Thailand’s dual pricing still gets everyone posting

[webfact]

file photo

 

by Michael Bridge

 

On June the 8th we posted an article about the resumption of dual pricing fees at national parks, forest parks, botanical gardens, and arboretums. 

 

The announcement showed a continuation of the long-standing dual pricing policy with foreigners being asked to pay higher fees, in this case, five times those asked of Thai people. 

 

In 2020 Yuthasak Supasorn, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), said the TAT would discuss stopping dual pricing for expatriates with the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department. 

Seems the National Parks ministry was not listening!!!

 

Well, this post definitely seemed to hit home with a staggering 13.8k views and over 652 responses to date and still rising…. way above the normal response at AseanNow.com

 

Here are just a few of the comments we received. 

 

If we thought of doing this in Australia, we would be branded racist and face fines. No matter where you come from even Thailand, here you pay the same as locals.

 

"He said the agency wants to introduce an identity card for expats, helping to distinguish them from tourists so they will be charged the same price as locals"
 
Don't overcomplicate it, just ask for a passport if they must

 

Last week at Kalasin falls in Kanchanaburi I was charged 10 x's more than the girlfriend who they thought was Thai. Her 30 baht, me 300 baht, and then 30 baht for the car to enter. 

Tried to show my Pink ID card and was pointed to a sign confirming even non-Thai resident/expat IDS not accepted anymore. 

If you’re a foreigner you’re a tourist in their eyes. If you look Thai, like my GF from Myanmar they don't even blink. It is what it is, dual pricing, and a way to make money. Luckily, the vendors selling food don't charge the same way.......

But does the government in fact make any money from this practice.... I mean, enough to really make a difference to the nation's finances. (I guess I am assuming I am like most ex-pats....visiting a National Park just once in a decade....)

Just needs a bit of a PR update really.

 

Charge everybody 100Bt and offer a generous 80% discount for Thai nationals and anyone over 70-year-old who brings their grandparents with them.

 

Yes of course it's wrong but are you going to let a few baht stop you from enjoyment? Hopefully, if you have families here, you don't deny them just because you'll be paying a bit too much.

Dual pricing in Thailand applies to many things not only national parks. You have to accept that a foreigner whether living in Thailand or a tourist will always be a foreigner no matter what and be charged accordingly even after you die.

My Thai missus in Cambodia tried to dodge the $1 fee at a temple, they asked her to speak Cambodian. FAILED. 

I don’t have a problem with tax-funded attractions charging a premium for foreign visitors (not residents).

 

What boils my blood is when private attractions follow the same policy, similar to the private hospitals charging foreigners much higher fees when receiving treatment 
 
I think tourists should keep all the receipts for food and beverage purchased on their trip then when leaving go to the VAT desk and demand all the VAT back.

 

If you ever visit the Great Wall in China, you will experience a huge difference in charges between Chinese and foreigners.

 

From memory about ten times when I was there in the year 2000!!!

 

Just do as I do, stay away, and don’t go, their loss not mine. I find them well overpriced anyway

 

Editor’s note: So, the debate continues and maybe the Minister for Thailand’s National Parks will change his mind and charge Thai’s more than tourists. 

 

Because with crazy airfares we may need to save our Thai baht to afford buy an ice cream at these parks!

 

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[2baht]

Racism....plain and simple....shame Thailand, shame on you!

[Orinoco]

Dual pricing = Thailand's stone age mind set. 

[RichardColeman]

16 minutes ago, webfact said:

Last week at Kalasin falls in Kanchanaburi I was charged 10 x's more than the girlfriend who they thought was Thai. Her 30 baht, me 300 baht, and then 30 baht for the car to enter. 

If the car is cheaper than you, then problem solved !

[Dmaxdan]

Third world mentally from a third world country. Plain and simple.

 

[ThailandRyan]

A rehash of an OP, just shelve it under Rehash and archive it.

[ezzra]

To me it shows the inferiority complex Thais have towards foreignness, oh yeah, they're better and richer than us so let's stick it up them mentality... 

[Boomer6969]

Dual pricing is there and it won't go. So we take it, of chose to visit and/or stay in more welcoming countries.

 

Xenophobia is a way of life here, be aware when you plan your holiday.

[ThailandRyan]

3 minutes ago, Boomer6969 said:

Dual pricing is there and it won't go. So we take it, of chose to visit and/or stay in more welcoming countries.

 

Xenophobia is a way of life here, be aware when you plan your holiday.

Tourist prices for a tourist but charging those same fees even though as expats we are long term residents is the issue.  As a 2 week tourist I can see it but for those that live here, as I stated before, it's just plain BS.

Edited June 30, 2022 by ThailandRyan

[zzaa09]

6 minutes ago, Boomer6969 said:

 

 

Xenophobia is a way of life here.

Aren't terribly familiar with the society, are we....

[plus7]

Hi,

 

Easy solution with parks, earlier it worked.

If someone has Thai driver license he is not a tourist.

Remember that time?

[Callmeishmael]

Before the coup I could just show my Thai Drivers License and usually get the Thai price.  One of the first acts of the Generals was to put a stop to that!

 

[mikebell]

Stay away.  Don't go there.  Hit 'em in the wallet till they see sense. (This may take years - Thais are slow learners.)

[SAFETY FIRST]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

if we thought of doing this in Australia, we would be branded racist and face fines.

I like the dual pricing. 

 

It's different to living in Australia, that's why I live in Thailand, it's nothing like Australia. 

 

Thank God ????????????????????????????

 

 

 

The author Michael Bridge, just stirring the pot, getting the moaners on board to react. ????

 

Racism? Maybe so, I'm always getting complements from the Thai's regarding my fair complexion and green eyes, how dare they. ????

Edited June 30, 2022 by SAFETY FIRST

[Neeranam]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

My Thai missus in Cambodia tried to dodge the $1 fee at a temple, they asked her to speak Cambodian. FAILED. 

Unbelievable, trying to cheat a temple out of $1. 

[Neeranam]

15 minutes ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

It's different to living in Australia, that's why I live in Thailand, it's nothing like Australia. 

I paid 5,000 baht more than an Australian guest at Royal Melbourne golf club.  It happens everywhere. 

[Neeranam]

1 hour ago, mikebell said:

 (This may take years - Thais are slow learners.)

Racist

[ThailandRyan]

Just now, Neeranam said:

I paid 5,000 baht more than an Australian guest at Royal Melbourne golf club.  It happens everywhere. 

????...You just can not let that one go now can you...????

[chuang]

Here we go again....????

[Misterwhisper]

A good 10 years ago, I conducted a test with some of the locals in my wider neighborhood. I had prepared a picture of a European tourist attraction with a ticket sales booth in the foreground, photoshopping the entry fee sign to read: "Entry for Locals - 2.50 euros / Entry for Thai - 25.00 euros".

 

I asked them whether they noticed anything peculiar about that photo. Sure enough, ALL of them immediately pointed out that entry fee discrepancy and voiced how "unfair" it was to charge Thais ten times the fee.

 

Of course I explained to them that this was exactly how foreigners were being treated when they wanted to visit attractions in Thailand.

 

The reactions were then quite surprising. ALL of the participants in my little survey admitted that while they knew about the practice they did NOT agree with it and that everybody regardless of nationality should pay the SAME entry fee as locals when visiting tourist attractions in Thailand.

 

The common consensus was that while Thailand always portrayed itself as a country that welcomed all foreigners, fleecing those very people for ten times the local entry fee simply did not drive home that message.

 

It seems the average person on the street has more common sense than those in government. But then again, that's nothing new.

[SAFETY FIRST]

1 hour ago, Misterwhisper said:

fleecing those very people for ten times the local entry fee

It makes sense to me, charging foreigners for extra. 

 

I worked offshore, Songkhla for a few years, my salary was more than 10 times the salary of a Thai. 

 

 

 

Edited June 30, 2022 by SAFETY FIRST

[Stefanix]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Editor’s note: So, the debate continues and maybe the Minister for Thailand’s National Parks will change his mind and charge Thai’s more than tourists. 

Really? Who cares what we discuss on ASEAN NOW?

[vandeventer]

6 hours ago, Orinoco said:

Dual pricing = Thailand's stone age mind set. 

It hasn't changed in the 20 years that I have been here. And they wonder why tourist don't come back.

[PEE TEE]

6 hours ago, plus7 said:

Hi,

 

Easy solution with parks, earlier it worked.

If someone has Thai driver license he is not a tourist.

Remember that time?

or the Thai pink id card 

[Billy Bloggs]

They dont make money from ex pats I think as most would avoid paying the extra, I know I dont pay it.

[yasmarbi]

I rent a car and take my Thai gf, her mother and her 2 aunt's to a national park.

They charge the 4 of them local pricing but want to skin me because I'm australian.

If I didn't rent the car the 4 Thais would not have got to the national park.

I paid the entry fee a few times, have also decided to wait outside a few times and are more reluctant to even rent a car these days 

Think the big picture, Thailand andyou may get more of my hard earned 

[SymS]

I'm always trying to explain I'm a "ผู้ใหญ่" and not an "adult", but in most cases it does not cut it. Sometimes the pink card works, but in most cases, it doesn't...

[Andrew Dwyer]

Cue another Grumpy old men v Defenders of the Realm thread !!

Didn’t we have the original thread ,quoted in the OP, about a week ago ??

[roger101]

Racist pure and simple. If you look like a  Thai -Thai price, if you look like a Farang -Farang price.

[4MyEgo]

As I have said many times before, their country, so they can charge what they want, that said, anyone who supports the dual pricing that they charge, only encourages them not to bring the entry prices to what they should really be, i.e. equal.

 

For me, I have been coming to Thailand since 2006, lived here since 2015, have never been to any place that charges more for a foreigner, simple really, nothing to do with principals, but a lot to do with choice, my baht, your dual pricing, no support from me, money remains in my pocket, no lose to me, have a great day, similar to "up to you".