Thailand Hikes Entrance Fees for Foreign Visitors at Historical Attractions

[lordgrinz]

6 hours ago, cracker1 said:

Has the Government explained the need to have two different entrance prices for these venues ?

Less people than before the pandemic, thus hike fees to make up the difference, Thai logic says fleece the foreigners.

Edited July 29, 2023 by lordgrinz

[rabas]

14 hours ago, cracker1 said:

Has the Government explained the need to have two different entrance prices for these venues ?

Thai tax revenues help support the venues, foreigners pay no tax.

 

[scottiejohn]

1 hour ago, rabas said:

Thai tax revenues help support the venues, foreigners pay no tax.

 

Many Thais don't pay tax either!

[Neeranam]

16 hours ago, Joe32 said:

คนไทย๑๐บาท

Foreigners 200 THB

 

Tourists who don't know any Thai will just pay, but if you point it out in Thai and still get to hear to pay the foreign price, it's a smack in the face after so much effort from some people to be just like everyone else in Thailand. + expats also pay income tax. 

Why would they write the price for foreigners in Thai, or for This in English?

It's much easier for you to live in Thailand than a Thai in the USA, where a retiree, for example needs to invest 17 million baht. Here, just pay 1900 baht for a year visa!

Get your priorities right.

[Neeranam]

10 hours ago, lordgrinz said:

Less people than before the pandemic, thus hike fees to make up the difference, Thai logic says fleece the foreigners.

Like the British government charging my daughter thousands of pounds more to study there.

[No Forwarding Address]

19 hours ago, Joe32 said:

Sorry to say, but they could be. I've seen foreigners, fully consciously, tipping 1k for something that was actually like 150 THB or so. 

a fool and his money will soon be parted............

[brianthainess]

The country that keeps on taking.

[jacko45k]

7 hours ago, rabas said:

Thai tax revenues help support the venues, foreigners pay no tax.

They mostly do not pay income tax, that is true, maybe for Thais too.... but they don't get a rebate on sales tax  nor excise taxes.

[rabas]

8 hours ago, jacko45k said:

They mostly do not pay income tax, that is true, maybe for Thais too.... but they don't get a rebate on sales tax  nor excise taxes.

The official term is 'hidden tax'. Everyone pays. In 2001, US citizens paid $657.5 billion in hidden taxes, $2,642 per capita. Likewise,  everyone in Thailand pays hidden taxes into the tax base which in turn supports parks and attractions. So those of us living here, eating rice, using petrol, etc. also pay.

[bunnydrops]

I haven't read all the post so this may have been said before. Many schools charge more for out of state or country students and no one says that is not fair. The Thai Gov. should just raise the price, and then give the locals a discount, which would be the same with out targeting anyone.

[Peterphuket]

On 7/27/2023 at 9:18 AM, bob smith said:

What Thai government? ????

The officials/clerks who serve, of course.

[Lorry]

On 7/30/2023 at 2:41 PM, jacko45k said:

They mostly do not pay income tax, that is true, maybe for Thais too.... but they don't get a rebate on sales tax  nor excise taxes.

Foreigners also pay withholding tax on interest (e.g. from their 800,000 visa bail). Most foreigners don't claim a refund,  which can involve a lot of bureaucracy for foreigners.

The new (since 2021) property tax is also payed by foreigners. 

 

But the elephant in the room is the double-pricing for all kinds of other services, including government services,  e.g. medical care.  This is where Thailand makes huge profits from the foreigners, after all,  if it weren't for the profits they wouldn't let them in.

[MartinL]

On 7/30/2023 at 7:11 AM, rabas said:

Thai tax revenues help support the venues, foreigners pay no tax.

 

A couple of assumptions;

I'll assume by "no tax", you really mean Income Tax since resident foreigners pay every other tax required of them by the government.

I'll also assume that qualification for reduced entrance fees is entirely based on paying income tax, as that seems to be the gist of your post.

 

Non-working Thai spouses of Thai income tax payers also pay no income tax, the same as many (but not all, by any means) foreign residents. 

 

If that non-working spouse qualifies for reduced fees on the back of the "other half's" income tax, why should my wife be discriminated against simply because she has a foreign, non-working spouse?

Edited August 1, 2023 by MartinL

[BritManToo]

On 7/30/2023 at 7:11 AM, rabas said:

Thai tax revenues help support the venues, foreigners pay no tax.

 

80% of Thais have never paid income tax ..........

[zzaa09]

19 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

80% of Thais have never paid income tax ..........

Might even be a higher percentage than that.

Wonder if any of our roving experts realize this fact.

[BritManToo]

4 minutes ago, zzaa09 said:

Might even be a higher percentage than that.

Wonder if any of our roving experts realize this fact.

This page suggests only 5% of Thais regularly pay income tax.

 

https://asiafoundation.org/2015/04/15/thailand-and-taxes/

"Many Thais, both rich and poor, are simply outside of the tax system. Just three million Thais out of 67 million regularly pay income taxes."

[BenStark]

5 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

This page suggests only 5% of Thais regularly pay income tax.

 

https://asiafoundation.org/2015/04/15/thailand-and-taxes/

"Many Thais, both rich and poor, are simply outside of the tax system. Just three million Thais out of 67 million regularly pay income taxes."

I guess you couldn't find a 1995 dated article?

[BritManToo]

2 hours ago, BenStark said:

I guess you couldn't find a 1995 dated article?

You think in the past 8 years 60,000,000 more Thais are paying income tax?

Or did the COVID closures reduce the numbers paying income tax?

 

Which do you think is more likely?

Edited August 1, 2023 by BritManToo

[rabas]

2 hours ago, BritManToo said:

80% of Thais have never paid income tax ..........

I didn't mention income tax.  Hidden taxes (see link) are a substantial part of every country's tax base. Everything from Beer Lao, motorbike petrol, rice, even mobile phone fees has hidden tax. In turn Thailand's tax base supports these parks.

 

Given that, all Thai as well as foreigners living here help support the parks via taxes. Foreign tourists do not because they spend little time here. 

 

Therefore, Thai and foreigners who live here should pay a lower price. Foreign tourists including Chinese should pay a higher price to support these venues equally.

 

[n00dle]

i seriously could not care less

[DavisH]

On 7/30/2023 at 7:11 AM, rabas said:

Thai tax revenues help support the venues, foreigners pay no tax.

 

Maybe you don't but I pay a lot!!

[DavisH]

8 hours ago, BritManToo said:

This page suggests only 5% of Thais regularly pay income tax.

 

https://asiafoundation.org/2015/04/15/thailand-and-taxes/

"Many Thais, both rich and poor, are simply outside of the tax system. Just three million Thais out of 67 million regularly pay income taxes."

Those 5% probably work for the government. My wife paid something like 160K in tax last year. 

I douby many businesses pay much tax at all and run separate books if they are ever audited. 

[Gknrd]

I was there for many years, we used to get a big kick out of the double pricing. I had a friend from China that went with us , could not speak any Thai. He would keep his mouth shut and pay Thai prices. Me?  I would speak Thai and put on a show showing I had been there for years. Didn't help at any park... LOL. 

Years ago some would let me threw. Now? If they could they would tack on another charge for being stupid enough to come to Thailand and visit the parks.

 

The country I am in now charges the tourists extra for entrance same as Thailand. Not much getting away from it nowdays. Only difference here is I don't have to deal with immigration. No hassles what so ever.

 

Edited August 1, 2023 by Gknrd

[zzaa09]

8 hours ago, BritManToo said:

This page suggests only 5% of Thais regularly pay income tax.

 

https://asiafoundation.org/2015/04/15/thailand-and-taxes/

"Many Thais, both rich and poor, are simply outside of the tax system. Just three million Thais out of 67 million regularly pay income taxes."

Traditionally, the Thai statutes regarding income tax are dismissed up to a certain wealth status - meaning that the working classes/working poor are exempt, especially true when such income is dispersed/traded in cash and not recorded. This is the manner in which it should be practiced everywhere.....of course, it's not. 

 

There are some particular circles that might suggest that taxing the everyday struggling working/labour classes income is a bit barbaric and accomplishes nothing for the real working economies. 

[Joseph98765]

The easiest way....

You have work permit? you get thai price....

[DavisH]

6 hours ago, Joseph98765 said:

The easiest way....

You have work permit? you get thai price....

Most places don't allow for that. 

[Joseph98765]

15 hours ago, DavisH said:

Most places don't allow for that. 

as a way to do it, not that is doing it right now...

[mikebell]

On 7/27/2023 at 1:11 PM, David in the north said:

Likewise

moi aussi.

[jacko45k]

2 hours ago, mikebell said:

moi aussi.

You aren't Australian!

[Kwasaki]

Cheap Charlie thread still going then. ????