National Park Fees Reduced For Foreigners

[sabaijai]

National park fees reduced for foreigners

APINYA WIPATAYOTIN

The National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department has cut the entrance fees for foreigners to national parks countrywide in a bid to lure more overseas tourists.

The reduction came after the department received a number of complaints from foreign visitors that the fees are too high, compared with the poor facilities for tourists at the parks.

Effective from Dec 1, entrance fees for adult foreigners have been cut from 400 to 200 baht for the most popular parks, and by 75% for the less popular ones, according to the department.

Continued at bangkokpost.com

[londonthai]

not exactly true

discussion just below in the news forum:

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

[madjbs]

Is this something new? If not then it's awful reporting!

[jEFFREYk44]

poor facilties so they lower the price, keep the price and improve the facilities! I can live with dual pricing and flaming for having said that

[Maestro]

...The National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department has cut the entrance fees for foreigners to national parks countrywide in a bid to lure more overseas tourists.

The reduction came after the department received a number of complaints from foreign visitors that the fees are too high, compared with the poor facilities for tourists at the parks.

Effective from Dec 1, entrance fees for adult foreigners have been cut from 400 to 200 baht for the most popular parks, and by 75% for the less popular ones, according to the department...

Am I reading this correctly?

“Dear foreign tourists,

Please come to Thailand and visit our parks with poor facilities, because now you have to pay an entrance fee that is only five times as high as the fee for Thai people, no longer ten times as before.

Signed: Tourism Authority of Thailand”

Incidentally, the referenced news report – link now dead, courtesy of Bangkok Post – concluded with:

Thon Thamrongnawasawat, a leading marine biologist at Kasertsart University, said lowering the entrance fees would only benefit tour operators.

Foreign tourists mostly buy a package tour from local operators which includes the park fees. So the new rates are unlikely to lure more foreign tourists to the national parks, he said.

Source: Bangkok Post; December 7, 2007; Section 1, page 6

--

Maestro

[Dupont]

Ok, have I got this right? (as someone who visits the Similan Marine Park most days)

They need to raise prices to reduce the amount of tourists visiting these parks.

They then need to lower the prices when the effect of raising the prices previously has had the desired effect!?%^& On the basis that less tourists equals less fleecing opportunities.

In any event, none of this income is to be spent inproving facilities, stopping the fishermen from fishing on the reefs etc.

Further, the marine park shall rent out their dingies (the ones they bought to do their "on-paper job" of policing the park) for diving and snorkelling trips. Other than this, they are to me used for collecting fishing fees from the trawlers, fishing to supplement the staffs income and generally racing accross the top of the pristine reefs scaring fish and divers alike.

Am I nearly there?

[gjones]

Well at least it’s a small step in the right direction and a complete U-Turn on last month - TIT

[Jingthing]

And because its based on ability to pay, I am expecting the price for dollar Americans to go down to 100 baht.

[KireB]

Another perception might be:

We, Thailand, are a developing country with a modern society. And we are so proud of our nation; extremely proud!

But when it comes to pricing, we take an underdeveloped country's stand to earn more.

Because we are poor, and you are rich!

We, Thailand, are more than just prostitutes, scams and lies and thats why we cheat you and why you have to pay more!

Ok?

Just an perception though! Poomchai Thai, not me!

[Big A]

They can still stick their parks where the sun doesn't shine.

[jumnien]

The price for Thais, 40 baht, seems affordable given the average wages in the range of 160-500 baht per day. The price for foreigners, whether 100 or 200, seems about right too, very affordable. Looks like they've got it spot on now.

[thaigene2]

Okay - so now can we end this debate about the bloody national park entry fees? How many people really give a toss about this anyway?? I've lived here for years and NEVER been to a national park..Am I really missing something - and if so, would it be worth writing about that I paid 100 baht more than a Thai?? This is done in many countries.

[exexpat]

Okay - so now can we end this debate about the bloody national park entry fees? How many people really give a toss about this anyway?? I've lived here for years and NEVER been to a national park..Am I really missing something - and if so, would it be worth writing about that I paid 100 baht more than a Thai?? This is done in many countries.

For just the 100 baht more, it isn't a big deal.   But the point isn't whether foreigners pay 1 baht more or 1000 baht more.  The point is its institutionalized racism.  Thais say, its our country, if you don't like it get out.  That is wrong to the core.  Do Thais ever stop to think that people have invested significant time, savings, emotions, and everything else to be here?   People have homes, children, jobs, lives, families here.  Most foreigners can't simply just "get out", they are just as much intertwined in society as Thai people.

I know Thais resent foreigners butting into their affairs.  I can totally understand that.   But in Thailand, nationalism can never be wrong no matter how it tramples, people cannot speak out because of fear of accusations of lese majeste, and the mere attitude that "This is our country, we can do what we want" is totally wrong, totally intolerant and extremely offensive.   This applies to anyone...whether they do it to Burmese, Hmong, Indian locals, Pattani Malays, or Farang. We in America used to do this a long time ago...until the masses marched in civil rights movement.   Bending over and making a compromise for certain groups simply because they make a fuss isn't satisfactory.   Being an "honorary Thai" is just as offensive as an "honorary white". The point is that despite the fact that there will always be some individuals having racist beliefs, institutions are promoting division and marginalization based on race, and that is unacceptable as it sets a bad example for society. If the government does it officially there is nothing wrong with it is the conclusion..

Again, the same fees, but based on something like taxpayer status, is totally acceptable. The part that makes it unacceptable is the basis of "race" and ethnicity.

Truth is, in Pattani (the land, not the province), Malays, who have been native to this land far longer than Thais, are being discriminated against. They are so tired of this Thai nationalism that effectively shuts them out of opportunity, that tramples their religion, that rapes their women and kills their sons, they have become militant. And frankly, I don't blame them. Minorities are treated like sh*t in Thailand and it has to stop.

[Meerkat]

For just the 100 baht more, it isn't a big deal.   But the point isn't whether foreigners pay 1 baht more or 1000 baht more.  The point is its institutionalized racism.  Thais say, its our country, if you don't like it get out.  That is wrong to the core.  Do Thais ever stop to think that people have invested significant time, savings, emotions, and everything else to be here?   People have homes, children, jobs, lives, families here.  Foreigners can't simply just "get out".

I know Thais resent foreigners butting into their affairs.  I can totally understand that.   But in Thailand, nationalism can never be wrong no matter how it tramples, and the mere attitude that "This is our country, we can do what we want" is totally wrong, totally intolerant and extremely offensive.   This applies to anyone...whether they do it to Burmese, Hmong, or Farang. We in America used to do this a long time ago...until the masses marched in civil rights movement.   The point isn't bending over and making a compromise for certain groups simply because they make a fuss isn't satisfactory.  The point is that despite individual people having racist beliefs, institutions are promoting division based on race, and that is unacceptable. 

Again, the same fees, but based on something like taxpayer status, is totally acceptable. The part that makes it unacceptable is the "race" part.

It's got nothing to do with race at all; a caucasian with a Thai passport is just as eligible to the lower fees as someone of the "Thai" race. Call it nationalistic or xenophobic if you must, but realise that it is simply incorrect to call the policy "racist".

[jumnien]

Personally, I think it is disgusting that all these foreigners expect to just waltz into Thailand and get in line for the 30 baht health plan and 40 baht entrance fees to national parks and arrogantly and unintelligibly shout that it is racism when they have to pay a reasonable price for privileges. There is an international airport that very efficiently repatriates disgruntled farang; I only wish more would use it!

[exexpat]

It's got nothing to do with race at all; a caucasian with a Thai passport is just as eligible to the lower fees as someone of the "Thai" race. Call it nationalistic or xenophobic if you must, but realise that it is simply incorrect to call the policy "racist".  

How many pure blooded Caucasians have Thai passports?   The reason why it isn't blatantly stated as "race" is because that would cause a big stink.   Also, there is no "Thai race". The whole idea of a "Thai race" is a farce. Hmong for example, have lived here for centuries.  Do they have citizenship?  NO.  This citizenship thing is just a cover for race. They are excluded because of their ethnicity.

[exexpat]

Personally, I think it is disgusting that all these foreigners expect to just waltz into Thailand and get in line for the 30 baht health plan and 40 baht entrance fees to national parks and arrogantly and unintelligibly shout that it is racism when they have to pay a reasonable price for privileges. There is an international airport that very efficiently repatriates disgruntled farang; I only wish more would use it!

There will always be apologists for racism too.  There were during our civil rights movement, saying, well Rosa Parks should have just gone to the back of the bus.  How hard is that?   Come on!   This isn't just about Farang you dopehead!   Hmong are foreigners in their own dam_n native land!  

[cm-happy]

SO what is it???? 200 or 400 baht.

[Johpa]

It's got nothing to do with race at all; a caucasian with a Thai passport is just as eligible to the lower fees as someone of the "Thai" race. Call it nationalistic or xenophobic if you must, but realise that it is simply incorrect to call the policy "racist".

First, the number of Caucasians with Thai passports is infinitesimal and thus totally irrelevant. In the past, a carload of people would approach a toll booth into a Thai National Park and the person at the toll gate would look into the car and decide, based upon race, what the entry fee would be. As long as the driver was Thai and the passengers were Asian and remained quiet, they would be charged the Thai entry fee. If the driver was Thai yet the passengers were Caucasian, they would be charged the "foreigner fee". The implementation of the dual pricing was always based upon race. That a few Farang expats with tax ID cards or Thai drivers license who spoke Thai could argue their way past the toll takers is also irrelevant. Besides, having such documents did not qualify any Caucasian to enter at Thai pricing according to the letter of the law. But again the letter of the law and the implementation of the law are two different things. Since the implementation of this and other dual prcing situations did not often effect other Southeast Asian (regionals) nor Chinese, it was clearly neither nationalistic nor xenophobic, but racist.

[exexpat]

Chinese residents for decades in Thailand were once "non-Thais", i.e. they weren't eligible for citizenship.   Only by being very socially disruptive and violent did they join Thai society.  But...other races weren't invited, because other races weren't large or powerful.  There was never any blanket protection regardless of ethnic origin.   In the US, we could have just made equal rights for Blacks, and left all other minorities out. Asian-Americans today would then have to use the "other" bathroom, sit on the back of the bus, not eat in "White and Black" restaurants. Would that have been acceptable?  

Some people will be racist, nothing we can do about it. But we don't need government in on it too.

[geriatrickid]

There is an international airport that very efficiently repatriates disgruntled farang; I only wish more would use it!

mmkay, so how about we start with some of those malaria researchers up in Chiangmai. I heard they were disgruntled about their accomodations. Or maybe you should send a bus over to fetch some of those health care workers working on the Aids and nutrition programs. Ran into one lady who was mighty angry about something to do with a lack of promised matching local resources.

Thing is, if you ran off all the disgruntled farangs, a few important things would fall apart. Sort of like if all the foreign scientists were barred from working in the west, then the CDC, NIH, Canada HPB, and ECDC would suffer. Oh wait, that might explain why Thailand has to rely on foreign facilities for its medical and scientific advancements for local diseases and health problems, because the welcome mat aint out for grumbling farangs. If you don't make people feel like they are wanted, they'll go where they are welcome, which is sort of what's happening isn't it? Take a look at some of the foreign funded science research projects and guess who's getting some of the nicer ones? Go on, I dare ya. Why it's vietnam, of all places.

[Amethyst]

I know some thais who is holding thai passport but dont speak a single thai accept spanish and english .... So do they qualified for the 40 baht entrance fee lol ?

[JIP]

My girlfriend here in Thailand is Filipina, and she is asked to pay Thai prices everywhere she goes. Ergo: Skin color decides admission price.

[candoman89]

Personally, I think it is disgusting that all these foreigners expect to just waltz into Thailand and get in line for the 30 baht health plan and 40 baht entrance fees to national parks and arrogantly and unintelligibly shout that it is racism when they have to pay a reasonable price for privileges. There is an international airport that very efficiently repatriates disgruntled farang; I only wish more would use it!

Who said the prices were reasonable. Come to North America and let us charge you 10 x our cost for anything and see how you like it.

International airport that very efficiently repatriates disgruntled farang.................. nothing efficient about the airport Sunny.

In fact why don't all farang get out of Thailand so you can go back to, um, er, ah, what exactly can you do (except raise rice and then cheat the farmers out of their wages).

[Foggy Bottom]

They can still stick their parks where the sun doesn't shine.

They did - it's called Chiangmai - 10/10 cloud cover 350 days a year

[gjones]

Personally, I think it is disgusting that all these foreigners expect to just waltz into Thailand and get in line for the 30 baht health plan and 40 baht entrance fees to national parks and arrogantly and unintelligibly shout that it is racism when they have to pay a reasonable price for privileges. There is an international airport that very efficiently repatriates disgruntled farang; I only wish more would use it!

I think you miss the point, the plot and everything else: this is a good move to reduce the costs to visit National Parks, I am sad that this lovley country do discriminate on race and have done so for years. But your argument is rubbish and I do doubt that you have ever been in a Thai national park.

There is nothing much to justify the fee, if the money went towards the up-keep of the national park; then YES it would make sense, but it does not. It goes elsewhere, I belive, and I will not go into the details.

[rychrde]

My local national park charges 20 baht for thais (I'm sure it was 20 and not 40), 400 baht for foreigners.

My thai friends are so embarrassed about this that we always go to the free waterfalls and free lakes. I end up spending the same money on fresh fish and everyone is happy.

btw the people not happy are those with restaurants and guesthouses right outside the national park entrance. Apart from tour groups they get zero customers.

rych

[jEFFREYk44]

Thisa is my take on the subject and maybe been tp a park or two but not sure. The point is is they reduced the price because they could not maintain the parks, hello! Keep the price and maintain the parks!!!!!!!!!! Ok to all farang complainers, how many of you make B10,000/month? If I want to go, I will pay, this is Thailand and the people are this way.I live with it because I have no way to fight but to move, complaining on TV helps in no way

[jumnien]

Non-Thai citizens do not have the same rights and privileges as Thai citizens, just like every other country in the world. Don't expect the 30 baht health scheme and 40 baht admission to National Parks to apply to you. You can cry racism because you are from Zimbabwe or some other country with a race that is different from the predominant race of Thailand; but its just a citizenship issue. Complaining will get you no where. A big smile and decent Thai language skills and a bit of humility and respect will get you into the national park for a pittance 90% of the time.

[Milo]

Non-Thai citizens do not have the same rights and privileges as Thai citizens, just like every other country in the world. Don't expect the 30 baht health scheme and 40 baht admission to National Parks to apply to you. You can cry racism because you are from Zimbabwe or some other country with a race that is different from the predominant race of Thailand; but its just a citizenship issue. Complaining will get you no where. A big smile and decent Thai language skills and a bit of humility and respect will get you into the national park for a pittance 90% of the time.

Too true, my Thai driving license gets me in for Thai price every time without a quibble. My spoken Thai's pretty poor too, just bluff it and finish the conversation as quickly as possible!