For All Who Complain About "farang" Pricing

[speedybuffalo]

At least two years I benefited of local adission fees (based on my Thai driving licence) to parks all over Thailand. In recent months I observed that some parks deny to lower fee. Not consistently so.

In one occasion the very same park I visitted weeks ago insisted on the higher fee. The only difference (beside the date) was that I arrived with a Thai partner (witness?) and that a internal gathering took place in the back yard . Discussing the puzzeling practice we were shown a letter dated 2548 (missing reference number) outlining the fee policy (200 / foreigner).

This inconsistency is anoying. I'm stupid enough to let it spoil my mood. Does someone know more about it? At what level in the administration this practice to consider driving licence holders as locals has been approved?

Unfortunately the higher costs seem not to be related to the services or 'values' offered by the park to the visitor.

[onward]

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?

Just to chime in for the sake of SF "locals" -- yes, it's very fair to give discounts to locals, since tourists are being gouged and locals get swept up in the frenzy. Huge toll to cross the Golden Gate Bridge, for example. It doesn't matter if you live here, and you're just trying to get to work; you pay what tourists pay to gawk at the skyline, take their videos, etc. And no, there isn't any other time-efficient route.

[henryalleman]

The example I did refer to is in no way in contradiction with the EU rules, because its no dual pricing, because free entrance is a "gift or present" for for local inhabitants regardless race, gender, nationality, age or sexual preference.

You are wrong. If you take the trouble to read the material at the links you will see that one of the examples sanctioned by the EU involved free entry for locals. And furthermore, if you were not in fact addressing the issue of dual pricing why are you posting on this thread?

Extract from summary follows:

Community law - Principles - Equality of treatment - Discrimination on grounds of nationality - Free admission to museums of a Member State granted only to nationals, foreigners resident there and young persons under 21 years of age - Discrimination against nationals of other Member States who enjoy freedom of movement, in particular as recipients of services - Prohibited

(EEC Treaty, Arts 7 and 59)

Summary

The discrimination against foreign tourists more than 21 years of age which results in a Member State from the rules on admission to State museums which grant free admission only to nationals of that State, foreigners resident there and young persons under 21 years of age is, for Community nationals, prohibited by Articles 7 and 59 of the Treaty.

The freedom to provide services recognized by Article 59 of the Treaty includes the freedom for recipients of services, including tourists, to go to another Member State in order to enjoy those services under the same conditions as nationals. Since visiting museums is one of the determining reasons for which tourists decide to go to another Member State, discrimination with regard to admission to museums may have an effect on the conditions under which services are provided, including the price thereof, and may therefore influence the decision of some persons to visit the country.

So its not against EU regulations;

1- They are not state museums, but museums owned by the town

2- Belgium nationals who are no resident of the town have to pay an entrance fee also

3- therefore there is no discrimination between the own nationals and nationals from another member state.

[Livinginexile]

I wouldn't mind so much but they are so sneaky about it.

Have you noticed how they write the local price in Thai and then the Farang price in English?

It's a con and it's state sponsored rascism.

But what the heck...this is Thailand

its not sneaky....i can read it perfectly and i am of caucasian appearance....and pricing signs are very trivial to read......as posted before i have never seen the term "farang" written on a pricing sign anywhere in the country.

Oh yeah? Then prey tell why don't they write the exact pricing in both Thai and English?

I'll tell you why, cos' most people would be outraged and attendance would drop 50% over night!

I bet 90% of foreign customers are completely unaware of this scam.

[citizen33]

[/i]So its not against EU regulations;

1- They are not state museums, but museums owned by the town

2- Belgium nationals who are no resident of the town have to pay an entrance fee also

3- therefore there is no discrimination between the own nationals and nationals from another member state.

Henry,

If you look at the Italian case (not the one you quote) you'll see that it refers to 'municipal or decentralised control'. When you refer to towns in Belgium are you not referring to a local government unit? I know English isn't your first language, but I fear that you are not reading these extracts correctly.

Actually Articles 7 (respect for the Common Values) and 59 (prohibition of restrictions on the freedom to provide services across borders) are not limited in their application to state services: for example, they were recently applied to differential pricing on airlines.

Furthermore as you try to specify your example to make EU regulations inapplicable, any parallel with the Thai case becomes more strained. Do Thai towns (tessabaan etc) do anything like this?

Edited January 21, 2009 by citizen33

[Camelot]

Do you really think such a high percentage of tourists (90%) would actually care if they did know about it?

I doubt it. I know I wouldn't if I was a stranger in a strange land for a two-week vacation. Most tourists don't obsess about small change in a holiday atmosphere. Surely they come here to get away from stress, not worsen it.