Two Tier / Double Pricing For Farang

[Iambabababor]

I get into National Parks for the Thai price when I show a Thai Driving license, if the policy was racist my Thai driving license would mean nothing, I would still be white therefore I would be discriminated against because of the colour of my skin.

It isn't racist at all.

That is not always true. For me, with Thai Driver's, WP, Tax ID, and spoken Thai it runs about 50/50 at the National Parks.

Agree. The ticket seller sets the price, and usually will not refer the matter to his bosses. Some accept documentation others not!

[MengWan]

I want some help in putting a stop to this

i strongly suggest you use a rubber sheet to protect your mattress from the results of your wet dreams

Yeah !

That's what I said to the people (sometimes policemen) who couldn't bear murders, rapes and so on ...

Bad behavior will always be, why bother, any action against those things is futile

[JetsetBkk]

Last year I was booking a hotel in Singapore, through the internet, and was intrigued to to see the message "Note: This price is not available to Singapore citizens". Suggests they were giving discount to foreigners and charging their own citizens more! Weird.

Not suprising, the same thing happens here as well. sometimes for "Thai" only, and other times for "foreigner" only.

I have seen some places that have a sign outside stating "Japanese Only".

Not sure why that is.

[JetsetBkk]

I hope to one day have a website that warns folks of these scum bags so we can avoid them.

The problem with having an website that lists places that apply double pricing, and that informs people how to avoid double pricing is that the powers that be may read it and block the loop holes.

[Visavis]

Double pricing I can live with, it's the quadruple pricing that get's me going.

[Norrad]

I had my parents visiting a few weeks ago. So I had to go to all the temples, parks, zoos and other places of interest and I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to get into most of them, at the Thai price, when presenting my drivers license and tax ID card. Only the grand palace charged me the farang price.

[LKIBA]

A noble idea from the OP, but TIT not the US or UK.

USA has local vs. non local pricing as well. I know...encounter it every year when I go snowboarding.

Can't remember about the UK.

No legal reason for a class action suit; you can only speak with your feet.

UK doesn't to the best of my knowledge, and I'm originally from one of the main tourism areas. Local/Non Local pricing has often been mooted but never implemented.

I think it is something that we have to put up with. As you say, vote with your feet, thats what I do.

there is no way you can have double pricing in the UK its a serious offence its called RACISM

[LivinLOS]

I've lived in Orange county Calif, (Disneyland, Knotts Berry Farm etc) They have double pricing but not so blatantly posted. They give discounted passes at clubs, meetings etc for the residents. I lived 20 years in Hawaii and their a local drivers license gets you discounts and privileges they same way if often works here.

Nicely done and correct - Disneyland has special passes available only to Southern California residents. I bet this is quite common for any theme park.

Neeranam - good post.

Yes but the point that has been made multiple times is those passes would be made available to ANY resident.. If a Thai lived there he would have that too..

It isnt a rough selection made out at the gate for those of different skin color.

[shepsel]

I appreciate all the comments to my original post.

I am planning to do a spreadsheet of different cities and list the establishment name, type of venue, address, price for farangs and price for Thais, and then list it on Thai Visa. Hopefully when we have a substantial number of places who have two tier/double pricing for Farangs, the moderators will make this just more than a thread. I plan to forwad this information to journalists of both Thai, English, and other foreign local newsapapers to see if they wish to do a story about two tier pricing for residents who are not Thai. Any other positive suggestions would be appreciated from T.V. members.

I am just wondering if I should start a new post to gather information, or just use this one for other members to post which establishments have different pricing for Farangs.

[retirednavyman]

I pay more money in taxes to the Thai government every month than the combined taxes paid by the 30-odd members of my wife's extended family. I find the practice of two-tier pricing racist and abhorrent.

I totally agree here and also with Philharries above. Why? simple.I earn my income in Thailand , pay my taxes like any Thai, Have stayed here for 7 years with only one trip abroad in that time, Spend 99% of my income here, Have bought property (2 condos) pay 2 mortgages to Thai banks, Got married to a Thai (which offers me basically zero concessions) I obey the law, mind my own business, I mean what else do they want?

I agree with the majority of posts here. I hate it, and yes I vote with my feet. There have been many places that I would like to go to but I don't because of the discrimination.

And no it's not only the money (even though I'm just a working guy) I's the principle!

I too, totally agree with all of the above comments. But I suspect that this is something that has been going on for years (right or wrong) and most farangs are unfortunately powerless to do anything about it.

[endure]

A noble idea from the OP, but TIT not the US or UK.

USA has local vs. non local pricing as well. I know...encounter it every year when I go snowboarding.

Can't remember about the UK.

No legal reason for a class action suit; you can only speak with your feet.

UK doesn't to the best of my knowledge, and I'm originally from one of the main tourism areas. Local/Non Local pricing has often been mooted but never implemented.

I think it is something that we have to put up with. As you say, vote with your feet, thats what I do.

there is no way you can have double pricing in the UK its a serious offence its called RACISM

Tell that to all the foreign students who pay 5 times as much as as UK students for the same courses in the UK.

[dee123]

hasn't the British taxpayer paid out for the quality training of teachers and School/Universitys...its not like visiting madame tussauds,...I wouldn't see anything wrong in a Thai university charging more to oversea students who Thai taxpayers have funded...its not just the bigger entertainment places, its going into local shops in Issaan to buy a pack of fags,if my wife went in its 100 baht ,if I went in its 150 baht,....how do I know I'm not being fiddled?.....sorry Endure old friend this double pricing is not healthy.....hAve you ever seen the stink the Thais make when their "buy one get one free" is not valid here in the UK....??

Edited May 8, 2008 by dee123

[endure]

The same taxpayer argument could be made for the Grand Palace, all the National Parks and any other government-run venture. I'm not disagreeing with you in general just pointing out to LKIBA that double pricing does occur in some situations in the west.

[aries27]

I appreciate all the comments to my original post.

I am planning to do a spreadsheet of different cities and list the establishment name, type of venue, address, price for farangs and price for Thais, and then list it on Thai Visa.

yes, do this shepsel. good project. altho i would not have any use for it...

now, do i really have to respond to almost every post? .......... gotta get going..........

[jumnien]

Most of us farangs love the double pricing in Thailand when its in our favor. When was the last time you saw a farang pass up on the lower prices for Thai residents over foreign residents?

[Etrigan]

A noble idea from the OP, but TIT not the US or UK.

Can't remember about the UK.

It happens in the UK too. A solid example is the Open University. Outside the EU, foreign students (inc. non-residents of the UK) are charged up to three times the UK rate. It's not racism either. There is only one university that I can think of where national and foreign students pay the same fees, and that is The University of Phoenix. How can this be racist when it happens all over the world?

[LuckyFive8888]

this is the way thailand earn on tourism. get a work permit or driving license to get local rates.

[Naam]

there is no way you can have double pricing in the UK its a serious offence its called RACISM

d@mn! why didn't anybody tell me that 20 years ago when i paid for my son's boarding school in UK 2½ times the fees than the Brits were charged for their sons?

[mrtoad]

A noble idea from the OP, but TIT not the US or UK.

USA has local vs. non local pricing as well. I know...encounter it every year when I go snowboarding.

Can't remember about the UK.

No legal reason for a class action suit; you can only speak with your feet.

UK doesn't to the best of my knowledge, and I'm originally from one of the main tourism areas. Local/Non Local pricing has often been mooted but never implemented.

I think it is something that we have to put up with. As you say, vote with your feet, thats what I do.

there is no way you can have double pricing in the UK its a serious offence its called RACISM

Tell that to all the foreign students who pay 5 times as much as as UK students for the same courses in the UK.

I think using the overseas student argument is clutching at straws to defend double pricing. The students that do arrive in the UK from overseas are not then subjected to being charged double to eat or to get into somewhere of interest. It's not really comparable to some of the examples that we see in Thailand of double pricing, such as in restaraunts, national parks, theme parks, zoos etc

[madjbs]

Some International programs at Chula charge 120,000baht per semester for farangs and only 60,000 for Thais, remember these are international programs and NOT funded by taxes. On the other hand the international programs at Thammasat charge 60,000, the same for farangs as for Thais plus 1 or 2 thousand for dealing with visa issues.

In the UK foreign students are charged a ridiculous amount, but keep in mind that British people have to pay the same if they have been out of the country a few years.

[tartempion]

Racism is in this nowadays very politically correct world a word that is constantly being misused.

I'm a belgian elderly citizen (over 65). I have a card that allows my FREE public transport i.e. trams and buses, in Belgium, amongst other benefits of having paid my dues.

Is this racism?

If the Thai government decides that they favor there citizens over foreigners, have I got news for you, there's nothing anyone can do about it, and so it should be. Oh, and I don't for one minute believe that the Thai government is only letting us in to empty our pockets. They allow us to spent our money here to obtain levels of comfort, service, adventure and living conditions at prices far below what we would have to pay in our home countries.

Be grateful.

My 2 cents

onzestan

I don't think you understand this correcltly.

You talk about seniorship's discounts based on the idea that once you are retired you have more time and less income.

Here we talk about non-Thais when they LOOK farang and have to pay MORE than normal people.

Take REX hotel on Sukhumvit, they have a banner with thai numbers for the Thai customer. You the Belgian will pay 300 baht more, or is this a reverse-discount.

Any way I refuse to enter any place requesting double pricing. I have no problem with that, spend my money elsewehere.

That many Thai places ask irrational prices to farangs does not occur to you?

They could learn someting for USA parks though: I visited Everglade National park for one week, entering each day by car.

Price? 10USD for the car with all his occupants valid one week. Compare this with Kao Yai's infrastructure and pay 400 Baht per farang/per day and don't ask what the infrastructure is at most Thai parks

[tartempion]

It happens in the UK too. A solid example is the Open University. Outside the EU, foreign students (inc. non-residents of the UK) are charged up to three times the UK rate. It's not racism either. There is only one university that I can think of where national and foreign students pay the same fees, and that is The University of Phoenix. How can this be racist when it happens all over the world?

It might occur to you that most countries subside their universities with tax payers money, so there is nothing extra-ordinary to have non-residents pay more. Futhermore there is a difference between entering a park for one day and studiyng several years

[ZZZ]

The main reason you don't see double pricing in the west is because it's hidden. Residents in most tourist spots in the west know they can get admission at a discount. Generally the tourists there know about this but seldom complain and they would never have the bad taste to call it racism.

The main reason it may be more wide spread in Thailand is that the vast majority of the tourists have an annual income far greater than the local population. I bet that if the average tourist in UK earned 10 times more than the average local worker you would have the same system in UK, it's all about economics.

To say that this is not the way we do it in the west therefore you should not do it here is just stupid as it would be just the same in the west if the conditions were reversed.

For the minority of the farangs living here on a low budget; tough luck but you can never have a system that suites everyone, at least with a WP or DL you still get access to most places at a local price.

[aries27]

i think one way to beat double pricing is good, good research. luckily for thailand, there's a wealth of info if you search well enough on the net, thanks to the big number of tourists blogging their way from there or after the visit. take advantage of it. thailand is pretty well covered (tourism-wise i should say, if there is a difference for permanent residents).

it wont really change the price of golden palace farang entrance but at least you can get options in many others. for instance, places like chatuchak (sorry, cant say anything for other cities/towns of TH, just bkk), there is hardly any price difference for thais and non-thais. in fact, i saw many thais hardly bargaining at all. unlike me, OF COURSE... 5 baht, 10 baht off, i am happy....

i am sure, most of you know much better than i do..... i dont even know why i am the one writing about this...

Edited May 9, 2008 by aries27

[Andrew Hicks]

Most of the enterprises mentioned are State owned and as such are owned by the citizens, just set it in your mind that the price you pay is the correct price and Thai price is discounted because they own it,after all ,there have to be some benefit for being a Thai in your own country.

I can see a possible justification for National Parks charging modestly more for non-residents but the current multiple of ten times (if I remember) is excessive.

For commercial establishments to have dual pricing just stinks.

Thailand is very concerned about its tourism but unconcerned about its expats. If TOT received a blizzard of complaints from tourists that Thailand is a rip-off place because of dual pricing and so not worth visiting, there might be a response.

If you kick a dinosaur, occasionally it groans.

[wilko]

All residents of Kenilworth UK get free admission to the castle there....this practice (or at least discounts) is commonplace throughout the UK ....and Oz too.

Dual pricing at Unis is common everywhere certainly in Oz and UK

[distortedlink]

This argument about Farang prices and Thai prices has been going on for decades.

It's nothing to do with nationalism or racism, just that Thais believe Westerners all come from rich first world countries, so why cant they pay more, as we are poor and providing these services for you.

Where I live the people in my village consider me to be a rich Farang. Nothing that I could say will convince them otherwise. One of our neighbour's wife's said to my daughter, one Dollar is a drop in the ocean for a Farang.

If I require any work done on my house or other services, they are normally queuing up at my gate for the job, because they think I'll pay over the top. I make it clear that I don't pay over the odds, but always pay what I think is a fair rate, which is still normally more than a Thai would pay. So cant win anyway.

On the over hand, I am still financially better off than my local Thai neighbours, because although I'm not filthy rich, I don't have to work and have a good standard of living, probably better than if I lived back in my own country, thanks to the Thai people letting me live here, respected and with not too many restrictions.

For those long term residents who feel the double pricing system is unjust, should have known about it before they came here as double pricing has been going on since the Stone Age.

One option is to weigh up all the things not liked about Thailand prior to settling here, than decide is it worth coming over or not. No point in griping afterwards, the other option is to avoid places where they double charge, no one makes it an obligation to use them as most are not essential services.

Edited May 10, 2008 by distortedlink

[Pierrot]

This argument about Farang prices and Thai prices has been going on for decades.

It's nothing to do with nationalism or racism, just that Thais believe Westerners all come from rich first world countries, so why cant they pay more, as we are poor and providing these services for you.

Where I live the people in my village consider me to be a rich Farang. Nothing that I could say will convince them otherwise. One of our neighbour's wife's said to my daughter, one Dollar is a drop in the ocean for a Farang.

If I require any work done on my house or other services, they are normally queuing up at my gate for the job, because they think I'll pay over the top. I make it clear that I don't pay over the odds, but always pay what I think is a fair rate, which is still normally more than a Thai would pay. So cant win anyway.

On the over hand, I am still financially better off than my local Thai neighbours, because although I'm not filthy rich, I don't have to work and have a good standard of living, probably better than if I lived back in my own country, thanks to the Thai people letting me live here, respected and with not too many restrictions.

For those long term residents who feel the double pricing system is unjust, should have known about it before they came here as double pricing has been going on since the Stone Age.

One option is to weigh up all the things not liked about Thailand prior to settling here, than decide is it worth coming over or not. No point in griping afterwards, the other option is to avoid places where they double charge, no one makes it an obligation to use them as most are not essential services.

Agree with your comments but the main problem is it shouldn't be legal.

When Supachai was named co-head of the WTO, I didn't know if we should cry or laugh. Anyway, lesson learned, we are back to business as usual.

[wilko]

i think Thailand WAS stung by criticism of the dual pricing on National Parks...and responded in a typically thai way, they introduced a new and variable pricing system. It didn't do anything to solve the problem but muddied the issue enough for it to go away for a bit.

TAT rather than TOT might be the people to write to....I do believe that a groundswell of opinion especially in the foreign travel press will bring about change in this respect.....

So what about other double pricing....well in the end "market rules" it can't actually work either ye product is being sold above demnd price to farang OR below market price to THais....so it cannot survive...right? or are farang distorting the market by paying to much for a product they don't need......or is it a great big CONSPIRACY????

[JetsetBkk]

Where I live the people in my village consider me to be a rich Farang...

I found out recently that the locals call the soi I live in "Rich man's soi". I'm not rich, just "comfortable".