Tourism ministry dual pricing proposal for hotel rates

[aussiexpat]

No problem, I'll just start early and pick up my Thai flavour of the night before I check in to my hotel ???? 

[portlandtree]

This is bullish!t first they remove all obstacles then when tourists are on the way they reverse things or add sh!t to stew us over and line their pockets typical catch-22

[Retired Pete]

We employ over 30 Thai nationals here, we do not show any racism and treat people fair even during bad times like corvid, when I hear about the unprofessional and racist attitudes towards non-Thais, it is an attitude that will have a huge impact on the Thais, their reputation, competence and their livelihood's. Looking at this new revelation of government sponsored discrimination will it stop there? after speaking to my business colleagues it may be the right time for revaluating the situation and the location of our company, I'm sure we are not the only business part owned by non-Thais with this veiw, what a shame it is coming to this in the land of smiles.

[foreverlomsak]

3 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

not that it effects me as I will have the wife book the hotel in her name (Thai).

Doesn't always work, a friend of mine a few years ago dropped his wife at the hotel door as it raining heavily, she went in to register, while he parked the car and brought in their bags.

All was ok, room allocated, paid for (600 Baht) and key handed over, as soon as he walked in the door it was "your husband farang 300 Baht more".

[kcpattaya]

This makes complete sense to me: To attract more foreign tourists to Thailand, we raise the price.
????

[Henryford]

They won't get a more rapid recovery if they alienate all the foreign tourists. Typical crazy thai idea.

[robertson468]

3 hours ago, Swampy999 said:

Yep, exactly what I do if I sence a rip off, I ask what the price is then later 'er indoors' does the same, then we both go and buy it at the Thai price, I always smile and say "thank you" as I pay ????????

Often, when we go shopping, my Thai Wife and I will browse round the store and then decide what we would like to buy, I then leave, she browses a little longer and than asks what the price is for the item and the same as Swampy999, I go and pay with a smile and a wai!

[4MyEgo]

4 minutes ago, foreverlomsak said:

Doesn't always work, a friend of mine a few years ago dropped his wife at the hotel door as it raining heavily, she went in to register, while he parked the car and brought in their bags.

All was ok, room allocated, paid for (600 Baht) and key handed over, as soon as he walked in the door it was "your husband farang 300 Baht more".

My wife would have told them to shove it, that said, we have stayed at many hotels all over Thailand and I always get my wife to book it in her name, and we have never had an issue, even with the 40% discount We travel together, (twice).

 

They can try us, but it would back fire on them, I can assure you, but then again 600 baht a night I would consider to be a cheap hotel, and adding 300 baht because he was a farang wouldn't break the bank so to speak, but we wouldn't wear it, as my wife get's load when she is pi$$ed off by people's stupidity, including cops, never seen so many people back off when the occasion arises, with me, she's as tame as a butterfly.

[Cake Monster]

You just could not make this S@@t up.

How to win friends and influence people ( in this case Tourists ) the Thai way.

Maybe this is in anticipation of an end to the Chinese Zero Dollar Tours, and an introduction to the Chinese Single Dollar Tours when the Kingdom goes up market for Tourism.

[Cake Monster]

6 minutes ago, robertson468 said:

Often, when we go shopping, my Thai Wife and I will browse round the store and then decide what we would like to buy, I then leave, she browses a little longer and than asks what the price is for the item and the same as Swampy999, I go and pay with a smile and a wai!

I always send the missus to shop for any large items that a Shop sells and I need.

I go a Day or so before and check it out and just tell her to buy the Item required when she goes in.

Typically save a minimum of 30 % or more ( even as much as 150 % ) over a Farang price given to me.

[connda]

What a wonderful idea.  Go for it! 
How Vietnam this time of year?

 

[whereyougo]

5 hours ago, mike1967 said:

That'll work then!!! After 12 years of staying in Thailand and having been back in the UK since Covid kicked in....I know where I'll be staying now. Being away from Thailand has opened many people's eyes.

Yeah good move. Go back to the uk. That will teach them a lesson! 

[kjun12]

How ignorant/absolutely stupid can a government be?  Surely, not any more than the Thai Tourism Ministry.

[mikeymike100]

"It was not immediately clear how the government’s new plan to attract more foreign tourists to Thailand – by raising prices and charging them more than Thais – would impact foreigners living in the kingdom"

 

Well that sentence above says it all!

They don't know how raising prices will impact foreigners living in Thailand. They will leave and not come back! Or not go in the first place.

[Captain Monday]

13 minutes ago, mikeymike100 said:

"It was not immediately clear how the government’s new plan to attract more foreign tourists to Thailand – by raising prices and charging them more than Thais – would impact foreigners living in the kingdom"

 

Well that sentence above says it all!

They don't know how raising prices will impact foreigners living in Thailand. They will leave and not come back! Or not go in the first place.

Te problem is even people who live decades raised families and brought in potentially millions of dollars are considered temporary visitors in Thailand without PR or citizenship, the pipe dream for many expats. Nothing wrong with a local discount.

[George Aylesham]

6 hours ago, Baron Samedi said:

Discriminating against foreigners + rigging the free market economy.

If the do that, I will boycott the country and leave for another SE asian country.

I'm getting tired of that dual price BS.

Fxck'em.

I wonder whether internet agencies such as Booking com or Agoda will be prepared to go along with this?

[Bangkok Barry]

5 hours ago, mike1967 said:

Being away from Thailand has opened many people's eyes.

Including Thais. My wife has several friends who over the years have gone to live overseas, and not one has wanted to return to live in Thailand. One said she would return after her husband died, and he did several years ago. She's still there. My sister-in-law went to Hungary for three months in March 2020 as her new Dutch husband bought a house there. She will return in December for three months and then go back to Hungary, as we continue to raise her kid that she all but abandoned.

[aussiexpat]

Thank you. I was only 95% sure I wanted to go to Vietnam instead of Thailand in August....now I'm 100% ????

[Bangkok Barry]

The fact that the proposal actually comes from those charged with boosting tourism is staggering in its stupidity.

[Laughing Gravy]

5 minutes ago, hellohello123 said:

Dual pricing!? What's that??

 

It doesn't exist... just like prostituion doesn't exist in thaiand

Yes you are correct. It will be like.... but you don't understand us blah bl;ah. Like Thai democracy.  We do understand you and know what dual pricing is. We disagree and see it as a complete injustice. You can see why many joke and call it 'Lieland'. The sad thing it is often so true.

[Sydebolle]

I seriously start to wonder, why on Earth there are still dirty farang and alien arriving in Thailand?

 

Hardly any other country treats the non-locals with such a hatred stay-away-phobia; in a more modern country of the 20th or, even better, 21st century, this is called racism. 

It will take many years for the industry to mop up all this mess of Thailand Pass, seriously overpriced quarantine stays, dual pricing of national parks and historical sites, a proposed "arrival tax" and now cranking up accommodation pricing. We're not talking about the rest of the experience like overpriced, sugary, MSG-loaded, more often than not tasteless and cold food published on overly filthy menu folder with little dirty stickers due to the umptieth price increase. The treatment is often  served by grouchy, non-English speaking staff in places with restrooms of questionable hygiene. 

Dual pricing in hotels will, on an official level, not happen as not all hotels are run by brainless pr1cks. And to all those experts in all those ministries - keep up the good work of alien bashing. 

[overherebc]

2 hours ago, sandyf said:

"Dual pricing" is nothing more than a falang interpretation for "local" discounting, something that happens worldwide.

Currently Thailand has no tourist tax in place so they are quite justified in collecting additional revenue at tourist attractions. There is no dispute that in some cases the differential can be seen as excessive but it is up to you if you wish to enter. If they don't allow the Thai price with yellow book I don't go, simple as that.

Having been to several countries that have a tourist tax in place, it is not something I would want to see here.

As far as the OP is concerned there has been an official "local" discounting scheme for  hotels in place for most of the pandemic. There is nothing out of order with the government advocating the continuance of local discounting unofficially.

With the OP saying  "prices returning to pre- pandemic levels" they are hardly pushing for a specific increase aimed at foreigners, although many choose to see it that way.

Last time in UK when we visited the local castle, .My wife enjoys the walk around and the history, the prices for entry on the board at the ticket office were 

Entry £x

Over 65's 30% discount.

Students 40% discount.

Children £1.

 

Would you call that double or whatever pricing?

 

[johnc925]

So how long is this prejudiced government going to penalize Foreigners? They want money and they're gonna try to gouge every f****** cent they can.

 

The least they can do is offer it's offer something to local foreigners who live here, support families, and have helped keep this country going through the plandemic.

 

 My Thai wife and I are already looking for other places in the world to live. And I'm sure we're not alone.

[federico]

And what about mixed couples living abroad ?

my wife will book from France so we’ll pay thaï price but when they find out they will charge half of Thai price for her and half farang price for me ? They must have headaches for having such ideas. 
god knows we love Thailand but if they do so, we will have holidays in Europe : Greece, Spain, Portugal, Italy Croatia many great and affordable places to enjoy !

cheers

Fred

 

[mikeymike100]

Already hit the international news:

 

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/thailand-may-pricier-tourists-dual-112342868.html

 

Great timing, people are looking at winter holidays, Thailand has always been (pre covid) a top choice.

To try and boost tourism this policy is not going to work methinks!

Who comes up with these stupid ideas?

[Bangkok Barry]

4 hours ago, anchadian said:

How will this work with foreign tourists who need a hotel would have to book on Agoda or Booking.com?  Will the hotel rates be adjusted?

You know and I know that Thais are totally incapable of thinking anything through. How it would be implemented, how they would differentiate between foreign tourists and foreign residents would not have occurred to them.

 

It would also not have occurred to them that there is something called the internet and social media, and their brilliant idea to make foreigners pay more than locals for the same room will be exposed in countless blogs, magazines, newspapers and social media platforms all over the world within days. I've done my bit by posting the thread on Facebook, and one of those reading it is a travel writer.

[Captain Monday]

4 minutes ago, federico said:

And what about mixed couples living abroad ?

my wife will book from France so we’ll pay thaï price but when they find out they will charge half of Thai price for her and half farang price for me ? They must have headaches for having such ideas. 
god knows we love Thailand but if they do so, we will have holidays in Europe : Greece, Spain, Portugal, Italy Croatia many great and affordable places to enjoy !

cheers

Fred

 

She has to sneak you in the car-park back entrance after dark. Then in the morning she will be confronted by the staff in Thai

 

"Guardman say you take Falang, you pay, You Pay Now!"

[AnotherFarang8]

Such heated discussion. Personally i never cared about dual pricing. Tourists are charged more everywhere no matter if the dual price is in plain view or implied, it is what it is. What will hold me back is mandatory vaccination or pcr test requirement and mask wearing. I might choose Vietnam instead. As for dual pricing, no big deal.

[overherebc]

6 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

You know and I know that Thais are totally incapable of thinking anything through. How it would be implemented, how they would differentiate between foreign tourists and foreign residents would not have occurred to them.

 

It would also not have occurred to them that there is something called the internet and social media, and their brilliant idea to make foreigners pay more than locals for the same room will be exposed in countless blogs, magazines, newspapers and social media platforms all over the world within days.

Within minutes nowadays.

[Lacessit]

3 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

Except once at your hotel they will be able to double the rates as the law will allow it to be so. Even if you pre-paid......

Which is why I never prepay nowadays.

 

There are plenty of hotels and B&B's outside the tourist traps with good rooms at 500 - 700 baht/night. Occupancy is usually 20-30%. I turn up with my GF at about 4 pm, and look at the room, along with testing if things work, she gives the final nod of approval.

 

I remember one guy in Sukhothai who wanted us to rent one of his rooms without us inspecting them first. We just laughed at him, and walked out. Numskull.

 

Permit me to doubt hotels etc. with low occupancy rates are going to lose paying customers by following a TAT brain fart.