Debate over dual pricing in Thailand’s tourism sector is resurfacing, with recent discussions highlighting ongoing frustration among expats and travellers.

Dual pricing, where foreigners are charged higher fees than Thai nationals at attractions and services, has long been a feature of the local tourism landscape. While widely known, the issue continues to generate strong reactions.

In recent weeks, discussions on ASEAN Now have brought the topic back into focus, with users sharing mixed views on fairness, value and transparency.

Some argue that higher prices for foreign visitors reflect economic realities and help support local infrastructure. Others see the practice as inconsistent and confusing, particularly when pricing is not clearly displayed.

The issue tends to surface during peak travel periods, when more visitors encounter pricing differences at national parks, attractions and transport services.

While dual pricing is not unique to Thailand, the lack of standardisation continues to draw criticism, especially among long-term residents who feel the distinction is not always applied consistently.

Despite this, the system remains in place across many parts of the tourism sector, and there are no clear signs of widespread changes.

For a full discussion and user experiences, see the original thread:

👉 Dual pricing in Thai tourism: economic necessity or hidden bias?

The issue has also been highlighted in recent reporting, including a March 1 article examining the wider impact of dual pricing on Thailand’s tourism outlook.

👉 Dual pricing debate clouds Thai tourism outlook

More discussion on dual pricing

I don't let myself get in a lather about dual pricing.

If I think the attraction is worth it, I will pay the extra. If not, I walk away. I probably do that more often than not.

IMO tourism in Thailand has more to worry about than dual pricing. The Iran war is affecting tourist numbers.

When my massage lady is worrying about whether she has to go back to her village, because she can no longer make a profit after paying the shop rental, that's a sign of the times.

On 3/21/2026 at 9:08 AM, Lacessit said:

I don't let myself get in a lather about dual pricing.

I've never let it bother me either - until I recently had some health care at a hospital where a few words in Thai brought the price down 25% on a rather large bill. Unlike a trip to the national park, health care is an essential service, and charges often don't show up until after the care is performed. I don't appreciate being taken advantage of at a vulnerable moment, and it's not a time most of us think to bargain for a discount.

For most issues, I think the double pricing issue is a nonthing burger, but I think health care costs are one area that should be regulated 😶

Dual pricing in Thailand doesn't bother me. It exists everywhere. My own country, the UK, charges foreign students double for attendance at university.

Life is too short to get annoyed about dual price – in my biew it's only fair that the nation's population can get in cheap or free, while we foreiogners pays – recalculate to your own Western home country's money, often you wouldn't care about the equivalent to a few hundred baht in foreigner's entrance fee...

Perhaps if tourists stopped calling it dual pricing and called it what it is, racist pricing, it would end. All the rich Thai kids driving Ferraris can afford the higher price but they're sneering at the people who pay more.

5 hours ago, Wuvu2 said:

I've never let it bother me either - until I recently had some health care at a hospital where a few words in Thai brought the price down 25% on a rather large bill. Unlike a trip to the national park, health care is an essential service, and charges often don't show up until after the care is performed. I don't appreciate being taken advantage of at a vulnerable moment, and it's not a time most of us think to bargain for a discount.

For most issues, I think the double pricing issue is a nonthing burger, but I think health care costs are one area that should be regulated 😶

Was that a public or private hospital? While I don't get the Thai subsidized healthcare, I have found fees in the Chiang Rai public hospital to be very reasonable.

17 minutes ago, Purdey said:

Perhaps if tourists stopped calling it dual pricing and called it what it is, racist pricing, it would end. All the rich Thai kids driving Ferraris can afford the higher price but they're sneering at the people who pay more.

Seems a bit fast to play the race card here. Government dual pricing is based on nationality.

Double pricing by retail shops is based on suckerism, not racism. Most price gougers I've met are happy to overcharge all races equally 🙄

8 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Was that a public or private hospital?

Private. They are not at all shy about multiple pricing strategies. Their first response when asked about the price is "Do you have insurance?" There is a foreign price point, a price point for foreigners who ask for a discount, a price point for foreigners who have insurance, and probably similar tiers for Thai nationals. Healthcare is really the only issue where foreigner pricing upsets me.

I'm not sure why this issue keeps coming up, there's only two options. Go to or buy from the attractions/stores that have double pricing and pay the price, or don't, simple really. I prefer the latter option on principle, that's just me.

Pound to a penny the loudest voices re: this topic, are the most vocal in denying racism is even a thing "back home".

It's a widely held view that foreigners are somehow exploiting the system by paying the same as Thais . I always get a dirty look from the lady at the second hand clothes stall , meaning I shouldn't be there, I should be buying expensive stuff from posh department stores like other foreigners. Same thing at the cafe - asked about the price and was pointed to the all you can eat buffet at 90 kp, whereas the standard price was 40 kp .( this was in Laos) .

This subject is worse then flogging a dead horse

If you don't agree paying more as a tourust or ex-pat don't

More important things to worry about in Life

Dual pricing becomes a big deal when one goes for treatment at a private hospital. The price for foreigners has become downright criminal. Even the big government hospital in Udon Thani has dual pricing. Simple lab tests and most medications are sold at the Thai price, but most every other service, special meds and lab tests are affected by the dual pricing scheme, and in some cases, it is on par with prices in the private hospitals. That should get your attention if it hasn't already.

Not a problem as far as I am concerned.

If dual pricing does not bother many people and is even considered good by some in Thailand, should dual pricing be introduced internationally in all countries for the sake of equality, or are some countries privileged in dual pricing?

Really don't have a problem with dual pricing. Certainly don't expect to be covered under the gold card program at govt hosp, since not paying into the fund.

I can go to USA National Park, unlimited, for small annual fee, admits me free as a senior, although Thais / non US citizen pay full price at all.

Not easy to enter USA or EU on tourist visa, or free/low cost. But USA get visa exempt here in TH.

Stop crying, and walk with your feet if don't want to pay.

Visited Monster Aquarium in Pattaya earlier this week with my thai family / grandkids. It has dual pricing, but i was surprised and impressed that they very clearly display that foreigners showing their work permit or Thai driving licence can pay local price 👏. Can't think of anywhere else I've been that clearly offers us farlangs the local price.

On 3/21/2026 at 12:08 PM, Lacessit said:

I don't let myself get in a lather about dual pricing.

If I think the attraction is worth it, I will pay the extra. If not, I walk away. I probably do that more often than not.

IMO tourism in Thailand has more to worry about than dual pricing. The Iran war is affecting tourist numbers.

When my massage lady is worrying about whether she has to go back to her village, because she can no longer make a profit after paying the shop rental, that's a sign of the times.

Your girlfriend cannot massage you?

Sad.

Even the US charges tourists higher fees, so it's not really a big deal here. One things' for sure, the colonoscopy and upper endoscopy I received here for 7000 baht would have cost me an average of $5000 USD or about 165,000 Baht back home.

How many times in my 30+ years in Thailand have I seen issue this come up?!

It's simple, you either go to the venues /use the vendors that double price and you don't care, or you don't, I prefer the latter on principle.

I don't mind paying for things like national park entrance, maybe 200 bt , that's about £ 4.80 . A similar experience in the UK might be 3 × that . What annoys me is when the local swimming pool has 2 prices, with the farang price written in Thai . That just seems like a rip-off / exploitation.

A barber was charging 300 baht for foreigners and only 100 baht for Thais. But you can always walk away.

On 3/23/2026 at 7:08 AM, Wuvu2 said:

Private. They are not at all shy about multiple pricing strategies. Their first response when asked about the price is "Do you have insurance?" There is a foreign price point, a price point for foreigners who ask for a discount, a price point for foreigners who have insurance, and probably similar tiers for Thai nationals. Healthcare is really the only issue where foreigner pricing upsets me.

Me too . The Thai government has provided all Thai government hospitals with guide prices for common medical treatments and foreigners fees are often double the price . Guide below .

The Thai government has officially implemented tiered pricing for medical services in public hospitals, requiring foreign nationals to pay higher rates than Thai citizens. The new regulations, which officially took effect in September 2019, aimed to formalize extra charges that were already occurring and to ensure that public hospitals are not subsidizing care for wealthier foreigners.

Facebook +3

Key Details of the Tiered Pricing System

• Tier 1: Thai Nationals (lowest rate).

• Tier 2: ASEAN Nationals (Association of Southeast Asian Nations).

• Tier 3: Foreign expats on non-immigrant visas.

• Tier 4: Tourists and retirees (highest rate).

• Price Discrepancies: Retirees and tourists often pay up to double the rate charged to Thai nationals for the same services.

• Example Rates: An HIV test costs 160 THB for Thais/ASEAN nationals, 240 THB for working expats, and 320 THB for tourists/retirees. A spinal MRI costing THB 18,700 for Thais can increase to THB 28,050 for retirees/tourists.

However , regarding the M.R.I. spinal cost, there are private M.R.I./ C.T. clinics in Bangkok where the cost is under 10,000 baht . I had an M.R.I. spinal scan in a government hospital last year at a cost of 8000 baht , which had been booked in by my doctor but if you walk in without an appointment it was 21000 baht .

Basic medical treatment costs should be on an even scale for all apart from cosmetic procedures . Sick non Thais are taken advantage of and charged extortionate fees for operations compared to a local Thai . Pure profiteering made on sick people .

Thailand was once an attractive country for medical low cost treatment but it has been overtaken by other countries that offer top doctors at a much cheaper cost .

18 minutes ago, superal said:

Me too . The Thai government has provided all Thai government hospitals with guide prices for common medical treatments and foreigners fees are often double the price . Guide below .

The Thai government has officially implemented tiered pricing for medical services in public hospitals, requiring foreign nationals to pay higher rates than Thai citizens.

Public hospitals are supported by the government so it seems fair that I'm not allowed to place a burden on Thai taxpayers. To my eye, it is the private hospitals that are taking unfair advantage of foreigners.

While I don't like dual pricing and I've never liked it, I no longer make a big deal about it these days, except for medical costs (I'm fine with the 30 Baht scheme being only for Thai nationals). The reason? Thailand is being joined by wealthy, developed countries who are doing the same thing.

First it was Singapore and now there's France, the USA, Japan and New Zealand (among others) who impose dual pricing at certain attractions or situations.

New Zealand applies a NZD100 tourism tax on all visiting foreigners, except for Australian citizens and citizens of certain Pacific Island nations and beginning soon, major national parks will begin charging foreign nationals, with New Zealand citizens being exempt. It's unclear whether Australians will have to pay or not (some articles are pushing the idea it's all foreign nationals but it hasn't been confirmed yet).

France charges non-Schengen nationals a higher price to enter the Louvre and there may be other sites that do or will do the same soon.

US national parks have begun charging non-US citizens / non-permanent residents a higher fee to visit many of its top national parks.

Japan imposes widespread dual pricing at certain restaurants and tourist attractions, in a bid to combat "overtourism".

Singapore charges foreigners (except permanent residents and reportedly, certain types of residents, such as those holding an employment pass) a higher fee to visit Gardens by the Bay and some other attractions.

Therefore, the chances a developing country like Thailand ever changing its stance on dual pricing are slim to none. In fact, dual pricing is becoming MORE common than ever before and I'm sure over the coming years, we'll see more dual pricing sites added. Already there's one added since June last year: the Sadok Kok Thom temple (which is similar to a mini Angkor Wat) over in Aranyaprathet, Sra Kaew, close to the border with Cambodia now charges foreigners an entry fee. Prior to June 2025, everyone entered for free. The timing of the change is ironic - given it occurred exactly when tensions with Cambodia heightened and the borders were closed.

I think it's time Thailand was honest and stopped pretending that anything will ever be done about dual pricing. Other than for medical treatment, let's stop bringing it up, because nothing is going to change and there's no incentive anyway. With more and more WEALTHY, developed nations introducing dual pricing for the first time, even if Thailand one day became as wealthy as those nations, they still wouldn't have any incentive to eliminate it.

Thailand could simply point to Japan, America, Singapore etc. and say look, these countries are all rich and developed and they have dual pricing now...therefore, we can't possibly not have it.

On 3/23/2026 at 7:01 AM, Wuvu2 said:

Seems a bit fast to play the race card here. Government dual pricing is based on nationality.

Double pricing by retail shops is based on suckerism, not racism. Most price gougers I've met are happy to overcharge all races equally 🙄

Well it verges on racism when white people are singled out by the militant national park guard with an oversized whistle but Asian people from neighbouring countries waltz on in uninterrupted.

On 3/28/2026 at 11:36 AM, fittobethaied said:

Dual pricing becomes a big deal when one goes for treatment at a private hospital. The price for foreigners has become downright criminal. Even the big government hospital in Udon Thani has dual pricing. Simple lab tests and most medications are sold at the Thai price, but most every other service, special meds and lab tests are affected by the dual pricing scheme, and in some cases, it is on par with prices in the private hospitals. That should get your attention if it hasn't already.

Do private hospitals dual price then

On 6/14/2026 at 8:02 AM, Kananga said:

Well it verges on racism when white people are singled out by the militant national park guard with an oversized whistle but Asian people from neighbouring countries waltz on in uninterrupted.

Yes it does equal racism