Dream World Rip Off

[PatinBKk]

I actually went to Dreamworld on Friday. All the Thai's queue up outside, just past that area is an information office. I walked in, told them that I was not a tourist, but actually lived here, and the kind lady simply asked if I had a Thai ATM card that I could show her. No worries, I got in for the Thai price of 150Bt and also avoided the long queues outside. Sorted.

So, as regards to Dreamworld (which is what this thread is supposed to be about afterall) It kinda makes the last 4 pages of arguements/discussion pretty worthless.

Yes, there is a dual pricing system in place there, but it appears to be very relaxed and pretty much any farang who lives here can get in at the 'local' price if you're prepared to speak up and politely ask.

Tourist or resident, makes no difference...it is an unfair practice fullstop.I dont go to anywhere that has double pricing even though I could probably eneter at the Thai price.....keep away thats what people should do...this argument could go on and on.....double pricing dosnt happen in Laos, Cambodia, Singapore etc....so no excuse for it here.....all the mercs and beemers driving around BKk, how many have farangs...virtually none, so a lot of Thais can afford 4 or 5 million baht cars, yet you expect me to pay 10 times as much as them for certain attractions.....The same people that say they dont mind paying 10 times as much, I just wonder if they were asked to pay 10 times more for the Eisfell Tower or Empire state...I bet not, and the reason being, they are probably sad old gits that could never get a woman in their home country but have managed to find love here, and you can bet their girl is not a bar girl is university educated and comes from a good family ....thats it

[Beachbunny]

In the U.S., out-of-state students often pay more tuition and fees than in-state students.

This is not EVEN a close comparison. Any U.S. CITIZEN from one state that choose to go to a school in a state other than his HOME state pays more...it's NOT based on race like here.

We have never come across double pricing in the states when Thai family came to visit. In fact most tourist areas give tourists special rates the locals can't get just to promote tourism. (there are even discount publications in hotels/motels etc.)

One time a year Disneyland, CA has a month that if you are in a certain zipcode you get a small discount. That doesn't limit you from buying discounted tickets for your foreign guests either.

In Thailand, double pricing has nothing to do with income, it is only based on race and the misconception that all foreigners are rich.

It really disgusts me when foreigners with businesses here follow the same practice. Locally there are two health clubs that are foreign owned that charge double. Give me a break. Any thai that can afford the thai price at these private clubs can well afford a standard set price for everyone.

........and tourists AND so called locals here on foreign salaries with the attitude of they can afford it so why not, just make it worse for everyone else....and so guess what they continue to do it and continue to add places where they can charge you.

Beachbunny

Edited April 19, 2009 by Beachbunny

[DragonQuest]

Whenever I go anywhere, I always let my thai friends buy the tickets. I never show my face, that way I wont get double priced lol

[robblok]

Thais pay tax and most farangs dont.

90% of Thais either don't meet the minimum tax threshold or hardly pay any income tax. 90% of farangs working in Thailand pay income tax. Everybody, both Thai and farang, pay VAT on almost all goods and services.

I should have known i have calculated Thai taxes. I stand corrected.

[realthaideal]

Another expert! I'll give you that 19 mo's is a decent start, but it's still just a start. You still won't know too much about the people in that time especially if you don't speak the language. Alot of ppl come here n form these theories and even manage to force them on their Thai lovers until they wring a an agreement out of them. But 1.5 yrs doesn't make you an expert. I question who you were around and what sort of social situations. I also always suspect ppl with so much animosity as finding just what they're looking for, as the universe often provides this. I look for good and find good almost always, almost everywhere I look.

I'm not for double pricing, but I believe the many types of smiles mean exactly what they mean, here, to Thais. And they do not all see us as walking ATM's. You gotta learn the language and mix with all types to start to know what they're really about. And try a cheery attitude as well.

[Kaojai]

Deal with the reality that the Thai people have allowed themselves to be enslaved in a most racist system, and that racism and resentment breeds the tripe that "farang" have to live with, until THEY DON'T HAVE TO LIVE IN THAILAND AND PUT UP WITH THE BS ANY LONGER. The pitiful truth is that these people need US much more than "we" will ever need them, and they know it. My gf had to force herself to face the reality, and as painful as it was, it was the reality of Thai society, nevertheless.

Posting this sort of comment on ThaiVisa, the citadel of racism, would be funny if it weren't so sad. The very fact that you think you are so desperately needed, is the root of the problem. You think you are special and want to be treated like Little Lord Farang. This attitude is generally held by people who were on the bottom rung back in farangland and thought they could come to Thailand and be treated like aristocracy. Most of the people who come to Thailand to live/work/retire would never be able to afford the lifestyle they have here back in their home country. They retire here because it's cheap and because they can afford a live in companion who is not anywhere near as ugly as they are. In other words, in most regards farang don't want to be treated like Thais. They want to be considered special. Unless it involves money. If you really want equality, one step would be to communicate in Thai. In virtually every country in the world, residents are expected to operate in the local language.

While I have no idea about Dreamworld, most places will offer Thai pricing to foreign residents with work permits or Thai driver's licences, etc., so it's not really racism. On the other hand, other tourists of the Asian race, e.g. Japanese, Koreans, et al, would be charged non-Thai rates, so again it's not racism.

In any event, some of you are getting blown all out of shape because of discrimination based on race or nationality for a fairly limited issue ... that allegedly happens no where else in the world.

Looking at the bigger picture, are you suggesting that race, economics, education are never factors in the way people are treated in your own country or anywhere else in the world? Hard to believe. If a middle class and educated Thai (or more especially a poor, uneducated Thai) managed to get into your country, would he or she be treated equally with nationals of your country?? How about someone from Africa or Turkey?

Would you rather be a white European/American/Australian visiting or living in Thailand or a person of Asian/African/South American origin visiting or living in Manchester/Texas/Sydney? If you answer the question honestly, you should be willing to admit that practical discrimination in Thailand is nothing compared to the rampant, deadly, debilitating, humiliating, dehumanizing racism practiced in farang-land.

Edited April 19, 2009 by Kaojai

[bkk_mike]

I have never seen double pricing in England, Germany, Holland, France or Spain. Where have you seen it?

It does not happen in Europe that I am aware of.

In the U.S., out-of-state students often pay more tuition and fees than in-state students.

That's at State Universities where, presumably, they are making the assumption that since the parents are living/working in the State, that they are paying state taxes that fund the school.

Sorry - when was Dream World or any other Thai tourist attraction state funded?

[invex]

Dear All,

Impossible to talk to 95% of the people here. They support the bad things, as simple as that. In my country you will go to jail if you dare to apply double pricing. They call it discrimination. Those 95% ignore all bad things in Thailand like corruption, scam, killings, police giving tickets for no have a helmet but drive no helmet by themselfs.........etc etc......and so many other things. It is bad for society and the people. No mather what. If you support the bad things, how can it ever change?

It is like a journalist said so nice yesterday: no one will go in jail for corruption, ordered killings by high ranked people, police who do bad things etc etc.... no one will go. The worst punishement is a transfert to another area. But put something negative about Thailand on the internet or publish, some will get 10 years + in jail. Or read the Thai papers. Last week a boy has stolen a bicycle to drive home only. He got 10 years in jail....... This journalist (Bangkok Post) said: you know, we Thai know where the priorities are......haha........unfortunately, we (Thai) will never learn and the bad will remain with us forever.

How can one know how much money a customer can spend. Being it a Thai or Farang? Most Thai people I know, have much more money to spend than myself. Much and much more.

I would like to have a reply to my question from all those people who agree with double pricing and other bad things, even dont care about that. I am very curious if they will get back to me.

My question:

from tomorrow on:

-when you go to a restaurant, they will charge you double/triple because you are not Thai.

-when you buy gas, they will charge you 60 or 80 Baht a liter instead 26 for a Thai.

-when you take a plane they will charge you double / triple from a Thai.

etc etc.

Now to all those big boys..... will you take this, yes or no?

[sanmiguel]

Why are people trying to compare subsidised university education for natives in England/US/Aus or wherever to dual pricing at an amusement park.

University education isnt dual priced it is subsidised by the taxpayer there is a difference, it would be ludicrous for the British taxpayer to subsidise a foreigner to study in the UK only for them to leave after 3 years.

Please do like for like comparisons to enhance your argument otherwise its a load <deleted>.

Edited April 21, 2009 by sanmiguel

[kiakaha]

dual pricing for TOURISTS exists, deal with it.you cant change it , but you can change your residency situation

For legal residents and citizens there is no problem(in mine and everyone i knows experiences)

[phetaroi]

In my vision the point of this topic is that if nobody complains about it it is open to all businesses to apply the double pricing because it is a very lucrative extra earning.

So what you gonna do if every restaurant,gas station and airliner applies the same policy?

You still gonna say,isn't that the way of life,like you said in post #22

Once again I will say to you that people have been complaining about this for decades. I heard the complaint in the mid-80's when I first visited. I hear it today over 20 years later. The complaining does not work. So, work around it and get over it.

Let me say again also -- no, I don't like it and I don't think it's "right", but it exists.

I have rarely seen ranting and raving do much good in Thailand. It's not the Thai way.

[sarahwhite09]

In my vision the point of this topic is that if nobody complains about it it is open to all businesses to apply the double pricing because it is a very lucrative extra earning.

So what you gonna do if every restaurant,gas station and airliner applies the same policy?

You still gonna say,isn't that the way of life,like you said in post #22

Once again I will say to you that people have been complaining about this for decades. I heard the complaint in the mid-80's when I first visited. I hear it today over 20 years later. The complaining does not work. So, work around it and get over it.

Let me say again also -- no, I don't like it and I don't think it's "right", but it exists.

I have rarely seen ranting and raving do much good in Thailand. It's not the Thai way.

i agree with u, it will be better if can be fixed..

[PatinBKk]

I found out at the weekend a guy I know charges Thais more to rent his motorbikes than he does Foreigners.....had to laugh......he even told me when he had a restaurant he had 2 menus and the menu in Thai was more expensive than the English one....

[Aswin]

I just went to Disney World, had to pay an arm and a leg for family of four, park hopper, water park option, yad, yada, yada... what a rip off there too, had to pay higher price than Floridians.

And what do you get 80 minutes wait time for a stupid ride my son wanted to go on, Everest Expedition, I think it was called.

Edited April 22, 2009 by Aswin

[PatinBKk]

dual pricing for TOURISTS exists, deal with it.you cant change it , but you can change your residency situation

For legal residents and citizens there is no problem(in mine and everyone i knows experiences)

No real difference, just because you got a drivers licence, bank card, work permit, visa or PR....dont mean you are any better than Joe Public on holiday here with his two kids and both should be treated equally.....

[phetaroi]

dual pricing for TOURISTS exists, deal with it.you cant change it , but you can change your residency situation

For legal residents and citizens there is no problem(in mine and everyone i knows experiences)

No real difference, just because you got a drivers licence, bank card, work permit, visa or PR....dont mean you are any better than Joe Public on holiday here with his two kids and both should be treated equally.....

In a previous post when it was happening to Thais, you thought it was funny.

Now you say people should be treated equally.

Which is it?

[PatinBKk]

dual pricing for TOURISTS exists, deal with it.you cant change it , but you can change your residency situation

For legal residents and citizens there is no problem(in mine and everyone i knows experiences)

No real difference, just because you got a drivers licence, bank card, work permit, visa or PR....dont mean you are any better than Joe Public on holiday here with his two kids and both should be treated equally.....

In a previous post when it was happening to Thais, you thought it was funny.

Now you say people should be treated equally.

Which is it?

Of course people should be treated equally... tourist resident whatever.....yes I found it funny when the guy told me, I actually thought about this forum and what someone like you would think of a Thai person being charged more in their own country....you must admit it brings a smile to your face

[kiakaha]

dual pricing for TOURISTS exists, deal with it.you cant change it , but you can change your residency situation

For legal residents and citizens there is no problem(in mine and everyone i knows experiences)

No real difference, just because you got a drivers licence, bank card, work permit, visa or PR....dont mean you are any better than Joe Public on holiday here with his two kids and both should be treated equally.....

For completely private institutions , things could be done better.

For public places I have no problem native citizens and thai personal income tax(PIT) payers getting a cheaper price than tourists, after all we do pay for the place.

[soundman]

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[t.s]

I just went to Disney World, had to pay an arm and a leg for family of four, park hopper, water park option, yad, yada, yada... what a rip off there too, had to pay higher price than Floridians.

And what do you get 80 minutes wait time for a stupid ride my son wanted to go on, Everest Expedition, I think it was called.

yes, i have checked their website for prices

67 USD for floridians, 75 bucks for everyone else. the racist bastards.

that wouldn't be allowed in the US -- oops.

Edited April 23, 2009 by t.s

[PatinBKk]

dual pricing for TOURISTS exists, deal with it.you cant change it , but you can change your residency situation

For legal residents and citizens there is no problem(in mine and everyone i knows experiences)

No real difference, just because you got a drivers licence, bank card, work permit, visa or PR....dont mean you are any better than Joe Public on holiday here with his two kids and both should be treated equally.....

For completely private institutions , things could be done better.

For public places I have no problem native citizens and thai personal income tax(PIT) payers getting a cheaper price than tourists, after all we do pay for the place.

Thats a valid point.....just getting a small rebate makes it sound all the better

[Oberkommando]

I just don't frequent any venue that implements such a policy including the litter strewn and unimpressive National Parks.

So, dual pricing doesn't bother me. However the little things all mount up; 150thb ATM charges for foreign bank cards, dual pricing, scams with collusion and knowledge of the authorities, bill padding, visa extension fees, etc, etc, etc.

Thankfully, there are plenty of other more deserving and friendly countries in this region that haven't yet succumbed to total greed where I prefer to spend my tourist dollar.

[Texpat]

I went to Chiang Mai this past New Years.

Had a great conversation with a nice Japanese tourist all the way up the stairs of Doi Sutep. (dam_n there's a lot of 'em) He's a senior exec at NHK in Roppongi and lives in Azuba Hills. I'd imagine he's loaded.

At the top of the stairs I was funneled into the farang-pay-more line and my Japanese friend was free to proceed.

These aren't tourist fares or out-of-towner prices.

<snip>

Edited April 24, 2009 by soundman
Removed race based comment.

[phetaroi]

I went to Chiang Mai this past New Years.

Had a great conversation with a nice Japanese tourist all the way up the stairs of Doi Sutep. (dam_n there's a lot of 'em) He's a senior exec at NHK in Roppongi and lives in Azuba Hills. I'd imagine he's loaded.

At the top of the stairs I was funneled into the farang-pay-more line and my Japanese friend was free to proceed.

These aren't tourist fares or out-of-towner prices.

<snip>

At a temple I have a very simple procedure. If there is no entry fee, which of course there is not at most Thai temples, I am rather generous with my offerings. If there is a fee, I pay the fee but give no offering. In other words, they lose money on me if they attempt to charge.

[Texpat]

^^ Snipped -- Reason for edit: Removed race based comment.

That's sort of the point. It it a race-based dual pricing policy. The Asian guy wasn't charged, but the white guy was. Both are foreigners.

Edited April 24, 2009 by Texpat

[2008bangkok]

I wonder what would happeing in Uk if i walked in a chippy ans it said 'Pie N Chips" £3 Uk citizens £5 everyone else!

[DMasut]

I suggest you lock yourself in your room & seethe for the next 10 years.

Average Isaan migrant worker in Bangkok earns between 3000-8000 baht a month. Foreign expats can't get a work permit for less than 50,000 a month most earn in excess of 100,000.

Instead of looking at it as you getting ripped off, why not look at it as people poorer than yourself getting a discount ?

OK...so what you are saying is next time I see Richard Branson, Donald Trump or any number of well healed people that just because they have more I can charge them more for the same things everybody else pays a much lower price for?

99% of the time I pay only the Thai price for things. The fact I can speak Thai and understand Thai culture more so than the average farang helps tremendously....

The other 1% I have learned to just smile and walk away... when they come running to me saying OK OK...I sell you for Thai price... I with loving kindness tell them " I am sorry, I changed my mind, I no longer want it." while continuing to walk away.

I never do business with them again because I now know they are dishonest, and look at me differently.

I don't get upset with them, I just eliminate them from access to my life in the future.

I never do business with anyone I cannot trust, regardless of what country they come from.

Overall, I find farang (even fellow countrymen) most dishonest than most Thais.

If you get to know the Thai people...for who they are as a person, they will do the same.

You will always have one trying to get one over on you...but isn't that the same as your friends back home doing the same?

...and if you can tell me you never had any of your friends trying to get one over on you... I would like to to meet them... those friends are hard to come by... consider yourself very blessed.

Edited April 26, 2009 by DMasut

[DMasut]

I just went to Disney World, had to pay an arm and a leg for family of four, park hopper, water park option, yad, yada, yada... what a rip off there too, had to pay higher price than Floridians.

And what do you get 80 minutes wait time for a stupid ride my son wanted to go on, Everest Expedition, I think it was called.

yes, i have checked their website for prices

67 USD for floridians, 75 bucks for everyone else. the racist bastards.

that wouldn't be allowed in the US -- oops.

"THE HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH" INVOLVED IN OVERCHARGING PEOPLE NOT LOCALS

YEAH EVEN MICKEY AND FRIENDS ARE IN ON THE CONSPIRACY!!!

DISNEYLAND OFFERS ANNUAL PASSPORTS

http://disneyland.disney.go.com/disneyland/en_US/ap/index?name=AnnualPassholderGatewayPage&appRedirect=http://disneyland.disney.go.com/disneyland/en_US/ap/gated/landing?name=AnnualPassholderLandingPage&bhcp=1

[t.s]

^^ Snipped -- Reason for edit: Removed race based comment.

That's sort of the point. It it a race-based dual pricing policy. The Asian guy wasn't charged, but the white guy was. Both are foreigners.

if you think asians, especially the japanese dont get taken for bigger money than farang, then look around again.

the thing is, they dont care, they pay and get what they want.

and they are willing to pay.

and if they happen to decide to go to dreamworld and get charged more, or less, they pay it and enjoy their day.

besides, its situational, one bigot at the head of a ticket line in a public park does not represent a fraction of my experience here. i have experienced him, but he/she is not the norm.

i am reminded of the guy in ranong who apologetically told me i could not get the thai discount to get into the park, but if i drove 20 m down the road, i could bypass the toll entirely.

he was right, and we drove right in.

dual pricing exists, but the policy is not absolute, nor is it an inconvenience, in my experience.

[phetaroi]

if you think asians, especially the japanese dont get taken for bigger money than farang, then look around again.

the thing is, they dont care, they pay and get what they want.

and they are willing to pay.

and if they happen to decide to go to dreamworld and get charged more, or less, they pay it and enjoy their day.

besides, its situational, one bigot at the head of a ticket line in a public park does not represent a fraction of my experience here. i have experienced him, but he/she is not the norm.

i am reminded of the guy in ranong who apologetically told me i could not get the thai discount to get into the park, but if i drove 20 m down the road, i could bypass the toll entirely.

he was right, and we drove right in.

dual pricing exists, but the policy is not absolute, nor is it an inconvenience, in my experience.

Although I haven't changed my basic position on this topic since this thread began, I have adjusted my feelings a bit here and there. I think you put it quite well.

There are places I "get taken". There are places I get incredible bargains compared to what I would pay for the same thing back home. There are places I get in for free that would definitely be "pay" back home. There are places I have gotten in free because I'm farang...or is it because I am genuinely friendly...not sure.

I'm on my way to Thailand on a retirement visa in just about a month. First I am going to take 2 weeks first traveling through the national parks of southern Utah and southern California. I will be paying $100-$150 per night for lodging in moderate hotels. When I travel around Thailand I usually pay about half that much...or less.

I know that doesn't address the unfairness of "double pricing", and it is unfair. But, as you indicate, you have to take Thailand as a whole, and when you do I think we farang come out pretty well.