All Farangs To Pay Full Price At National Parks

[Foggy Bottom]

It's not a new topic .....

Note this August 2002 article from Chiangmai City Life magazine (last few paragraphs)

Or, paragraph 14 of this one from September 2002

The problem of the dual pricing and the intent for 400 Baht admission has been around for a long time - even as recently as January this year, visiting Doi Suthep temple, in a mixed farang/Thai group of 8, some of the farangs paid 20 Baht and some got in free by just walking past the ticket booth and onto the cable car (I was one who dutifully paid the 20 Baht with the justification that I was paying for use of the cable car, not entry to the temple).

A few months earlier, with the same group, we visited Doi Inthanon - only one in the group paid 200 Baht, the rest (including the Thai kids and me) paid 20 Baht.

A lot seems dependent on how you approach the ticket desk. An assertive move is to place the 20 Baht note down with a relevant Thai issued ID (Driving license, teacher's ID etc). Such an approach has never failed me.

Gaz

[rogerchiangmai]

Sriracha John and Goshawk - I think you have misread my take on this, or perhaps the original posting is way too far back now. I repeat it was completely off that the staff at one National Park tried to convince my wife that a meeting had taken place just recently and that all westerners at all national parks irrspective of their residency or occupation in Thailand had to pay 400THB with immediate effect. So off in fact that at the same national park they have since allowed people in for the local rate 40THb. IN OTHER WORDS THEY LIED TO TRY AND EXTRACT 400THB FROM ALL 10 PEOPLE PRESENT THAT DAY, so in my book that is very off.

To CNX Mike - situation has clearly not changed here in Chiang Mai and probably wider, (but this thread has become long and winding so difficult to follow) therefore as before it seems that generally if you can convince the national park entrance staff that you are not a short stay tourist by producing driving licence or similar, or chatting to them in Thai or via a Thai speaker then you will get in at local rates. Clearly their are exceptions at some national parks depending on variables such as staff on duty that day, how the staff feel, how busy it is etc. and certain parks seem more inflexible but unlikely that has been a genuine national clampdown or national policy shift from this month based on the experiences shared here.

NB: I was at Mae Sa waterfall 2 weeks ago - showed driving licence, got in at local rate no problem and perhaps have been lucky on my travels, but have always found that to be the case although haven't been to southern islands etc. for a while admittedly.

I hope that this helps.

Edited November 26, 2007 by rogerchiangmai

[sriracha john]

Sriracha John and Goshawk - I think you have misread what has been written. I repeat it was completely off that the staff at one National Park tried to convince my wife that a meeting had taken place in November 2007 and that all westerners at all national parks irrspective of their residency or occupation in Thailand had to pay 400THB. So off in fact that at the same national park thet have allowed people in for the local rate 40THb subsequently. IN OTHER WORDS THEY LIED TO TRY AND EXTRACT 400THB FROM ALL 10 PEOPLE PRESENT THAT DAY, so in my book that is very off.

To CNX Mike - situation has clearly not changed at all, (but this thread has become long and winding so difficult to follow) therefore as before it seems that generally if you can convince the national park entrance staff that you are not a short stay tourist by producing driving licence or similar, or chatting to them in Thai or via a Thai speaker then you will get in at local rates. Clearly their are exceptions at some national parks depending on variables such as staff on duty that day, how the staff feel, how busy it is etc. but clearly there has been no national clampdown or national policy shift from this month based on the experiences shared here.

I hope that this helps.

It's entirely believable that perhaps there was a recent meeting, but that it was a local meeting, not a national one, and at the meeting, it was discerned that the Doi Suthep National Park was not in compliance with the national regulations by allowing foreigners in at the local rate. The local meeting which may have been prompted by calls to do so by the National Headquarters was responded to by what your group experienced.

The national meeting that determined the increase in fares for both Thais and foreigners at National Parks was held over a year ago... but as evidenced by the posts in this thread, it's not been uniformly followed since then.

To attempt to charge you 400 baht each was not dishonest on his part as actually that is what is honestly due.

To disagree with that policy, which I do, is separate.

Why they have seemingly resorted back to not following the rule is anyone's guess, perhaps they'd rather not deal with upset foreigners, but whatever the reason, it attests to the "consistently inconsistent" norm as mentioned, but I wouldn't expect it to last... let alone, expect it in the first place.

I wouldn't characterize the Parks fully enforcing the rule (ALL people not in possession of a Thai National ID Card are charged the foreigner rate) as "exceptions." Indeed, if one just happened to visit the 3 different parks mentioned previously as examples, their experience would be 100% "exceptional."

One needs to be careful to extend National guidelines or rules based mainly on local experiences.

Edited November 26, 2007 by sriracha john

[rogerchiangmai]

Well SR I respect your view of course, and maybe you are right - but the staff, well one in particular was insistent that there had been a NATIONAL meeting just the week before and that everyone would have to pay. They backed down of course under protest that there had been no publicity or signage to that effect at the park entrance, among other things. We all 10 of us paid 20THB as a group discount presumably because they thought we were a tour rather than a group of friends who happen to live in Chiang Mai. If they did indeed have a local meeting (which I somehow doubt) it seems they have reversed any decisions made so perhaps we have done a good service, although the simplier explanation is that we simply averted a try on.

[paco]

CHARGES TO NATIONAL PARKS - CHANGE FROM 15th NOVEMBER

ALL FOREIGNERS TO PAY FULL PRICE 400THB

The question here is can anyone confirm a change in the policy in Thailand of allowing long stay foreigners to enter national parks etc. at the local Thai prices. Up until now this has been straightforward by using Thai driving licence or similar BUT THIS MAY HAVE CHANGED.

We visited Doi Suthep national park yesterday (Sunday) and the officials demanded 400THB per person entry from all 10 of us. We protested that we are all Thai residents and had the necessary documents only to be told that there had been a recent meeting??? and that ALL foreigners are now required to pay. We protested about this and pointed out that there had been no signs or notice to this effect (we suspected that it had been made up) In the end the officials backed down, charged us 20THB each and said that we would have to pay 400THB next time! we pointed out that there would not be a next time if this was the policy - we will be voting with our feet.

This seems to be a new policy - the meeting was said to have taken place on 15th November - has any one else heard about this or is it just a few locals making policy up on the hoof????

Roger, Chiang Mai

[/quote

Well, here's another reason my move to China made sense. I finally started visiting the Thai parks after I got my Thai driver's license. No way would I pay the "foreigner" price before that. I also stopped going to the national parks in America when they started charging admission, although at age 65 you can get a lifetime pass.

One of the major tourist attractions here in Dali, Yunnan is the Three Pagodas. Everyone pays the same steep price of Y121 or about $17 US. I have not visited this attraction. I found other tourist attractions around here to be similarly priced. I think China used to have the two tier pricing but changed to charging everyone the same, in my opinion, outrageously high prices. Still, I think I prefer this to being charged a "special" price for being a "foreigner"

Paco, who used to live in Chiangmai

[sriracha john]

Well SR I respect your view of course, and maybe you are right - but the staff, well one in particular was insistent that there had been a NATIONAL meeting just the week before and that everyone would have to pay. They backed down of course under protest that there had been no publicity or signage to that effect at the park entrance, among other things. We all 10 of us paid 20THB as a group discount presumably because they thought we were a tour rather than a group of friends who happen to live in Chiang Mai. If they did indeed have a local meeting (which I somehow doubt) it seems they have reversed any decisions made so perhaps we have done a good service, although the simplier explanation is that we simply averted a try on.

Perhaps they did have a national meeting... in which Headquarters was lambasting those parks that were not in full compliance with the fee increase and that's why they decided to implement the national policy.

Perhaps with your group, rather than a case of presuming you were "a group of local Chiang Mai friends" (which would have no bearing on the fee paid) the gatekeeper decided dealing face to face with 10 disgruntled foreigners was not worth it just to please the distant Headquarters and thus allowed your group at the non-policy rate and they have since returned to blowing them off.... as is the case often whenever locals are tasked with following headquarters directives in Thailand.

[chanchao]

And perhaps nobody really knows the exact motivations of the forestry department staffer at the little booth at Montrathan falls that day, and perhaps nobody ever will.

[flupke]

just discovered this interesting topic

my experience a few days ago : Chiang Mai , mae thaeng district , MOKFAH WATERFALL

entrance foreigner 400 bath

i just wanted to visit maybe one hour : no exception , pay full price for a day pass

so i refuse , i don ' t want to be treated as another stupid tourist

20 to 400 bath = multiplied with 20 , compare this in salary : thai salary 15.000 bath or more to 300.000 bath ???

i spend lots of hours cycling in the most beautifull scenery , doi saket - san kampheng mountains , and allover chiang rai province : for free

and i prefer to support local small business instead of all this government projects

talk about this subject to thai people , they also say it ' s crazy policy

solution : i just avoid these places from now

[Donnyboy]

Just off the top of my head and to be quite specific from personal experiences, the following parks would accept ONLY Thai National ID cards for admission at Thai prices:

Pang Sida National Park

Huay Huat National Park

Khao Sam Roi Yot National Marine Park

It is a highly inconsistent policy extended across the country

for what its worth, I can get in at the local prices as long as I keep my mouth shut!

There's innumerable National Parks spanning the length and width of this country where that doesn't work.

perhaps should explain further- my g/f pays the ticket whilst I smile/nod to the person selling the ticket and it works!

It helps if you look Thai.

see above...

re Thai National ID card- now where do I get one of those made?

[Johpa]

Seen this morning in the newspaper:

India

Authorities say "no" to weaker U.S. dollar

Indian authorities have ruled that tourists visiting the country's monuments must pay at a fixed local rupee rate rather than in dollars to shore up revenues as the greenback falls against major currencies.

Entrance to many sites for foreign tourists in India is priced in dollars and then converted to rupees, meaning that authorities have been losing money this year as the dollar slid more than 12 percent against the local currency.

The government had fixed a $5 entrance fee for World Heritage sites like the Taj Mahal and $2 for other monuments at a time when the dollar was worth about 50 rupees. The dollar is now worth around 39 rupees. The new rate for World Heritage Sites is fixed at 250 rupees, meaning a foreign tourist will pay the equivalent of about $6.50. (That is about 220 baat)

So perhaps 400B is asking a wee much for local little waterfall parks like Mae Sa, Mok Faa, and countless other minor natural attractions that happen to be situated within National Forest boundaries, locations where little in the way of amenities, other than primitive toilet facilities, are provided. So we can perhaps conclude that the 400B fee is really all about greed, combined with a tinge of racism, and stuffing corrupt officials pockets with money, and with little thought to maintaining natural park sites as the travesty of garbage and commercialism at the slightly larger sites like Mae Sa Waterfall would indicate. A 200B fee for tourists at significant sites like the Grand Palace may easily be defended, but the 400B fees at these secondary trifling locations is a joke. Maybe some of you neo-sahibs working in the tech industries feel like you might be working in a glass building and don't want to throw stones, and so pay these ridiculous fees without complaint. But I for one will continue to avoid these fees when in-country.

[sriracha john]

Just off the top of my head and to be quite specific from personal experiences, the following parks would accept ONLY Thai National ID cards for admission at Thai prices:

Pang Sida National Park

Huay Huat National Park

Khao Sam Roi Yot National Marine Park

It is a highly inconsistent policy extended across the country

for what its worth, I can get in at the local prices as long as I keep my mouth shut!

There's innumerable National Parks spanning the length and width of this country where that doesn't work.

perhaps should explain further- my g/f pays the ticket whilst I smile/nod to the person selling the ticket and it works!

It helps if you look Thai.

see above...

re Thai National ID card- now where do I get one of those made?

You'll have to go the same place that this "average, typically poor Thai citizen" got his.... the local amphur office:

[chanchao]

I think that's incorrect. As a foreigner, your first stop would be the Immigration Office.

[sriracha john]

Presuming Donnyboy has obtained the necessary citizenship first, it seems to be correct.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...=122169&hl=

Story Of My Thai Citizenship Application - Part 2 - Getting The ID Card

but then again, I suppose he could just buy a Premier League team and wait for it to be delivered.

[thaibear1]

CHARGES TO NATIONAL PARKS - CHANGE FROM 15th NOVEMBER

ALL FOREIGNERS TO PAY FULL PRICE 400THB

The question here is can anyone confirm a change in the policy in Thailand of allowing long stay foreigners to enter national parks etc. at the local Thai prices. Up until now this has been straightforward by using Thai driving licence or similar BUT THIS MAY HAVE CHANGED.

We visited Doi Suthep national park yesterday (Sunday) and the officials demanded 400THB per person entry from all 10 of us. We protested that we are all Thai residents and had the necessary documents only to be told that there had been a recent meeting??? and that ALL foreigners are now required to pay. We protested about this and pointed out that there had been no signs or notice to this effect (we suspected that it had been made up) In the end the officials backed down, charged us 20THB each and said that we would have to pay 400THB next time! we pointed out that there would not be a next time if this was the policy - we will be voting with our feet.

This seems to be a new policy - the meeting was said to have taken place on 15th November - has any one else heard about this or is it just a few locals making policy up on the hoof????

Roger, Chiang Mai

..... it's not all, on Pala-U-Waterall close Hua Hin Thai pay 40 Bath, Farang 400 = facotr 10 and same on James Bond Islands, Thai 20 Bath and Farang 200 Bath...... real motivation for tourists ...... go once and never again

[george]

This topic goes on here:

Thai Govt hits foreigners with double pricing entry fees

Full translation and full story:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=155854

Edited November 29, 2007 by lopburi3
correct link - lopburi3