Your personal experiences

[traveler]

I am collecting information for a travel documentry programme on the subject of " dual pricing " for foreign tourists in Thailand , have you experienced this at a tourist attraction or government location...?. If so I would be pleased to have your comments and personal experiences... please e.mail them to me at .... [email protected] . many thanks... William Benson..

[traveler]

please note, my e.mail address is .. [email protected] ( there is an under score  _ between travelers  and  way )

[traveler]

Many thanks to all who have sent information so far, .... so if any one has information/comments/experiences on dual pricing in Thailand .. PLEASE ... let me know, with out your input the project may not get off the ground ..again thanks..

[george]

Post them here at the forum instead, so we all can read them!

[traveler]

if you have any input on the subject of dual pricing in Thailand, as george requested you can post them on the forum as well , many thanks.. William Benson

[mrentoul]

if you have any input on the subject of dual pricing in Thailand, as george requested you can post them on the forum as well , many thanks

I am sure people don't need an invitation to post on the board... but thanks for the thought!

[markt]

I haven't been there myself yet, but apparantly the Aquarium in Pattaya charges  B360 for non Thais  and B180 for Thais.

Has anyone been there yet?

[chonabot]

Do the non Thais get to see more fish , or perhaps take a free souvenir?

[markt]

They get to see bigger fish.

[timba]

How about Muay Thai events? Have yet to attend one but I heard that foreigners are pretty overcharged for them.

Any feedback?

[chonabot]

With Muay Thai @(Lumpini/Ratchadamern/National) farang are expected to pay more, the touts really push the front row tickets on you in an aggressive manner. If you opt for the cheaper seats you still pay 50% more on average.

[D80]

-Crocodile Farm in Samutprakarn (I think they charge foreigner 4 times more)

-most markets

-most taxi services

-quite a few national parks

-aquarium in Samui (been to that once, agh! I don't think it qualifies as an aquarium actually...)

-most local transport in tourist areas

-some service providers such as hair dressers

[simon43]

When I went to visit a Wat in Ayuthaya a few weeks ago with my Thai GF I was charged 200 baht and she was charged the quoted 20 baht.

Last week I went to the same Wat on my own and driving a car...they looked at me in the car..assumed I must be mad and not to be messed with..and charged me 20 baht...

[Roger13]

Hi Traveller

If you enter "Double AND Pricing"

in the Search - you will find there are at least 3 previous threads with this information in already

One is at:

http://forum.thaivisa.com/cgi-bin....2;t=777

I think the Major culprits are:

The Grand Palace  - Foreigners Bht125 : Thai free

Safari World - Foreigners Bht250 : Thais MUCH less

Samut Prakan Crocodile Farm -

- Foreigners Bht300 : Thais Bht50

[Roger13]

-most taxi services

I use 2 or more Taxi's every day

I always pay the Meter Charge

and in 5 years have never had any problems

However I know the Mafia Taxi's at the Airport

do try it on - and are successful in ripping off new arrivals.

[wilson steer]

Dual Pricing is all in the mind, I never even give it a second thought. Thais pay less because this is a third world country and a decent wage here is $100 a month, I earn that in a day.

Back home, children and OAP's pay half on trains buses and museums, just think of Thais as children or OAPS they are deserving of a reduced rate.

Try to imagine that Thais pay less, not that you pay more!

[buasaard]

As I told in another thread, "legal" dual pricing is mainly if not only for tourism related services.

For other services such as :

most markets

some service providers such as hair dressers

it is simply a bargain between the seller and the buyer as happens also between thais (one buyer pays one price another pays another one),you are not compelled to buy the service ,you can go somewhere else.

most taxi services

I agree with Roger13 I always paid the meter fare, for taxis without meter as in Phuket/Samui you can ask the price before, don't like? don't go!

most local transport in tourist areas

Once again it's tourist related.

I agree in principle that it is not a fair habit, but it is not so widely applied as it seems apart for museums and national parks. And dual pricing is applied all over the world.

For instance I can speak about Italy :

Disabled people are exempted to contribute the national health systems for medical visits, medicines etc.., but not if they are not italians. This is far more unfair than asking farang to pay more for visiting a museum.

[muay_thai]

Check out these:

Dusit Zoo in BKK has a sign for one price for farangs & another

price for thais I think off hand it was 60BHt &30BHt (Still a bargain although I was a bit worried when I seen a crocs tail dash into the bushes near the elephant enclosure !! )

Phuket town Thai boxing arena (good fights, although few too many kids) has a nice scenario where whoever takes you to

the stadium obtains 1/2 the money you pay, I think it was 1000 BHt for ringside, but your better off in the first tier.

This was very noticeable as I took a taxi from Patong Beach,

and told the guy to wait & I'll pay him on the return journey.

Guess what he never got a satong from us as he'd f**ked

off after we entered & he'd been to the counter for his "tip"

even though we paid ourselves in at the counter!

Nice blag!

[muay_thai]

OOps forgot a classic one:

Ko Samet when you land on the island, 200BHt westerner,

20 BHt thai (national park scenario) after which we

asked where the nearest ATM was to which we were told

"Island no have" (Didn't stay too long)!

[Roger13]

I took a Meter Taxi

I told him Mor Chit BTS (Sky Train)

He took a turn going in opposte direction

when asked he said BTS (he was heading for Ekkamai).

I repeated I wanted Mor Chit BTS

He started heading for Mor Chit Bus Terminus.

He eventually got me to Mor Chit BTS station

the Meter was 98 Bht - I gave him Bht 100

AND - he offered me Bht 40 refund !!!!!!

I thought I should balance things up -

by relating good experiences as well as bad.

(I didn't take the Bht40 - I was sure the wrong

turns were genuine due to my English)

Roger