Phuket to make foreigners pay for COVID test, Thais get it for free

[thailand49]

3 minutes ago, gunderhill said:

Ha ha ha ha well they sold it to me, maybe theyll  claim later it  was a mistake and as I lie  on the ventilator give me back my 800 baht...hmmm  doubt  that!

Depend on who sold it here I was talking to a bank!  I know you can buy it online or at a broker.

[StevieAus]

19 minutes ago, fulviahf said:

Well well... such an inviting situation.. How many countries is it illegal to discriminate with 2 pricing policy. In Australia companies have been fined massive amounts.. Government many years ago was taken to court..

 

They want our business investments and money for their economy and choose actively to extort.

So welcoming and so much for equality.

Not in the Kingdom.. Lets take our money to other countries without extortion by government ...

 

I have never heard of any company in Australia being fined for charging higher prices than another company happens everyday.

There is legislation that makes it illegal for companies to collude in fixing prices, one of the large packaging companies was fined years ago. 

[Bkk Brian]

1 minute ago, PGSan said:

Help!!!  

Happy to help but I think you're a lost cause

[farangpaul]

1 hour ago, Old Croc said:

Abgesehen von den üblichen kleinen, persönlichen finanziellen Umständen und der tief verwurzelten Bigotterie hat diese Debatte über Zahlungen für Covid-Tests zwei Seiten.

 

Sollten Besucher des Landes mit einem vorübergehenden Visum (ziemlich alle von uns) eine kostenlose medizinische Behandlung erhalten, die von der öffentlichen Hand gesponsert wird? Passiert das in unserem Heimatland? Sollten diejenigen Visuminhaber, die Steuern zahlen, befreit sein, anstatt Teil des üblichen offiziellen Scattergun-Ansatzes für alle Nicht-Thailänder zu sein? 

oder

Ist der Kampf gegen die globale Pandemie in Verbindung mit der Notwendigkeit, einen großen Teil der Wirtschaft neu zu starten, wichtiger als die Notwendigkeit, den Besuchern Gebühren aufzuerlegen, um diese Ziele in Gefahr zu bringen? Sollten alle Aspekte des Kampfes gegen dieses Virus von den Regierungen überall vollständig finanziert werden?

 

Persönlich genieße ich die Billigkeit Thailands im Allgemeinen, sehr ähnlich wie das fast völlige Fehlen zusätzlicher Steuern und Gebühren, die ich in Australien für so ziemlich alles zahlen würde. Ich habe also keine Bedenken, hier etwas mehr als einen Bürger für medizinische Behandlungen zu bezahlen.

 

it is not free medical treatment. The test is forced on me when I want to visit Phuket. OK, then just not. Apart from that, I have paid more than 1 million baht to Bangkok Hospital group over the years. How do they get a foreigner to be treated for free?

[sandyf]

17 minutes ago, gunderhill said:

Well lets  see now what the uK  says  about this  shall we, even people  living there without permission will get it and any treatment, yes thats what a decent  moral  society does. Thailand like  China MONEY FIRST theyd  sell their own mothers

Coronavirus (COVID-19) update

Overseas visitors to England, including anyone living in the UK without permission, will not be charged for:

• testing for coronavirus (even if the test shows you do not have coronavirus)
• treatment for coronavirus – including for a related problem that affects some children called multisystem inflammatory syndrome
• vaccination against coronavirus

No immigration checks are needed.

See GOV.UK: NHS entitlements for migrants for information in other languages.

Would you like to see 127 thousand deaths in Thailand just to see if the government take similar action.

Keep things in perspective, the UK does what it does in response to their irresponsible actions, nothing decent or moral about it.

[Iforbach]

500 baht bargain I say..now for onslaught..

[Percy P]

10 hours ago, fangless said:

So now they can blame the foreigners for the spread because they were not/refused to be tested!

The spread is mostly from neighbouring countries of people sneaking into the country. Which are classed as none Thai resident's.,( Foreigners)

[gunderhill]

1 minute ago, sandyf said:

Would you like to see 127 thousand deaths in Thailand just to see if the government take similar action.

Keep things in perspective, the UK does what it does in response to their irresponsible actions, nothing decent or moral about it.

TRIPE!

[ThailandRyan]

2 minutes ago, Percy P said:

The spread is mostly from neighbouring countries of people sneaking into the country. Which are classed as none Thai resident's.,( Foreigners)

Beautiful dream your living if you believe that one.

[Aussie999]

6 minutes ago, StevieAus said:

I have never heard of any company in Australia being fined for charging higher prices than another company happens everyday.

There is legislation that makes it illegal for companies to collude in fixing prices, one of the large packaging companies was fined years ago. 

is ok, only if they charge everyone, irrespective of their residency status.. please understand what everyone is saying...

[maddermax]

Nice kick in the teeth and reward for us supporting the Thai economy during the lock-downs.

They're also still giving us hassle at the immigration office.

Shameful.

[anchadian]

Sorry if posted already.

 

[gunderhill]

Just now, maddermax said:

Nice kick in the teeth and reward for us supporting the Thai economy during the lock-downs.

They're also still giving us hassle at the immigration office.

Shameful.

Just  go in and  keep coughing loudly might get served  faster.

[Ricebarnandrooms]

7 hours ago, expatjustice said:

But honestly I don't think Thais in Phuket care the slightest about you not going there again. And neither do I think that any of the arguments you made are any valid reasons for Thai taxpayers to pay for your trip to Phuket. In fact they're not, just because you go there and spend some money doesn't mean the state has to pay for your stuff.

Really!!   Are you not paying your share of tax and NI?   I have paid a fortune in tax over the years and with farang having to have a high minimum wage we pay more than thai.  I’m a citizen in everything but name so I should be able to get a test the same as thai. 
perhaps you haven’t contributed, but many of us have!!

[CM Dad]

This is just one more reason not to visit Phuket.

[Fairynuff]

10 hours ago, RobMuir said:

 Well, the PC brigade better harden up. This is South East Asia, not Cottonwool Nannyland.

 

Expecting the Thai taxpayer to foot the bill for our Phuket holidays is a bit much.

 

If you don't like it then apply for citizenship. 

 

500 sounds fairly reasonable to me.

 

Yeah, I think we should be charged at least 2000. And for national parks why settle for a measly 1000% overcharge. Let’s make it 1000 baht flat fee. Then while we’re at it restaurants should have 2 menus with different prices.

[sandyf]

11 minutes ago, gunderhill said:

TRIPE!

No chance, tastes bloody awful.

[Percy P]

11 hours ago, Shuya said:

And again a reason not to go there. 

Yes quite so, More people enter a venue if it's free to go in then if one has to pay.

[Bkk Brian]

6 minutes ago, anchadian said:

Sorry if posted already.

 

Cost price for these tests is between 150 - 200 baht. So they are also making a nice profit charging foreigners and passing that profit onto the Thai's so they can get it free.

 

Making profit from foreigners out of the pandemic, keep it up Thailand

[Fairynuff]

Phuket tourism is already devastated with an estimated 80% of businesses having closed. Alienating the few expats that might consider visiting isn’t the wisest move. As far as I’m concerned this just proves my choice not go was the right one

[newnative]

   The headline I received in my email for this article said "Dual pricing DISGRACE...".  Let's stop with the opinions in headlines (especially in CAPS!) and allow the readers to decide if something is a 'disgrace' or not.  I fall in the 'not' camp.  

[geoffrobbo]

11 hours ago, RobMuir said:

So exactly the same as in Australia, where only locals can get a Medicare card and discounts on medicine.

 

The headline and the way it is written will stir up all the PC brigade who like to endlessly claim they are victimised "It's not fair"

 

500 baht.

Who cares? 

 

Well said. Same almost anywhere, if you are not a resident you don't get free government services. 

 

[pixelaoffy]

As I always tell those from other countries who think they have racism .. wait till you see Thailand 

[ThailandRyan]

Just now, newnative said:

   The headline I received in my email for this article said "Dual pricing DISGRACE...".  Let's stop with the opinions in headlines (especially in CAPS!) and allow the readers to decide if something is a 'disgrace' or not.  I fall in the 'not' camp.  

Good then you agree to disagree with many, including myself, that it is a disgrace.

[joe jadore]

11 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Somewhat outrageous...  

 

But... in fairness, the 500 baht charge is not quite the excessive rip off I was expecting when I read the headline. 

 

That said: Thailand could make inroads to cover up its xenophobic practices if it offered free tests to those who can show they have solid ties to Thailand.... i.e. Those with Work Permits, Driving Licences, Yellow House Books, Pink ID, those on Non-Immigrant Visas etc... 

 

And yet further contributing to both feet in the mouth..... Isn’t Thailand desperately ‘hurting’ for tourism to improve.... Yet, what does it do ????.... 

......... It announces to the World...  we support dual pricing !!!!  

 

It really is a shame and embarrassing on behalf of those Thai’s I know that Thailand so frequently and reliable trips up because it has both feet in its mouth. 

 

 

Ultimately, it is issues such as this which may just make me think... Nah, why should I bother going to Phuket.... 

 

I have lived in and loved Thailand for many years now, I'm a ex profiler/body reader, since January last year I have "daily" seen the visible derision, disapproval and sadly the dislike in "SOME" Thai people! Being a human mobile lie detector, means I can decipher peoples attitudes from the other side of the street. I used to love all the smiles and hello's, for me it was a huge part of the joy of living here!

 

It's not the lousy 500 baht, it's the attitude! When I namaste and speak Thai to a shop owner, the reception I get is 100% different if I spoke English only. That's great, but why?

 

Sadly I belive a lot of Thais think that it was foreigners who brought this horrible pandemic into their paradise, and ruined their lives, incomes, business's and yes their health. The reality is that in all probability it was Chinese people who inadvertantly brought it in, to begin with. Nearly every country in the world has been infected  by someone from another country.

 

I'm covid negative and very healthy, I'd just like the smiles to come back and be genuine!

 

Dear Government, stop bartering over the costs, get the vaccines and put them in everybody's arms!!!

 

 

 

 

 

[swbaggies]

51 minutes ago, LivinLOS said:

 

And yet when it was a fee for all, Thais and Farangs, it was 300b !!

To me thats what I find even worse than the Thais free / non Thais pay.. That when charging non Thais, they jack the price by 60 something %.. 

When everyone is paying 300thb over a larger group of patrons is probably more than 500thb over a smaller group. 

So whether it's to cover costs or other fees, there probably isn't a great deal. Of difference to the bottom line. 

[shackleton]

Well no surprise there on dual pricing 

yes it was 300 baht now 500 baht

Same as their National parks if you are unhappy about paying 

Don't go 

[dallen52]

Sounds about right.

As a bar girl said to me once.

 

Farang has, Thai has not.

Ok to take.

 

[Venom]

12 hours ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

Until April 30 anyone visiting Phuket is required to produce a certificate confirming they have had two vaccination doses or that they are free of COVID-19. 

Yes and in preparation of opening the country for tourism by June! ???? 

[Fairynuff]

2 hours ago, Jimbo53 said:

Any foreigner working in Thailand on a Work Permit will be exempt from this charge,as they pay Social Security every month in their salary.

Yeah right, let’s put that to the test shall we?