Dual Pricing in Thai Tourism: Economic Necessity or Hidden Bias?

[Hanuman2547]

2 hours ago, MalcolmB said:

From your previous comments about immigrants in your country and mine I thought you were fine with discrimination? 
No?

 

Yes they do.

 

International Student Tuition CostFor international students in the U.S., the cost total of attendance is high – much higher than it is for domestic students. Generally, attending school in the U.S will cost between US$10,000 and US$55,000 per year.

Your statement is not 100% correct.  For public universities in the US, students, whether they are international students or out of state students, they both pay a much higher rate than students from that state that the university is located in.  An example would be a US citizen from New York decides to go to a public university in Colorado.  That New York student would have to pay the out of state tuition.  The international student, who is obviously out of state, would also pay the same tuition amount as the US citizen from New York to attend the same university in Colorado.  

[lanng khao]

40 minutes ago, Tomtomtom69 said:

 

Nonsense. Bring along the kids ID card or passport and they'll be charged the Thai rate of course. If there's any dispute about it, call the police.

Whats sting going to do?

[roo860]

2 hours ago, Neeranam said:

Yes, and so do I as I jumped through many hoops to get Thai citizenship too. If foreigners work here, there is a simple path to getting citizenship but in reality many can't be arsed, and don't even make the effort to learn the language. 

You're a Thai citizen, really? You've never mentioned it before.🤭

[Tomtomtom69]

25 minutes ago, jippytum said:

Dual pricing is common in most Asia countries. 

I think it's ok that local people should have reduced entry fees. 

The problem is the 'markup' for foreigners is so disproportionate that visitors think the officals are being too greedy and out to fleece foreign visitors.  This deters people like myself from visiting these so called attractions. 

 

While I agree with your sentiments, I'm not sure there would be any justification for imposing only a small difference in pricing. 

 

If the difference between foreigner and Thai pricing at national parks were reduced down to 3 times, then I would see it as being able to attract more foreign visitors, especially expats, but ideally, there would be residency based pricing for us. I still wouldn't visit a national park (except when they run free entry promotions) even if the price difference were reduced down to 3 times from the present 5-10 times

 

[roo860]

8 minutes ago, lanng khao said:

Whats sting going to do?

Just 'Don't stand too close to me '.

[Tomtomtom69]

10 minutes ago, lanng khao said:

Whats sting going to do?

Huh? Well, as a Thai citizen, you have the right to be treated without discrimination. You have certain inalienable rights, as a Thai. This does NOT apply to foreigners.

 

Hence why, in the very very rare cases where some racist ticket collector might think he or she can get away with charging a Thai citizen the foreigner price, you have the right to make a stink or even sue them.

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Visitors to popular destinations, such as temples and national parks, encounter this tiered pricing structure, which charges foreigners higher fees compared to local residents.

I went to Erawan national park a few years ago with Thai friends, 9 of them plus me.

40 baht for locals costing 360 total and a staggering 400 baht for me...

My friends were disgusted with the park

[Tomtomtom69]

15 minutes ago, arick said:

I went into Khon Kaen Zoo last week I showed my pink ID card and I was charged exactly the Thai price as the Thai people in that vehicle.

It just shows you that a lot of this mess is from the south but say that if I went into the national park and showed my ID card and they want me to pay the foreign price.

A pink ID card is NOT proof of Thai citizenship.

 

Acceptable forms of Thai citizenship include a Thai birth certificate indicating you're a Thai citizen by birth (though for anyone old than about 7, this document isn't normally used), a Thai ID card, Thai passport, Thai government ID and a Thai driver's license with a 13 digit Thai ID number on it.

 

Therefore, unless you're a Thai citizen, count yourself lucky if any venue gives you the Thai price for entry.

[Cabradelmar]

I see it's time to trot out the foreigners favorite whipping boy for another flogging 😂 

[KannikaP]

1 hour ago, tomacht8 said:

All hospitals have special billing tables for foreigners with significantly higher prices.

Totally incorrect in my experience at Nauresan University Hospital in Phitsanulok. Same charge to see a Doctor and get medicines.

[Tomtomtom69]

48 minutes ago, tomacht8 said:

Ok. Let's say they have special flight Promotions, offert in Thai language, which are aimed exclusively at Thai speakers. My Thai wife has already been able to book many such flights. Fact.

 

I am fluent in Thai and go to their Thai language all the time. I've never seen a promotion only for Thais.

 

Last time I flew Thai with my Thai family, my wife paid the same fare as I did and my son paid the child fare, which was the same as for foreigners.

[MalcolmB]

1 hour ago, Tomtomtom69 said:

 

Chinese are usually charged the Thai rate as they look Thai.
 

 

They might look thai to you but Thais are good at spotting them.

 

1 hour ago, Tomtomtom69 said:

 

 

Burmese, Cambodians, Vietnamese, Laotians, Singaporeans, Malays and Filipinos = typically charged the Thai rate.

No.

you are just making things up.

 

 

1 hour ago, Tomtomtom69 said:

 

Arabs are usually considered to be farang. Indians = 50/50. Sometimes, charged the Thai rate (mainly in more rural, less touristy places), while in Bangkok, Chiang Mai etc they're treated as farang and charged the farang rate.

 

[kwilco]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

FILE photo for reference only

 

ANALYSIS

 

Thailand's dual pricing policy, where foreign tourists often pay more than locals at attractions, sparks ongoing conversation. This practice, grounded in economic rationale, sometimes stirs feelings of exclusion among visitors, leading to mixed reviews and accusations of inequity—although it's crucial to note the difference between nationality-based pricing and racial discrimination.

 

Visitors to popular destinations, such as temples and national parks, encounter this tiered pricing structure, which charges foreigners higher fees compared to local residents.

 

Supporters argue it boosts domestic tourism by offering locals affordable access to cultural sites and helps fund and sustain these attractions amidst the influx of foreign tourists. Defending this strategy, proponents assert it's necessary for the upkeep of the nation’s cultural heritage, ensuring its preservation for future generations.

 

Opinions diverge sharply on this issue. Critics label it as an unfavourable practice that creates a rift between locals and tourists. Many visitors feel targeted due to nationality-based pricing, viewing it as an implicit form of discrimination.

 

While not racially motivated, this differential treatment based on nationality can unintentionally harm Thailand’s reputation as a hospitable destination, provoking feelings of inequity among international travellers.

 

Furthermore, the higher costs could deter some tourists, potentially affecting Thailand's competitiveness compared to neighbouring nations without such policies. Charges for foreigners can be significantly steeper, leading tourists to question the fairness of paying more for identical experiences as locals.

 

Nevertheless, Thailand remains a magnetic tourist destination thanks to its diverse cultural offerings. Despite higher fees, many visitors continue to flock to its renowned sites, suggesting that the exotic appeal outweighs financial grievances, at least for now. Advocates for dual pricing insist that these funds are critical for sustaining the infrastructure and services that make the sites attractive and accessible to all visitors.

 

The challenge moving forward lies in balancing the financial needs of maintaining tourist attractions with maintaining Thailand's image as an open and inclusive environment for all travellers.

 

Exploring a more balanced pricing strategy that respects both local and global visitors might enhance Thailand's tourist appeal and mitigate feelings of exclusion. Transparent dialogue about the purpose and benefits could bridge divides, fostering a more understanding atmosphere among international guests and aligning economic strategies with Thailand’s longstanding tradition of warm hospitality, reported Pattaya Mail.

 

-- 2024-12-06

 

 

 

 

THere has been some research on this - around 2007 a paper on Khao Yai's dual pricing found that Thai people would not be put off by raising - even doubling - the basic entry fees.

and that scrapping the higher rate for foreigners would increase the number of foreign visitors, and that the higher fees did not in most parks make a significant difference to income - excpt in marine parks which have huge number of foreign visitors compared to Thai people.

 

However the problem runs deeper - the DNP does not mange visitors well in most parks - there needs to be a balance between  numbers , access and maintaining the natural environment - we have seen how disastrous this can be the marine parks - in the inland parks the situation is not really public.

 

THe DNP needs to look at places like Australia to see how the parks are managed with respect to visitors how trails are set up not to be invasive etc. 

In the end it requires finance and policy reform but the dual pricing system has been shown over decades to have no significant impact other than malking foreigners unwelcome and reducing the numbers of visitors.

 

PS - it's worth noting that many national heritage attractions around the world are free or subsidised and there real income from visitors is gained not from entrance fees but from secondary purchases - e.g., camping, souvenirs, voluntary contributions, food accommodation

 

 

 

 

[quake]

28 minutes ago, roo860 said:

You're a Thai citizen, really? You've never mentioned it before.🤭

 

Don't get it,  started again. 

But, But, I'm' Thai. 

 

 

 

[quake]

31 minutes ago, lanng khao said:

Whats sting going to do?

 

Maybe send an sos to the world.

[Tomtomtom69]

1 hour ago, Jonathan Swift said:

Depends on how you define woke. They don't have to be "woke" because they have always been largely free of hate and bigotry against which woke came into being into other countries. Thais are inherently cautious and reluctant to rock the boat. In other words, they have nothing to be woke from, besides the fact that western terms don't even translate here. You can't superimpose western thinking onto Thailand. It's sad that in the west the term is used as an insult and treated as a dirty word just because a demographic of people are trying to move forward in ways that another demographic group objects to. And on the "woke" side, obviously there is extremism that undermines otherwise well intentioned attempts at change. But that's the nature of change - the pendulum always swings and overshoots its mark before reversing into the other direction where it also overshoots.  I find it sad and disturbing to see this western cultural civil war in which nobody wins raging on, with the casualties being peace and harmony. Thai society has largely achieved those two things, pre-empting those derogatory divisive terms. Peace to you brother, and to everyone.  

 

You couldn't be more wrong.

 

The woke agenda is most definitely being introduced into Thai society, particularly among left leaning universities such as Thammasart and the youth who protested against the military during Covid and prior to that are very woke.

 

Overall, the agenda simply isn't as advanced as in the west.

 

For better or worse, Thais are nationalist and racially conscious. Most of them, anyway. This means that they'll find nothing wrong with discriminating against foreigners, be they westerners, Indian, black or whatever. 

[Sydebolle]

Foreigners 300 Baht vs 40 Baht for the semi-divine grown-ups; alien kids 40 Baht vs. the local brats at 20 Baht. 

Instead of letting Thais go free; everybody could level with this as it is their country, their heritage, their national park and their museum - while visitors are requested to pay for the up keeping and maintenance. 

Thai logic resulting in seasoned foreigners turning around. After 38 years living, working and paying taxes in Thailand the following incident might be noteworthy. Road 2331 wanted to charge 500 Baht while my Thai grandson would have sneaked through for 20 Baht. I patiently waited for the staff to hear off the ticket, rip it across to invalidate upon which I put my wallet back and proclaimed a change of mind. The staff went ballistic, well knowing that these two tickets had to paid by the staff. There is only one way to drive the message home - through the wallet. 

Racism could be avoided by Thais = free, non-Thais = pay; simple as that and practiced in many other countries without argument! 

[simon43]

In 22+ years, it has never affected me once, because I simply won't visit any attractions, national parks etc that operate a dual-pricing policy.

[Tomtomtom69]

11 minutes ago, MalcolmB said:

 

They might look thai to you but Thais are good at spotting them.

 

No.

you are just making things up.

 

 

 

Thais are terrible at distinguishing between themselves and other Asians, hence why they can get in for the Thai price whereas we westerners generally can't, even if we speak Thai as fluently as David William does.

[alex8912]

34 minutes ago, Hanuman2547 said:

Your statement is not 100% correct.  For public universities in the US, students, whether they are international students or out of state students, they both pay a much higher rate than students from that state that the university is located in.  An example would be a US citizen from New York decides to go to a public university in Colorado.  That New York student would have to pay the out of state tuition.  The international student, who is obviously out of state, would also pay the same tuition amount as the US citizen from New York to attend the same university in Colorado.  

Foreign students going to a University in the USA also can get a lot of financial aid and scholarships to both state and private schools. Many get full rides JUST BECAUSE they are foreigners!! His statement also included no source and I find it completely untrue. I can name a dozen + Universities in the Boston area that ALL cost over 55K per year in tuition and fees. 

[Tomtomtom69]

1 hour ago, Chomper Higgot said:

She obviously doesn’t meet the residence requirements.

 

But good decision getting higher education in the UK rather than Thailand.

If she's a British citizen she should be paying the British price.

[Chongalulu]

4 hours ago, MalcolmB said:

Well, for a start they would actually have to get in to a western country first wouldnt they. 
Thais can not simply buy an air ticket and fly over to the west. We don’t let them.

 

We make them pay to apply for a visa, often traveling hundreds of kms to our embassies , which is non refundable when we reject them.

 

I never hear them carrying on how racist and discriminatory we are. 
None of the woke BS

It is commonplace all over the world for different nationalities to have differing rules for entry . It is based on the practicalities relating to likelihood of them failing to return/ overstay their visas. Obviously those from poorer countries ( and historical experience) do that more often - Thailand is one of those unfortunately 

[DUNROAMIN]

Tourist prices at Thai venues are the same for all imported western products, taxed to the max targetting Expats. If the government started to tax Thais the same all hell would break out. Thailand has always been the same, try and make tax as low as possible for its citizens and tax all foriegners to cover the shortfall.

[Tomtomtom69]

3 hours ago, Neeranam said:

My daughter is a British citizen and pays the foreign student price in the UK. 

 

Then clearly you're doing something wrong. If she's British, she should be paying the local price.

[tomacht8]

1 hour ago, marin said:

Stop posting false information. Twice you have done it now.

Ok. I am wrong.

 

 

 

[Tomtomtom69]

2 hours ago, luangtom52 said:

Money-wise, I know most foreign residents and visitors to Thailand can afford the two-tier pricing and higher taxes. But, on the world stage, I have yet to see Western nations charging inflated prices or taxes for foreign residents or visitors. I no longer travel due to health issues, but know in the past that there were times when it did bother me. Flaunting it by gate-keepers or merchants was upsetting. They especially disliked it when I spoke to them in their native tongue and questioned them. I resided there for years and still have a house there in my wife's name. She returns for stays, but is not nailed with the double-tier until they find out she is an American citizen. Then, her anger usually kicks in and words are exchanged. That is just my two-cents....

 

Whether officials would get upset or not when I question their policies by asking them in Thai is immaterial. At the end of the day, I don't think they care one way or another. 

[Tomtomtom69]

3 hours ago, Neeranam said:

US culture is better -  and locals get discount at Disney World. The OAPs that retire here have nothing better to moan about than locals getting discount they don't get, maybe adds up to $10 a year. They forget that as a Thai I need to invest $500,000 to get a long-term retirement visa -  they pay 2000 baht, or many I know do it illegally for $500 through an agent.

 

If you're really Thai, why do you need a retirement visa? 

[richard_smith237]

4 hours ago, Neeranam said:

When playing Royal Melbourne Golf Club with my Aussie friend(who lives in Thailand), I was charged 5,000 baht more. 

It is not discrimination, stop moaning.

Discrimination is when I(a white Thai) am not allowed the Thai price at a local golf course because of the colour of my skin, or when I am not allowed to buy a condo as they don't want farang there. 

 

You use this example many times... You were not a resident of the area. A Thai (or any other national) who could prove local residency would get the local price - thus that is not dual-charging. 

 

Thailand exercises dual charging based on nationality, many others (including yourself) are using dual charging based on residency as a comparison which is flawed. 

 

Another flawed example of yours below: 

3 hours ago, Neeranam said:

My daughter is a British citizen and pays the foreign student price in the UK. 

 

You / Your daughter pays the 'non-Resident' price - if you / she had lived in the UK for three years leading up to Uni, she'd be paying the UK Resident Price.

Equally so, If a Thai family (or any other nationality) Live in the UK (as residents) for 3 years leading to Uni, they also would get the the UK resident price.

 

 

 

 

[newbee2022]

4 hours ago, mdr224 said:

If the discrimination doesnt bother you thats good for you, it goes against my beliefs. Our countries dont charge asians a different price

If you got a belief go to church...🧑‍🎄

[stix40]

What happens if you live within the national park boundaries?

You have to pay 300 Baht every 5 days ? 

If you have a non resident visa 

ie retired or 

Spouse visa

300 could be 150 Baht

Time spent and money spent !! 

 

Tourist can pay 300 Baht 

Cheap for them on holiday 

Fair enough 😉