More tourists travel “Isan”

[Smurkster]

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Thainess in Isaan? The home of lao and Khmer culture

Maybe "Thainess" is one price Thais and one price foreigners? They havn't done this in Isaan before as I know of, except at Phimai, but when I visited Mukdahan last month they had started to do so at the tower outside the city. Before it was 20 baht for all. Now it was 30 baht for Thais and 50 for baht foreigners. My personal view on that matter is that I do NOT pay. I stay away from this places. Because it's racism plane and simple.

Can you imagine how up in arms people would be if there was a double pricing scheme in wherever countries we originally come from (for example $20 to go to the Statue of Liberty for an American against $30 for foreigner for example) people would be up in arms...

Resident/non-resident pricing schemes are common now and becoming more common everywhere. Parks in Kenya have a dual-pricing system. So do the states of Montana, Rhode Island, Florida, Wyoming, New Jersey, Maine, Nebraska, Wisconsin, to name a few. Parks in the city of Vancouver BC charges those who are not residents of the city more than non-residents. Fishing and hunting licences in every state and province distinguish between residents and non-residents. As do all state universities in the US. It makes perfect sense: non-residents do not pay taxes to support these institutions, residents do.

you are on to something there, the only thing that I see is...Thailand isn't doing the double pricing scheme because they feel that "foreigners do not pay taxes, hence they do not support such institutions and must pay more".....Thais do it because they see it as a way to squeeze a few more bucks out a certain demographic of people just because they can....

[SlyAnimal]

Sounds good, when I visit isaan first time 7 years ago!

I booked a tour group bus , but I was alone with the driver no body join!

Now I also here alone, nobody speaks any verb of English ...

"Nobody speaks any verb of English". Where did you pick that one up? You should come to Isaan and see for yourself. What they tell you in a bar in Pattaya about Isaan is often not true.

They usually just speak via direct translations, rather than natural translations (e.g. they translate word for word, keeping the same sentence structure). This is why they often drop the pronouns, and verbs often just become the root verb, e.g. go as opposed to going or went etc. A lot of westerners do much the same thing when speaking Thai, but sorta in the reverse lol. Although to get to the original point, yes the level of English in most of Isaan is pretty low, and many of the westerners living in Isaan would be very appreciative of people who can speak a bit of English, even if their grammar etc was a bit off.

Some Isaan tourist locations do have dual pricing, all of the national parks do I think, as they're administered by the government, and the Surin Elephant Village does as well, I'd imagine that many other ones do as well. As mentioned by another poster, it's quite common in a lot of western countries, we do it in NZ (Much to my dismay when my wife and I last visited NZ), and the logic behind it makes sense (Residents pay taxes which are used to fund the running costs, or that it's part of your cultural heritage, thus you're a stakeholder in it so shouldn't be charged).

But to move things a little bit more back on topic, Isaan has a lot of potential for tourism. When I got married last year, I had around 20+ people come out from NZ, and I took the opportunity to show them a bit of Isaan while they were over, as I felt it has soo much to offer for tourists. So we went to visit the Khmer Ruins near my village (I wanted to goto the bigger ones in Korat/Burriram but they were a bit far), Thai silk worms, insect farms, rice farms and of course some of the amazing temples/pagodas, as well as some local cultural displays, cooking lessons and some Songkran drivebys which we organised. Although it was a little bit funny, as one of the things they found most interesting, was just looking at everyday things, like the scaffolding on a construction site at my school lol.

[NeverSure]

Yes......they call them tourists cycling through.......the tourists have a unique name they've given to describe themselves - "husbands"

I thought they called them ex husbands. Wandering around in a daze with no house, no car, no ATM...

[NeverSure]

Can you imagine how up in arms people would be if there was a double pricing scheme in wherever countries we originally come from (for example $20 to go to the Statue of Liberty for an American against $30 for foreigner for example) people would be up in arms...

Resident/non-resident pricing schemes are common now and becoming more common everywhere. Parks in Kenya have a dual-pricing system. So do the states of Montana, Rhode Island, Florida, Wyoming, New Jersey, Maine, Nebraska, Wisconsin, to name a few. Parks in the city of Vancouver BC charges those who are not residents of the city more than non-residents. Fishing and hunting licences in every state and province distinguish between residents and non-residents. As do all state universities in the US. It makes perfect sense: non-residents do not pay taxes to support these institutions, residents do.

I have said many times on here. I have a lifetime pass to every national park in the US. (Senior citizen.) It cost me either $10 or $15. Regular price for admission is $15 a person or $25 a carload per visit, per park. Only citizens can get the pass I have.

Disneyland in S. California offers a discount pass to residents of that county because those people pay the taxes to provide the highways, etc. to get there, and pay for water, sewer infrastructure, etc.

Dual pricing doesn't bother me.

[Muhendis]

My son and his girlfriend came over to Thailand for a few weeks last year. He deliberately tried to avoid the mainstream tourist attractions because he felt that many were constructions which had little to do with the Thai way of life but were put together with the specific intention of making money. He wanted to experience the Thai way of life. That included the elephant show put on for the local school children in Surin. He enjoyed an impromptu English language workshop whilst there. Many school children are eager to polish upon their language skills at every opportunity. Just outside Buriram he was impressed by a "Silk Village" where he could see villagers producing silk from worm to finished fabric. He wanted to enjoy the experience of village life.

I think that although there are many who enjoy the sun, sea and sand, there are plenty who are fascinated by the rural way of life and come to Isaan for that very reason.

[swissie]

Yes......they call them tourists cycling through.......the tourists have a unique name they've given to describe themselves - "husbands"

I thought they called them ex husbands. Wandering around in a daze with no house, no car, no ATM...

[outlaw11wa]

They have to be talking about Thai tourists, great. We don't need or want Russian, Chinese, or Mid-East. Although, right now the ladies would probably take anything. Oh, and would the LDOP's (Lame Dupe Over Payers) please, please stay away. Just cheap charlies please. I forgot, there is nothing in Isan, no women, no hotels, no phone service, no internet, no women, no roads (buffalo trails), no beer, no women, no airplanes, no malls, no bars, no ice, no women, nothing, nada, zip, only a couple of crazy farang, lots of water buff, rice, no women, rubber, sugar cane, snakes, scorpians, spiders and other bad characters. Tigers on the prowl in downtown Udon, or what passes for a downtown. Bad place, stay away, danger. Did I mention no women? Nothing to see hear, move along now.

555555555

I wish I could give this reply, more than one like

Though you did forget to mention the minefields

Yep I have never heard a truer word. Just listen to all the touts on here from districts that should know, Pattaya, Phuket, Bangkok, Chang Mai. There ain't nothing out there in Isaan just Bad lands and danger. Only thing positive is there are now more road signs in English so the above mentioned wanderers can find their way out of town quick and get back to "Civilization" in Bangkok. I'm thinking about putting up a few extra signs myself just to be sure....lol.

In fact there might be a good business opportunity. Shipping misplaced Farangs back to Bangkok express post?

[swissie]

They have to be talking about Thai tourists, great. We don't need or want Russian, Chinese, or Mid-East. Although, right now the ladies would probably take anything. Oh, and would the LDOP's (Lame Dupe Over Payers) please, please stay away. Just cheap charlies please. I forgot, there is nothing in Isan, no women, no hotels, no phone service, no internet, no women, no roads (buffalo trails), no beer, no women, no airplanes, no malls, no bars, no ice, no women, nothing, nada, zip, only a couple of crazy farang, lots of water buff, rice, no women, rubber, sugar cane, snakes, scorpians, spiders and other bad characters. Tigers on the prowl in downtown Udon, or what passes for a downtown. Bad place, stay away, danger. Did I mention no women? Nothing to see hear, move along now.

555555555

I wish I could give this reply, more than one like

Though you did forget to mention the minefields

Yep I have never heard a truer word. Just listen to all the touts on here from districts that should know, Pattaya, Phuket, Bangkok, Chang Mai. There ain't nothing out there in Isaan just Bad lands and danger. Only thing positive is there are now more road signs in English so the above mentioned wanderers can find their way out of town quick and get back to "Civilization" in Bangkok. I'm thinking about putting up a few extra signs myself just to be sure....lol.

In fact there might be a good business opportunity. Shipping misplaced Farangs back to Bangkok express post?

No need to send them back by express post. An occasional Farang-Tourist will leave on it's own (=what the hell am I doing here?)

The only Farangs sticking it out are the ones with "Family-Ties". If they are "well-placed" or also "misplaced" only time will tell.......

Cheers.