Doi Suthep

[Scrubber]

Well said. It just makes a mockery out of the place as surely, in the eyes of 'Buddha', everyone is equal? I'm not quite sure about one reply that claimed foreigners go to gawk and Thais go to 'worship' - you'll probably find a lot of them are going to ask for a new TV or a win on the lottery.

[KevinHunt]

How come a visit to a temple ends up with rants about racism, scams and rip-off merchants? Not to mention Nazi Fruit-sellers - that's a classic!! There are more chips on the shoulders of some contributors here than there are in my kitchen table on a busy night.

So much cynicism and disrespect for a much-revered holy site. I'll say a prayer for you all.

         

             Peace and love.

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

How come a visit to a temple ends up with rants about racism, scams and rip-off merchants? Not to mention Nazi Fruit-sellers - that's a classic!! There are more chips on the shoulders of some contributors here than there are in my kitchen table on a busy night.

So much cynicism and disrespect for a much-revered holy site. I'll say a prayer for you all.

         

             Peace and love.

The fruit Nazi quip was a reference to a famous US comedy sitcom called "Seinfeld" where in a few episodes an overzealous Soup chef made customers jump thru hoops just to have the honor of being served his delicious soups. The chef was referred to as the "Soup Nazi".

I have given up trying to get courteous service from that woman even though she for sure recognizes me. It's more of a curiousity for me if she is really trying to discriminate against certain customers or has some other sort of anomousity or personality defect. It's truly a mystery to me.

Soup Nazi Wiki

Edited September 15, 2009 by CobraSnakeNecktie

[KevinHunt]

The fruit Nazi quip was a reference to a famous US comedy sitcom called "Seinfeld" where in a few episodes an overzealous Soup chef made customers jump thru hoops just to have the honor of being served his delicious soups. The chef was referred to as the "Soup Nazi".

I have given up trying to get courteous service from that woman even though she for sure recognizes me. It's more of a curiousity for me if she is really trying to discriminate against certain customers or has some other sort of anomousity or personality defect. It's truly a mystery to me.

As I already suggested, she may have sensitive nostrils. I know people avoid me more than they usually would after a hard three-setter. Cycling up Doi Suthep may have the same effect.

Maybe she's just a very good judge of character? You did mention the fact that you consider Thais to be xenophobic and racist.

Worth thinking about.

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

Some to many people from all cultures around the world are xenophobic and racist. Why would some or many Thai's be any different? are you suggesting there are not some significant number of Thai's who are not? Really? What evidence of this do you have?

I have stood around and tried to watch how she treats other customers but can't really draw any conclusions and sure after riding up that hill I am certain I don't smell like a bouquet of flowers but this woman works on the side of the road and huffs car exhaust all day so sort of does not make sense she is overly sensitive to smells. I am a vegetarian by the way and don't have the normal putrefacting proteins oozing out of me. Any other low likelyhood theories you would liket to float?

Maybe she finds non polluting bicycling offensive.

[KevinHunt]

Any other low likelihood theories you would like to float?

You put me in a delicate situation. Best not.

Edited September 15, 2009 by Tywais
Corrected quote

[toptuan]

Please do not get upset but I think most of farang who live here do not pat tax, do they?

The average expat who works in Thailand pays a heck of a lot more taxes than the average Thai, when you take into account VAT taxes, personal/corporate income taxes, visa fees, re-entry fees, work permits, driver's license fees and vehicle fees. We pay MORE than our fare share before ever getting to the ticket counter of these tourist places. I think that's what upsets most of us working expats. It's the sheer discrimination based on skin color and appearance that chaps our hides (case in point: my Japanese friend always gets the Thai price!).

[KevinHunt]

The average expat who works in Thailand pays a heck of a lot more taxes than the average Thai, when you take into account VAT taxes, personal/corporate income taxes, visa fees, re-entry fees, work permits, driver's license fees and vehicle fees. We pay MORE than our fare share before ever getting to the ticket counter of these tourist places. I think that's what upsets most of us working expats. It's the sheer discrimination based on skin color and appearance that chaps our hides (case in point: my Japanese friend always gets the Thai price!).

My hide isn't chapped. I just checked it - without the aid of a mirror, I might add.

[john b good]

Please do not get upset but I think most of farang who live here do not pat tax, do they?

Just a 20-30 baht extra for the local to spend to maintain all the facilities at temple and national parks, is quite reasonable.

Please do not get upset upset !! what a <deleted> joke !!

How long you been here buddy. Farang not pay tax. !!

I take it you don't own a car or a motorcycle "if you do do they run on fumes" or does the guy deduct the 7% Vat from what you pay.

You don't eat ?? because if you do you pay tax.

You must sleep somewhere in the boonies in a tent because if you're in a GH or hotel you are paying tax.

How did you get from wherever to CM ??? walk I suppose, because if you didn't you paid tax.

Some of you guys with all the excuses under the sun as to why there is double pricing want to make me puke.

Engage your brain before turning your computer on.

And on the subject of tax I don't suppose you have a satang in a thai bank (backpackers generally don't) because if you have you pay tax.

It's clear that you wouldn't know shyt from shinola even if you had them in your mouth.

Edited September 15, 2009 by Mario2008
Flame deleted - keep it civil - mario2008

[KevinHunt]

Please do not get upset upset !! what a <deleted> joke !!

It's rude to swear, but I'll excuse that because you're all excited. What I can't excuse is your bad spelling. Now, write it out again 20 times, and make sure you get it right this time.

[anonymouse]

Please do not get upset upset !! what a <deleted> joke !!

It's rude to swear, but I'll excuse that because you're all excited. What I can't excuse is your bad spelling. Now, write it out again 20 times, and make sure you get it right this time.

stop it Kevin you'll give the poor chap a heart attack.

I blame the weather

[brennanstimpy]

Double pricing is a great excuse not to bother with visiting any of Thailand's somewhat dubious attractions. When they come up with something like the Smithsonian Institute or The Louvre, I might bother getting upset about it.

Bravo UG! you should win the best post on the forum. No joke.

[KevinHunt]

Please do not get upset upset !! what a <deleted> joke !!

It's rude to swear, but I'll excuse that because you're all excited. What I can't excuse is your bad spelling. Now, write it out again 20 times, and make sure you get it right this time.

stop it Kevin you'll give the poor chap a heart attack.

I blame the weather

I blame the parents.

[mca]

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised when I went to CM last year and visited Doi Inthanon. Rolled up with my wife, daughter and 2 nieces and the officer on duty asked if I lived in Thailand and promptly let me in for the Thai price. Well chuffed.

[spaceshipcrew]

Wierd. I had some family come up from BKK last weekend and they wanted to go to Doi Suthep (tried my hardest to get them to go to Walking St Market - but nope). Its been many years since I went to the temple (rather than whizzing by on my way north).

Usually I walk up the stairs, but we had small kids, so did the lift........

This indeed is A SHAME for Thailand, it's complete against they idea they 'care about getting tourists back'. Yes they want our money, just the way they do it it's very insulting, unpolite, dishonest and brutal.

Next week my darling from Laos will visit me, Doi 'Scam' Suthep is a must but already I get negative feelings if I only think about the quarrel I will get at the top.

I will take the stairs for sure, not only because I'm overweight, but also when you use the stairs the scamguys at the top are rather easy to blow away (so not the scamguys at doi inthanon)

A Temple is a House of God, therefor everybody has the right to enter it for free, and I respect no human who asks money from me, especially when it's out of RACISTIC MOTIVES !

Amen

It's really about time they gonna learn something !

Edited September 15, 2009 by spaceshipcrew

[KevinHunt]

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised when I went to CM last year and visited Doi Inthanon. Rolled up with my wife, daughter and 2 nieces and the officer on duty asked if I lived in Thailand and promptly let me in for the Thai price. Well chuffed.

     Why MCA?

[anonymouse]

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised when I went to CM last year and visited Doi Inthanon. Rolled up with my wife, daughter and 2 nieces and the officer on duty asked if I lived in Thailand and promptly let me in for the Thai price. Well chuffed.

     Why MCA?

very, very poor

Haven't you got a pub to run or something?

Edited September 15, 2009 by anonymouse

[spaceshipcrew]

Please do not get upset but I think most of farang who live here do not pat tax, do they?

Just a 20-30 baht extra for the local to spend to maintain all the facilities at temple and national parks, is quite reasonable.

Have you ever visited the 'monks area' of Doi Suthep ? Not easy to get inside, but if you carry an empty box pretenting it's the new english courses, they will let you in.

At the eastside you see that strange long slide disappearing in the woods. The monk refused to explain what it is, but not long after I learned this 50 meter long slide they use to get rid of their garbage (for a large part those plastic orange buckets people donate)

At the end of the slide, hidden between trees is a huge landfill of waste, plastic, poison and they just leave it there.

That's how they 'maintain all the facilities at temple' !

[Donnyboy]

Please do not get upset but I think most of farang who live here do not pat tax, do they?

Just a 20-30 baht extra for the local to spend to maintain all the facilities at temple and national parks, is quite reasonable.

Have you ever visited the 'monks area' of Doi Suthep ? Not easy to get inside, but if you carry an empty box pretenting it's the new english courses, they will let you in.

At the eastside you see that strange long slide disappearing in the woods. The monk refused to explain what it is, but not long after I learned this 50 meter long slide they use to get rid of their garbage (for a large part those plastic orange buckets people donate)

At the end of the slide, hidden between trees is a huge landfill of waste, plastic, poison and they just leave it there.

That's how they 'maintain all the facilities at temple' !

shocker if true

[anonymouse]

Please do not get upset but I think most of farang who live here do not pat tax, do they?

Just a 20-30 baht extra for the local to spend to maintain all the facilities at temple and national parks, is quite reasonable.

Have you ever visited the 'monks area' of Doi Suthep ? Not easy to get inside, but if you carry an empty box pretenting it's the new english courses, they will let you in.

I'll give it a try next time I'm at a loose end

[KevinHunt]

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised when I went to CM last year and visited Doi Inthanon. Rolled up with my wife, daughter and 2 nieces and the officer on duty asked if I lived in Thailand and promptly let me in for the Thai price. Well chuffed.

     Why MCA?

very, very poor

Haven't you got a pub to run or something?

Sorry. I'm just out now. It's bad enough getting this from the missus - now I'm getting it here!!

I shouldn't have made a reference to that song, I can't get it out of my head now.

It's fun to stay at the ...

[getgoin]

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised when I went to CM last year and visited Doi Inthanon. Rolled up with my wife, daughter and 2 nieces and the officer on duty asked if I lived in Thailand and promptly let me in for the Thai price. Well chuffed.

Why MCA?

very, very poor

Haven't you got a pub to run or something?

What I want to know is, which one in the picture are you, Kevin?

[Johpa]

Double pricing is a great excuse not to bother with visiting any of Thailand's somewhat dubious attractions. When they come up with something like the Smithsonian Institute or The Louvre, I might bother getting upset about it.

I find the National Museum in Bangkok to be pretty darn impressive, not the Smithsonian, the Louvre (over rated), nor the British Museum, but worthy none the less.

[anonymouse]

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised when I went to CM last year and visited Doi Inthanon. Rolled up with my wife, daughter and 2 nieces and the officer on duty asked if I lived in Thailand and promptly let me in for the Thai price. Well chuffed.

Why MCA?

very, very poor

Haven't you got a pub to run or something?

What I want to know is, which one in the picture are you, Kevin?

The one with the moustache, if that narrows it down

[BlackArtemis]

I've only had it happen one time.

Thought they point to an English sign and speak some English, I wonder what would happen if you began to retort in say Spanish or French.

[Mapguy]

Wierd. I had some family come up from BKK last weekend and they wanted to go to Doi Suthep (tried my hardest to get them to go to Walking St Market - but nope). Its been many years since I went to the temple (rather than whizzing by on my way north).

Usually I walk up the stairs, but we had small kids, so did the lift. 20B per person - 50 for the Farrang! I told them I'm a local and got a 20 B ticket - but then the woman at the lift would not allow me on and I had to swap it out for the 50B one.

I am sure the last time I used the lift it was free (about 10 years ago I think) - for everyone - after all its a temple and we are likely to be giving up there anyway. It rather peed me off given that I was with 15 Thais and they knew I wasn't a tourist (indeed am local!).

Usually I would leave a donation - a few hundred baht or so - but for their 30B con, they lost my donation. I wonder how many other people feel this way and how much it actually costs the temple! Its not as if they hide it - in great big letter on the glass at the kiosk it say foreigner 30B extra.

What was weird? That your family from Bangkok wanted to go to one of the most important temples in Chiang Mai rather than go shopping?

Have you really been here for many years - 10 or more? If so why are you bothered about 30 baht entrance fee to Chiang Mai's most important temple? I'm amazed that after so long staying here you still refer to the fee as a 'con', and the dual-pricing issue still burns inside you. You haven't learnt much in 10 years, it seems.

Why do you normally leave a few hundred baht donation? Obviously not for 'merit'. What did you achieve by not donating? Something to do with principles? Now that is weird.

What did your family from Bangkok make of all this, I wonder.

Bang on, Kevin. You just served an ace!

[KevinHunt]

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised when I went to CM last year and visited Doi Inthanon. Rolled up with my wife, daughter and 2 nieces and the officer on duty asked if I lived in Thailand and promptly let me in for the Thai price. Well chuffed.

Why MCA?

very, very poor

Haven't you got a pub to run or something?

What I want to know is, which one in the picture are you, Kevin?

The cowboy, of course.

[KevinHunt]

Wierd. I had some family come up from BKK last weekend and they wanted to go to Doi Suthep.  

I am sure the last time I used the lift it was free (about 10 years ago I think) - for everyone - after all its a temple and we are likely to be giving up there anyway. It rather peed me off given that I was with 15 Thais and they knew I wasn't a tourist (indeed am local!).

Usually I would leave a donation - a few hundred baht or so - but for their 30B con, they lost my donation. I wonder how many other people feel this way and how much it actually costs the temple! Its not as if they hide it - in great big letter on the glass at the kiosk it say foreigner 30B extra.

What was weird? That your family from Bangkok wanted to go to one of the most important temples in Chiang Mai rather than go shopping?

Have you really been here for many years - 10 or more? If so why are you bothered about 30 baht entrance fee to Chiang Mai's most important temple? I'm amazed that after so long staying here you still refer to the fee as a 'con', and the dual-pricing issue still burns inside you. You haven't learnt much in 10 years, it seems.

Why do you normally leave a few hundred baht donation? Obviously not for 'merit'. What did you achieve by not donating? Something to do with principles? Now that is weird.

What did your family from Bangkok make of all this, I wonder.

Bang on, Kevin. You just served an ace!

Unfortunately, most people didn't see it. What we need on this TV is slow-motion action replay and a commentator to explain it all.

I wonder what  Thais and people outside of Thailand make of all this. Farangs getting all un-necessary over 30 baht entrance fee to one of the most important temples in Thailand. I imagine that the poor guys working there have to deal with some farangs getting angry, and possibly abusive, over such a measly amount, most days. Of course most tourists pay willingly, but some expats choose to take it as a personal insult. It's not about the money, you understand, it's the principle. How many times have we heard that? 

I love it and find it all amusing. What do you think - is it sad, stupid, or just plain pathetic?

[Loaded]

It's not about the money, you understand, it's the principle. How many times have we heard that? 

Mainly from you when defending charging for a filtered glass of water that costs you 0.01 baht in you pub.

[caf]

It's not about the money, you understand, it's the principle. How many times have we heard that?

Mainly from you when defending charging for a filtered glass of water that costs you 0.01 baht in you pub.

Embarassing you brought that up but you are right. He does not always think through what he writes and can be contradictory. But I enjoy his posts for their entertainment value. He never posts on any real issues, have you noticed that. But he keeps threads alive in an amusing way. Good for business