For All Who Complain About "farang" Pricing

[MeetJohnDoe]

For all those who complain about double pricing for goods and services for farangs residents or tourists, I found another interesting example today when reading my hometown newspaper that it happens everywhere, not just Thailand.

The San Francisco Chronicle online today has a banner ad on its front page for "Special Offers Locals Only" for the Pier 39 tourist attraction at Fisherman's Warff. For those who don't know, this is a waterside shopping and restaurant complex in San Francisco. If you click through the link, you get a print-out of coupons good for various discounts on food outlets (up to 50%) and others for various goods and services available at the complex but they are for "locals" only. "Locals" is defined as someone resident in any of several nearby counties in the greater San Francisco Bay Area.

Don't really know how they enforce it, however, as they don't state anywhere that any proof of residence is required when presenting the coupons...they only ask for a local SFO/Bay Area county zip code be entered before you get to the coupon print-out page. I guess they figure only locals would be likely to see the ad in a local paper.

Sorry...I checked the links and the one for SF Gate homepage doesn't work right...I wanted to must copy the webpage "as is" but what I did doesn't work. If you want to see the banner ad...just go to SFGate.com HOME Page and look at the upper-right corner. The PDF file of the coupons does work.

If anyone knows how to capture that homepage with the banner intact, please go ahead and post it.

SFGate.htm

Pier_39_Local_Specials.pdf

Edited January 17, 2009 by MeetJohnDoe

[Birdman]

For all those who complain about double pricing for goods and services for farangs residents or tourists, I found another interesting example today when reading my hometown newspaper that it happens everywhere, not just Thailand.

The San Francisco Chronicle online today has a banner ad on its front page for "Special Offers Locals Only" for the Pier 39 tourist attraction at Fisherman's Warff. For those who don't know, this is a waterside shopping and restaurant complex in San Francisco. If you click through the link, you get a print-out of coupons good for various discounts on food outlets (up to 25% on meals) 2 for 1 food and service offers, and other discounts that are for "locals" only. "Locals" is defined as someone resident in any of several nearby counties in the greater San Francisco Bay Area.

Don't really know how they enforce it, however, as they don't state anywhere that any proof of residence is required when presenting the coupons...they only ask for a local SFO/Bay Area county zip code be entered before you get to the coupon print-out page.

How on earth can the locals afford to pay the same price like tourists??

[GuestHouse]

How about a bit of investigation 'gum shoeing'.

Get yourself down there and find out if this offer is restricted to people of a certain race and if the children of mixed race families are discriminated against, or if mixed race couples present themselves for the discount one partner of the 'accepted race' is given the discount while the other is not.

[UncleFrank]

Thai double pricing visitors?

I'm all for it.

You see, I never go to the tourist attractions so it doesn't effect me.

In fact, I'm pleased it is happening. Thousands of tourists are going back home and telling their friends that Thailand is a ripoff.

Too many tourists around here anyway.

Here is what travelers are saying about Thailand.

http://www.google.com/search?client=safari...-8&oe=UTF-8

In a few more years, I'll have the place all to myself.

[dave9988]

do u really not understand the difference between having different prices for locals (who in the case of sports arenas and theme parks probably lent the money to the companies via tax dollars) and different races?

if someone wants to run their business this way, i dont really care all that much, but it does speak to their character as a human being.

i cant imagine being the manager in one of these establishments and having a farang and Thai come in and ask the price.

"Oh for you its this much and for you its that much".

"Why?"

"Because of your skin color".

I'd be too embarrassed honestly.

Edited January 17, 2009 by dave9988

[wxpwzrd]

Huge difference. Locals discounts are entirely different than pricing based on descent. Locals tend to not visit their tourist areas. I lived in Las Vegas.They frequently give discounts to locals to entice them to the tourist areas. I have to show a Las Vegas ID. If I was visiting from NY, Chicago, et. al. I pay full price. This is not the same as charging non-Thais on the basis they are not Thai.

Now with the distinction out of the way, I will say that non-Thais brought it on themselves. 'We' love to come in, flaunt our money and brag how great we are, how much we have, etc. So why not take it from us?

[Birdman]

Double pricing is such integrated in Thai society, that Farangs are hiding themselves and let the mias do the shopping and negotiations with e.g. tradesman, organise Thai driving licences in the hope of cheaper entrance fees, not change the names of Thai wives fearing higher prices in e.g. purchasing Land. There are menus in english and cheaper ones in Thai for exactly the same F&B in many restaurants. The simplest people like e.g. fishermen are charging Farangs much more for a fish, when they can get on the market later...etc. etc.

Comparing that with discounts for locals at a tourist attraction in SF or a ski pas in the Alpes is disproportional.

[Jingthing]

As an ex-San Franciscan, I can explain.

Real locals never go to Fisherman's Wharf. It is a tourist trap. However, they are sometimes obligated to go to host the countless visitors who show up to the best city in America. A common tactic is to send them there without you, go have a good time. This way, maybe they will get some revenue they would never get anyway. Comparing this to race based Thai double pricing is completely off the mark.

Living in Pattaya, I would feel a LOCALS ONLY discount for some tourist oriented attractions would also make sense and be ethical as long as locals of ANY RACE were included.

Edited January 17, 2009 by Jingthing

[grtaylor]

do u really not understand the difference between having different prices for locals (who in the case of sports arenas and theme parks probably lent the money to the companies via tax dollars) and different races?

if someone wants to run their business this way, i dont really care all that much, but it does speak to their character as a human being.

i cant imagine being the manager in one of these establishments and having a farang and Thai come in and ask the price.

"Oh for you its this much and for you its that much".

"Why?"

"Because of your skin color".

I'd be too embarrassed honestly.

Its not different races!!! I'm "local" - I'm white, work here, pay my taxes, have a work permit and a driving licence, and I get in (National Park for example) for the local price.

[sassienie]

How about a bit of investigation 'gum shoeing'.

Get yourself down there and find out if this offer is restricted to people of a certain race and if the children of mixed race families are discriminated against, or if mixed race couples present themselves for the discount one partner of the 'accepted race' is given the discount while the other is not.

Very well described.

In Thailand the most ID required to be able to get Thai pricing where there is double pricing involved, is a Thai appearance.

I`m never asked for ID in these double pricing senarios, one look at my European face and that`s enough, I`m going to have to pay more, take it or lump it.

[DP25]

Fisherman's Warf is a rip off. I wish more tourists knew about this policy so they could stay away. Too bad they won't, they don't put up signs letting people know about this. They're sneaking in the discounts for a select class of people, and making sure the rest haven't a clue. It's not like this is a football stadium paid for by taxpayer dollars either.

[monkfish]

do u really not understand the difference between having different prices for locals (who in the case of sports arenas and theme parks probably lent the money to the companies via tax dollars) and different races?

if someone wants to run their business this way, i dont really care all that much, but it does speak to their character as a human being.

i cant imagine being the manager in one of these establishments and having a farang and Thai come in and ask the price.

"Oh for you its this much and for you its that much".

"Why?"

"Because of your skin color".

I'd be too embarrassed honestly.

Its not different races!!! I'm "local" - I'm white, work here, pay my taxes, have a work permit and a driving licence, and I get in (National Park for example) for the local price.

Really? How you do that then? Shoe polish?

[Jingthing]

Fisherman's Warf is a rip off. I wish more tourists knew about this policy so they could stay away.

Don't be silly. Almost all tourists want to go there just to say they did. Same as Golden Gate Bridge. You don't even have to buy anything, walking around is free. Its just the nature of mass tourism.

[grtaylor]

do u really not understand the difference between having different prices for locals (who in the case of sports arenas and theme parks probably lent the money to the companies via tax dollars) and different races?

if someone wants to run their business this way, i dont really care all that much, but it does speak to their character as a human being.

i cant imagine being the manager in one of these establishments and having a farang and Thai come in and ask the price.

"Oh for you its this much and for you its that much".

"Why?"

"Because of your skin color".

I'd be too embarrassed honestly.

Its not different races!!! I'm "local" - I'm white, work here, pay my taxes, have a work permit and a driving licence, and I get in (National Park for example) for the local price.

Really? How you do that then? Shoe polish?

I speak to them in Thai and show my driving licence - no problem.

[LennyW]

The reason for double pricing in Thailand is simple, most of the natives have seen the "attractions" before, but as a courtesy to their "farang visitors" they bring them to view their wonderful "attractions" to show off their country!

So, if the natives did not get in cheaper than the visitors, they would not bring any visitors to that "attraction", simple isnt it??

Makes sense to me anyway!!!

[monkfish]

do u really not understand the difference between having different prices for locals (who in the case of sports arenas and theme parks probably lent the money to the companies via tax dollars) and different races?

if someone wants to run their business this way, i dont really care all that much, but it does speak to their character as a human being.

i cant imagine being the manager in one of these establishments and having a farang and Thai come in and ask the price.

"Oh for you its this much and for you its that much".

"Why?"

"Because of your skin color".

I'd be too embarrassed honestly.

Its not different races!!! I'm "local" - I'm white, work here, pay my taxes, have a work permit and a driving licence, and I get in (National Park for example) for the local price.

Really? How you do that then? Shoe polish?

I speak to them in Thai and show my driving licence - no problem.

Thanks for the tip I will give it a try.

Shoe polish didn't work

[Birdman]

do u really not understand the difference between having different prices for locals (who in the case of sports arenas and theme parks probably lent the money to the companies via tax dollars) and different races?

if someone wants to run their business this way, i dont really care all that much, but it does speak to their character as a human being.

i cant imagine being the manager in one of these establishments and having a farang and Thai come in and ask the price.

"Oh for you its this much and for you its that much".

"Why?"

"Because of your skin color".

I'd be too embarrassed honestly.

Its not different races!!! I'm "local" - I'm white, work here, pay my taxes, have a work permit and a driving licence, and I get in (National Park for example) for the local price.

Really? How you do that then? Shoe polish?

I speak to them in Thai and show my driving licence - no problem.

Ridiculous boasting.

Next time you are in BKK let me know if your strategy works also at, let's say, Wat Phra Kaeo.

[grtaylor]

do u really not understand the difference between having different prices for locals (who in the case of sports arenas and theme parks probably lent the money to the companies via tax dollars) and different races?

if someone wants to run their business this way, i dont really care all that much, but it does speak to their character as a human being.

i cant imagine being the manager in one of these establishments and having a farang and Thai come in and ask the price.

"Oh for you its this much and for you its that much".

"Why?"

"Because of your skin color".

I'd be too embarrassed honestly.

Its not different races!!! I'm "local" - I'm white, work here, pay my taxes, have a work permit and a driving licence, and I get in (National Park for example) for the local price.

Really? How you do that then? Shoe polish?

I speak to them in Thai and show my driving licence - no problem.

Ridiculous boasting.

Next time you are in BKK let me know if your strategy works also at, let's say, Wat Phra Kaeo.

Not boasting - just another point of view . . . .

[Birdman]

do u really not understand the difference between having different prices for locals (who in the case of sports arenas and theme parks probably lent the money to the companies via tax dollars) and different races?

if someone wants to run their business this way, i dont really care all that much, but it does speak to their character as a human being.

i cant imagine being the manager in one of these establishments and having a farang and Thai come in and ask the price.

"Oh for you its this much and for you its that much".

"Why?"

"Because of your skin color".

I'd be too embarrassed honestly.

Its not different races!!! I'm "local" - I'm white, work here, pay my taxes, have a work permit and a driving licence, and I get in (National Park for example) for the local price.

Really? How you do that then? Shoe polish?

I speak to them in Thai and show my driving licence - no problem.

Ridiculous boasting.

Next time you are in BKK let me know if your strategy works also at, let's say, Wat Phra Kaeo.

Not boasting - just another point of view . . . .

excuse me? Speaking Thai, working permit, tax paying and showing driving licence is another point of view?

Or is there something more?

[Nacho]

Very well described.

In Thailand the most ID required to be able to get Thai pricing where there is double pricing involved, is a Thai appearance.

I`m never asked for ID in these double pricing senarios, one look at my European face and that`s enough, I`m going to have to pay more, take it or lump it.

A friend of mine is half filipino half farang, he just keeps his mouth shut and always pays the Thai price....pretty sad

[Scott]

How can you compare a policy of double tier pricing to a discount coupon that is good only once or for a limited amount of time! I think that is called marketing.

[junkofdavid2]

Double pricing is such integrated in Thai society, that Farangs are hiding themselves and let the mias ...

Hey, don't forget that the mias have dual pricing too!

"For my farang husbang, I charge this; but for my thai husbang I get (or give!) ..."

[henryalleman]

How about a bit of investigation 'gum shoeing'.

Get yourself down there and find out if this offer is restricted to people of a certain race and if the children of mixed race families are discriminated against, or if mixed race couples present themselves for the discount one partner of the 'accepted race' is given the discount while the other is not.

In my home town, all museums owned by the town are entrance free for the inhabitants of the town. it doesn't matter if you black white , yellow or green, have Belgian , Chinese or from Papoea new guinea. This is also so for Museums of private institutions, the town subsidize them so, also free for inhabitants. People from outside the town have to pay, even when you have the Belgian nationality.

In Thailand this would mean that residents who have an address and registered in the Amphoe would pay the same price as Thai nationals.

But as someone said I never visit tourist attractions, and in hotels I usually pay the same price because I tell them frankly that I'm not planning to pay the farang price, I let family always first check the price and I tell them so. Of course, always in a polite gentle and joking way. Only in Suriwongse hotel in Chiang Mai the front female desk manager was very impolite like I was a "kee nok" so my wife feel offended by her and demanded to talk with the hotel manager. He apologized and offered us a room far below the normal rate and free dinner, but my wife was so angry that we refused the offer and went to another hotel.

Should know that we are both senior citizens and are always dressed polite.

When my is angry she stay death calm and low voice and speak very polite Thai, but her eyes are like fire, even I hide myself when she is like that

In many nature parks upcountry, not so much visited by foreign tourists I usually pay the Thai price.

I speak Thai, maybe that helps a little bit, and I have car with Nakhon Sawan number plate.

[grtaylor]

do u really not understand the difference between having different prices for locals (who in the case of sports arenas and theme parks probably lent the money to the companies via tax dollars) and different races?

if someone wants to run their business this way, i dont really care all that much, but it does speak to their character as a human being.

i cant imagine being the manager in one of these establishments and having a farang and Thai come in and ask the price.

"Oh for you its this much and for you its that much".

"Why?"

"Because of your skin color".

I'd be too embarrassed honestly.

Its not different races!!! I'm "local" - I'm white, work here, pay my taxes, have a work permit and a driving licence, and I get in (National Park for example) for the local price.

Really? How you do that then? Shoe polish?

I speak to them in Thai and show my driving licence - no problem.

Ridiculous boasting.

Next time you are in BKK let me know if your strategy works also at, let's say, Wat Phra Kaeo.

Not boasting - just another point of view . . . .

excuse me? Speaking Thai, working permit, tax paying and showing driving licence is another point of view?

Or is there something more?

Something more? I don't understand your point, sorry. I'm just trying to point out that if you are "local" you pay the local price, simply that.

[Birdman]

do u really not understand the difference between having different prices for locals (who in the case of sports arenas and theme parks probably lent the money to the companies via tax dollars) and different races?

if someone wants to run their business this way, i dont really care all that much, but it does speak to their character as a human being.

i cant imagine being the manager in one of these establishments and having a farang and Thai come in and ask the price.

"Oh for you its this much and for you its that much".

"Why?"

"Because of your skin color".

I'd be too embarrassed honestly.

Its not different races!!! I'm "local" - I'm white, work here, pay my taxes, have a work permit and a driving licence, and I get in (National Park for example) for the local price.

Really? How you do that then? Shoe polish?

I speak to them in Thai and show my driving licence - no problem.

Ridiculous boasting.

Next time you are in BKK let me know if your strategy works also at, let's say, Wat Phra Kaeo.

Not boasting - just another point of view . . . .

excuse me? Speaking Thai, working permit, tax paying and showing driving licence is another point of view?

Or is there something more?

Something more? I don't understand your point, sorry. I'm just trying to point out that if you are "local" you pay the local price, simply that.

1)Are you saying, that every Farang, who speaks Thai, has a working permit, pay tax and has a driving licence pays the local price?

2)Your location:From Bangkok - so you are paying the local price in Bangkok?

Edited January 17, 2009 by Birdman

[citizen33]

In my home town, all museums owned by the town are entrance free for the inhabitants of the town. it doesn't matter if you black white , yellow or green, have Belgian , Chinese or from Papoea new guinea. This is also so for Museums of private institutions, the town subsidize them so, also free for inhabitants. People from outside the town have to pay, even when you have the Belgian nationality.

It seems that every time ‘dual pricing’ comes up we get somebody from a European country giving an example from home to suggest this is common everywhere. Actually there has been a drive in recent years to root out this practice across the EU. As far as I can see there are examples where discriminatory pricing still occurs, but organizations that wish, for example, to favour local residents have to package this indirectly. This might involve a card from the local government authority that gives discounted admission to a range of attractions or discount vouchers in the local newspaper. When it comes to the legal principles, my reading is that EU law prohibits the kind of dual pricing we see in Thailand.

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUri...93J0045:EN:HTML

http://www.europa-kommissionen.dk/eu-polit...eumsdom/presse/

http://www.sofiaecho.com/article/stop-fore...d_10017/catid_5

Edited January 17, 2009 by citizen33

[Mossfinn]

do u really not understand the difference between having different prices for locals (who in the case of sports arenas and theme parks probably lent the money to the companies via tax dollars) and different races?

if someone wants to run their business this way, i dont really care all that much, but it does speak to their character as a human being.

i cant imagine being the manager in one of these establishments and having a farang and Thai come in and ask the price.

"Oh for you its this much and for you its that much".

"Why?"

"Because of your skin color".

I'd be too embarrassed honestly.

Its not different races!!! I'm "local" - I'm white, work here, pay my taxes, have a work permit and a driving licence, and I get in (National Park for example) for the local price.

Really? How you do that then? Shoe polish?

I speak to them in Thai and show my driving licence - no problem.

Ridiculous boasting.

Next time you are in BKK let me know if your strategy works also at, let's say, Wat Phra Kaeo.

Not boasting - just another point of view . . . .

excuse me? Speaking Thai, working permit, tax paying and showing driving licence is another point of view?

Or is there something more?

Something more? I don't understand your point, sorry. I'm just trying to point out that if you are "local" you pay the local price, simply that.

1)Are you saying, that every Farang, who speaks Thai, has a working permit, pay tax and has a driving licence pays the local price?

2)Your location:From Bangkok - so you are paying the local price in Bangkok?

Are you replying to every quote?

[grtaylor]

do u really not understand the difference between having different prices for locals (who in the case of sports arenas and theme parks probably lent the money to the companies via tax dollars) and different races?

if someone wants to run their business this way, i dont really care all that much, but it does speak to their character as a human being.

i cant imagine being the manager in one of these establishments and having a farang and Thai come in and ask the price.

"Oh for you its this much and for you its that much".

"Why?"

"Because of your skin color".

I'd be too embarrassed honestly.

Its not different races!!! I'm "local" - I'm white, work here, pay my taxes, have a work permit and a driving licence, and I get in (National Park for example) for the local price.

Really? How you do that then? Shoe polish?

I speak to them in Thai and show my driving licence - no problem.

Ridiculous boasting.

Next time you are in BKK let me know if your strategy works also at, let's say, Wat Phra Kaeo.

Not boasting - just another point of view . . . .

excuse me? Speaking Thai, working permit, tax paying and showing driving licence is another point of view?

Or is there something more?

Something more? I don't understand your point, sorry. I'm just trying to point out that if you are "local" you pay the local price, simply that.

1)Are you saying, that every Farang, who speaks Thai, has a working permit, pay tax and has a driving licence pays the local price?

2)Your location:From Bangkok - so you are paying the local price in Bangkok?

1) No, sorry, I'm not claiming that - I don't know - its just personal experience that it was my "permanent" location rather than the colour of my skin which was the factor.

2) My recent experience is based on National Parks around Chiang Mai, on Koh Chang & Koh Samet, I haven't been recently to anywhere in Bangkok which charges. Its probably more than ten years since I last went to Wat Phra Kaeo.

The Koh Samet trip was the one which sticks in my mind. I was with three other farangs and a Thai guy. Two of the farangs were tourists, and the other one is recently retired here but hasn't got himself a driving licence yet. I got in for the Thai price, the other farangs had to pay the higher price. This was just on the strength of the driving licence - I don't carry my WP around with me.

[kiakaha]

I have NEVER seen the word ฝรั่ง written on any pricing advertisement in Thailand in some 13 years here.

I have however seen the thai script for tourist or non-resident written.

[Birdman]

are you replying to every quote?

5007 - you were saying?