Do The People In Charge Of Tourism..

[Rumpole]

Anyone knows how Chinese react to two-tier pricing? Do they care? Do they even notice? I read that many come on pre-paid tours where all entrance fees are already included.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

China used to be one of the biggest offenders regarding two-tier pricing, but the government-sanctioned instances of it have now completely disappeared. Foreign tourists and residents pay exactly the same price as Chinese citizens to enter museums, national monuments etc.

My guess would be that Chinese tourists would not be particularly happy about being charged more, if they were aware of it, but they would probably resign themselves to it with little protest. Chinese in China are routinely cheated by their own people in commercial transactions, particularly if it is obvious that they come from a different area or province. Whilst they may dislike it, and perhaps even regard it as a slight on their bargaining skills or "business acumen" for letting it happen, it is generally accepted as one of the hazzards of daily life and nobody gets too worked up about it.

Edited December 8, 2005 by Rumpole

[mogoso]

[quote=Gulld one price (highest) for foreign students...

I agree with you that it is unfair only in the case of somebody who staying illegally in a country and not paying taxes, and then gaining from local benefits, such as subsidized prices.

MHO.

G

We have those people in the US mostly we call them Mexicans. Hospitals can't refuse emergency service, even though they aren't going to be paid. Welfare services dole out lots of cash, wic cards, food stamps to family supposedly without incomes. Unfortunely ( for taxpayers) they have incomes, only its in cash and not taxed

My favorite is students from one state wanting to attend a school in another state, generally pay out of state student charges which are considerallly more. But most schools allow illegals to attend at instate student rates even if they abided in another state (forgiving their illegal status)

We had a large laundry, both commercial and residential. This being florida we had many parttime (winter) residents. Our charges for them were higher than for our year round customers. Discrimintory, certainly, profitable, yes. I believe they stopped the practice in the midsixties.

I can remember through many countries experiencing it, I just accept it as part of being who I am vs whom they are.

Discriminatory pricing practices ain't a Thai thing, it occurs everywhere if you look for it. But ya ain't gotta like it

[sriracha john]

To go back on-topic for a minute, one only needs to look at the fiasco that is the Thai Elite Card to see what abysmal level the clueless folks at Tourism have been functioning at for several years now.

As for the OP comparing the zoo's head with using Thaksin-like retorts, he is spot on.

[chanchao]

Thanks..!

For clarity and fairness to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) we should perhaps add that both the Elite Card scheme and this Night Safari zoo (and the development of Ko Chang, and others) were schemes thought up by the government directly, not by TAT.

TAT in the past has also hinted at that they're unhappy with double pricing for tourists and locals in general. Apparently they're more of a 'Thailand Marketing Agency' than an organization that can actually influence things.

Still I'm willing to give TAT the benefit of the doubt in what they do.. For sure the 'Unseen Thailand' ideas were very good, and I like that they hilight sights in traditionally less touristed regions.

There, a positive note, too.