NewlyMintedThai Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 It's fairly standard practice in North America for residents of the state or province to pay a cheaper fee for admission to state/provincial parks, etc. The rationale is that residents pay taxes locally. Makes sense to me. You are comparing something for USA locals (Live in a state or city and get a discount) with a policy which seems to say... If you are Thai or look Thai then you get the discount. That is comparing apples with oranges. You're confusing the policy with ways that some people can cheat the policy. I've got a friend who looks 65 but is actually 45. He can sometimes get a senior citizen discount because of the way he looks. The policy is not "anyone who looks old gets in for cheap"; the policy is "anyone over sixty gets in cheap". The fact that some people can cheat their way in, and that the ticket vendor does not always demand ID, does not change the policy or somehow make it insidious. But, hey -- being a victim of racism is so much more fun. Hi NMT, I never mentioned the word racism in my post. I accurately pointed out the difference in pricing schemes between Thailand and the USA. Fair enough. It's others that are in a racist lather. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rijb Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 It's fairly standard practice in North America for residents of the state or province to pay a cheaper fee for admission to state/provincial parks, etc. The rationale is that residents pay taxes locally. Makes sense to me. You are comparing something for USA locals (Live in a state or city and get a discount) with a policy which seems to say... If you are Thai or look Thai then you get the discount. That is comparing apples with oranges. I agree. Thai dual pricing is based on 'perception' not western pricing models. A Thai seller 'perceives' what a buyer can afford and/or is willing to pay. Their 'perceptions' might seem like racism or discrimination. But, it's not personal. It's just business. Racism / discrimination usually involve some type of emotional baggage. Thai sellers don't care about a buyer's skin or ID card. They are only focused on a buyer's purchasing power. Last week, my wife and I were shopping, on a walking street, in a small town up north. We bought vegetables from a number of vendors at 'Thai prices'. However, one vendor saw me carrying the vegetables and decided we needed to pay 'more' than the 'Thai price'. My wife is Thai and has excellent negotiation skills. But, the vendor wouldn't budge. We walked away. I don't understand the logic of losing a sale over an inflated price. But, the vendor perceived that we could and should pay more. In her mind, we were wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewlyMintedThai Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 It's fairly standard practice in North America for residents of the state or province to pay a cheaper fee for admission to state/provincial parks, etc. The rationale is that residents pay taxes locally. Makes sense to me. You are comparing something for USA locals (Live in a state or city and get a discount) with a policy which seems to say... If you are Thai or look Thai then you get the discount. That is comparing apples with oranges. I agree. Thai dual pricing is based on 'perception' not western pricing models. A Thai seller 'perceives' what a buyer can afford and/or is willing to pay. Their 'perceptions' might seem like racism or discrimination. But, it's not personal. It's just business. Racism / discrimination usually involve some type of emotional baggage. Thai sellers don't care about a buyer's skin or ID card. They are only focused on a buyer's purchasing power. Last week, my wife and I were shopping, on a walking street, in a small town up north. We bought vegetables from a number of vendors at 'Thai prices'. However, one vendor saw me carrying the vegetables and decided we needed to pay 'more' than the 'Thai price'. My wife is Thai and has excellent negotiation skills. But, the vendor wouldn't budge. We walked away. I don't understand the logic of losing a sale over an inflated price. But, the vendor perceived that we could and should pay more. In her mind, we were wrong. "City Thais" versus "country Thais" occasionally face the same thing. Nothing to do with anyone's race. Again, if it really bugs you, you can easily find another vendor. You can also get vegetables at the supermarket! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jingthing Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 (edited) Racism is a multifaceted thing. It's not only about lynching. Being treated DIFFERENTLY in any way based on perception of your race, even if very trivial, even being treated better (and yes that does happen), is also racism. Edited January 6, 2013 by Jingthing 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewlyMintedThai Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 Racism is a multifaceted thing. It's not only about lynching. Being treated DIFFERENTLY in any way based on perception of your race, even if very trivial, even being treated better (and yes that does happen), is also racism. Good Lord. The vendor thought he looked rich, so wanted more. If he had been a poorer-looking white dude, he probably would have gotten a cheaper price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayboy Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 "Nationalist" as in based on one's nationality... That is a completely inaccurate definition, indeed a schoolboy howler.Here is Webster Dictionary's correct definition: "loyalty and devotion to a nation; especially : a sense of national consciousness exalting one nation above all others and placing primary emphasis on promotion of its culture and interests as opposed to those of other nations or supranational groups" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jingthing Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 (edited) Racism is a multifaceted thing. It's not only about lynching. Being treated DIFFERENTLY in any way based on perception of your race, even if very trivial, even being treated better (and yes that does happen), is also racism. Good Lord. The vendor thought he looked rich, so wanted more. If he had been a poorer-looking white dude, he probably would have gotten a cheaper price. Where did you get the idea I was speaking of that one incident? You are obviously quite emotionally invested in stridently defending any criticism of Thailand, justified or not, but I suggest you consider the idea of chilling out a bit. Edited January 6, 2013 by Jingthing 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewlyMintedThai Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 Racism is a multifaceted thing. It's not only about lynching. Being treated DIFFERENTLY in any way based on perception of your race, even if very trivial, even being treated better (and yes that does happen), is also racism. Good Lord. The vendor thought he looked rich, so wanted more. If he had been a poorer-looking white dude, he probably would have gotten a cheaper price. Where did you get the idea I was speaking of that one incident? You are obviously quite emotionally invested in defending any criticism of Thailand but I suggest you consider the idea of chilling out a bit. No, I'm emotionally invested in people claiming they're the victims of racism when they are clearly not. I already stated that I thought the practice of dual pricing was wrong, and am not defending it. Anyway, on a personal aside...how miserable you must be in Thailand, being the subject of racism in and out every day. I mean, with people referring to you as "farang" and you having to pay extra to go down water slides. It must be a terrible burden to bear. Shall we start calling you Rosa Parks? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moe666 Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 We went to thee Royal Flora show here in Chiang mai last year and being over 60 I got a discount while my Thai girlfriend had to pay full fare, I paid her full fare, heheheh she was livid that because she was Thai and no discount. heheheh I just laffed at her and told her she could go home if she didn't like the pricing policy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdnvic Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 Tired of deleting flames and adolescent behaviour. /closed 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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