Shocking Double Pricing For Foreigners

[G54]

Sounds like they are different rail tickets if you can get on and off. So many variations these days and it really does sound as if that more expensive ticket is a 'roamer' type ticket. The bus services do similar ones.

And a bus ticket is almost always a lot cheaper to buy.

Anyway, it is worth remembering that you can book up to 3 months in advance on the rail services in England.

I have noticed standard rail fares in the UK have been a rip off for a long time. It has been cheaper for me to get a friend to take me to Manchester airport by car than to get the train. More convenient too.

[dumball]

And I've been in Thailand for 20 years. I look the wrong way crossing the street in the US now

The safest way to cross any street is to look BOTH ways TWICE , especially in S.E.Asia because so many drive in both directions on THE SAME SIDE OF THE STREET.

[ozzieovaseas]

And people say Americans don't get irony.

maybe suffice to say "if you think thats bad..wait 'till they get here!"

Friend and i went to some beach not far from Krabi...called gastropod or gastroderm beach or something or other (cant remember the exact name)...

Price for Thais 20 baht...farang 500

I am told this is because of laws that govern all national parks, no matter the size or location.

I said no way..thai friend went down the entry side of the hill,i wandered through the tree covered park and found the exit...not even 5 mins walk...and watched her walk along the beach and back up the exit track

her journey lasted all of about 10 minutes

Apparently there was nothing much to see as the tide was wrong

[khundon]

I wouldnt bother booking a ticket...the rail network in the U.K. is in a mess, worse that it was 100 years ago......if you book your ticket you will probably find the train is delayed by about 3 hours or even worse...cancelled.....best just pay at the counter same as anyone else and then you wont be charged any differently either....

Disagree completely. When I go back to the UK I book a ticket at least 24 hrs in advance from London Paddington to Exeter for £22, on the one occassion I didn't book and payed at the counter it was £58.

Uk rail isn't that bad, the main problem is there are about 12 different fares for each journey, so do some research and book 24 hrs in advance.

The buses are bad - overcrowded but a bit cheaper than the train.

Last time I went I rented a car for a week, only about £200 and alot more convenient (stay on the left - same same Thailand)

How are the buses overcrowded??? Maybe local, town buses are but National coaches are not. They have a set number of seats and only carry that number of passengers. No "Strapper hanging" on these coaches is allowed, by law.

Get the facts right.

[bkkjames]

Cheers for the advice QED, while my plans are fluid I can manage booking 24 hours in advance

And I've been in Thailand for 20 years. I look the wrong way crossing the street in the US now

The good news is that you are going to the UK then, looking the wrong way shouldn't be a problem unless you have too many pints and think you are back in the USA.

[soloman]

The safest way to cross any street is to look BOTH ways TWICE , especially in S.E.Asia because so many drive in both directions on THE SAME SIDE OF THE STREET.

Yep but while you are looking both ways twice a motor bike rider on the footpath will knock you over!

[britmaveric]

Why would u book the train before you visit? Very easy to do so in the UK and you'll save yourself some squid!!

[alstaxi]

How ironic.

[imaneggspurt]

So, life is not fair...get used to it.

J.

Love paying double do you ,.?

[imaneggspurt]

I wouldnt bother booking a ticket...the rail network in the U.K. is in a mess, worse that it was 100 years ago......if you book your ticket you will probably find the train is delayed by about 3 hours or even worse...cancelled.....best just pay at the counter same as anyone else and then you wont be charged any differently either....

WRONG ! "best just pay at the counter same as anyone else and then you wont be charged any differently either.."..,,,Book in advance and you can save up to 70 per cent, last minute/over the counter bookings are CRAZY prices,

[dumball]

The safest way to cross any street is to look BOTH ways TWICE , especially in S.E.Asia because so many drive in both directions on THE SAME SIDE OF THE STREET.

Yep but while you are looking both ways twice a motor bike rider on the footpath will knock you over!

HaHaHaHaHa , got me good there , forgot they drive everywhere and anywhere to suit their individual purpose , THE MOTO RULES .

[cyb]

Nope

I looked at point to point tickets on Britrail and the price was double that of raileasy

Britrail London to York for $149 US one way

raileasy London to York for £28.50 one way ($46 US)

Only difference is on the Britrail ticket I can hop off the train and get back on if I want.

The rail passes themselves aren't that great of a deal if you aren't travelling whip speed through the country either.

I plan on taking some time, so 3 days of travel within Britain for $269 US is not a deal.

Sbk

I use raileasy all the time, The best prices ever.

The last time i used it heathrow to middlesbrough £16 one way.

The time before that heathrow to nottingham £9 one way.

www.raileasy.com

[cyb]

I thought irony was when the wife presses my laundry for me.

I like that

[Lancelot]

All you have to do is show proof of residency and you will be charged the same as a Thai.

Not so Im afraid.... me, wife, nanny and 3 kids..BKK-Cha-am Thais go free....I could prove residency but was still asked to pay 50 Baht....so, I then paid for a taxi to Sai Tai terminal and also bus fares to Cha am at a much larger cost than the 50 Baht....not cutting my nose to spite my face, I will not be treated that way.......this thread is about train fares in the U.K. anyway....

Another example is the 3RD Class "Death Railway" train from Bangkok Noi station to Kanchanaburi. A sign in english stating that foreigners must pay B100 and the normal fare in Thai script (about B17 for Thais is I remember correctly.) I showed the clerk my Thai drivers license and Retirmenet visa, but he would not budge

FWIW, I recently went to the Ancient City in BKK -great trip- and I was admitted for the Thai price by presenting my DL.

[cyb]

so, I go online to book some train tickets, through the website for people booking from overseas and the prices seem quite expensive. So, a friend told me about a website for locals and a ticket to the same destination is half price. Half price.

I was amazed that such a blatant rip off of tourists is allowed.

Britrail should be boycotted

SBK

book as early as you can on raileasy, That way you can get the best price.

I forget but think you can book as early as two or threee months in advance.

As always the cheaper ones go first so the earlier you can book the better.

Edited August 30, 2009 by cyb

[cyb]

Judging by a few posts as usual a thread is drifting off topic jmho

[Gonsalviz]

I thought irony was when the wife presses my laundry for me.

Including underwear.

[Gonsalviz]

If Thais were charged what farang are charged they would not be able to enjoy their own country.

[loong]

Rail tickets are priced in much the way that airlines operate.

So many tickets are allocated at a cheap price, booked well in advance to get bums on seats

Once that allocation is hmmmm allocated, the price starts to rise in tiers. (Causing some tears as well !)

A few years back I took the Eurostar from UK to France, checked a few prices, but didn't book until a few days later - the price had more than doubled.

I was able to book online using the American website, paid in $ and got it cheaper than the original price.

[Igor]

And people say Americans don't get irony.

I'M an American and I have a lady come in twice a week to do my laundry and irony.

[soloman]

And people say Americans don't get irony.

I'M an American and I have a lady come in twice a week to do my laundry and irony.

Twice a week!! Yep they like to reward good men by doing their laundry

[grahamhc]

All you have to do is show proof of residency and you will be charged the same as a Thai.

I think they are refering to the train in the UK... "Britrail" chai mai?

I spotted it first look at the thread. But I am surprised, because it used to be cheaper to buy a BritRail pass OVERSEAS than in the UK, to make toursits welcome and visit lots of Britain by rail.

I also remember back in 1977 that I bought a Greyhound ticket book in the UK, for a price (or option) that was not available in the US. It was a book of blank tickets, and when all used up, they gave you another book. I had a month touring the States for about $110 if I remember correctly.

[tracer5050]

boreing

[tilakatm]

I want to just say gents and ladies and ladyboys i think dual pricing is quite the norm but how about being charged about 240 for a bevy where as most place charge 140 tops, no hows about that for a moan, and while we are talking about being charged more, how about a quick one from the ladies of the pleasure zone i dont think the normal thai guys will pay 1000+ they will be charged half im sure what do reckon

[cyb]

boreing

If it's boring don't visit this thread again simple.

[enyaw]

Nope

I looked at point to point tickets on Britrail and the price was double that of raileasy

Britrail London to York for $149 US one way

raileasy London to York for £28.50 one way ($46 US)

Only difference is on the Britrail ticket I can hop off the train and get back on if I want.

The rail passes themselves aren't that great of a deal if you aren't travelling whip speed through the country either.

I plan on taking some time, so 3 days of travel within Britain for $269 US is not a deal.

As someone as already pointed out these sound like to different types of tickets. If you are able to hop on and off then this would be a Standard Anytime ticket on services between London and York meaning any route is permitable. Also if you decided not to make the journey then ticket would be fully refundable less a £10 admin fee.

The Raileasy ticket because of the low cost sounds like a Standard Advance ticket, these aren't refundable and would be ristricted to the times on the ticket meaning if you missed the train it wouldn't be allowed on any other service.

The price of $149 quoted by Britrail for the Standard Anytime ticket is a good deal as in the UK this would cost you $182 (£112).

A Standard Off Peak would be a the best option. Refundable and flexible to use on services outside of the rush hour.

website. http://www.thetrainline.com/buytickets/?

Hope this helps.

Edited August 31, 2009 by enyaw

[sbk]

cheers for the explanation enyaw.

I am not particularly interested in hopping on and off, have some specific destinations in mind, friends to visit, places to go

[idrankwhat]

All you have to do is show proof of residency and you will be charged the same as a Thai.

I think they are refering to the train in the UK... "Britrail" chai mai?

Now that is funny! One could imagine how I misunderstood, actually I did originally get the idea it was a train in the UK but as I always hear people complaining about the double pricing in Thailand I thought I misread something.

[hhgz]

"if we all took that attitude, we'd all be living as serfs."

Or republicans.

[FarangForce5]

This thread should have a "Don't bother reading" warning at the top for all non-Brits...