Dual-pricing is scaring tourists away: Thai editorial

[Tomtomtom69]

Ok, this might go a bit of topic, but I just felt I had to say it.

While the dual pricing does annoy the crap out of me it's not the end of the world. I tend to agree with KhunMat's idea of just simply not visiting these places. Sometimes it's harder than other times though since next to everyone I spend time with is Thai. In Ayutthaya park they asked for some small extra cash for each temple, I was reasonable but stood my ground and said nicely that I rather wait outside then. Some of the temples would let me in for free after that, either "because "khun puut chat maak leey", or because I was with Thais and was technically there to make merit (although my merits don't usually include giving lots of money to donate boxes unless I feel it's for a good cause, which I seldom do here..)

Nevertheless, all these scams aside. All these "Thailand is so dangerous and we are all potentially committing suicide by entering the Kingdoms border!" and all the overprices and this and that and those. Is it really that bad? I'm in Thaivisa, Not Khmer440, so in one way I expect to hear the bad, and good, things that goes on here. But how do you people view Laos, Cambodia, Burma and especially (IMO) Vietnam??

All these nations mentioned above are cash-traps for me, and I always get out with less left than I expected (This although there is hardly anything to do in some nations like Laos!). To me Vietnam is worst. Dual pricing not even worthy to speak of. Taxi scams in Thailand? Well - at Least not every second taxi has a rigged meter that will blow way above your budget in just minutes! So yes, I stick with the motorbike drivers in Vietnam, the catch? Having a bag of course and having people try to steal your stuff.

This 'stealing' part happens a lot in Phnom Penh as well, especially around the central market and the night market near Sisowath Quay. I'm sure it happens a lot in Bkk as well. But I also guess locals can kind of see who belongs in the area and who doesn't. That is who looks around like a tourist and who looks numbed off from the surrounding like an expat, I might be wrong on this one though but that's my impression, and one reason I believe why I never get into problems in Thailand, while friends tell me horror story after horror story here. To me Cambodia and Vietnam seems way more unstable...

And then Laos - if you can speak Thai you may think you'll get away with it? - yea, to some extent I think. But my Thai friends seldom leave Vientiane with a smile as well. They will overprice Thais as well as foreigners. Now I have been to Vientiane enough time to know how to use the bus traffic and pay normal fares in Kip. But the chances for a tourist to get fooled seems way higher than at a Thai border like when you arrive at the Nong Khai side. In fact, I only met 4-5 tuktuk's that would try to rip me off there standing waiting, and in those cases I did what I always do, walk on a bit and take a tuktuk that is on the road driving.

To be fair Vientiane is not all Laos have to offer and there are nice places with nice people. But I think one can truly say the same about Thailand no matter the double pricing or scams.

Cambodia - I used to live here 6-7 years ago for next to a year. Things have changed though. While Siem Reap is ok, PP is terrible and I find it way harder to make 160 dollars last a long time than 5000 baht in Thailand... I will always love Cambodia, but I just don't have the character to live there. I tend to fall in love with insanity and chaos and PP consumes me raw... PP is still wild west and although it seems to have shaped up a little since 2007 when I stayed there, it's still a place where next to everything goes...

Burma - I haven't really been here (except the border towns), but I've heard Yangon is not the cheapest place on earth.

Ok, one fact is that I dont need to rent a room every night in Thailand, that sames me loads of money. But what do you guys say, are any of the nations mentioned above more safe, more scam-free, better at no dual pricing etc? Anyone of these nations you would prefer instead?

Just wondering in regards to post like "Only in Thailand could something like this happen".....

It's a couple of pages back but my first post on this thread comparing different Asian countries addresses your points exactly.

Again we need to distinguish government sanctioned dual pricing from opportunistic pricing. Without re-writing the same points as I made in that first reply, let me give you some of my insights into the different countries you have mentioned.

Vietnam - there is actually very little official government mandated dual pricing in Vietnam, which is a breath of fresh air. The main gripe many visitors to Vietnam (and expats too) including you have are how many locals try to rip you off at every chance. There is some truth to that. But the difference with Thailand in my opinion is that in Thailand it's always a simple foreigner vs. local price struggle. In Vietnam it's much more than that - they will try to rip off everyone, including and especially locals, such as those who drive cars. Yes, anyone that drives a car is rich and considered fair game in Vietnam. I have never heard of a Thai with a car being treated differently to a Thai with no car in Thailand.

Laos - true, the moto and tuk-tuk drivers in Vientiane might try to get a few extra bucks out of visitors including Thais. Then again, many Thais with their "mightier than thou" attitude, why would, or why should Laotians give Thais discounts or even treat them nicely? I remember seeing a Thai registered pickup driving along the riverside road in Vientiane beeping at Lao pedestrians to get out of the way! Needless to say all the Lao pedestrians gave that Thai driver some dirty looks and were not impressed. Sorry, but apart from driving on the other side of the road, road etiquette in Laos is quite different from Thailand. You can't just beep at pedestrians like you might do at a pedestrian crossing in Thailand. What's the rush anyway, you're in Vientiane, not Bangkok! Very rude and inconsiderate of that driver if you ask me.

Myanmar - lots of dual pricing. Hotels, domestic airline and some train and ferry tickets all charge foreigners more than locals. Temples, museums and other tourist attractions also charge foreigners more than locals, though only the more touristy ones. On a more local level though, there seems to be less opportunistic pricing but now with greatly increased tourist numbers, there are reports coming out of more touristy places like Inle Lake and Bagan of foreigners being ripped off by local merchants or robberies occurring.

Cambodia - somewhat less government sanctioned dual pricing than Thailand (or maybe that's just my impression?) but interestingly there are some domestic bus routes that charge foreigners US$1-2 or sometimes even a bit more than locals, although fewer temples and other attractions seem to charge different rates or when they do, the differences are far more minimal than in Thailand. Personal safety and even attempts by local sellers to rip off foreigners is a completely different story though. While I feel safe whenever I'm in Phnom Penh, it does have a slightly seedier feel to it (parts of the city anyway) compared to Bangkok, but it feels perfectly safe to me especially if you are driving a vehicle and not displaying any open signs of wealth in public. However, it's kinda the same in Bangkok, there are some parts of town that just feel less safe even if they're not really that bad to begin with. For example, walking Nana or Silom, even Khao San after dark and I'd be worried about getting my valuables stolen. Parts of Ramkamhaeng feel a bit weird after dark if you're walking, but if you're driving it's fine. Just about anywhere else and it feels pretty safe.

[LeeTheCelt]

Remember a few years back, took the family to one of the National parks, probably in Kanchanaburi, mini bus full of us, needless to say they spotted the farang in the back & charged a small fortune, My mother in-law went mad & questioned the price, saying I was not a tourist, I was a Thai family member, the guy in the ticket booth asked for My Thai I.D & when I couldn't produce one, said "Tourist".

Went to Lumpinee Boxing Stadium last October, My entrance ticket was More expensive then My wife, sister in-law & her husband put together, ok not expensive, but over 3 times the price of a Thai, come on ya taking the ****.

[rickirs]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

They didn't mention the most glaring example of all: the aquarium at Centralworld. I guess they don't want to offend their advertisers.

It does provide for a Special Pricing from http://www.siamoceanworld.co.th/online-ticket-th.php , (copied exactly as shown in web site):

IMPORTANT NOTE TO EXPAT OR NON-THAI LIVING IN THAILAND
1. THIS RATE IS FOR EXPAT ONLY. EVERY EXPAT USING THIS RATE IS REQUIRED TO PRESENT PROOF OF RESEIDENCY UPON ARRIVAL.
2. PROOF OF RESIDENCY CAN BE
- WORKING PERMIT
- NON-IMMIGRANT VISA
- THAI DRIVER LICENSE
- ATM OR CREDIT CARD ISSUED BY LOCAL BANK (PRESENTED ALONG WITH PICTURE ID)
- UTILITIES STATEMENT/BILL (PRESENT ALONG WITH PICTURE ID)
3. THIS RATE CANNOT BE APPLIED TO ANY FRIENDS OR FAMILY MEMBERS OF EXPAT WHO DO NOT LIVE IN THAILAND
4. SIAM OCEAN WORLD RESERVES THE RIGHTS TO CHARGE THE STANDARD RATE TO THOSE WITHOUT THE PROOF OF RESEIDENCY

[GAZZPA]

Ok, this might go a bit of topic, but I just felt I had to say it.

While the dual pricing does annoy the crap out of me it's not the end of the world. I tend to agree with KhunMat's idea of just simply not visiting these places. Sometimes it's harder than other times though since next to everyone I spend time with is Thai. In Ayutthaya park they asked for some small extra cash for each temple, I was reasonable but stood my ground and said nicely that I rather wait outside then. Some of the temples would let me in for free after that, either "because "khun puut chat maak leey", or because I was with Thais and was technically there to make merit (although my merits don't usually include giving lots of money to donate boxes unless I feel it's for a good cause, which I seldom do here..)

Nevertheless, all these scams aside. All these "Thailand is so dangerous and we are all potentially committing suicide by entering the Kingdoms border!" and all the overprices and this and that and those. Is it really that bad? I'm in Thaivisa, Not Khmer440, so in one way I expect to hear the bad, and good, things that goes on here. But how do you people view Laos, Cambodia, Burma and especially (IMO) Vietnam??

All these nations mentioned above are cash-traps for me, and I always get out with less left than I expected (This although there is hardly anything to do in some nations like Laos!). To me Vietnam is worst. Dual pricing not even worthy to speak of. Taxi scams in Thailand? Well - at Least not every second taxi has a rigged meter that will blow way above your budget in just minutes! So yes, I stick with the motorbike drivers in Vietnam, the catch? Having a bag of course and having people try to steal your stuff.

This 'stealing' part happens a lot in Phnom Penh as well, especially around the central market and the night market near Sisowath Quay. I'm sure it happens a lot in Bkk as well. But I also guess locals can kind of see who belongs in the area and who doesn't. That is who looks around like a tourist and who looks numbed off from the surrounding like an expat, I might be wrong on this one though but that's my impression, and one reason I believe why I never get into problems in Thailand, while friends tell me horror story after horror story here. To me Cambodia and Vietnam seems way more unstable...

And then Laos - if you can speak Thai you may think you'll get away with it? - yea, to some extent I think. But my Thai friends seldom leave Vientiane with a smile as well. They will overprice Thais as well as foreigners. Now I have been to Vientiane enough time to know how to use the bus traffic and pay normal fares in Kip. But the chances for a tourist to get fooled seems way higher than at a Thai border like when you arrive at the Nong Khai side. In fact, I only met 4-5 tuktuk's that would try to rip me off there standing waiting, and in those cases I did what I always do, walk on a bit and take a tuktuk that is on the road driving.

To be fair Vientiane is not all Laos have to offer and there are nice places with nice people. But I think one can truly say the same about Thailand no matter the double pricing or scams.

Cambodia - I used to live here 6-7 years ago for next to a year. Things have changed though. While Siem Reap is ok, PP is terrible and I find it way harder to make 160 dollars last a long time than 5000 baht in Thailand... I will always love Cambodia, but I just don't have the character to live there. I tend to fall in love with insanity and chaos and PP consumes me raw... PP is still wild west and although it seems to have shaped up a little since 2007 when I stayed there, it's still a place where next to everything goes...

Burma - I haven't really been here (except the border towns), but I've heard Yangon is not the cheapest place on earth.

Ok, one fact is that I dont need to rent a room every night in Thailand, that saves me loads of money. But what do you guys say, are any of the nations mentioned above more safe, more scam-free, better at no dual pricing etc? Anyone of these nations you would prefer instead?

Just wondering in regards to post like "Only in Thailand could something like this happen".....

Although I found your post quite interesting to read I think it is pretty irrelevant. I often hear people drawing comparisons from worse places to try and somehow justify or balance the wrongdoings here.

Consider this,, very soon the Asean region will come into effect. Thailand considers itself to be the "leader" of the Asean region and yet it has a terrible reputation for poor English skills (the officially chosen business language for the Asean) and it is blatantly sending a message of "we don't want foreigners here". You can see this is the clamp down on visa's and particularly General Prayuths speech barking onto the nation about how foreigners are a real problem in Thailand. (remember he is now the appointed PM and leading the country).

In addition there are many complaints about dual pricing, taxi rip off's, various scams such as jet ski's etc.. It doesn't exactly make foreigners feel welcome. The fact that I also pay much higher tax then many Thai people do and I contribute to the local economy with exports doesn't matter at all, there is certainly a feeling of I am not welcome.

So although you may be able to compare other countries you have to say is this really how a country should be viewed considering its ambitions to lead the Asean?

[heybuz]

i just refuse to pay easy, the missus and kids thai so i wait for them to come out of wherever it is

[MartinL]

I'm sure I've even read on TV, in the past, about a westerner/naturalised Thai who showed Thai ID card, maybe even Thai PP and was refused Thai price because he wasn't ethnic Thai (whatever that is).

I remember reading about that guy, assuming it's the same guy you read about. He went to the Grand Palace and it just so happened he brought along a non-Thai Asian friend in tow. He eventually got in for free (as he was entitled to) but what was so unbelievable was that his friend, who was not only not Thai but couldn't even speak Thai was allowed to enter for free along with him without any fuss whatsoever. The whole story was shocking and racist. But in the end he did get in for free as he was supposed to.

Thanks - that's exactly the one I was thinking of. Thanks for providing more detail & confirming I hadn't dreamed it up.

[bapoboy]

Had a little trip in bangkok, lived in thong lo, my friend of mine took a motorbike taxi from Ekkamai, she had agreed price with him for the stretch, it was 40bath, she came forward then, as she would to pay then 40 bath, he saw she was going to meet me, no no 200bath for taxi he says to her, he seemed quite sure that I would pay so then it was okay to raise the price i thinks, but he was wrong, because it was not I who should pay, so all ended with a great discussion between, ended with her paid 100bath ...

[AnotherOneAmerican]

i just refuse to pay easy, the missus and kids thai so i wait for them to come out of wherever it is

You go in, and make the misses and kids wait outside.

After all, you are the one paying.

"Sorry, I don't have enough to pay for everyone at inflated pricing, just me."

[Eliot Rosewater]

55555 I have never seen a country like Thailand with so many BMW 700'..Mercedes 500.... Ferrari ... and castles of hundreds of millions whose owners are Thai, so the legend, Thai poor, and farang are rich is stupid..

I was recently on Penang and being Malaysia would certainly fall into the category of wealthier countries, and saw not ONE of these cars. Nearest was a lone SUV.

I was with a Thai friend in Pai where all the wealthy young Bangkok weekenders were busily snapping away with their Nikons, fresh out of their above listed cars. My friend flat out refused to believe they were Thai! You've no idea how deeply entrenched the brainwashing is here re income disparity. Sad.

That's interesting because whenever my Vietnamese friend comes to Thailand he always asks me, "where are all the fancy cars?" "Everyone seems to drive a pickup truck, only in Bangkok are there any sedans, and even then they're all ordinary and boring Corollas and Citys and Civics." His words but I concur with him. In Vietnam, where not many people own cars you see a much higher proportion of "fancy" cars than anywhere in Thailand.

Whenever we were in Isan and he saw a "fancy" car such as a Porsche, Landcruiser or Toyota Tundra I'd tell him those are Lao registered, which is easy to spot based on their registration plates (Kampaeng Nakorn or Salavan etc). And indeed that's what I've noticed - 99% of Thais seem to drive what everyone else drives, which is basically a pickup truck or a boring VIOS or other Japanese sedan. Sure, there are a fair few Mercs, BMWs, even the occasional Ferrari etc. but you'll rarely see them outside of Bangkok or perhaps Pattaya. Even in Kunming, China I see Ferraris far more often than in Bangkok. It might have been the complete opposite 10 years ago but these days, Aston Martins, Bentleys you name it are common even in second tier Chinese cities but generally only confined to the Paragon parking garage in Bangkok.

Having said that there are rich Thais, but in the midst of the vast numbers of middle class Thais driving their Isuzus, Toyotas, Mitsubishis etc., they aren't as easy to spot as their counterparts are in Laos. Many Thais I have spoken to are amazed at the grand mansions and awesome cars of their Vientiane based elite. But part of that shouldn't be surprising - cars in Laos are taxed at far lower rates than imported cars in Thailand are so those Porsche Cayennes and Landcruisers etc. in Vientiane, though still not cheap are a fair bit cheaper there than in Thailand.

Strange, I routinely see Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Bentlys, Alfa's, Hummers, and countless mercs, Lexus etc on my commute in Bkk. More that I have ever seen in the US, and I lived in one of the top 3 big cities.

Perhaps you are slumming it

[Pattaya28]

Greed and lack of business acumen / Thais cutting their own throats

[heybuz]

i just refuse to pay easy, the missus and kids thai so i wait for them to come out of wherever it is

You go in, and make the misses and kids wait outside.

After all, you are the one paying.

"Sorry, I don't have enough to pay for everyone at inflated pricing, just me."

no they get in at the thai price or nothing whatever it is i retire to the car or nearest bar /resturaunt and wait.

[Pattaya28]

Last night I was sitting at a bar in Jomtien market area.

Motor bike with shop attached came by selling a good range of ladys bags.

Bar girl went out from the bar, had a look, and eventually purchased a Louis Vuitton bag.

I asked her when she returned how much was the bag. 500 baht was her reply.

I walked over to the vendor, had a look at the same bag the girl had purchased and asked how much.

Price started at 1800 baht and ended at 1000 baht.

I did not buy.

The vendor had a smirk on his face from the fact that I couldn't purchase that bag at a lower price.

The smirk of a lost sale was not the case. Was a smirk that he's "1 up" on me.

That's Thais for you.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

Last night I was sitting at a bar in Jomtien market area.

Motor bike with shop attached came by selling a good range of ladys bags.

Bar girl went out from the bar, had a look, and eventually purchased a Louis Vuitton bag.

I asked her when she returned how much was the bag. 500 baht was her reply.

I walked over to the vendor, had a look at the same bag the girl had purchased and asked how much.

Price started at 1800 baht and ended at 1000 baht.

I did not buy.

The vendor had a smirk on his face from the fact that I couldn't purchase that bag at a lower price.

The smirk of a lost sale was not the case. Was a smirk that he's "1 up" on me.

That's Thais for you.

Should have given the BG 600bht for her bag.

[Eliot Rosewater]

Last night I was sitting at a bar in Jomtien market area.

Motor bike with shop attached came by selling a good range of ladys bags.

Bar girl went out from the bar, had a look, and eventually purchased a Louis Vuitton bag.

I asked her when she returned how much was the bag. 500 baht was her reply.

I walked over to the vendor, had a look at the same bag the girl had purchased and asked how much.

Price started at 1800 baht and ended at 1000 baht.

I did not buy.

The vendor had a smirk on his face from the fact that I couldn't purchase that bag at a lower price.

The smirk of a lost sale was not the case. Was a smirk that he's "1 up" on me.

That's Thais for you.

Right, and even if they really need the money, they still won't budge on the price, they just get angry and blame it on you.

[RickvanHeijningen]

In my Holland they would be taken to court for racism , everyone pays the same price regardless.

Somebody say Thais are poor, i never see so much Mercedes Benz as here in Thailand.

[tomacht8]

Dual-pricing is scaring tourists away.

definitely.

Maybe not the first-time visitors, but on the internet and among friends itself speaks around.

- Lumpini Thai boxing: +1000 Baht

- King Palace: +500 Baht

- Wat Pho: +100 Baht

- Siam Ocean: +500 Baht

- Cable Car at Phra Nakhon: +150 Baht

- Lanta Marine National Park: +360 Baht

- Summer Palace Ayutthaya: + 70 Baht

- Museum Siam Bangkok: + 200 Baht

- National Parks: + 100 – 300 Baht

- Massage Parlours: + 500 – 1000 Baht surcharge

- restaurants with two price lists

- and everyone else who try to rip you off here.

+ scams

+ crime

+ political instability

+ travel safety

+ rip off culture

So the negative image effect will in long-term harm the tourism.

I'm pretty sure that many tourists, instead of making a second visit, opt for another destination!

[jcisco]

They only want to do something because although they are lying about tourist coming back they are not! This is a government and people who believe lying a little is o.k. just like excepting corruption.

As noted it is a mindset, even in the police station and hospital that charges you more is o.k., as recently as last month Bangkok/Hospital gave me a quote in writing for 15,000 for a procedure when i came back a week later to confirm the procedure the original doctor had overbook his day so I was told another doctor could do the procedure. After doing some paperwork I was told the charge will be 25,000, I pull out and gave her the slip of earlier quote and she/he came right out and say that is " Thai price " " you Falang " was was stunned knew and heard about it before never could confirm.

Here what is new... all smoke and mirror!

In Australia, it would cost me (as an Aus citizen) less for hospital visits than it would for foreigners.

Misleading statement, if you are an Aussie citizen then you pay into either the Medicare insurance fund or into a private fund in order to pay for the cost of medical. I believe it is 1.5% but it has been 10 years since I have used the system, so it could be different.

So in fact the reason that it is cheaper is not that you are an Australian is that you are contributing part of your earnings into a medical fund in order to access said medical system.

And the program is open to all Citizens of Australia, permanent residents and people who have applied for either I do believe. Furthermore Australia honors its reciprocal medicare care agreements with New Zealand,UK, Sweden, Ireland, Netherlands, Finland, Italy, Belgium, Malta and a few more.

Further to all this is that in Australia you can obtain medical insurance outside the government programs and access medical at a reasonable cost utilizing insurance.

So yeah it is cheaper, but it is not because you are a citizen, only because you are a member of an insurance program.

[balo]

Dual-pricing is scaring tourists away.

definitely.

Maybe not the first-time visitors, but on the internet and among friends itself speaks around.

- Lumpini Thai boxing: +1000 Baht

- King Palace: +500 Baht

- Wat Pho: +100 Baht

- Siam Ocean: +500 Baht

- Cable Car at Phra Nakhon: +150 Baht

- Lanta Marine National Park: +360 Baht

- Summer Palace Ayutthaya: + 70 Baht

- Museum Siam Bangkok: + 200 Baht

- National Parks: + 100 – 300 Baht

- Massage Parlours: + 500 – 1000 Baht surcharge

- restaurants with two price lists

- and everyone else who try to rip you off here.

+ scams

+ crime

+ political instability

+ travel safety

+ rip off culture

So the negative image effect will in long-term harm the tourism.

I'm pretty sure that many tourists, instead of making a second visit, opt for another destination!

I have never experienced a restaurant here with two price lists ?

Where do you find them ?

[slappy]

We went down to Bangkok and stayed overnight in a hotel, which was booked by my wife's friend at the weekend. When my wife booked in, answer "oh felang the price of the room is not 1,100 bahts but 1,900 bahts. my wife and friends complained and showed them my thai drivers licence. but the wouldn't budge. So needless to say we won't be staying there again.

[galoubet]

A Thai friend looks after her 10 year old granddaughter whose Thai mother and farang father have both abandoned her (although the father does send a little money from Europe on occasion).

The granddaughter is a Thai national. She has a Thai name (forename, family name and nickname). She speaks only Thai. She has a Thai ID card and a Thai passport. None of these cuts any ice with the officials at Thai monuments and parks where she is charged farang rates.

Why? Because she looks like a farang.

Work that one out!

[starkey_rich]

I think "The Land of Smiles" logo is way past it's sell by date.

[tomacht8]

Dual-pricing is scaring tourists away.

definitely.

Maybe not the first-time visitors, but on the internet and among friends itself speaks around.

- Lumpini Thai boxing: +1000 Baht

- King Palace: +500 Baht

- Wat Pho: +100 Baht

- Siam Ocean: +500 Baht

- Cable Car at Phra Nakhon: +150 Baht

- Lanta Marine National Park: +360 Baht

- Summer Palace Ayutthaya: + 70 Baht

- Museum Siam Bangkok: + 200 Baht

- National Parks: + 100 – 300 Baht

- Massage Parlours: + 500 – 1000 Baht surcharge

- restaurants with two price lists

- and everyone else who try to rip you off here.

+ scams

+ crime

+ political instability

+ travel safety

+ rip off culture

So the negative image effect will in long-term harm the tourism.

I'm pretty sure that many tourists, instead of making a second visit, opt for another destination!

I have never experienced a restaurant here with two price lists ?

Where do you find them ?

Here on the islands (Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Koh Tao) there are many small restaurants with two menus.

One in Thai and one in English.

The prices on it are not the same!

Edited September 4, 2014 by tomacht8

[BirdsandBooze]

Thais are poor. Falang rich.When Thais go to Falangland, Thais always get charge expensive Falang price.So when Falang in Thailand, they should also pay expensive Falang price.This is the universal law of same same no change.If falang want to pay thai price in thailand, falang should also charge cheaper thai price to thai people while in falangland.

This forum has been a fertile fishing ground for you in your present and previous incarnations. Honestly, some of the posters here who swallow your bait wouldn't last 5 minutes if they were a trout )

[jcisco]

Now if you could provide an example of a private enterprise from your home state having dual pricing...

I'll cheat and give you an easy one......

trade pricing

[smotherb]

Why not stop corruption while they're at it?

Yeah, and why not end poverty, hunger, disease, and armed conflict? Oh yes, and I forgot, let's stop naivety too.

[brewsterbudgen]

Silly headline. I doubt a single tourist visiting Thailand has ever been scared away due to dual pricing.

[Darbar]

I've never seen this practice in any other country, and always thought it's a 100% racist policy, which has no place in todays world.

Just imagine the uproar if a country like the US or UK increased prices for attractions, based on the nationality of the buyer.. it would be a non-starter.

Shops trying to overcharge tourists are a bit different, as these are not national attractions.. They see tourists only as walking wallets, and obviously try to extract as much cash as possible.. I can't see this changing any time soon.

Thailand needs to wake up to the glaringly obvious double standards which are engrained in their society, if they want to be taken seriously on the world stage (although to admit these double standards would no doubt cause them to lose face, so they will probably just sweep it under the carpet and deny everything!)

May as well just continue to be the ignorant kid of Asia, and keep on treating the rich well, the tourists just like an income, and the cheap migrant workers like slaves.

Edited September 4, 2014 by Darbar

[puipuitom]

As many say: in Thailand a farang has only one right: "to pay as much as possible in an as short as possible time".

And a Thai who gives a damn about how a farang feels to be treated is not born yet.

Only, many Thais forget: this is one of the resons so many farangs do not return.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

A Thai friend looks after her 10 year old granddaughter whose Thai mother and farang father have both abandoned her (although the father does send a little money from Europe on occasion).

The granddaughter is a Thai national. She has a Thai name (forename, family name and nickname). She speaks only Thai. She has a Thai ID card and a Thai passport. None of these cuts any ice with the officials at Thai monuments and parks where she is charged farang rates.

Why? Because she looks like a farang.

Work that one out!

I explained that in post #212

[biggles45]

"A lot of tourist attractions offer discounts to locals. "

Yes, I am sure though that they are rate paying locals?

Here the cheaper rate is for ANY Thai, regardless of where they live. An american Thai will get the cheap price, a white, or black American will not.

As an aside my Filipina GF often gets in for thai price if she stays quiet in the background while I buy the tickets. !!

Edited September 4, 2014 by biggles45