Expats’ anger and dismay at dual pricing for rapid COVID test in Phuket

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Image: Reuters file photo

 

Expats in Thailand have spoken of their anger and dismay at Phuket’s policy of making foreigners pay for a rapid COVID-19 test, when the same test is free for Thai nationals.

 

On Wednesday, provincial health officials in Phuket announced that anyone visiting the island now needs to produce a certificate confirming they have had two vaccination doses or that they are free of COVID-19. 

 

For those that haven’t yet been vaccinated, which is the majority of people in Thailand, the alternative is to take a rapid COVID-19 test at Phuket Airport or the Tha Chat Chai checkpoint before entering the island.

 

Initially officials announced that everyone taking the test, regardless of nationality, would need to pay 300 THB.

 

However, anger and outrage quickly ensued particularly from those commenting online, when it was later revealed that the test would be free of charge for Thai nationals but foreigners would be charged 500 THB.

 

Two tier pricing at its finest.

 

On Thursday, Thaivisa spoke to David, a British expat in Hua Hin who was due to travel to Phuket on April 28. David said that he has now cancelled that trip because he feels the charge for foreigners is unfair. 

 

“We’d have been due to travel next Wednesday and were going to stay for 10 days in the event that some restrictions may eased after April 30”, David said.

 

“However, I’ve told my wife to cancel the trip now.

 

“I know 500 baht is not a lot of money but it is just the whole principle of the thing,” David explained.

 

“I love living in Thailand but I hate this dual pricing, it simply should not be allowed”.

 

People commenting on Thaivisa were (understandably) dismayed by the announcement, with many hitting out at the policy, while others called for foreigners to boycott Thailand altogether.

 

One way to encourage the resident falang to go on holiday for a long weekend.....Not.

 

Looks like it comes down to Money, Money,  Money.  Dual pricing alive and well.  What did anyone really expect?

 

No surprise amazing Thailand TIT

 

A questionable Sinovac vaccine and dual pricing .... nuff said.

 

Also in Koh Samui they do the same thing, last Friday I did a swab with my Thai wife at the Nathon Public Hospital: she had for free and I paid 1,950 baht. We're foreigners and never the Thais miss an opportunity to remind us

 

Foreigners should skip Thailand because of this.

 

People commenting on the story on Thaivisa’s Facebook page were equally dismayed, although others shared some alternative points of view.

 

Simply stay away from the Phuket mafia racket

 

Phuket, ripoff island! Won’t be going anymore

 

In Switzerland they are much more expensive.. why should they give them out for free? everything has a cost..for thai they have social security so it s not the same issue... sorry but I don t see the problem...

 

Should be free for the foreigners who pay local taxes.

 

it's just 300 Baht - what is the problem?

 

On Thursday, blogger Richard Barrow shared a statement from Phuket’s Official COVID Information Center which explained the reason why foreigners need to pay for the test.

 

The reason being the cost of  the test for Thai people is covered by the National Health Security Office (NHSO), Ministry of Health.

 

This coverage is not extended to foreigners in Thailand, including long term expats.

 

 

 

If you are still planning to travel to Phuket before the end of month, the latest requirements  can be found below:

 

 

 

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[Pattaya Spotter]

I can see both sides of this argument...and no one is forced to come to Phuket.

[WineOh]

Who wants to go to Phuket anyway?

Seriously?

[petermik]

I visited Phuket for the first time 3 years ago....enough said,first and last time.....covid charge or not....????

[petedk]

8 minutes ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

I can see both sides of this argument...and no one is forced to come to Phuket.

 

I agree with you and would have happily paid the 300 Baht.

 

On the other hand I pay social security. Shouldn't that cover the cost?

 

The other big NO NO was the fact that the price increased from 300 Baht to 500 Baht when it was foreigners only that had to pay. That is pure GREED and nothing else.

[richard_smith237]

4 minutes ago, WineOh said:

Who wants to go to Phuket anyway?

Seriously?

 

Who wants to go to the area which generates the greatest amount of Tourism in Thailand ????

 

erm.....  did you think about your question ?

 

 

 

 

[Excel]

1 minute ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Who wants to go to the area which generates the greatest amount of Tourism in Thailand ????

 

erm.....  did you think about your question ?

 

 

 

 

And the link to support that is where ?

[WineOh]

7 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Who wants to go to the area which generates the greatest amount of Tourism in Thailand ????

 

erm.....  did you think about your question ?

 

 

 

 

Yes. 

And i'm baffled at anyone who wants to visit an island where the taxi mafia rips you off or wants to harm you, the drinks are 4 x as expensive as the rest of the country and the locals hate you.

 

what is the point in going there.

[petedk]

4 minutes ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

Yes...it's kinda like to make it free for Thais they doubled the cost for foreigners...something like 100 and 300 would seem fair. The numbers are de minimus in any case, my imported Pattaya bed warmer said there were about 6 people (and 3 cats ????) on her bus to Phuket two days ago.

 

Yes, I doubt many people are travelling to Phuket nowadays anyway and how many of those would actually be foreigners?

[zzzzz]

26 minutes ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

I can see both sides of this argument...and no one is forced to come to Phuket.

agree;

PLUS

Quote

BUT they increased it 300- 500 so the NON thais will pay for the thais:  

why should the government pay for those not Thai?
this is wrong, should have left it at 300 which covers the cost of the test, no reason to make a profit  off of the test, which benefits everyone

 

Quote

And 'm baffled at anyone who wants to visit an island where the taxi mafia rips you off or wants to harm you, the drinks are 4 x as expensive as the rest of the country and the locals hate you.

wow, again no one forces u to use the overpriced taxi/tuk tuks
and drink prices are just about the same as anywhere in Thailand
most places offer 60 baht beer happy hour which runs all day

 

I love all the Phuket haters on here  ????

Edited April 23, 2021 by zzzzz

[shackleton]

Its your choice don't want to pay don't go

whats all the fuss over 500 baht 

Foreigners will always pay more than Thais probably because the

Thai government think they earn more so can afford to pay ???? 

[metisdead]

Some off topic trolling posts have been removed. 

[holy cow cm]

Not really 2 tiered pricing. One is free and another has to pay. Big deal anyway if have to pay Baht 500. The principle and point is the back tracking and upping the cost of the test.

[KarenBravo]

30 minutes ago, WineOh said:

Yes. 

And i'm baffled at anyone who wants to visit an island where the taxi mafia rips you off or wants to harm you, the drinks are 4 x as expensive as the rest of the country and the locals hate you.

 

what is the point in going there.

 

Residents don't use taxis. They use their own vehicles.

Drinks are NOT 4 x more expensive than the rest of the country. That is just <deleted>.

No, the Thai locals don't dislike us. I have extensive dealings with them.

Maybe they just dislike you.

[metisdead]

Some off topic posts about testing prices in the UK have been removed as well as a reply. 

[WineOh]

16 minutes ago, KarenBravo said:

Residents don't use taxis. They use their own vehicles

Tourists dont have their own vehicles tho do they bruv!

 

And that is what the island is desperate to get back aren't they?

 

I hope not a single soul returns to spend their hard earned money in that god forsaken place. 

[Johnny Mac]

Not really a big deal is it, at the end of the day (as they say) we ain't Thai...

 

Also, as said, who wants to go to Phuket anyway? Place is sweat box rip off hell hole.

[digibum]

52 minutes ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

I can see both sides of this argument...and no one is forced to come to Phuket.

 

Agreed.  And of all of the dual pricing issues, this one seems to be the most reasonable.  Thais are covered under the national health program.  It's not racism.  LOL. 

 

That said, I don't understand how it went from 300 to 500 baht when it became only foreigners.  To me, that's the only justified objection I can see and the explanation posted by Barrow does little to explain why it increased. 

 

However, it does seem somewhat telling that many of the people quoted (and even many of the ones I've seen on social media) cannot keep their argument focused on this issue.  They suddenly devolve into taxi mafias, overpriced this or that, etc. 

 

Kinda makes you wonder if these types of folks don't just sit around and wait for Phuket to be mentioned in a negative light so they can pile on to whatever conversation is taking place. 

 

Thailand would do itself a world of good if it figured out a way to permit foreign tax payers to identify themselves.  If there was an ID card or even an app that you could use on your phone rather than carrying around your passport that allowed tax paying foreigners to get into national parks and see the Grand Palace at the Thai rate, a large majority of the pissing and moaning about it being a racist policy would be negated and people would have to find a new reason to hate Thailand ????

 

They were talking about putting together some sort of advisory group to figure out how to make long-term living in Thailand less of a hassle.  Hopefully there's a huge reset in how Thailand handles non-immigrants (retirees, married, working, etc). 

[BritManToo]

Just now, digibum said:

Thais are covered under the national health program.  It's not racism.  LOL. 

Thais are only covered at their designated hospital in the area they live.

Presumably none of the Thai tourists live in Phuket, so they shouldn't be covered.

[digibum]

1 minute ago, BritManToo said:

Thais are only covered at their designated hospital in the area they live.

Presumably none of the Thai tourists live in Phuket, so they shouldn't be covered.

 

The Thai healthcare system can cover them wherever they are if they chose to.  That's up to the Thai government who foots the bill.  And the Thai government has decided to cover them for this procedure when visiting Phuket. 

 

Or would you be against your private health insurance plan covering you for COVID because it wasn't stipulated in your plan?  Would you also phone them up and refuse free treatment because they have no right to alter your coverage? 

[bluesofa]

6 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Thais are only covered at their designated hospital in the area they live.

Presumably none of the Thai tourists live in Phuket, so they shouldn't be covered.

They should have to pay and keep the receipt. Then they can claim the money back from the social security office where they're registered.

It worked for me when I was in the scheme.

 

Edited April 23, 2021 by bluesofa

[Justgrazing]

2 hours ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

 

However, anger and outrage quickly ensued particularly from those commenting online, when it was later revealed that the test would be free of charge for Thai nationals but foreigners would be charged 500 THB.

 

Two tier pricing at its finest.

 

Just ain't getting it are they .. 

Try offering them free as a way of getting foreigners to return ..

[Excel]

1 minute ago, Justgrazing said:

 

Just ain't getting it are they .. 

Try offering them free as a way of getting foreigners to return ..

Now you know they won't do that. Same as can not sell anything, I know we will put the price up. Ignorance and stupidly is something far more virulent in this country than covid.

[simon43]

There are different points of view here, and foreigners can of course, decide not to visit Phuket.  Personally, I think many foreigners will make such a decision, and the fallout and negative publicity will add to the nails in the coffin that is called Phuket.

 

It seems that some Thais in positions of important decision-making are unable to grasp the potential negative outcome of applying one rule for Thais and another for foreigners and expats.  Well, that's their problem......

[Neeranam]

Basically, much ado about nothing.

 

This happens everywhere. 

 

Do you see foreign students in the UK or US on forums moaning about it?

No, this is reserved for retired white expats with a entitlement issue. Most have absolutely no interest in assimilation or integration into Thai society, yet they want to be treated the same as a citizen. What an attitude! 

 

Citizens get preferential treatment in EVERY country. Hey, you can always change your citizenship!

 

I never complained about paying a ridiculous university fee for my daughter in the UK, and she is a British citizen! 

 

I never complained about paying 5,000 baht more than an Australian citizen when at Royal Melbourne golf club. 

 

I never complained at paying 2,000 baht more than a local at Disney World. 

 

 

[Pattaya Spotter]

38 minutes ago, digibum said:

However, it does seem somewhat telling that many of the people quoted (and even many of the ones I've seen on social media) cannot keep their argument focused on this issue.  They suddenly devolve into taxi mafias, overpriced this or that, etc. 

 

I think their entire lives revolve around making such posts...at least T-V lives; and I'd wager that most have never been to Thailand and only day dream about coming one day.

[473geo]

3 minutes ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

I think their entire lives revolve around making such posts...at least T-V lives; and I'd wager that most have never been to Thailand and only day dream about coming one day.

There was one guy who stated he cancelled a 25k spend in Phuket because of the 500 baht test charge, must have been coming for the weekend!!

[Pattaya Spotter]

2 minutes ago, 473geo said:

There was one guy who stated he cancelled a 25k spend in Phuket because of the 500 baht test charge, must have been coming for the weekend!!

The 500 baht Phuket testing surcharge is another reason these dreamers can use for never making it to Thailand...they're standing on principle. 

[billd766]

1 hour ago, shackleton said:

Its your choice don't want to pay don't go

whats all the fuss over 500 baht 

Foreigners will always pay more than Thais probably because the

Thai government think they earn more so can afford to pay ???? 

I am confused by your post. When I fill the fuel tank of my pickup, buy stuff from 7/11, BigC, Makro, the local beer shops etc, I pay the same price as the Thai people, and also that of ANY foreigner using the same places.

 

So why should I have to pay more for a covid test on some Thai island well known for its "let's rip off the foreigners" as they have no idea of what we are doing.

 

As I remember and read on TVF, tourism in Thailand and Phuket has been declining over a long time.

 

Many of these parasites have been cutting their own throats with corruption for years.

 

When foreigners have a great time on holiday they tell all their friends. When they have a bad time they tell the world.

 

 

[digibum]

12 minutes ago, 473geo said:

There was one guy who stated he cancelled a 25k spend in Phuket because of the 500 baht test charge, must have been coming for the weekend!!

 

Yes, I'm trying to imagine telling my Thai wife that I cancelled a vacation that she was looking forward to because I was protesting a 500 baht charge on principle.  LOL.  

 

Though, I would imagine, like most keyboard warriors and justice seekers, he made that part up.  It's the eternal threat of every farang to vote with their wallet, yet they never do it. 

 

How many have threatened to move?  How many have threatened to quit coming? 

 

Yet, years later, they're still on TVF complaining about the same things.  ????