TAT mulls ‘expat card’ in bid to end dual pricing

[Jonathan Swift]

16 hours ago, Seismic said:

Really?, who told you that?  ????????

What makes you so sure it's not true? There are similar practices on the part of banks when you have a retirement visa which enables online banking, and which is not offered when you have a tourist visa

[Jonathan Swift]

Anyone with any experience in such things knows that you can bargain most of the "tourist" prices all the way down to the Thai price most of the time. No one wants to lose business to a paying customer if they can help it

[Lingba]

why would you need an expat card to end dual pricing?...just end dual pricing period

[hotchilli]

18 hours ago, webfact said:

TAT mulls ‘expat card’ in bid to end dual pricing

If T.A.T is serious about ending dual pricing then there is no need for a card, why create something that's not required, just end it once and for all.

A card system makes them complicit in the continuance of the dual system as that only exempts expats, tourists will be fleeced as normal.

But TAT are too stupid to understand that !

[Kleepanna]

18 hours ago, edwinchester said:

Why on earth not just end dual pricing then there is zero need for an 'Expat Card'?

still need to fleece the tourists 

[hotchilli]

19 hours ago, edwinchester said:

Why on earth not just end dual pricing then there is zero need for an 'Expat Card'?

That's too simple... if it's not complicated, no paperwork involved no ID card it's not Thai.

But secretly they still want to rip-off tourists while trying to appease expats who they suddenly recognise as a possible benefit as Thais are not spending enough money.

[lunchophileian]

They just don't get it!

[Mike k]

20 hours ago, Oldie said:

I showed my Thai driving license and so far it worked to get a Thai price. But I always was with my Thai girlfriend and perhaps this helped in addition. 

It worked for me at one place

[brianthainess]

20 hours ago, ezzra said:

Evert time i read the word "mull" i think of Paul McCartney song "mull of kintyre".. not sure why...

I always think of Australia, if someone was stoned, they were 'mulled out' a lot of thinking and no action.

[RocketDog]

21 hours ago, RotBenz8888 said:

Do I have to go to immigration in order to get one? Then, no thanks. 

I doubt it will be that easy and there is necessarily a fee attached and some annual (monthly?) renewal process, with another fee of course. 

[andygrr]

The dual pricing for expats does not only upset the expat. When I used to visit the wife's family upcountry they would ask me to go / take them to the National Parks to go to the river for nice day a day out. They would get more annoyed that I had to pay sometimes up to 10 times the price they paid. They would feel really bad that they asked me to drive them there and pay for gas only for me to be charged 400-500 Baht to get in when they only paid 20-40 Baht. It annoyed the wifes family so much they would not ask me to take them again. I would no problem. It's not like I visited that often anyway. A couple of times we went to places and didn't even go in. We  just found something else to do even though I knew they were looking forward to it. But they felt really guilty about asking me to take them to places that in their opinion were ripping me off. It didn't bother me too much paying it, But when I take my kids out and they ask me to pay Falang prices for my kids who live and go to school in Thailand just because they are with me is a bit much. That is where I draw the line.

[RocketDog]

2 minutes ago, andygrr said:

The dual pricing for expats does not only upset the expat. When I used to visit the wife's family upcountry they would ask me to go / take them to the National Parks to go to the river for nice day a day out. They would get more annoyed that I had to pay sometimes up to 10 times the price they paid. They would feel really bad that they asked me to drive them there and pay for gas only for me to be charged 400-500 Baht to get in when they only paid 20-40 Baht. It annoyed the wifes family so much they would not ask me to take them again. I would no problem. It's not like I visited that often anyway. A couple of times we went to places and didn't even go in. We  just found something else to do even though I knew they were looking forward to it. But they felt really guilty about asking me to take them to places that in their opinion were ripping me off. It didn't bother me too much paying it, But when I take my kids out and they ask me to pay Falang prices for my kids who live and go to school in Thailand just because they are with me is a bit much. That is where I draw the line.

Same here. We went to buy tickets at a local attraction. My Thai Lady went to buy tickets. A short animated conversation followed before she abruptly left the ticket window and announced that we were leaving forthwith. Which we did. 

[NoshowJones]

22 hours ago, edwinchester said:

Why on earth not just end dual pricing then there is zero need for an 'Expat Card'?

But the soldiers "government" need to keep showing authority, apart from personal income streams, it's what keeps them going.

[FlyingThai]

5 hours ago, Jonathan Swift said:

What makes you so sure it's not true? There are similar practices on the part of banks when you have a retirement visa which enables online banking, and which is not offered when you have a tourist visa

Huh?

[NoshowJones]

22 hours ago, ezzra said:

Evert time i read the word "mull" i think of Paul McCartney song "mull of kintyre".. not sure why...

If you watch the video you will see all the soldiers in their funny hats playing the bagpipes, soldiers, Thai "government" get it? 

[Artisi]

15 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

But the soldiers "government" need to keep showing authority, apart from personal income streams, it's what keeps them going.

That couldn't be true, no Thai would do that ????

[Artisi]

5 hours ago, Jonathan Swift said:

What makes you so sure it's not true? There are similar practices on the part of banks when you have a retirement visa which enables online banking, and which is not offered when you have a tourist visa

Please explain. 

[NoshowJones]

21 hours ago, ChipButty said:

How much would it cost to produce a card like this? why not just send a memo, one price cover all

Too simple for a bunch of soldiers.

[NoshowJones]

21 hours ago, Pottinger said:

2003? That old story was around in the '80s when they used to switch traffic direction on Sukhumvit and Petchburi almost by the month.

They need somewhere to put the naughty policemen for their inactive duties.

[NoshowJones]

20 hours ago, Antonymous said:

Here we go again with the 'just use a pink card' comment.

 

Please be aware that some provincial offices refuse to give out pink cards even to foreigners who have lived here for most of their lives and fulfill all the criteria specified in 'da rule book'. Pink cards just not an option for some people, whether they want one or not.

 

Fortunately I have been let into most national parks at Thai price on showing my driving license, but that's not a perfect solution either.

 

I think the proposed Expat Card could be a good move, so long as we don't have to pay a fortune for it or have silly hoops to jump through to get one.

Since when did you get anything positive without jumping through hoops in Thailand?

[cyril sneer]

Would this work with small businesses that hide the prices?

[Neeranam]

2 hours ago, brianthainess said:

I always think of Australia, if someone was stoned, they were 'mulled out' a lot of thinking and no action.

I think of mulled wine and my ancestral home, the Isle of Mull.

[Neeranam]

10 hours ago, Anna Rak said:

Sorry to disagree but have you ever heard of Stonehenge or other Heritage sites where they charge a family of 4 will pay £100 or more, but it is the same price for everyone.

We were at two places on Royal Deeside where my Scottish family got in at a reduced price.

There is a huge extra payment for foreign students at UK universities. My daughter is 13,000 pounds a year, at the University of South Wales, despite being a UK citizen! Thailand doesn't do this. 

[JackThompson]

I don't care about "dual pricing" - but "Thai only days," where Thais can visit THEIR heritage-sites and parks w/o hordes of foreigners (pre-covid) For FREE would be even better.  Just raise the entry-free for non-Thai days to cover Thai's costs, entirely.

 

But the "expat-card" is a good idea, regardless.  The PI has had similar for years, distributed by their Immigration (who are helpful and friendly, because there is a "no fixers" policy there).   It provides a form of ID, and could replace the "must have your passport" back-and-forth (no, just a copy - "but the law says" - etc)

 

Those of us who have no interest in maintaining a vehicle in a place like Bangkok would prefer an easy-to-obtain card - not the often-nightmare bull for a "pink ID" from amphoes (difficulty varies by amphoe) OR the pita of a DL.

[djayz]

On 9/4/2020 at 10:58 AM, Oldie said:

I showed my Thai driving license and so far it worked to get a Thai price. But I always was with my Thai girlfriend and perhaps this helped in addition. 

 

On 9/4/2020 at 11:01 AM, yeahbutif said:

Was told with thai driving licence get in thai price. So just need to tell the attractions.venues

Tried that a few times, was told "no can" and presented nevertheless with the "tourist" ticket. So, apparently, it doeasn't work everywhere. 

[JonnyF]

The final decision on whether this card is accepted at various destinations will be left to the local bigwig.

 

So it’s a waste of time. They can stick it up their jacksie as far as I am concerned.

 

The national parks are <deleted> anyway. Not even worth the Thai price.

[Bremser]

On 9/4/2020 at 9:17 AM, Thaiwrath said:

Just have one set entrance price for EVERYONE regardless of nationality, or residential status.

Job sorted !

That would be too easy and too less challenging for the the smartest leaders on the globe 

[Kalasin Jo]

Many things in Thailand do not make sense! This is just one. They are going to have to rethink many ingrained policies.

One is the obsession with keeping long term foreign residents on non immigrant status. Requiring them to apply to stay every year, with financials, forever. Seems to me they should offer permanent residency status after, say, 5 years of meeting temporary residence requirements. As EU countries do. There, after 5 years you get permanent residency and only need to renew your card, not the status, every 10 years with proof of residency ( a utility bill) no financials, and that you have not spent more than 2 years at a time, not cumulative, out of your host country.

Another is admission to the state healthcare system, even if on a means assessed contributory basis, doing away with the need for private healthcare insurance unless you want it.

And an overhaul and reduction in the amount of whereabouts reporting. At the moment still obsessive and confusing, dependent on your local IO. A permanent address should be enough.

Plus the vexed question of property ownership and rights.

 

That's if they want to encourage foreigners to, and to stay in, their country. The jury has been out on that for far too long.

 

 

[Kalasin Jo]

On 9/4/2020 at 6:08 AM, ezzra said:

Evert time i read the word "mull" i think of Paul McCartney song "mull of kintyre".. not sure why...

Yep. Or mulled wine? Mulling things over means nothing.

[sandyf]

4 hours ago, Neeranam said:

We were at two places on Royal Deeside where my Scottish family got in at a reduced price.

There is a huge extra payment for foreign students at UK universities. My daughter is 13,000 pounds a year, at the University of South Wales, despite being a UK citizen! Thailand doesn't do this. 

Quite, their are disparities around the globe.

On a visit to see my sister in law in Montreal we went with her, her son & gf to the Ottawa War museum. At the desk my nephew asked if there was a discount for seniors or veterans, both. Myself and 2 others could go in free and I got a ticket for a snack in the coffee shop, because I had been in the RAF. Didn't have to prove it, just gave service details.

I wonder if the Canadians get upset at foreigners getting in free.