Two Tier System

[doingok]

being going to the gym now for to keep fit now for a while and was told to try a new gym as it is only 30baht so we went and as we are not thai the owner said to us its 50baht though we are staying here.i tried to explain that we have used the gym before with are thai friend and only paid 30 baht and that we would not use it again i.e losing money in the long run he just looked at me and said he didn't care.

after only being on the island 4 month this is starting to do my head in on principle though we have meet some nice people that charge us the same as Thais and not see this anywhere else on the main land.and before you stay its only 20baht i know but its on principles,my medication started at 200baht for 2 boxs now 70baht????????????????CRAZY

[itishothere]

Not sure what you mean about the meds 200 and now 70 bit, but the 2 tiered pricing system is common throughout Thailand. It is just an in-bred way of doing business, just like bargaining. Not everyone does it thankfully. And those that don't, do it covertly with discounts, or promotions in Thai only, or like at Big C and the 'lucky dip counter' as I call it.

For me, it the price quoted is OK, even if it is not exactly fair, I just accept it.

[steelerian]

doingok - it winds me up too, I've had many an argument with thai "businessmen" about it, but they never listen and never back down. my rule - dont give them your business

isithothere - Lucky Dip counter at Big C ?

[itishothere]

isithothere - Lucky Dip counter at Big C ?

It's the counter where you leave your bag. Not 100% sure how it works, but if you take along your till receipt and you have bought the promotional items, then you get a free can of coke, or a plastic chair or something. A friend used to hand over her receipt every time and come away with something. Sadly, she never seemed to get anything I would want so I never bothered.

[Birdman]

I live here over 2 decades and it does not happen to me, because actually all I have is all I need and when I need something more locals can clearly distinguish, but if someone can't, I would pay or not without ever hesitating or arguing because it is a part of the country, which has also some, I would say, minor drawbacks we have to face.

Arguing is the worst thing you can do, because it's criticizing. Therefore situations getting worse, lose/lose. You can do the same by laughing and making jokes in that direction and your changes are much higher....

[maccaroni man]

well as we like to say in my mixed family TIT as this IS something you will find from one end of thailand to the other it is not just on samui. what alwasy surprises me is how it is the nice little old lady that trends to be the shark in the pool. at the end of the day it is part of the price we pay for being in paradise.

[insertmembernamehere]

Birdman:

I live here over 2 decades and it does not happen to me, because actually all I have is all I need...

Then you have no need to visit any of the nation's famous sites, e.g. temples, national parks, waterfalls, ruins, etc., since even if you speak Thai and show them your Thai driver's licence, many places will still need to have the foreigner price out of you (not all, but many).

Certainly you can avoid paying the price for using a gym and go buy a big sack of rice and lift that, but then that's sort of silly, isn't it?

Two-tied pricing is one of the deplorable aspects of the Thai mindset (as well as in other Asian countries) that you just have to bite your tongue and take. I mean I don't care, and most don't either, but just being called a "farang" = foreigner, is a bit uncool to the Westerner's ear. Try that in London next time you see what you think might be a Thai...or a gentleman from Pakistan, etc. ....

....." it is part of the price we pay for being in paradise..."

I believe that is an oxymoron, is it not?

[Birdman]

I have seen it all, from Chiang Rai to Yala, have done xxx.xxx kms and seldom paid more than locals do, sometimes I paid nothing at all..... it's not important and you will not understand the issue.

And the issue is, would there be something not the way it is, all other, even the tiniest, aspects would also not be like they are.

BTW Farang was a neutral Thai word for Caucasians, which it still is for the majority of Thais. In some cases however, mostly at low class touristic places, it will be used as an insult sometimes...

[Eric1949]

Birdman:

I live here over 2 decades and it does not happen to me, because actually all I have is all I need...

Then you have no need to visit any of the nation's famous sites, e.g. temples, national parks, waterfalls, ruins, etc., since even if you speak Thai and show them your Thai driver's licence, many places will still need to have the foreigner price out of you (not all, but many).

Certainly you can avoid paying the price for using a gym and go buy a big sack of rice and lift that, but then that's sort of silly, isn't it?

Two-tied pricing is one of the deplorable aspects of the Thai mindset (as well as in other Asian countries) that you just have to bite your tongue and take. I mean I don't care, and most don't either, but just being called a "farang" = foreigner, is a bit uncool to the Westerner's ear. Try that in London next time you see what you think might be a Thai...or a gentleman from Pakistan, etc. ....

....." it is part of the price we pay for being in paradise..."

I believe that is an oxymoron, is it not?

As far as I am Aware , 'Farang' was used to call a French person, as Thais cannot pronounce French.

If they want to double charge you, tell them .......................

[sbk]

Sigh, this farang argument is rather tedious. French is farang-sed.

Farang is neutral but can be used in a derogatory tone but then so can many other words too. Its also like saying, the fat guy, the tall girl, the bald guy etc. Its generally used as a descriptor.

As for the real subject at hand, if you don't like the double pricing don't go back, its what I have always done. And yes, I've encountered it every where. Best one was at Erawan Waterfalls in Kanchanaburi with my husband and sister. Park ranger said, truck pays this and farang pay such and such and my husband said, "She is my wife and I am paying for her. So are you going to charge me, a Thai person, the farang price:?"

Guy was so flabbergasted he just looked at him. Finally he decided that we would pay the farang price but the truck would go in for free.

[koheesti]

Double the price is nothing. When I lived in Russia in the early-mid 90's, foreigners paid a lot more. I remember entry to the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg was 100 rubles for Russians and 8,000 rubles for foreigners (exchange rate was only about 1800=$1) but back then 10k was enough to get me through the entire day.

[necronx99]

Most tourist destinations have double pricing, it's not limited to LOS though here is can seem arbitary and seems to apply to the whole country..

With parks in particular this is a worldwide practise I would say. The rational is that locals keep the parks going in low season and would not pay the high tourist price to do so, also locals are often the tourguide for visitors and would not bring tourists tot he attractions if they were going to pay the higher price.

[Boater]

nothing beats the Madame Tussards double pricing !!!! , and it is well over the double the price of a Thai to enter in Bangkok .... i was quite shocked that an international company would have this policy here ......

[doingok]

well on my travels here in thailand i have only came a cross it here? it sad really cause we well not go back and they will lose more money in long term as we go 5 tp 6 days a week, and it was not that great but did the job,told our thai friend who told us to go there and they are not happy to.as tourist site not been to one as we think animals should be free in the roam around. they must more lose a bit money though as there is a lot of gyms about and the money is in the ones that stay here.

[mugwhy1]

if you dont like it stop moaning and go home !!!!

[limbos]

What a great ins

if you dont like it stop moaning and go home !!!!

What a great insightful reply. I hope you can keep the level of information that you supply the same for all of your future posts here.

[insertmembernamehere]

if you dont like it stop moaning and go home !!!!

...but I AM home..... >..<

Birdman:

And the issue is, would there be something not the way it is, all other, even the tiniest, aspects would also not be like they are.

Is this quote from Kierkegaard or Sartre?

I am guessing this must have something to do with two-tiered pricing, but I will have to study it further to understand it.

[maccaroni man]

this is sort of on the same subject but not, i do believe that in the long run the places we check off our list of places to do business with, will lose money in the long term but typically the locals dont trend to think that far ahead. a good case in point. i had a fuel station near my home and filled my truck 1x per week, one day i needed air in my tire and i knew he had a compressor because i used it b4 but he, the owner did not want to bother that day and refused to air my tire. i have never been back and since then we have added an suv to our motor pool, both filled weekly so that translates to 3k baht plus or minus per week or 12k a month /144k yr x 9yrs; more than a million baht of fuel sales his failed attitude cost himself. Reality is; he is happy without my business and probably does not miss it, as his business has grown and is in a brand new modern facility now and i am happy giving my money to someone else. IMO It comes down to, happiness being a personal choice. If we dont like the service, prices or attitude just do business elsewhere and be happy

[Rooo]

Old saying," Let your feet do the talking ".

[smokie36]

nothing beats the Madame Tussards double pricing !!!! , and it is well over the double the price of a Thai to enter in Bangkok .... i was quite shocked that an international company would have this policy here ......

What policy? Do you get in free wiv a cockneyed accent?

[smokie36]

Old saying," Let your feet do the talking ".

Most folks on here are already experts at that.

[insertmembernamehere]

Old saying," Let your feet do the talking ".

As I said, if you have taken the effort to go to, say, Ayuthaya and want to take a look at the ruins, you WILL have to pay the extra money over the Thai price. Of course, you could just say the hell with it, I will not pay US$1.50 when the Thais pay US$0.30 and walk away, but that would be churlish.

Look at it in a positive light; it's a public affirmation that you are rich, rich, rich!

[sparebox2]

Even disney world in Orlando have double pricing. One for Forida resident, and the rest pay a higher price.

[JusMe]

Even disney world in Orlando have double pricing. One for Forida resident, and the rest pay a higher price.

So it's based on residency, i.e. where you live, rather than on your passport or race

[necronx99]

Even disney world in Orlando have double pricing. One for Forida resident, and the rest pay a higher price.

So it's based on residency, i.e. where you live, rather than on your passport or race

Lol, what is a passport other than ultimate proof of residency?

[sbk]

Even disney world in Orlando have double pricing. One for Forida resident, and the rest pay a higher price.

So it's based on residency, i.e. where you live, rather than on your passport or race

No, its based on state residency in this case, residents of other US states or other countries pay more.

[doingok]

if you dont like it stop moaning and go home !!!!

i am home its been my home since September lol i lived in Florida about 12 years ago and its state residency as been said, Spain has the same on flights and ferry's and if you have residency in spain you get half price fares, and i think it is race here as if it was residency they would just want proof of it would be asked but it isn't i am known in my local fish market now and treat one of them ish now and i have to say the service i get now to the first day is a lot better.they see westerns as have more money so we have to pay more in some cases not all.

in Britain it would be seen as racism without a doubt

Edited January 10, 2012 by doingok

[doingok]

if you dont like it stop moaning and go home !!!!

2 post and what i great comment nice intelligent reply

[BangrakBob]

if you dont like it stop moaning and go home !!!!

i am home its been my home since September lol i lived in Florida about 12 years ago and its state residency as been said, Spain has the same on flights and ferry's and if you have residency in spain you get half price fares, and i think it is race here as if it was residency they would just want proof of it would be asked but it isn't i am known in my local fish market now and treat one of them ish now and i have to say the service i get now to the first day is a lot better.they see westerns as have more money so we have to pay more in some cases not all.

in Britain it would be seen as racism without a doubt

But generally speaking we do have more money and the Thais have much less. For those that chose to live here, and are not tourists is not a differentiation Thais really care about generally. Could look at it this way, we are paying full-price and the Thais are getting discount because they can't afford to pay more. At the end of the day, if you think it is good value buy it. If not then don't. With a Western income or earned money, paying an extra 20-50 Baht is not being ripped off.

[limbos]

if you dont like it stop moaning and go home !!!!

i am home its been my home since September lol i lived in Florida about 12 years ago and its state residency as been said, Spain has the same on flights and ferry's and if you have residency in spain you get half price fares, and i think it is race here as if it was residency they would just want proof of it would be asked but it isn't i am known in my local fish market now and treat one of them ish now and i have to say the service i get now to the first day is a lot better.they see westerns as have more money so we have to pay more in some cases not all.

in Britain it would be seen as racism without a doubt

But generally speaking we do have more money and the Thais have much less. For those that chose to live here, and are not tourists is not a differentiation Thais really care about generally. Could look at it this way, we are paying full-price and the Thais are getting discount because they can't afford to pay more. At the end of the day, if you think it is good value buy it. If not then don't. With a Western income or earned money, paying an extra 20-50 Baht is not being ripped off.

It's not necessarily about the money for me but more about the principle. At the end of the day I pay tax here and should be given the same price as locals. Simple, really.

This is pure racism, in total contrast to the Disney sample that was given.