Tourism Foreign Tourists in Pattaya Feel "Short-Changed" Amid Local Deals

[newnative]

On 7/31/2025 at 10:44 AM, kiwikeith said:

And these tourists are cheap Charlie's and don't help the Thai economy, the majority are on guided tours visiting Chinese owned venues 

Incorrect.  The majority of the Chinese visitors, 60%, were independent travelers.

[fittobethaied]

On 7/31/2025 at 8:45 AM, kingstonkid said:

That is actually an easy question to answer.

 

Thai hospitals can claim part of the costs to treat Thais and get reimbursed through the health care system.  

 

There is also the money issue; these hospitals used to lose money from Farang tourists who did stupid things and could not or would not pay.

 

"There is also the money issue; these hospitals used to lose money from Farang tourists who did stupid things and could not or would not pay".

 

This hideous lie is one of the main bullet points in the false narrative that all of the hospitals love to parrot in order to justify their ridiculous pricing schedules. I have lived in Thailand for 15 years and have never heard of one farang patient who has left the hospital with an unpaid bill which was never collected. Every retailer on the planet has a budget item on their balance sheet for loss due to pilferage, theft, spoilage, and so on. All hospitals certainly have budgeted for losses as well. It's part of doing business, so why should we farangs pay an extra price for hospital products and services just because the hospital loses a bit of money that has already been budgeted for. It's all one big scam to put more money in the pockets of the elite within the industry. 

[sambum]

21 minutes ago, fittobethaied said:

 

"There is also the money issue; these hospitals used to lose money from Farang tourists who did stupid things and could not or would not pay".

 

This hideous lie is one of the main bullet points in the false narrative that all of the hospitals love to parrot in order to justify their ridiculous pricing schedules. I have lived in Thailand for 15 years and have never heard of one farang patient who has left the hospital with an unpaid bill which was never collected. Every retailer on the planet has a budget item on their balance sheet for loss due to pilferage, theft, spoilage, and so on. All hospitals certainly have budgeted for losses as well. It's part of doing business, so why should we farangs pay an extra price for hospital products and services just because the hospital loses a bit of money that has already been budgeted for. It's all one big scam to put more money in the pockets of the elite within the industry. 

 

I had a 3 day stay in a Government hospital for cellulitis, which was expected to cost approximately 20k . I had to leave 30k deposit and also my passport (I know, it's illegal, but they were adamant that they would not give me treatment otherwise) The treatment cost a bit less than 20k, but how anyone can walk away without paying their bills to be honest confuses me - especially without your passport! 

[ChipButty]

16 minutes ago, sambum said:

 

I had a 3 day stay in a Government hospital for cellulitis, which was expected to cost approximately 20k . I had to leave 30k deposit and also my passport (I know, it's illegal, but they were adamant that they would not give me treatment otherwise) The treatment cost a bit less than 20k, but how anyone can walk away without paying their bills to be honest confuses me - especially without your passport! 

Ive been in hospital a few times over the 25 years of living here and never once had to leave my passport, infact only showed it once years ago and they gave me a member card and just show that if I needed the hospital, 

[ChipButty]

1 hour ago, newnative said:

Incorrect.  The majority of the Chinese visitors, 60%, were independent travelers.

Most of what I see now are independent travelers, I dont think many tour groups are coming, I do know of a hotel that was built before covid only catering for Chinese tour groups it has been closed down since and still closed, I drive by every Sunday, shame it was a nice place, 

[Liverpool Lou]

15 hours ago, actonion said:

On 7/31/2025 at 12:37 PM, Liverpool Lou said:

It's astonishing that you seem to think that privately owned businesses owe you any kind of explanation about their fee structure!

And why should'nt  they  give an explanation if you're paying for a service,?

Because how they structure their charges (as opposed to what the charges are) in a private business is none of anyone's business, if you don't like the costs, go elsewhere.  

[Harsh Jones]

On 7/30/2025 at 4:54 PM, champers said:

The Thai government subsidises locals who are strapped for cash. Can they be expected to subsidise foteign tourists as well, who are far wealthier in relative terms?

Yeah. And all the same ppl who cry about this would fully support double pricing if it was wealthier ppl coming to their country

[Harsh Jones]

On 7/30/2025 at 7:22 PM, captain_shane said:

A 3 min form to fill out is too hard for you? Go to vietnam then, why are you here in thailand, it's 1400 baht to fly, why not leave? Oh wait, no one actually likes vietnam in reality.

That's quite damning for Vietnam. Only a 5% return rate. So a lot of these complainers are all talk. They cry about the "double pricing" but keep coming back. It appears that Thai's are in fact better at business than their counterparts in Vietnam 

[Harsh Jones]

11 hours ago, fittobethaied said:

 

"so why should we farangs pay an extra price for hospital products and services just because the hospital loses a bit of money that has already been budgeted for. It's all one big scam to put more money in the pockets of the elite within the industry. 

You don't have a choice. It has always been this way. If you don't like it , there's the airport.

[jacko45k]

15 hours ago, fittobethaied said:

I have lived in Thailand for 15 years and have never heard of one farang patient who has left the hospital with an unpaid bill which was never collected.

I certainly have. One case the guy used a lawyer to get his passport back off them, and I recently saw a YT vlogger do a runner on a small clinic bill. 

[Maxbkkcm]

On 7/31/2025 at 2:33 PM, geisha said:

Of course Thailand was more safe / beautiful / cheaper years back. But so we’re most countries ! 
we can’t compare the Thailand after the Vietnam war up till 2000´with today !!!!Sure it was better, hence all the older expats having discovered a great place to settle down.  You could cross the road without worrying you.d be run down, much less crime and fighting, less disgusting drunks, less of everything bad. Prices were very cheap , flights here for tourists were VERY expensive. 
Unfortunately Thailand has not invested in its country, roads are a mess, pavements, crossings and driving are death traps, lots of crazy drug fired kids robbing tourists . The Thai police force has let Thailand down. Since drugs became legal, the tourists come in droves only for that reason ! Everyone talks about it . 
Hotels are resting on their laurels and not upgrading their rooms. 4 star hotels are really 2 star.5 stars are aging too and expensive. 
booking agencies online get cheap rooms for off season, or rooms they have not upgraded ! As I saw in one well known hotel opposite Central shopping, great hotel, age old rooms at certain levels. my friends were disgusted. 
Thailand on a whole needs upgrading and safety rules. 
TAT should be active instead of spouting lies. 
 

How did we get there? What are the causes of all this bad now as oppose as 20 years ago. Why everything is going downhill suddenly

[BritManToo]

On 7/31/2025 at 8:16 AM, captain_shane said:

How are you getting ripped off? Are you getting ripped off at bars during ladies nights where they get in free and men have to pay? You're a guest in their country, why would you expect to be treated the same as them? Why would they even want you here if you aren't bringing them more money than a regular thai person can?

I expect to be treated better than the locals, that's how you treat guests!

[kiwikeith]

17 hours ago, newnative said:

Incorrect.  The majority of the Chinese visitors, 60%, were independent travelers.

I have not seen the latest figures on that but as a ex tour driver in NZ it was allways that way and was that way in Thailand, covid has changed tourists now it has turned Rotorua NZ a very popular tourist attraction dead, used to be 1000s of tour busses there now 

 hardly any and huge closure of motels there. 

The motels there have been turned into emergency housing and are full of homeless people. 

A local told me tourism is ffd there now 

No doubt covid has changed Thailands tourist industry along with the rest of the world, look at the prices of Hotels in Thailand that are struggling to find customers 

Indra BK has closed 3 floors and is mainly empty with skeleton staff although that's not what booking sites claim. 

 

[kingstonkid]

18 hours ago, fittobethaied said:

 

"There is also the money issue; these hospitals used to lose money from Farang tourists who did stupid things and could not or would not pay".

 

This hideous lie is one of the main bullet points in the false narrative that all of the hospitals love to parrot in order to justify their ridiculous pricing schedules. I have lived in Thailand for 15 years and have never heard of one farang patient who has left the hospital with an unpaid bill which was never collected. Every retailer on the planet has a budget item on their balance sheet for loss due to pilferage, theft, spoilage, and so on. All hospitals certainly have budgeted for losses as well. It's part of doing business, so why should we farangs pay an extra price for hospital products and services just because the hospital loses a bit of money that has already been budgeted for. It's all one big scam to put more money in the pockets of the elite within the industry. 

 

When I was in a local tier 2  hospital, I was charged more, but that was justified by them putting me in a private room.  Hell 1 time I was put in the maternity section for food poisoning so that they had a nurse that spoke English LOL

 

I am not justifying just saying that there are a few reasons.  Hosiptals get government funding for Thais through the Thai 30 baht system.

 

I have a feeling that if we looked at Canadian  US hospitals, they have a system to overcharge people also  because of a lack of government support.

[Harsh Jones]

3 hours ago, BritManToo said:

I expect to be treated better than the locals, that's how you treat guests!

So you make demands as a guest?

[jacko45k]

23 hours ago, BritManToo said:

I expect to be treated better than the locals, that's how you treat guests!

Always recall being in Sri Lanka and hearing from a driver that the police won't mess with him as he has a foreign tourist with him, and they are not to be messed with! We are too common here and seem go be generally disliked, and seen as cash cows.