have money, pay more". Income would be increased if they charged all a fair price, with the standard set of discounts for the aged, kids, a locals discount, and a season pass.  As it is savvy punters give most of these so called "attractions" a pass and they lose revenue. 

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26 minutes ago, MartinL said:

Totally agree. 

 

There's already a scheme for identifying the poorest in Thai society - the Welfare Card scheme (assuming it's still in operation). Holders of that card are officially poor. All other Thai citizens, therefore, are not poor by government definition.

 

Equalise all entry fees - not necessarily at the current Thai national level but somewhere between Thai/Foreigner levels- then give a VERY substantial discount for those who can produce a Welfare Card.

 

How about being a bit more imaginative? Family rates - 2 adults and children? Or charge by the vehicle. For example, flat rate for a normal saloon car and its occupants, rate for tour bus and its occupants etc., etc.

 

BTW @CanterbrigianBangkoker I think you might have misunderstood my earlier post to which you responded 'Confused'. All I wanted to say is that, since the government gives 'us' back the tax on 30,000 ฿, I'm not quite so inclined to stay away from these 'farang price' establishments as I used to be. I've posted quite a lot on here about my refusal to enter these places over the years but now I do sometimes go in, but only when it's with my grandchildren. The tax reduction pays for that so it soothes my resentment of differential pricing a bit.

 

'Family rates - 2 adults and children? Or charge by the vehicle. For example, flat rate for a normal saloon car and its occupants, rate for tour bus and its occupants etc.'

 

Yep, some good points, I agree with your approach - it's a sensible one, and something that has been enacted in Europe/N.America for decades, of course. 

 

'the Welfare Card scheme (assuming it's still in operation). Holders of that card are officially poor. All other Thai citizens, therefore, are not poor by government definition' - I believe this does still exist yes, on some level anyway, it may vary from province to province? I can tell you that my missus and her family are just about in this bracket, and have some form of 'welfare card' which allows them to get heavily subsidised medical care, but only locally - and in pretty substandard provincial hospitals. Recently tried it in Bangkok and the reduction in charge was minimal - even at Chula, the largest government hospital in the land. When it comes to national parks and tourist attractions, however, I personally, have not yet witnessed any such reduction for entry - maybe because the places I have visited with her and her family were already cheap and thus, perhaps ineligible for subsidy? I won't make any assumptions about this on a national level however, just going on personal experience. 

 

'I think you might have misunderstood my earlier post to which you responded 'Confused'. All I wanted to say is that, since the government gives 'us' back the tax on 30,000 ฿, I'm not quite so inclined to stay away from these 'farang price' establishments as I used to be' - I was a little confused about your meaning yes, you're right. Was hoping you'd elucidate for me. Do you mean you're given a tax rebate on any earnings over 30,000 THB? Or that because you're wife is married to a foreigner she gets some form of 'tax break'? As I have not ever heard of such a scheme. I pay around 6% tax on my monthly salary here, and at the end of the last financial year I received a c.7500 baht income tax rebate, which was nice, but is not the same thing - as I am entitled to this under Thai law. I have no issue with paying a small(ish) fee to enter attractions / national parks either, and I have before on a couple of occasions, paid for my girl's family to enter too, generosity is a virtue and I am right behind subsidisng those who require it, as I previously stated, but there is a marked difference between subsidising the poorest factions of society and outright exploitation of a perceived 'cash cow', the money extracted from which never ever ends up subsidising anyone in need of it anyway. As others have rightly said, the vast majority who visit such parks or attracrions are not 'poor' by Thai standards anyhow. Many would be on a similar rung of the socio-economic ladder as many of the foriegners visiting the same places. 

 

Make pricing universal and (if necessary) incrementally increase it (with the use of welfare cards being an appropriate way to subsidise those who need it most) or consider implementing a membership scheme / national trust system as I advocated earlier. What should not be done is what is currently done - two tiered pricing structure that alienates and exploits the foreign tourists that Thailand so heavily depends on.

Edited by CanterbrigianBangkoker
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17 hours ago, thesetat2013 said:

Haha.. I will really have to see this happen to believe it. The spin factory is really working overtime today. 

It is only discussed by the usual Thai bashers.  No one else cares.  I've been here 20 years and it doesn't bother me at all.  

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7 minutes ago, Date Masamune said:

I see but Thailand has no world class attractions, and it is there business to apply racist pricing schemes based on nothing more than a poorly thought out concept that "foreigners have money, pay more". Income would be increased if they charged all a fair price, with the standard set of discounts for the aged, kids, a locals discount, and a season pass.  As it is savvy punters give most of these so called "attractions" a pass and they lose revenue. 

If there is no "world class" attractions! Then whats the problem? Are you trying to say there is nothing to look at? Why then complain about price on something not worth looking at? Or can it be just a personal opinion, and you see it like there is no world class attraction. Maybe that is based on the ever growing "Unhappiness of having to pay".

About the economics. I believe you should let the people that set the price figure that out.

One thing, though! "Savvy punters"? Do that word have the same negative pling, like "so called attractions"?

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3 minutes ago, CanterbrigianBangkoker said:

'I think you might have misunderstood my earlier post to which you responded 'Confused'. All I wanted to say is that, since the government gives 'us' back the tax on 30,000 ฿, I'm not quite so inclined to stay away from these 'farang price' establishments as I used to be' - I was a little confused about your meaning yes, you're right. Was hoping you'd elucidate for me. Do you mean you're given a tax rebate on any earnings over 30,000 THB?

https://www.rd.go.th/publish/6045.0.html

 

Second table down. My wife's local tax office tells her that, since I'm a non-working, non-tax-paying spouse, she's entitled to this allowance. Who are we to argue ???? ?

 

My wife's retired on a pretty good government pension.

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3 hours ago, SmartyMarty said:

Can't happen soon enough. I recently tried to enter a national park using my Thai DL to gain entry at same price as Thais. "No", I was told, "too many farangs are using fake licences to get in cheap".

My question is, "out of 30+ million tourists a year, how many have been proven to get fake DL?"

Fake licenses? BS. Check the license properly park official. More likely he's worried about not being able to pocket the 360 Baht difference. BTW which national park was this? Some of the smaller less visited ones will still give you the local price, not the more popular ones though.

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7 minutes ago, MartinL said:

https://www.rd.go.th/publish/6045.0.html

 

Second table down. My wife's local tax office tells her that, since I'm a non-working, non-tax-paying spouse, she's entitled to this allowance. Who are we to argue ???? ?

 

My wife's retired on a pretty good government pension.

Ah ok, that's interesting. As my missus is not 'technically' a full Thai citizen (another example of nationalist prejudice that is totally unjust, but another story entirely) neither she nor I could benefit from this. Also she/we'd be ineligible to claim it because I am not in your position; I pay tax and I work. But thanks for the info @MartinL, interesting nonetheless and something I was unaware of until now. ???? 

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