discrimination local businesses

[epicstuff]

From time to time I start to get really pissed off with being treated differently as a farang living here. Especially when I have to pay double ( or more) my Thai friends , to do the same thing, even if it is me paying for the rest of my family Thai family.

I could understand say, having a price for tourists and maybe a discount for residents. There are some businesses that will on offer a Thai price cost of admission etc when showing a Thai driving licence. But having a pricing policy based on race alone really gets under my skin

. When I last queried the price of a local attraction to take my son for his birthday I was really surprised how unapologetic the staff were telling me yes your a farang so you pay more......

I queried it by email and their response was confirmation of that policy and there reasoning was everybody else does it. And that I could buy a resident card for 3500 that would get me a discount.

It is one of the things that leaves a bad taste in my mouth and not many countries left in the world that accept this kind of attitude. Can we start a name and shame thread on businesses attractions and locations that are blatantly discriminate against people from the color of their skin.

I am sure these businesses shoot themselves in the foot as I would never recommend these places to anyone asking my advise on where to go. why would I ?.... Maybe we can make a difference and introduce fairer treatment.so we hard-working Farang resident here, who struggle to make ends meet much of the time holding up businesses with massive bureaucratic overheads and Thai families to support, can occasional relax and enjoy some attractions with the people that share their neighbourhood without the feeling of being raped

I'll kick off with..

Adventure Mini Golf, in Bantao beach, surprisingly Farang directors.....so it is purely a greed driving this blatant discrimination, there policy isn't working for them as the place is like a morgue every time I drive past it., Shame because it is the sort of place that I could imagine being full and fun and getting a lot of my business.But not Now!!!

[robertthebruce]

I hear what you are saying and with you 100 percent

[LivinginKata]

I can only think of one time that I was unable to get the Thai price when producing my Thai DL, maybe had to also produce my WP if any hassle. Mind you I have my Thai wife for back-up. That one time refused I just walked away. Just vote with your feet and save having any anger.

[stevenl]

It is not based on race but nationality. Chinese, Koreans, Japanese etc. all pay the foreigners price. And it hardly ever happens, so far I have not been anywhere where I could not get in for the Thai price.

I understand the policy for (semi) government attractions (locals pay less), for private enterprises it should IMO not be allowed.

[keestha]

I can only think of one time that I was unable to get the Thai price when producing my Thai DL, maybe had to also produce my WP if any hassle. Mind you I have my Thai wife for back-up. That one time refused I just walked away. Just vote with your feet and save having any anger.

Usually DL will do the trick, but it remains a bit hit and miss, depending on the person manning the entry booth. If you have a WP, better take it with you just in case.

[PattayaPhom]

Luk Kruengs get 50% discount of foreigner price said befor and again....Thai arrives in 7 Mil Merc gets in THB40 gap year student $$$$$$$ in debt and volunteering arrives on scooter pays THB400....theft, disgraceful, just dont even contemplate these places...as for the in Florida brigade, yes locals get a discount and tourists pay more but not 10 times as much

[Shot]

Post it on Tripadvisor http://www.tripadvisor.com/ A lot more people will see it on there.

I hold a Thai DL, but I will not do business with anyone who has double pricing.

[beb]

It is not based on race but nationality. Chinese, Koreans, Japanese etc. all pay the foreigners price. And it hardly ever happens, so far I have not been anywhere where I could not get in for the Thai price.

I understand the policy for (semi) government attractions (locals pay less), for private enterprises it should IMO not be allowed.

I guess that point is arguable .. the Jews are Caucasian but it is still considered racist to gas them.....

Should be a law against blatant discrimination.. it doest send the right message to anyone one on so many different levels.

Well this Adventure mini golf is adamant that they have a different price for Farang no apologies, no exception, and from their email they believe everywhere else is the same.....

Well that escalated quickly. Sorry for your mini-golf troubles but wow.

[asdecas]

Get over it, it's been that way since forever and it's not going to change any time soon. If it bothers you so much, don't partake. It's your problem, not theirs.

[shirtless]

It should be introduce in Australia, if your Thai pay triple, I would love to hear hows Thais would react to that. I just wont wear this in todays world.

[aliep]

Maybe farang owners of local businesses should charge MORE for Thai people. Som nam na.

[maswov]

That is the standard in more places than you think. Not everyone does it, in fact I have paid less as a farang on occasion.

[martijn12345]

As was said before, it's not based on race. I know for a fact that Korean and Japanese sometimes have to pay more then us white folk. Why? Cause Thais think they can afford it, and cause the business thinks they can get away with it. There is really no point getting angry about it, you will only build up that negative energy inside yourself, nobody else will care and you might even start approaching Thais differently. My point here, it's not PERSONAL. I see it as a game, and try my best to get the Thai price, I use my DL, or sometimes my student card (if something states a discount price for students). I do speak a fair bit of Thai and I can read the Thai prices, that also helped a few times. And honestly, if you cannot read Thai, if you cannot speak Thai well enough to politely ask to be treated as a Thai person, you do not deserve the Thai price. Yet then again, remember all of this is not personal, so don't let it get to you. And I fully agree with anybody who says vote with your feet, just walk away if they refuse to give you the Thai price.

Edited June 12, 2014 by martijn12345

[LukKrueng]

In many of the malls (like Central) there is a "tourist card" - anyone who's not Thai (farangs and others) can get this card (and at least for farangs by appearance only - no need to show a passport with a valid TOURIST visa!!!) and with this card you get 5% discount. in that mall. Never saw any Thai complain about this racist discrimination nor any farang that praise it.......

And if it makes the OP feels better, I saw at least once in Khaosan road a rural Thai man asked to pay 4 times the price it was usually sold to farangs at the time for a pair of fake Levi's

[finnomick]

Whilst I agree with you Epicstuff, you could look at it that we farangs pay the normal price and the indigenous population get a hefty discount. I live near Phanom Rung ( supposedly ) a site of historic interest. Personally all I see is a pile of old stone that over the years has collapsed. If I want to go in, I'm charged the normal farang rate whilst the family get the huge discount -- or is it the other way round, they get in cheap and I'm fleeced. So now, if anyone wants to go, I'll wait in one of the shaded seating areas to relax while the others risk limbs climbing to the demolition site.

[malt25]

So, what's the point of your post ? I'd guess 99% of TV members agree with you. But as someone previously commented, it's been this way for like forever & ain't likely to change. It's their country, their culture, their rules.... It's inbred, they don't know any better. Get over it.

[martijn12345]

Maybe farang owners of local businesses should charge MORE for Thai people. Som nam na.

This does happen already. So it is really not only the Thais who do this. For example, Agoda.com allows companies to advertise different prices on the different language sites of Agoda. And I know some foreigners charge higher prices on the thai website than on the english one. Their reasoning is that foreigners will eat at the restaurant of the resort. Thai will often bring their own food for the whole weekend. Fair or not... It could easily be argued that this is racist towards Thai people.

Edited June 12, 2014 by martijn12345

[RobertHima]

Thai driver's license usually works for me. However, at the Emerald Pool in Krabi (Sa Morakot), the officer was really smart and said that anyone can get a driver's license, and wanted to see a Thai ID Card (really), to give the Thai price.

[kwak250]

Easy solution I just get my wife to pay .doesn't matter where we go I have never paid more than a thai .

[kamahele]

I rarely have this problem. I guess I have been lucky, that and I don't go out much. The one place I have this problem is when I take guests to the Grand Palace. Here I am a tax payer in Thailand and I have to line up and pay at the foreigner booth while the guards want to let my Asian but foreign tourist friends in for free.

[TheSwede99]

Tony's Fitness has even signs with two prices, one for Thai and one for the others

[Suradit69]

It's just this horrible obsession some farang have with losing face.

Just think of yourself as someone who's "special." I'm sure your mom and teachers told you that repeatedly when you came home in tears because of what the other kids said to you.

[ebean001]

I totally disagree with you. It is not a higher fee for farangs. It is a lower fee for Thais. Everything you say is the same in USA. Go to a Virginia historical site and show your USA ID. Discount given. Many places do that. Do you think Americans discriminate against Mexicans, etc. You bet they do. You should be discriminated also but not necessarily in a negative way all of the time.

Really you should stay in the country where you were born but you live in a foreign country. There is a huge difference being in another country - language, cost of living, culture, etc

For example, what does $10 mean to you. That is a whole day's wages for a Thai. They would like to go out also but cannot because you have increased their cost of living by simply being here as a tourist, as a business owner, big corp selling into this market, etc. You caused the inflation along with foreign companies that want to do business here. You have actually ruined many of their lives. Now - get on track - pay more!!!!!! Let the Thais - who own this land and are citizens of this land - have their normal price that should go along with $10/day income. You pay more! I am American and have no problems paying more. I should.

[MAMMartin]

I hear what you are saying and with you 100 percent

Shouldn't that be "... and with you 200 percent" !

[wandasloan]

It should be introduce in Australia, if your Thai pay triple, I would love to hear hows Thais would react to that. I just wont wear this in todays world.

You mean like Disneyland in California, where having a Thai driving license or any licence except a southern California licence will cost you three times more to get in? Or at the US National Parks where only Americans can get the discounts for old people and disabled and a Thai driver's licence means you'll have to pay more?

Get over it. Double and triple and more pricing is worldwide. Do you really think everyone on the airplane pays the same price for their ticket? If you don't want to pay the price that a merchant or a government offers, don't buy his product or service.

.

[Jimmu]

It is not based on race but nationality. Chinese, Koreans, Japanese etc. all pay the foreigners price. And it hardly ever happens, so far I have not been anywhere where I could not get in for the Thai price.

I understand the policy for (semi) government attractions (locals pay less), for private enterprises it should IMO not be allowed.

I guess that point is arguable .. the Jews are Caucasian but it is still considered racist to gas them.....

Should be a law against blatant discrimination.. it doest send the right message to anyone one on so many different levels.

Well this Adventure mini golf is adamant that they have a different price for Farang no apologies, no exception, and from their email they believe everywhere else is the same.....

The Jews originate in Ur and therefore are Sumerian which is Mesopotamia: Modern day Iraq! So not Caucasian. They will however, probably have to pay the dual pricing like the rest of us.

[Clutch]

There's a famous tiger zoo on the eastern seaboard that charges 450B for tourists and 180B for Thais. Don't bother going even for the Thai price.

[chuenyongman]

I saw the comments on Agoda. They booked me a upmarket room for $50.00. per night. it did not even have a window in the room. It was a general run of the mill hotel. i asked the manager how much the room was I i booked with them. He replied $30.00. I contacted Agoda but every time it was a different person who dealt with me. So as far as I am concerned Agoda does not exist.

[Travel Dude]

Get over it, it's been that way since forever and it's not going to change any time soon. If it bothers you so much, don't partake. It's your problem, not theirs.

What a nonsense quote. It is not because things have been in place for 100 years that there should not be progress. There has been slavery for hundred years too and it used to be legal to beat your wife...

With your mentality this country will never move forward as fast as we want. Luckily The General might be able to help.

And to add to the list(even with a WP)

@ Crocodile farm in Samut Prakan

@ Most temples in Ayutthaya

@ National Park Kao Lak (North of Phuket)

[pizzachang]

That is the standard in more places than you think. Not everyone does it, in fact I have paid less as a farang on occasion.

sliding scale pricing is pretty common for tourists all over. I have seen it many times in the US. My wife(Thai) just make it a habit to never give repeat business to shops that charge extra. Sooner or later, word will get around.