Access Fees

[cdnvic]

Racism is Thailand is nothing like racism in Falungland.  It's obviously here, but it's not malevolent.  I can live with that.

Ironic that you would post that on Martin Luthar King day. He's someone who wouldn't bend over to racists no matter how much they smiled.

cv

[Jai Dee]

Racism is Thailand is nothing like racism in Falungland.  It's obviously here, but it's not malevolent.  I can live with that.

Ironic that you would post that on Martin Luthar King day. He's someone who wouldn't bend over to racists no matter how much they smiled.

cv

Had a chuckle to myself over that. I didn't know it was MLK day. Guess I've been here too long...

However, despite the dual pricing at National Parks (just to keep on subject) and other displays of racism by the Thais, racism in MLK's era surely cannot be compared with current day Thai racism.

[lampard10]

going to Koh Samet, arriving at the island and driving to a resort, one is stopped at the entrance of the "national park" (covering almost the whole island including all beaches, resorts etc) :

Thais pay 20bt, Farang 200bt, - the fee is to keep the island clean!

Now that I understand, since every weekend , hundreds of thai clans invade the beaches with all their home cooked meals, living all their trash where they have been sitting, whereas farang normally go to the restaurants to eat ?

Why are we paying everywhere around  5 to 10 times more than thais?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I wish we could have adopted the same policy in the U.K. 30 years ago.Maybe by now we would have had a better reason to stay in our country of birth. It's the other way round back in Blighty. You have to be a foreigner to get any money out of the government nowadays. Englishmen have no rights

[Erwin1011]

On Sukhumvit 39 the local transporters have a note inside their little buggies:

in Thai characters " Top of the Soi" 20 B

in Roman characters : BTS 30 B

The BTS( Prom Pong) is at the top of the soi. Exploit the ignorant.

When I pointed this out to my wife, she shrugged, smiled and said: You understand , don't you ?

[Pablo H]

(Neeranam @ 2005-01-18 07:14:53)

SO many people moan about it. Accept it.

If you live here and don't work - then you can afford the odd 200 baht, can't you.

If you live here and work get the license.

If you are a tourist, you can afford it.

Spot on.

Boycotting National Parks will never work.

You can't beat or change the system, so either accept it or work around it (and always with a smile).

Exploiting falungs will never go away... the Thai's exploit their own kind so how can anyone expect them not to take advantage of wealthier tourists if they can?

as can be seen yet again  when this subject is discussed , some people just cant see that this is not about being able to afford 100 or 200 baht , that is not the point at all. if that was the case then thais who drove up to parks in bmw's would be charged more than thais who arrived 4-up on an old motor bike.

its about charging according to race and nationality. and to accept it with a smile is quite frankly demeaning,weak and pathetic.

its like saying "i know i'm being cheated and treated unfairly , but i'm such a dumb fck loser i'll give you what you unfairly demand of me , not only that i'll smile as you fleece me too. i'll be your performing monkey too if thats what you want."

a service or commodity has an agreed value , a cup of coffee costs x baht , a taxi ride costs y baht , entrance to a national park costs z baht.

if your ideas that you should pay according to your wealth hold water , then why dont the meters in bangkok taxis have a button that the driver presses that will make the meter charge for a thai or for a foriegner.  why dont 99% of businesses charge according to race or wealth.

they dont behave like that because they know its racist , they know its unfair and they know its &lt;deleted&gt;.

should a poor person be able to buy a mercedes for a lower price than a rich person.

smile and pay up?.......lay down and die first !

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well said, I couldn't agree more.

[Humphrey Bear]

Nonsense! England is my country, do Thais have to pay ten times more to enter Lands End (Cornwall) or lets say the London Eye, the answer is NO.

It is a blatant rip off but what can you do other than boycott the place.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Then write to your MP and to the Foreign Minister, Jack Straw.

Get them to bring it up next time the Thai's want a concession.

Suggest that Thai's should not be allowed to own land in the UK until

we can own land here, etc!!

Ps You are right about who leaves the rubbish!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I couldn't be arsed to write to any MP to tell you the truth. I dont have faith in any of them. If I come across something discriminating like the above I just dont pay, therefore I dont enter, its not the end of the world.

If all foreign visitors did the same maybe those responsible for the fee hikes might feel it in their pockets and do something about it, until then they will continue to rip the foreigner.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

But in many of the more popular places, the majority of foreigners are in coach parties, and have paid for an all-inclusive trip, without knowing the individual charges for that day's entertainment.

It is only the individual foreigners, with Thai mitfahrer, who realise the price hike and whinge about it.

No-one complains in Saudi Arabia that there is no Christian Church, although many complain about lack of alcohol. Neither are there any cinemas or theatres.

In Libya all road signs are in Arabic only, so driving can be interesting. (It is supposed to be the result of Muammar Gaddafi being upset that there are no Arabic road signs in England, but that I doubt. It's his country, so he does as he likes).

Every country slants it's rules towards it's indigenous population, as they are by far the majority. Here it is just a little more slanted, a little more obvious.

And what's 200 baht to the average farang, anyway - 4 euros, <£3, fistful of dollars, half-an-hour's wages - same as 20 baht is for the average Thai.

[cdnvic]

And what's 200 baht to the average farang, anyway - 4 euros, <£3, fistful of dollars, half-an-hour's wages - same as 20 baht is for the average Thai.

It's people like you who bend over and ask for more that are the reason this continues. If none of us put up with it things might change. They just need one guy to wuss out and pay the 200bt and they've made up for the 10 who didn't.

While you're in there please pick up some garbage.

cv

[aletta]

Going to Phu Khadung park last summer i just sit down low in the back while the wife drove through and with such dark windows i never had to pay the full fare.Having said that next time i will get caught.

[cdnvic]

Going to Phu Khadung park last summer i just sit down low in the back while the wife drove through and with such dark windows i never had to pay the full fare.Having said that next time i will get caught.

We used to get into drive-inn movies the same way. Once had two guys stuffed behind the seat of a pickup truck (along with speakers, a jack, a gallon of homemade wine, and two guns).

cv

[aletta]

Must say i did feel like a naughty school boy but those fees are just a joke.

[PvtDick]

What's all this "farang this" and "farang that"? The price structure is THAIS pay X, FOREIGNERS pay Y.

It is not a race issue; it's a nationality issue. Where I come, guests from overseas often get special treatment (discounts and such), not the other way around. Talk about lack of hospitality.

[Neeranam]

While you're in there please pick up some garbage

How do you know there is rubbish if you refuse to pay the entrance fee?

Why don't you stage your own little demonstration about the double pricing. Go to the newspaper, or the local MP

Acceptance is not a sign of weakness. Quite the opposite in fact.

The Thai people who go to our countries are bugger all the same as most farang in Thailand.

I knew a taxi-driver from NZ, and what a laugh the locals had when I told them of his profession. They couldn't imagine a taxi-driver from Thailand going abroad for a couple of week holiday. That is the difference, you can work for 10 years in your country and retire here. Then you start saying that the all the Thai people should pay the same as you for going to a National Park. They don't charge us more, they charge the Thais less. they do pay tax remember, do you? The farang that come to Thailand are often working class. Thais going to the UK are mostly upper-class. They are richer than the average Brit.

Fukcing accept it man and forget whinging about the money not being important, it's the principle. When you have been here a couple of years you may come to understand what the Thai people are really like, and their sometimes fair assessment of the foreign visitors.

Figure out if you can live here and do without the trips to the museums etc, or go home.

"We cannot change anything until we accept it. Condemnation does not liberate, it oppresses. "

"For after all, the best thing one can do when it's raining is to let it rain. "

"Happiness can exist only in acceptance."

Quite often the whingers are people who are still suffering from culture shock. Chill out and enjoy Thailand.

Edited January 18, 2005 by Neeranam

[sriracha john]

(Neeranam @ 2005-01-18 07:14:53)

SO many people moan about it. Accept it.

If you live here and don't work - then you can afford the odd 200 baht, can't you.

If you live here and work get the license.

If you are a tourist, you can afford it.

Spot on.

Boycotting National Parks will never work.

You can't beat or change the system, so either accept it or work around it (and always with a smile).

Exploiting falungs will never go away... the Thai's exploit their own kind so how can anyone expect them not to take advantage of wealthier tourists if they can?

as can be seen yet again  when this subject is discussed , some people just cant see that this is not about being able to afford 100 or 200 baht , that is not the point at all. if that was the case then thais who drove up to parks in bmw's would be charged more than thais who arrived 4-up on an old motor bike.

its about charging according to race and nationality. and to accept it with a smile is quite frankly demeaning,weak and pathetic.

its like saying "i know i'm being cheated and treated unfairly , but i'm such a dumb fck loser i'll give you what you unfairly demand of me , not only that i'll smile as you fleece me too. i'll be your performing monkey too if thats what you want."

a service or commodity has an agreed value , a cup of coffee costs x baht , a taxi ride costs y baht , entrance to a national park costs z baht.

if your ideas that you should pay according to your wealth hold water , then why dont the meters in bangkok taxis have a button that the driver presses that will make the meter charge for a thai or for a foriegner.  why dont 99% of businesses charge according to race or wealth.

they dont behave like that because they know its racist , they know its unfair and they know its &lt;deleted&gt;.

should a poor person be able to buy a mercedes for a lower price than a rich person.

smile and pay up?.......lay down and die first !

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

very well written and I agree wholeheartedly.....

[fourbaht]

It's people like you who bend over and ask for more that are the reason this continues. If none of us put up with it things might change. They just need one guy to wuss out and pay the 200bt and they've made up for the 10 who didn't.

While you're in there please pick up some garbage

&lt;deleted&gt;.. your life sounds like great fun worring about 200 baht all day long get a life.. if u don't like it P1$s off or find a way round it.

Try looking at it that we don't pay more the poor Thais (yes I know and some rich ones) pay less. Without the 200 baht payers most of the places would close or be in such a bad state of repair that you would not want to go, so do you sugest that even the Thais who can't afford it should pay 200 baht?

Tight Wad!! think of it as a charity helping those less fortunate than your self and you might have a more fulfilling life!

[Jai Dee]

They don't charge us more, they charge the Thais less. they do pay tax remember, do you?

Agreed.

And so do I.

And I'm happy with my contribution... twice as much as Thai rate, but 25% of the foreign tourist rate.

[Neeranam]

&lt;deleted&gt;.. your life sounds like great fun worring about 200 baht all day long get a life.. if u don't like it P1$s off or find a way round it.

Try looking at it that we don't pay more the poor Thais (yes I know and some rich ones) pay less. Without the 200 baht payers most of the places would close or be in such a bad state of repair that you would not want to go, so do you sugest that even the Thais who can't afford it should pay 200 baht?

Tight Wad!! think of it as a charity helping those less fortunate than your self and you might have a more fulfilling life!

Well said fourbaht, mate. These people want to live in Thailand and take the rules from their own countries. Spend all their time moaning about trivial things as they need the feeling of control, although they don't have any in a foreign land.

[cdnvic]

I love doing business with people who have your attitude. You can pull whatever you like on them and all they reply is:

"Please sir, can I have some more?"

cv

btw... I have been inside parks (If they agree to charge me the local price) and there is rubbish everywhere.

[sriracha john]

  Without the 200 baht payers most of the places would close or be in such a bad state of repair that you would not want to go, so do you sugest that even the Thais who can't afford it should pay 200 baht?

Perhaps it might persuade some people if the 200 baht was actually spent on worthwhile projects. How many foreigners have there been to Koh Samet in 5 years and paid 200 baht? That adds up to a huge sum. Now, how much was spent on the ring road there?... I dare say none as it's in the same deplorable shape as it was 5 years ago.

[Neeranam]

I love doing business with people who have your attitude. You can pull whatever you like on them and all they reply is:

"Please sir, can I have some more?"   

Don't do to others what you don't like getting done to yourself.

[cdnvic]

I love doing business with people who have your attitude. You can pull whatever you like on them and all they reply is:

"Please sir, can I have some more?"   

Don't do to others what you don't like getting done to yourself.

There's a difference... I don't let them.

cv

[chico]

quite some interesting fights going on lately, but what I wanted was to know if anyone could give me an explanation why thais are doing this?

so far, only one interesting remark from Jay Dee "thais exploit their own kind, so..." which reminds me a story of a thai cheating a farang, getting caught and his friends being sorry for him - not that he cheated, but that he got caught!

[Doctor John]

They should charge farangs 1000 Baht and let Thai's in for free.

Farangs love moaning, the Thai government know this and have kindly given them something to moan about, and they still fawking moan.

If you don't wanna go to a National Park, don't go!!

[chico]

They should charge farangs 1000 Baht and let Thai's in for free.

Farangs love moaning, the Thai government know this and have kindly given them something to moan about, and they still fawking moan.

If you don't wanna go to a National Park, don't go!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

why don't you help the poor government a little bit more, pay 10k and we can go in for free?

[PvtDick]

It's one thing when you're talking about the government and national parks and such. But how do you "leave it be" guys feel when you pay four or five times the price that locals do when you go to a private place like Safari World, the Crocodile, etc.?

Would you be quite so happy to pay 100 baht for a cold Coke at 7-11 if they were charging Thais 15 baht for the same thing? Or at a movie theater? Or on a bus? If so, why not?

[The_Moog]

Thai tourists have to pay for a visa to go to Europe/USA.

European/US tourists don't have to buy a visa to come here on holiday.

(So stop moaning, folks!)

[Jai Dee]

&lt;deleted&gt;...

There's quite a strong wind outside today...

I think I'll go and piss in it.

[chico]

&lt;deleted&gt;...

There's quite a strong wind outside today...

I think I'll go and piss in it. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

i would change the direction

[Jai Dee]

&lt;deleted&gt;...

There's quite a strong wind outside today...

I think I'll go and piss in it. 

i would change the direction

Hahahahahaa.....

Sorry... I was getting a bit tired of the same-old same-old stuff!

[srisatch]

&lt;deleted&gt;...

There's quite a strong wind outside today...

I think I'll go and piss in it. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

i would change the direction

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Good grief

This was the most BORING Topic that TRINK ever latched onto....there is tiered/multiple/concessionary pricing on most things most places..You can probably buy a special bus pass for an octogenarian Somali refugee who is on child benefit in London...And you can certainly negotiate the price of a TV in Central....It is just that most of it, but by no means all, is not based on the colour of your eyeballs/hair/or as we should say RACE...sorry Ethic origin..as well as the eye for the main chance. I think much nof it comes down to ATTITUDE....The thing that pisses me off, when it does, which is not often, is the assumption that I should be grateful for being able to go to most of these poxy places. No signposts, no information, no facilities, general contempt for visitors, rubbish everywhere..bit like Kew Gardens in fact...If I want to go I will go, if not....

[Ajarn]

It's one thing when you're talking about the government and national parks and such.  But how do you "leave it be" guys feel when you pay four or five times the price that locals do when you go to a private place like Safari World, the Crocodile, etc.?

Would you be quite so happy to pay 100 baht for a cold Coke at 7-11 if they were charging Thais 15 baht for the same thing?  Or at a movie theater?  Or on a bus?  If so, why not?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Agreed. That's where I draw the line, too. I've got no problem with tourists paying more than tax payers who've been supporting these places all along...

But, private businesses that have differing rates based on status, in this case your skin colour or native language, REALLY annoy me. I don't support them, and I don't promote them.

I'm trying to think how many times this issue has come here, with all the same old responses, including mine. Anyway, a chance to maybe refine my soundbite