Dual Enterance Tickets

[Richard4849]

I take Asian clients -- mostly Chinese -- touring around at least once a month, and have been doing so for over 20 years.

If they can pass for a Thai and/or the authorities aren't paying attention, sometimes they can sneak in free. Much more often than not, though, they have to pay the foreigner rate.

Yet I -- a farang with a Thai ID -- pays the Thai rate. That kind of puts your "skin color"/"racism" argument on its head, doesn't it?

Anyway, remember it is SNEAKING. They aren't letting your wife's Koreans in because of their yellow skin -- but because they are somehow mistaking them for Thais or are distracted. It is not a skin or race-based policy.

[OlafStapleton]

If you can pass for a Thai you MIGHT be able to SNEAK in. But that is not the policy. And, believe me, the authorities can spot a Japanese, Korean, or Chinese tourist at 50 feet, as they can 95% of other non-Thai Asians, and they WILL charge them the foreigner rate. The policy is based on NATIONALITY, regardless of whether or nit the occasional non-Thai can sneak in.

Your a funny guy, my wife is a tour guide and she gets the Koreans in for Thai prices but not the Indian's. And we are talking about groups, not occasional non Thais.

Good for your wife.

I stand by my statement, and I bet I've been touring in Thailand longer than your wife has been a guide.

You clearly Thai apologist, people like you just annoy me

As mod say in sig, don't argue with stupid person, they just drag you down to their level then beat you with experience.

Learn what a racist is, then post again else go away.

Everyone else post here stupid, you not, OK!

[cdnvic]

Enough of the flaming and name calling. One post deleted, next nasty reply loses posting rights.

[robblok]

I take Asian clients -- mostly Chinese -- touring around at least once a month, and have been doing so for over 20 years.

If they can pass for a Thai and/or the authorities aren't paying attention, sometimes they can sneak in free. Much more often than not, though, they have to pay the foreigner rate.

Yet I -- a farang with a Thai ID -- pays the Thai rate. That kind of puts your "skin color"/"racism" argument on its head, doesn't it?

Anyway, remember it is SNEAKING. They aren't letting your wife's Koreans in because of their yellow skin -- but because they are somehow mistaking them for Thais or are distracted. It is not a skin or race-based policy.

Fist you say they can see it in 95% of the cases. I just told you my wife gets those tourists in almost 100% of the cases while she cant get Indians in at all. Sounds like racism to me.

Yes i sometimes get in with a drivers license, i actually have no problem when they require a drivers license because that separates tourists from locals. Unfortunately it does not always work that way. (it often does and in the other cases its just racism or envy).

Anyway i'm happy that in one of the fishing parks i often go to they now accept Thai drivers license as proof. It saves me 600 bt a pop. That is quite a lot if you go there more then a few times a month. They do make more off me on my other spending's so its a win win situation for them. But i avoided them like the plague before they started this rule.

[PattayaParent]

Don't think so.

The price has nothing to with race.

Ethnic Chinese, Sikh, even farang who have Thai nationality pay one price. Nationals of other countries pay another, again regardless of whether they are black, white, yellow, brown, or purple.

The color of your passport (nationality) Is what determines the price you pay, NOT the color of your skin (race).

How do they know what colour your passport is when they never ask for it?

They judge you only on the colour of your skin and facial features.

[Richard4849]

Don't think so.

The price has nothing to with race.

Ethnic Chinese, Sikh, even farang who have Thai nationality pay one price. Nationals of other countries pay another, again regardless of whether they are black, white, yellow, brown, or purple.

The color of your passport (nationality) Is what determines the price you pay, NOT the color of your skin (race).

How do they know what colour your passport is when they never ask for it?

They judge you only on the colour of your skin and facial features.

No. They judge you on how you are dressed, carry yourself, speak, and often don't challenge you if you look enough like a Thai. 99% of non-Thai Asians visitors are easily identified as such -- and they are charged as foreigners, as they should be.

The fact that a dark-skinned Asian has an easier time cheating the policy does not make the policy racist. It is nationalist policy -- not racist one.

It is not practical or necessary for the authorities to demand ID from every single person that wants to go in. They are just national parks and tourist spots, not high-security facilities.

I'm sorry if you feel cheated because it is harder for you to beat the system than, say, a visitor from Laos.

[Richard4849]

I take Asian clients -- mostly Chinese -- touring around at least once a month, and have been doing so for over 20 years.

If they can pass for a Thai and/or the authorities aren't paying attention, sometimes they can sneak in free. Much more often than not, though, they have to pay the foreigner rate.

Yet I -- a farang with a Thai ID -- pays the Thai rate. That kind of puts your "skin color"/"racism" argument on its head, doesn't it?

Anyway, remember it is SNEAKING. They aren't letting your wife's Koreans in because of their yellow skin -- but because they are somehow mistaking them for Thais or are distracted. It is not a skin or race-based policy.

Fist you say they can see it in 95% of the cases. I just told you my wife gets those tourists in almost 100% of the cases while she cant get Indians in at all. Sounds like racism to me.

Yes i sometimes get in with a drivers license, i actually have no problem when they require a drivers license because that separates tourists from locals. Unfortunately it does not always work that way. (it often does and in the other cases its just racism or envy).

Anyway i'm happy that in one of the fishing parks i often go to they now accept Thai drivers license as proof. It saves me 600 bt a pop. That is quite a lot if you go there more then a few times a month. They do make more off me on my other spending's so its a win win situation for them. But i avoided them like the plague before they started this rule.

Your wife is obviously better at cheating the system with her Koreans, then, than I am with my Chinese. Something to be proud of, I guess...

[robblok]

I take Asian clients -- mostly Chinese -- touring around at least once a month, and have been doing so for over 20 years.

If they can pass for a Thai and/or the authorities aren't paying attention, sometimes they can sneak in free. Much more often than not, though, they have to pay the foreigner rate.

Yet I -- a farang with a Thai ID -- pays the Thai rate. That kind of puts your "skin color"/"racism" argument on its head, doesn't it?

Anyway, remember it is SNEAKING. They aren't letting your wife's Koreans in because of their yellow skin -- but because they are somehow mistaking them for Thais or are distracted. It is not a skin or race-based policy.

Fist you say they can see it in 95% of the cases. I just told you my wife gets those tourists in almost 100% of the cases while she cant get Indians in at all. Sounds like racism to me.

Yes i sometimes get in with a drivers license, i actually have no problem when they require a drivers license because that separates tourists from locals. Unfortunately it does not always work that way. (it often does and in the other cases its just racism or envy).

Anyway i'm happy that in one of the fishing parks i often go to they now accept Thai drivers license as proof. It saves me 600 bt a pop. That is quite a lot if you go there more then a few times a month. They do make more off me on my other spending's so its a win win situation for them. But i avoided them like the plague before they started this rule.

Your wife is obviously better at cheating the system with her Koreans, then, than I am with my Chinese. Something to be proud of, I guess...

I don't think she sees it as cheating, they are Asians the people at the entrance know who they are. They are not stupid just like you said before they recognize in more then 90% of the cases. So your argument seem to fail. Anyway just agree to disagree. I hate running around in cicles.

[Richard4849]

What "entrance" are you talking about? I would be happy to phone them and ask for a confirmation of their policy that Koreans pay Thai price but Indians don't.

[vpi78]

Last weekend during Khao Pansa I went to Khao Yai national park. It's a UN cultural heritage/protected place and attracts international visitors/tourists and Thais from all over. I wish it was just double pricing for farangs. The Thai price for admission is 40 baht. It is 400 baht for farangs. I tried the Thai driving license ploy but it did not work on the day I was there.

A couple of folks that were in my party were visiting from Laos. There was no request for ID or anything else. They were just assumed to be Thai and were only charged the Thai price. So my experience is it is about what you look like not your documentation that determines some of the prices charged at these attractions.

[PattayaParent]

Don't think so.

The price has nothing to with race.

Ethnic Chinese, Sikh, even farang who have Thai nationality pay one price. Nationals of other countries pay another, again regardless of whether they are black, white, yellow, brown, or purple.

The color of your passport (nationality) Is what determines the price you pay, NOT the color of your skin (race).

How do they know what colour your passport is when they never ask for it?

They judge you only on the colour of your skin and facial features.

No. They judge you on how you are dressed, carry yourself, speak, and often don't challenge you if you look enough like a Thai. 99% of non-Thai Asians visitors are easily identified as such -- and they are charged as foreigners, as they should be.

The fact that a dark-skinned Asian has an easier time cheating the policy does not make the policy racist. It is nationalist policy -- not racist one.

It is not practical or necessary for the authorities to demand ID from every single person that wants to go in. They are just national parks and tourist spots, not high-security facilities.

I'm sorry if you feel cheated because it is harder for you to beat the system than, say, a visitor from Laos.

If you look enough like a Thai

So you are saying that they judge you on your looks i.e. the colour of your skin and facial features, nothing to do with your clothes.

It's not hard for me to beat the racist system, I've lived here for 16 years.

[happyrobert]

If you can pass for a Thai you MIGHT be able to SNEAK in. But that is not the policy. And, believe me, the authorities can spot a Japanese, Korean, or Chinese tourist at 50 feet, as they can 95% of other non-Thai Asians, and they WILL charge them the foreigner rate. The policy is based on NATIONALITY, regardless of whether or nit the occasional non-Thai can sneak in.

Your a funny guy, my wife is a tour guide and she gets the Koreans in for Thai prices but not the Indian's. And we are talking about groups, not occasional non Thais.

Good for your wife.

I stand by my statement, and I bet I've been touring in Thailand longer than your wife has been a guide.

You clearly Thai apologist, people like you just annoy me

As mod say in sig, don't argue with stupid person, they just drag you down to their level then beat you with experience.

Learn what a racist is, then post again else go away.

Everyone else post here stupid, you not, OK!

Olaf, my man!

[dantilley]

if you take a speedboat to koh samet you don't pay anything

That's because it's built into the price you pay for the speedboat transfer.

[dantilley]

Has anyone here ever gotten into the Grand Palace for free with a Thai DL?

I tried once, was flat out refused. Anger and extreme displeasure on both sides ensued. Now I don't even attempt it. I sit outside and let everyone else go in. Did I just hit it on a bad day or is this everyone else's experience as well?

My experience as well.

I think with historic, heritage things such as the Grand Palace, the temples in Sukhothai, Ayuthaya, etc. the reasoning is that the places were built by Thai ancestors and belongs to the Thais, so that's why they're exempt from payment. Just like how Cambodians get into Angkor Wat for free. I don't really begrudge paying extra for those kind of places (especially Sukhothai and Ayutthaya where it's a matter of 50 Baht or so).

Private enterprises such as Siam Ocean World are definitely out of line though, and I would rather turn away from such a place than pay the tourist price (not that it's ever happened to me at SOW, though), especially as this policy is hidden by printing it in Thai with Thai numerals.

[bkkjames]

A bar I used to frequent gave me a discount because of volume I imagine. Other punters had to pay full whack! Spending hundreds of thousands in the same bar has obviously saved me a great deal of money.

Stay away from tourist traps and stay in the bar is my motto for saving money.

Edited July 20, 2011 by bkkjames

[happyrobert]

A bar I used to frequent gave me a discount because of volume I imagine. Other punters had to pay full whack! Spending hundreds of thousands in the same bar has obviously saved me a great deal of money.

Stay away from tourist traps and stay in the bar is my motto for saving money.

[robblok]

What "entrance" are you talking about? I would be happy to phone them and ask for a confirmation of their policy that Koreans pay Thai price but Indians don't.

Even if i gave you some locations then how would i know what you awnser would be the truth. You seem to have a pair of pink glasses on. Anyway im done with you .

[taninthai]

The showing of drivers liscense does not work in the national parks in krabi one of them told me today only thai Id card fat chance of getting 1 of them there was similar thread on here not long ago it had the statement saying it was not allowed to charge different prices for tourist attractions it also had an email address to complain to anyone have link to it

[rubin]

I show my work permit, always enjoy prices applicable for Thai's