Thai National Parks ordered to charge foreigners tenfold

[AyG]

I took a ferry to an island off the coast of Mumbai. At the dock you had a choice of paying for a litter/sedan chair to be carried up hundreds of steps to a museum at the top of the hill. I walked. The admission price was 10X more for foreigners than for locals. I walked back down without entering/paying.

That would be Elephanta Island, I guess, and the prices differential isn't 10 times, it's 25 times: 10 for Indians, 250 for everyone else.

(To be fair, $4 to see a rather wonderful set of cave temples is definitely worth it. Paying three times that amount to see a trickle of water promoted as a waterfall whilst surrounded by litter is not.)

[monspencer]

I have seen at some ticket booths, the same tickets being issued to Thais and non Thais but of course with the non Thais paying the higher fees. So my point here is, who is pocketing the difference? Perhaps that is why the figures for non Thais entering is so low. Something has to show in the books to make it look like non Thais are visiting.

[kingalfred]

They can shove their parks up the place where "thais keep their brains" I told them as such when I went national park khao yai and in Ayutthaya. Even on producing Work Permit it was waving of hands "mai" If you are white skinned farang,Thai superiority rules. Gotta love the fact that they got nothing to be "superior"

[Dublin]

Must be operated by Thai Airways, my first flight booking of the year Thai Airways $205 dearer than there nearest competitor... Just the norm in Thailand when numbers are down charge more !!! Thai logic i Guess....

[outsider]

hope other countries start charging Thais 10 fold when visiting their countries, would bring a smile to my face.

Believe me, if I ever do business with a Thai in the US, I am definitely going to tell him, "Sorry, you don't get the US price, you're Thai, you need to pay 10X more than Americans." If more people did this, maybe Thailand would smarten up. Then again...I don't think so.

No. They'll just rant and rave and yell that they're being singled out for unfair treatment; they'll accuse you of racism, of practicing double-standards; that you are xenophobic... blah blah blah... Fact of the matter is, you can't teach kids, or moronic idiots of similar levels of intellect, these sort of things. This lot believes it is ok for them to do unto others even things they don't wish others do unto them. But I agree with you and like you, I will do the same. Even post up a sign to say Thais pay double the price. Send them scurrying back to their somtum caves.

[burhou]

Surely this is simply the Thai way of 'Saving Face' we hear so much about. Instead of a big notice saying 'No Foreigners' which could lead to the confrontation situation that is to be avoided, just stick the prices up so no 'Foreigners' will want to go anyway.

Sadly I have witnessed an ever increasing animosity towards 'Foreigners' this year and, for the first time in my 12 years of coming here, I (as did everyone else on the mini bus Visa run) had to pay extra 200 Baht 'for the police' so that my passport would be stamped on re-entry via Satun. (And yes, I have a multi entry tourist Visa all properly paid for).

[laolover88]

The obvious next step is to designate the whole country, including territorial waters as a National Park. Thais could be charged 5000B to return home (refundable) and the foreigner could then be charged 50000B to enter the country, payable at the exit door from the plane.

[Lupatria]

Asking the TAT about the future of Thailands tourism the answer would probably be: "We're working on it"

I only wonder how they managed to attract all the "business people" from Africa...

Edited February 4, 2015 by Lupatria

[cumgranosalum]

I think this says it very well......

http://cdn.someecards.com/someecards/usercards/1339426725154_9146065.png

[cumgranosalum]

"The entrance fee to the Phu Hin Rong Kla National Park in Phitsanulok province will increase the cost of entrance for foreigners from THB200 to THB400, according to a spokesman."

10 fold?

Duh! - the Thai fee is 40 baht.

[cumgranosalum]

The obvious next step is to designate the whole country, including territorial waters as a National Park. Thais could be charged 5000B to return home (refundable) and the foreigner could then be charged 50000B to enter the country, payable at the exit door from the plane.

there is already an exit fee on your ticket.

[cumgranosalum]

The one thing that pleases me about this topic is that I wont be meeting up with any of you lot when in a national park.

The parks are better off without you lot, sit behind your keyboards and whinge.

...and the award for the most fatuous remark of the thread goes to..........

[Eric Loh]

Expect more of the same from a xenophobic junta who don't care a hoot what foreigners say and have absolute power to decide. Even domestic critics are not spared. Suck it up until democracy is restored.

[Lee4Life]

Can't possibly be true they are not that stupid here are they!

"Additionally, Suwan predicted the increase would not affect the number of tourists who visit the park as fewer than 100 foreigners visited the park last year."

If there are so few foreigners visiting the park then why go to the bother of increasing the price?

[cumgranosalum]

"The entrance fee to the Phu Hin Rong Kla National Park in Phitsanulok province will increase the cost of entrance for foreigners from THB200 to THB400, according to a spokesman."

10 fold?

I would take 10 fold to mean 10 times more that being 2,000, 200 baht to 400baht is 100% increase. Would you not agree.

READ the article - that's not what it said!

[trogers]

Can't possibly be true they are not that stupid here are they!

"Additionally, Suwan predicted the increase would not affect the number of tourists who visit the park as fewer than 100 foreigners visited the park last year."

If there are so few foreigners visiting the park then why go to the bother of increasing the price?

Ahhh...finally! Someone has spotted the stupidity...

[MartinL]

In reality a similar system occurs in many national parks and historical attractions in the west. In the UK it is very common for pensioners and local people to get reduced or often free admission to attractions owned by local authorities and for others to have to pay more. 200-400 thb to spend a day in a national park does not sound a huge amount but too much for many local Thais to be able to appreciate their own natural resources.

Some years ago I took an aged Thai relative to a UK attraction. She was there as a tourist, not someone living in UK. When the ticket seller saw her, she asked whether the old lady was over 60 and when this was confirmed - with no need for documentary proof - the ticket seller said she should be paying the reduced Pensioner rate rather than the full price. Can you imagine that happening in Thailand? There was no question of anything like "You're a foreigner so you pay full price even though you're old". The big smile on the old lady's face when she realised what was happening was a joy to behold! I believe that this sort of attitude fosters an interest in the country concerned and good sentiments towards that country rather than the "Screw you" attitude to Thailand that's demonstrated in this thread.

Edited February 4, 2015 by MartinL

[ScottMallon]

hope other countries start charging Thais 10 fold when visiting their countries, would bring a smile to my face.

Believe me, if I ever do business with a Thai in the US, I am definitely going to tell him, "Sorry, you don't get the US price, you're Thai, you need to pay 10X more than Americans." If more people did this, maybe Thailand would smarten up. Then again...I don't think so.

No. They'll just rant and rave and yell that they're being singled out for unfair treatment; they'll accuse you of racism, of practicing double-standards; that you are xenophobic... blah blah blah... Fact of the matter is, you can't teach kids, or moronic idiots of similar levels of intellect, these sort of things. This lot believes it is ok for them to do unto others even things they don't wish others do unto them. But I agree with you and like you, I will do the same. Even post up a sign to say Thais pay double the price. Send them scurrying back to their somtum caves.

Here's the difference - I don't give a f*** if they rant and rave. Get the f*** out of my establishment then. We reserve the right to do business with whomever the f*** we want. If you don't like the policy, don't let the door hit you in the ass.

Edited February 4, 2015 by ScottMallon

[manhood]

Well not it turns for me to a NO GO!

Easy!

If the NP would be well maintained, well run with informations but nothing for from that and just named an NP?????

Thailand would be able to find many tourists intereseted to visit the NP's beside just stay at beach areas but for attract foreigners they not only increase the entrance fee!!!!!!!!!!!

Well foreigners learn more and more about the selfished people in this country!

[sailblue]

And they complain about taxis wanting to charge only double.

I heard soon they are going to have two airfares on Thai Airways also

[Cornhack]

Drinking water at temples - 10 baht , 20 baht for farang. Go figure!

[kieran2698]

The increase there and at other parks was made in response to an announcement from the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department that admission fees for foreigners should be made consistent throughout the country as of Sunday.. should read as.. admission fees for people should be made consistent throughout the country. Seriously is there any other country in the world where foreigners are required to pay more to visit an attraction than residents ??

Yes, there are other countries where foreigners are required more to visit attractions, Switzerland and Finland for example. The best way to look at it is not as foreigners pay more but that locals are discounted.

It can also go the other way, in Japan some attractions are discounted for foreigners.

[tsigane]

"The entrance fee to the Phu Hin Rong Kla National Park in Phitsanulok province will increase the cost of entrance for foreigners from THB200 to THB400, according to a spokesman."

10 fold?

I would take 10 fold to mean 10 times more that being 2,000, 200 baht to 400baht is 100% increase. Would you not agree.

You apparently have never been to a Thai national park. Thais pay 40 baht, farangs 400, hence 10x.

Many parks have had fees at 400, it's just some less visited parks that are doubling prices for foreigners (from 5x to 10x).

Do you get it now or is more explanation needed?

[maynard420]

Umm, tenfold would be x10?? So 200 x 10 is 2,000 baht not 400 baht.

But if you have a Thai drivers license for bike or car you will get the same price as a Thai National, this happened to me on Koh Samet, they wanted 400 baht entrance fee after I spend 1,000 on a speedboat ride there and they tried slapping me with a entrance fee, thank god I had my Thai drivers license on me and they knocked it down to 100 baht, same price as a Thai, this was back in 2002.

Never had this issue since then, they have tried to do it in the zoo's around Thailand but my 6 year old daughter always lays down the law to them in Thai, funny as hell.

[bbbbooboo]

Stupid IS what stupid DOES?

[soalbundy]

Just another ''Thai quick shot in the foot'' I don't go anywhere if they charge double, let alone 10 times so it doesn't bother me,they can keep their litter strewn, mosquito infested, noisy parks and shove them where the sun doesn't shine.

[tsigane]

The increase there and at other parks was made in response to an announcement from the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department that admission fees for foreigners should be made consistent throughout the country as of Sunday.. should read as.. admission fees for people should be made consistent throughout the country. Seriously is there any other country in the world where foreigners are required to pay more to visit an attraction than residents ??

Yes, there are other countries where foreigners are required more to visit attractions, Switzerland and Finland for example. The best way to look at it is not as foreigners pay more but that locals are discounted.

It can also go the other way, in Japan some attractions are discounted for foreigners.

So, just because Switzerland and Finland have double pricing scheme it makes it right?

[Keesters]

Expect more of the same from a xenophobic junta who don't care a hoot what foreigners say and have absolute power to decide. Even domestic critics are not spared. Suck it up until democracy is restored.

Democracy/Junta has nothing to do with it. Two-tier pricing has been going on for my 30+ years here.

[wabothai]

Them idiots in their white uniforms may want to think about the fact that Thailand will be thrown back into the stone age in one day if the farang decides to stop all their tourism, products and services, and send all thais outside Thailand back home.

How arrogant !!!!!!!! Sickening.

[cmiuc]

how about on Koh Samet? its a beach, but i remember they charged Park prices to go to the beach... do they still do that? (that beach idea that was suggested probably will become a real possibility if Prayut continues to have his way... (remember he promises with his life to make all thai people happy), so hands off to all kinds of charges coming soon????