Should Foreigners Pay Higher Prices?

[dunkin2012]

Should foreigners pay higher prices?

Vivek Wagle Lonely Planet author

A few years ago, I fronted up to Delhi's Jantar Mantar, a stellar remnant of India's Mughal past. An Indian by birth and ethnicity, I handed over the 'local' entrance fee – about US$0.10 – only for the guard to laugh and demand the much higher 'foreigner' fee (US$2). My protests were brushed aside: I could not produce an Indian passport, and my Hindi was horribly accented. So the foreign price it was. ....

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[carmine]

What are you actually asking here? Is it legally ok? Is it morally ok? Is it an act of racism towards foreigners? Is it an act of dishonesty fuelled by xenophobia?

[samran]

oh goodie - another double pricing thread. See you at post 4562.

[Johnniey]

As a long-time visitor of over 20 years, it has nothing to do with me. I can either stay or go.

[Nawtier]

If you dun like it, dun pay it.

If you dun like it....leave.

Ben Dover does not mind paying more for services.

[carmine]

If you dun like it, dun pay it.

If you dun like it....leave.

Ben Dover does not mind paying more for services.

[Richard4849]

I've only been to two places that were completely inflexible on the Thai/foreigner price thing when they were shown a Thai drivers license: Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, and the Khao Wang national park complex in Phetburi Province. Both places insisted that it was either Thai ID card, or pay the foreigner price (this was before I got my Thai ID card).

Everywhere else -- other national parks, Safari World, Siam Park, the aquarium at Paragon -- all gave "Thai price" to foreigners who could show a Thai drivers license (or something else, presumable, demonstrating they were long-stay and not tourists).

Any others for the list? (I know, I know...use the "search" function).

[Semper]

If you dun like it, dun pay it.

If you dun like it....leave.

Ben Dover does not mind paying more for services.

I thought he was the one who got paid.

[jdinasia]

I've only been to two places that were completely inflexible on the Thai/foreigner price thing when they were shown a Thai drivers license: Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, and the Khao Wang national park complex in Phetburi Province. Both places insisted that it was either Thai ID card, or pay the foreigner price (this was before I got my Thai ID card).

Everywhere else -- other national parks, Safari World, Siam Park, the aquarium at Paragon -- all gave "Thai price" to foreigners who could show a Thai drivers license (or something else, presumable, demonstrating they were long-stay and not tourists).

Any others for the list? (I know, I know...use the "search" function).

I haven't been to any that were not flexible. I have walked away from one private company that would not give me the local price. (It wasn't high on my list of things to do ... and I just won't pay 2-tier pricing for private companies ....

[dunkin2012]

I've only been to two places that were completely inflexible on the Thai/foreigner price thing when they were shown a Thai drivers license: Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, and the Khao Wang national park complex in Phetburi Province. Both places insisted that it was either Thai ID card, or pay the foreigner price (this was before I got my Thai ID card).

Everywhere else -- other national parks, Safari World, Siam Park, the aquarium at Paragon -- all gave "Thai price" to foreigners who could show a Thai drivers license (or something else, presumable, demonstrating they were long-stay and not tourists).

Any others for the list? (I know, I know...use the "search" function).

I haven't been to any that were not flexible. I have walked away from one private company that would not give me the local price. (It wasn't high on my list of things to do ... and I just won't pay 2-tier pricing for private companies ....

My Girl Friend and I went koh samed, Rayong. There is a beach which is a part of the national parks where they have a couple of rangers patrolled in the area. We were asked to pay B200=$6.67 while the locals paid B40=$1.33. How many times is the difference? roughly 5 times more.

"The world is SO unfair" is true. And in Laos, I paid heaps while the locals pay as little as 1/3 of mine for the entrance fee at a park where there's a falls near Luang PraBang.

[aneliane]

oh goodie - another double pricing thread. See you at post 4562.

lol

[Travel2003]

If the country itself (tax payers) pay some of the costs to operate it, yes the visitors should pay more than the locals.

Anyhow, "spesial plise for you my flend" is so common here, starting from taxi drivers and street vendors, passing the Police (bribes and personal fines), and all the way up to the top in the political/business landscape.

Some can be avoided, by letting Thai friends or relatives do the transactions.

Some is just take it or leave it.

I take it.

I dont like it, but I take it

;-)

[jdinasia]

I've only been to two places that were completely inflexible on the Thai/foreigner price thing when they were shown a Thai drivers license: Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, and the Khao Wang national park complex in Phetburi Province. Both places insisted that it was either Thai ID card, or pay the foreigner price (this was before I got my Thai ID card).

Everywhere else -- other national parks, Safari World, Siam Park, the aquarium at Paragon -- all gave "Thai price" to foreigners who could show a Thai drivers license (or something else, presumable, demonstrating they were long-stay and not tourists).

Any others for the list? (I know, I know...use the "search" function).

I haven't been to any that were not flexible. I have walked away from one private company that would not give me the local price. (It wasn't high on my list of things to do ... and I just won't pay 2-tier pricing for private companies ....

My Girl Friend and I went koh samed, Rayong. There is a beach which is a part of the national parks where they have a couple of rangers patrolled in the area. We were asked to pay B200=$6.67 while the locals paid B40=$1.33. How many times is the difference? roughly 5 times more.

"The world is SO unfair" is true. And in Laos, I paid heaps while the locals pay as little as 1/3 of mine for the entrance fee at a park where there's a falls near Luang PraBang.

The last time I was at Samet I paid the local price for the island (National Park) when I showed them my Thai DL.

[robblok]

I usually show my Thai drivers license and get in for Thai prices. I normally refuse to pay a higher price (unless i think its fair and can live with it) For national parks and so on i can see why non tax payers have to pay more though most thais also dont pay tax. But still i can accept it or just refuse.

When private companies do it i just refuse to go. I refused to go to Bungsamran fishing for a long time as they charged foreigners 1000 bt instead of 400 bt. Now they changed it (they saw the light) and i come there more often spending my money and so do other friends. All in all i think it was a good decission for them profit wise. Still tourist pay the 1000 bt but with a driverslicense from Thailand you get in.

You vote with your feet if you dont like it. I always make clear why they are loosing my business. On a small scale it probably does not hurt them much. But if many refuse to be ripped of it might.

Im now in Holland for a small holliday with my gf and she seems to pay the same as me everywhere without asking. We would not even think of something like this over here. But i like Thailand a lot more and i can still refuse to not go to places like this.

[dunkin2012]

I've only been to two places that were completely inflexible on the Thai/foreigner price thing when they were shown a Thai drivers license: Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, and the Khao Wang national park complex in Phetburi Province. Both places insisted that it was either Thai ID card, or pay the foreigner price (this was before I got my Thai ID card).

Everywhere else -- other national parks, Safari World, Siam Park, the aquarium at Paragon -- all gave "Thai price" to foreigners who could show a Thai drivers license (or something else, presumable, demonstrating they were long-stay and not tourists).

Any others for the list? (I know, I know...use the "search" function).

I haven't been to any that were not flexible. I have walked away from one private company that would not give me the local price. (It wasn't high on my list of things to do ... and I just won't pay 2-tier pricing for private companies ....

My Girl Friend and I went koh samed, Rayong. There is a beach which is a part of the national parks where they have a couple of rangers patrolled in the area. We were asked to pay B200=$6.67 while the locals paid B40=$1.33. How many times is the difference? roughly 5 times more.

"The world is SO unfair" is true. And in Laos, I paid heaps while the locals pay as little as 1/3 of mine for the entrance fee at a park where there's a falls near Luang PraBang.

The last time I was at Samet I paid the local price for the island (National Park) when I showed them my Thai DL.

haha....... not many cases ended up in the same way as yours......

pretty lucky dude.!!!!

[travelmann]

If you dun like it, dun pay it.

If you dun like it....leave.

Ben Dover does not mind paying more for services.

Is that Hugh Janus's half Brother?

[nocturn]

I've only been to two places that were completely inflexible on the Thai/foreigner price thing when they were shown a Thai drivers license: Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, and the Khao Wang national park complex in Phetburi Province. Both places insisted that it was either Thai ID card, or pay the foreigner price (this was before I got my Thai ID card).

Everywhere else -- other national parks, Safari World, Siam Park, the aquarium at Paragon -- all gave "Thai price" to foreigners who could show a Thai drivers license (or something else, presumable, demonstrating they were long-stay and not tourists).

Any others for the list? (I know, I know...use the "search" function).

I haven't been to any that were not flexible. I have walked away from one private company that would not give me the local price. (It wasn't high on my list of things to do ... and I just won't pay 2-tier pricing for private companies ....

My Girl Friend and I went koh samed, Rayong. There is a beach which is a part of the national parks where they have a couple of rangers patrolled in the area. We were asked to pay B200=$6.67 while the locals paid B40=$1.33. How many times is the difference? roughly 5 times more.

"The world is SO unfair" is true. And in Laos, I paid heaps while the locals pay as little as 1/3 of mine for the entrance fee at a park where there's a falls near Luang PraBang.

and if you take a speedboat it is free. btw the whole island is park i believe.

[Thongkorn]

I thought i alreay was paying higher prices in Thailand, Its called falang pricing.

[Johnniey]

If you dun like it, dun pay it.

If you dun like it....leave.

Ben Dover does not mind paying more for services.

Is that Hugh Janus's half Brother?

I thought his brother was Phil McKavity.

[Thongkorn]

If you dun like it, dun pay it.

If you dun like it....leave.

Ben Dover does not mind paying more for services.

Is that Hugh Janus's half Brother?

I thought his brother was Phil McKavity.

No his brother is Phil Macrackin cousin of phil Macrevis

[Travel2003]

I thought i alreay was paying higher prices in Thailand, Its called falang pricing.

post # 12

[Richard4849]

I've only been to two places that were completely inflexible on the Thai/foreigner price thing when they were shown a Thai drivers license: Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, and the Khao Wang national park complex in Phetburi Province. Both places insisted that it was either Thai ID card, or pay the foreigner price (this was before I got my Thai ID card).

Everywhere else -- other national parks, Safari World, Siam Park, the aquarium at Paragon -- all gave "Thai price" to foreigners who could show a Thai drivers license (or something else, presumable, demonstrating they were long-stay and not tourists).

Any others for the list? (I know, I know...use the "search" function).

I haven't been to any that were not flexible. I have walked away from one private company that would not give me the local price. (It wasn't high on my list of things to do ... and I just won't pay 2-tier pricing for private companies ....

My Girl Friend and I went koh samed, Rayong. There is a beach which is a part of the national parks where they have a couple of rangers patrolled in the area. We were asked to pay B200=$6.67 while the locals paid B40=$1.33. How many times is the difference? roughly 5 times more.

"The world is SO unfair" is true. And in Laos, I paid heaps while the locals pay as little as 1/3 of mine for the entrance fee at a park where there's a falls near Luang PraBang.

and if you take a speedboat it is free. btw the whole island is park i believe.

You mean if they don't catch you, it's free. I've seen one of the uniformed park rangers come out to the beach to intercept speed boats landing directly in front of the various resorts on Had Sai Kaew. Sometimes they're on the ball, other times not.

[dominique355]

The reason why farangs or people of Caucasian ethnicity have to pay more than Thais or people with Asian ethnicity I hear most is that farangs don't pay taxes here.

Hello! Apparently only 21% of all Thais pay income tax. So do the remaining 79% pay the higher price?

When I bought a car here in Thailand, I paid import tax, excise tax, VAT etc, all together several millions of THB. And someone tells me I don't pay taxes? Give me a break! I probably paid more tax than most Thai in their entire life.

Let's face it: this double pricing is pure and simple racism or xenophobia. It's wrong. Period.

[MrsMills]

Let's face it: this double pricing is pure and simple racism or xenophobia. It's wrong. Period.

It is is no way racist. Period !!

If it was racist, Farangs with Thai Driving Licences would still get charged the Tourist price.

TVVS ( ThaiVisaVictimsSociety) stupidity.

[mario299]

If you dun like it, dun pay it.

If you dun like it....leave.

Ben Dover does not mind paying more for services.

Is that Hugh Janus's half Brother?

I thought his brother was Phil McKavity.

No his brother is Phil Macrackin cousin of phil Macrevis

Their mother being...Eileen Dover...???

Just curious.

Edited June 8, 2011 by mario299

[Richard4849]

The reason why farangs or people of Caucasian ethnicity have to pay more than Thais or people with Asian ethnicity I hear most is that farangs don't pay taxes here.

Hello! Apparently only 21% of all Thais pay income tax. So do the remaining 79% pay the higher price?

When I bought a car here in Thailand, I paid import tax, excise tax, VAT etc, all together several millions of THB. And someone tells me I don't pay taxes? Give me a break! I probably paid more tax than most Thai in their entire life.

Let's face it: this double pricing is pure and simple racism or xenophobia. It's wrong. Period.

Asian ethnicity? Come one...do you think a group of Japanese or Korean tourists gets the "Thai price"? No, they definitely don't.

Occasionally individual Asian travelers can slip by if they look enough like a Thai -- but that is luck, not policy.

And yes as noted above it is mostly TOURISTS that pay a higher fee. EXPATRIATES in almost all cases get the "local" rate (I have only encountered two exceptions, as I mentioned above).

[MAJIC]

The reason why farangs or people of Caucasian ethnicity have to pay more than Thais or people with Asian ethnicity I hear most is that farangs don't pay taxes here.

Hello! Apparently only 21% of all Thais pay income tax. So do the remaining 79% pay the higher price?

When I bought a car here in Thailand, I paid import tax, excise tax, VAT etc, all together several millions of THB. And someone tells me I don't pay taxes? Give me a break! I probably paid more tax than most Thai in their entire life.

Let's face it: this double pricing is pure and simple racism or xenophobia. It's wrong. Period.

Spot on:

And let's add Greed to the equation!

Edited June 8, 2011 by MAJIC

[Semper]

If the country itself (tax payers) pay some of the costs to operate it, yes the visitors should pay more than the locals.

Anyhow, "spesial plise for you my flend" is so common here, starting from taxi drivers and street vendors, passing the Police (bribes and personal fines), and all the way up to the top in the political/business landscape.

Some can be avoided, by letting Thai friends or relatives do the transactions.

Some is just take it or leave it.

I take it.

I dont like it, but I take it

;-)

Do you know anyone?

[scottyd]

It does not matter if tourists pay taxes or not, they are still helping the economy by being there. By discriminating against them it is not exactly looking at the bigger picture now is it, it is simply short term gain, sometimes not even that if the tourist walks away.

[welsh1]

If you dun like it, dun pay it.

If you dun like it....leave.

Ben Dover does not mind paying more for services.

Is that Hugh Janus's half Brother?

no its Huw Jardon's half brother