Double Pricing - Fairprice-thailand.org

[Ned]

I was in Hua Hin once and there was a restaurant with two large menus out the front, one in Thai the other in English. Fried rice on the Thai menu was 20 baht and 30 baht in English. I ordered a plate of the Thai stuff. Here, being able to speak and read Thai was an 'advantage'.......If you spotted a 10 baht coin on the footpath would you pick it up? Hasn't helped me though at national parks or zoos to be able to speak the lingo.

On another matter: I wonder how all the Japs, Koreans and other assorted foreigners such as Indians and Malays feel about having to pay ten times the Thai price?

[GuestHouse]

Up2U,

For clarity, we have contacted the Marriott directly, they are resolving the 'Misunderstanding' which has occurred between the hotel and the BKK Post, not agents are involved.

I speak, read and write fluent Thai, and I know I can get around the Thai price but that is no the point.

The practice is discrimatory.

Please also understand the larger agenda. Black civil rights in America started with a boycott of busses over seating restrictions.

This could be seen as the foot in the door.

[meemiathai]

From now on I can follow the list and choose places where perhaps there would be less cheap farangs hanging around. Nice website!

a national park in koh chang

thai 10 bht

farang 200 bht

For those who cannot afford, stay in your own country. Where you perhaps have to pay 2000 bht instead and might never have enough money to get in.

"mai mee ngeun, mai dong ma!"

[davethailand]

i can afford it.

but i'm not paying 200% more to see a f*****g park.

what if the the uk or the states did this, there would be an uproar.

[Bluecat]

but i'm not paying 200% more to see a f*****g park.

what if the the uk or the states did this, there would be an uproar.

I am not so sure, Dave, if the purchasing power of the people visiting the US was at least 10 times more than the American and that most of the American would be living at or below the poverty line, would it be an uproar?

[davethailand]

point taken,

my comment was made on previous post of farangs being cheap,

i will happily go out and spend a couple of thousand baht in a beer bar but why 200% more in a park just to see a waterfall, and thats after walking for 25 mins tripping over rocks etc.

[taxexile]

to meemiathai

if you enjoy being taken advantage off in such a blatant and humiliating manner then fine,smile at them as they laugh in your face and behind your back before they pocket your hard earned money.

go ahead let them take your money,you sound like someone who is easy to rip off,naive and patronising, to me double pricing is just greedy,insulting, ugly racist crap and those that pursue the policy are cheating us for the simple reason the pricing duality is hidden from us, it is never made clear that the foriegner is paying more than the thai. its low and underhand.

5 baht or 500 baht, its not the amount, its the presumption that as a foriegner i have money to throw away and that i am too stupid to see what is going on. its the presumption that all foriegners are rich and its our duty to subsidise thais without any effort on their part to earn the extra that they charge.

make the dual pricing clear by signs that spell it out for us then we can choose to pay more than the thais or go elsewhere. then its not cheating, its just racist.

if i am with thai friends and i get charged over the odds then the thais will tell me to shop elsewhere before telling the shopkeeper/restauranteur/park gatekeeper what they think of it loudly and clearly so everyone in hearing distance knows.

asked why they charge foriegners more and they will ummmmm and aaaaah until the cows come home. not one of the overcharging cheats can come up with a good reason other than " you rich you pay more" beore slinking off to the back of the shop/restaurant wherever.

the gatekeepers at the parks have a difficult time when confronted by falangs over this because they are just obeying orders from above.

meemiathai, your post was nonsense and you deserve to be charged double because you are too dumb to realise when you are being done over.

[Bluecat]

but why 200% more in a park just to see a waterfall, and thats after walking for 25 mins tripping over rocks etc.

Believe me, I know the feeling (by the way, it is not 200%, it is 1000%,...).

But whether I like or not is not the point. I at least understand the difference,...

[davethailand]

to meemiathai

if you enjoy being taken advantage off in such a blatant and humiliating manner then fine,smile at them as they laugh in your face and behind your back before they pocket your hard earned money.

go ahead let them take your money,you sound like someone who is easy to rip off,naive and patronising, to me double pricing is just greedy,insulting, ugly racist crap and those that pursue the policy are cheating us for the simple reason the pricing duality is hidden from us, it is never made clear that the foriegner is paying more than the thai. its low and underhand.

5 baht or 500 baht, its not the amount, its the presumption that as a foriegner i have money to throw away and that i am too stupid to see what is going on. its the presumption that all foriegners are rich and its our duty to subsidise thais without any effort on their part to earn the extra that they charge.

make the dual pricing clear by signs that spell it out for us then we can choose to pay more than the thais or go elsewhere. then its not cheating, its just racist.

if i am with thai friends and i get charged over the odds then the thais will tell me to shop elsewhere before telling the shopkeeper/restauranteur/park gatekeeper what they think of it loudly and clearly so everyone in hearing distance knows.

asked why they charge foriegners more and they will ummmmm and aaaaah until the cows come home. not one of the overcharging cheats can come up with a good reason other than " you rich you pay more" beore slinking off to the back of the shop/restaurant wherever.

the gatekeepers at the parks have a difficult time when confronted by falangs over this because they are just obeying orders from above.

meemiathai, your post was nonsense and you deserve to be charged double because you are too dumb to realise when you are being done over.

could'nt have put it any better!

exactly

[Bluecat]

[could'nt have put it any better!

exactly

I do not agree at all but let not start this discussion again,...

[wolf5370]

Let me flip this a little. In London many of the tourist attractions are very expensive. The Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, Madame Tousaudes, London Dungeons etc etc etc. A single ticket can cost around £20 (1,400Bht).

Hop-on-off tourist buses are £25 for a day ticket (1,750Bht). Museums likewise.

Local residents, Londoners, are not all wealthy. In fact the East End is one of the poorest areas in the UK. London seriously considered (and are still considering) making these establishments (especially the government owned ones) give consessionary rates for locals. That would then make Japanese, Americans, even Thais, pay more than Londoners. The parents of children in London would certainly not see this as a cheating the foreigners as much as helping the locals give their children some culture.

National Parks in LOS have twin pricing. I have been to several - all of them are marked in English and Thai (that I have seen). I have no problem paying this.

I do NOT accept the same arguement for restraunts or hotels though, as these are businesses - there are already cheaper varieties about that poorer Thais (and farangs) can visit - thus, it is simply a rip off. As is dual pricing in shops and markets (a little Thai lingo usually helps here though); and airlines and other carriers (tuk-tuks, taxis, coaches, baht buses, etc).

I once stayed in a BKK hotel that included breakfast with the room. On the second day (of 14 we had booked) we were told - via the Thais in my party - that this is only for the Thais and the farangs (only 2 of us - plus 4 Thais) would have to pay 350Baht each. I went to talk to the manager, but he was adamant. So we all left - 3 rooms in a fairly empty hotel. This is allways our option - attempt to rip us off, we go else where.

[britmaveric]

Dunno I have seen local residents discounts in America for example for tourist attractions, nite spots ect, especially in beach resorts in florida. However shops, hotels, and restaurants I'd have to agree are out of bounds when it comes to diff pricing.

[Bluecat]

Dunno I have seen local residents discounts in America for example for tourist attractions, nite spots ect, especially in beach resorts in florida. However shops, hotels, and restaurants I'd have to agree are out of bounds when it comes to diff pricing.

I said it before but are we comparing the same "worlds"?

What is the discount in tourist spots in the States and how many Thai could afford the "dicounted" price?

[britmaveric]

Apples and Oranges for sure- I'm not bothered either way if I feel cheated I have the option of not paying. However TGF takes care of these things and they don't seem to charge any more for me when she does the negotiating.

[Larry]

There is double pricing that may be justified. The classic example is the Royal Palace. All of those amazing buildings and grounds are maintained by Thai taxpayers, so I have nothing against paying my 100 baht, while the Thais walk in free.

BTW, on Sunday, I took my kids to the CM Zoo, and asked a couple of questions at the Panda exhibit in my broken Thai. When asked whether I was a resident, I told them truthfully that I am often in Thailand but not a resident. To my delight, my daughters and I got the Thai price!

[taxexile]

national parks and such attractions as the grand palace are to an extent subsidised by the government and therefore by the thai taxpayer so there is an argument for discounting the price to thais, but shops,markets,restaurants,zoos,ripleys world of <deleted> and other private enterprises should be ashamed of themselves for operating a dual pricing policy.

[NaiGreg]

I, too, was amazed when I first saw the astounding price difference at the zoo in Chiangmai. Clearly, there was only one thing to do. I thanked my lucky stars that my wife could get such a deep discount at a subsidized attraction. The only alternative would be to mai pen rai. I choose to not feel cheated at the zoo or parks.

Good luck with the new web site: Raan-kai-kong, raan-ahaan should *not* be double-pricing! Has anyone experienced double pricing at a hospital?

[meemiathai]

Ok, Ok. Sorry. Kor tot na kup, if some of you find this unpleasant.

But I would have to say it is sometimes the same for me when reading some of the posts.

Well,

if you enjoy being taken advantage off in such a blatant and humiliating manner then fine,smile at them as they laugh in your face and behind your back before they pocket your hard earned money.

to say the truth, I had this feeling when visiting some of the faranglands. (take the UK for example, my money just evaporates in the air! I can't afford it, so I won't go!)

and,

meemiathai, your post was nonsense and you deserve to be charged double because you are too dumb to realise when you are being done over.

yes, I am happy with that. At least I get more than what I have paid for. I don't give a shit if others pay less!

Why do farangs always go everywhere in the world and apply their own principles?

They always think they are right, never give a shit to what other nations' people feelings are. It was/is still like that in HK. And is like that in Thailand. Do you realize how annoying sometimes you people are? How funny it is that you guys like to make everything a racist issue. FGS, it has got nothing to do with racism! It is the TOURISTS!!! If this is such a racist country, why are you staying? Don't tell me you have no choice! I have learnt from this forum that everyone has their choices! The only places I have ever experienced racism is in the faranglands, NEVER in any Asian countries! I'm sorry I seem to be so rude but I am just trying to let you know what I think.

[GuestHouse]

I think many of you, not all, but many are missing the point.

As foreigners in Thailand we have prescious few rights, but one right we do have is to choose where we spend our money.

Even here we are treated as walking ATMs, yes I agree that the Thais support their national parks through taxes and most foreigngers do not, but foreigners working in Thailand do and they pay a lot more taxes than the Thais (I guarantee I pay more Thai taxes than any Thai you know no matter how rich he or she is).

But that is still not the point. Thailand needs tourists, they need them to come to Thailand and spend money in Thailand. This issue of double pricing ins perhaps the single most common complaint of visitors and foreigners in Thailand.

Fairprice-Thailand is merely providing the platform for foreigners to know what is going on and to help foreigners decide what to do with their own money.

Or you might look at it another way, we are providing a platform for businesses and other establishments to understand the needs of a sizable part of their customer base.

But there is something even more fundemental.

How can we as foreigners ever expect to acheive any kind of equity of rights, for example in Property Ownership or treatment under the law while such blatent differentiation is practiced?

Signs declaring differential prices at national parks are not about You paying what you can afford, they are about you being discrimnated against as part of government policy.

If we can't change that, then say goodbye to any hopes of ever acheiving any other rights in Thailand

For your information I have several Thai friends who spend part of their time in London, they own houses I could not afford ( and I am extremely well paid) and they enjoy signle prices in the UK, they enjoy the rights to own property in the UK and equal treatment under the law.

I take it that if FairePrice-Thailand does manage to get rid of any double charging or indeed does, as we hope, get our foot in the door of saying We are here and we are staying.... Deal with it all of those people who say 'Go home if you don't like it' will be more than happy to enjoy the fruits of the efforts others are making to get rid of discrimination.

[taxexile]

Why do farangs always go everywhere in the world and apply their own principles?

They always think they are right, never give a shit to what other nations' people feelings are. It was/is still like that in HK. And is like that in Thailand. Do you realize how annoying sometimes you people are? How funny it is that you guys like to make everything a racist issue. FGS, it has got nothing to do with racism! It is the TOURISTS!!! If this is such a racist country, why are you staying? Don't tell me you have no choice! I have learnt from this forum that everyone has their choices! The only places I have ever experienced racism is in the faranglands, NEVER in any Asian countries! I'm sorry I seem to be so rude but I am just trying to let you know what I think.

mmt, i live here happily, i am a guest here and am quite aware that this is not my country and that most things here work in a different way to back home, i'm here because i like the place, but i'm not blind to the fact that this place is not a total paradise and is full of injustices and why should i keep quiet about them. racism exists here like anywhere else, its part and parcel of being a foriegner. you soon find out who your friends can be and who they cannot be here.

most thais will agree that double pricing is racist, but you say it is the tourists.

what do you mean "it is the tourists"? are tourists being discriminated against ?why arent thai tourists from other provinces being double charged.

how can thailand advertise all over the world for tourists to come and visit the land of smiles, come and experience the world famous thai welcome, the generosity of the thai spirit and then hit them with a sneakily enforced rip off when they go to visit the very places that are shown in advertisments all over the world

if that is not cheating, if that is not underhand, if that is not racist... then my name is somchai.

because there is racism and dishonesty all over the world dosent mean you should accept it.

if they want to charge tourists double or more then fine.

just put up signs in english and japanese saying that the thai price is 20b and the foriegners price is 200b and perhaps some explanation of why they feel it is necessary to do so. why are they reluctant to do that.

the practice as it stands is racist and underhand and morally wrong. and those who accept it unflinchingly should be ashamed of themselves. its not about whingeing foriegners at all. or telling thais how to run things. its about making your feelings known by walking away from something that is not right.

its no different from charging double to all people called meemiathai. would you accept that ? would you still enter the park then ? i doubt it. because you would be personally offended. discriminating against a group of people because of their nationality or colour or race is not right. and thats exactly what this is.

[piet pompies]

Thai Airways in Hong Kong has a fare for Thais with a HK ID card which is much less than available for any other person with HK ID card. Fare HKD 1833,R/T which is about half of regular fare available at Thai Airways.

One can of course get bargains at a travel agent which may be somewhat comparable. Restrictions apply. NO NON-THAI can get the deal at Thai. Someone should pass the message to other airlines to do the same for their citizens

[winle]

Glad to see someone is trying to do something about doulbe pricing, it is disgracefull and should be stopped, for it to be remotly fair, the poorist person in europe, u.s etc.. would have to be richer than the wealthiest thai person, i think its an insult i hope it turns tourist away the thais have taken the piss for to long,

[Yohan]

Why do farangs always go everywhere in the world and apply their own principles?

They always think they are right, never give a shit to what other nations' people feelings are.  It was/is still like that in HK.  And is like that in Thailand.   Do you realize how annoying sometimes you people are?  How funny it is that you guys like to make everything a racist issue.  FGS, it has got nothing to do with racism!  It is the TOURISTS!!! 

Meemiathai,

This system of double pricing procedure remembers me to how prices are calculated in communist countries. Local currency cannot be used by foreigners, instead of it, obligatory money change of hard foreign currency to extrem bad exchange rates is converted into exchange coupons, which can be used to buy certain tourist related products, like souvenirs, entrance fees for exhibitions, a special tourist bus, special restaurants, booking a hotel room for the foreigner and so on......

However to be a holder of such coupons gives me (especially in former Eastern Europe) some privileges......paying much more in foreign currency compared to the locals gave me the right, to enter such exhibitions without waiting and without lining up with the locals and I received free interpreter and guide service for me only and not in a group, they had shops, where locals could not buy in local currency, the best hotelrooms and the best restaurants were for the foreigners first and locals were served after the foreigners - they had to wait - in front of the hotel-reception - until the foreigners finished the check-in, booking theatre or concert was automatically a reservation of the best seat..... Even the international train - totally overcrowded to Moscou - the holder of the foreign voucher had his reserved sleeping car, while locals were sleeping on the floor sometimes......

Such high pricing gave me extraordinary privileges....

Maybe, the problem is not the double standard pricing for the tourist, it is much more the question, what kind of special service do you offer for the tourist in return for collecting fees, which are often 20 times higher than for the Thais?

What is different between the service for the Thai and the service for the foreigner?

Is there something like a super-class (for the foreigner) and an economy-class (for the Thai)? If yes, then maybe foreign tourists would not complain.

As a country, which needs urgently foreign currency income out of tourists from abroad, you should think about that argument.

To say, it is the TOURIST - let him pay.....this really gives a foreigner a very bad feeling!

Johann

[chanchao]

I actually do pay tax, and do get into most things for the local price, including national parks and national historical sites.

Exception though is the Grand Palace and the Bang Pa Inn palace. There they won't budge...

I think it's a bit sad that somehting linked so closely to the Thai nation & monarchy chooses to impose some kind of Apartheid spiel. They actually print the Thai price in Thai numerals at a Royal Palace!! I consider this a massive loss of face to the country. Are they really that strapped for cash in poor little 3rd world Thailand? If that were true I'd feel rather saddddd..

Anyway, so I don't visit those places and just forget about them.

Cheers,

Chanchao

[Yohan]

Anyway, so I don't visit those places and just forget about them.

If you are as a tourist in Thailand for 1 or 2 weeks, you will pay whatever they ask you to pay.

Of course they want to see the Grand Palace, Bang-Pa-In, Crocodil farm....and all the other places, which are famous in Thailand.....

As I said in my former posting, the price itself is not the problem for such tourists, the point is to offer them something like a very special welcome and treatment, so they feel, they pay very much more than the local people, but are receiving priority attention and service.

If this would be done, the understanding of 2 different prices, one for foreign tourists, and one for the local people, would not be that discriminating problem as it is now.....

Johann

[GuestHouse]

I still think this is missing the point.

Why should people be asked to pay more just because of their race, nationality or immigration status?

The issue is about fair treatment.

What happens if a foreigner wants the Thai price and no extra treatment?

For long term residents of Thailand like Chanchoa, there is also the issue of 'if we don't get treated fairly on this price issue, what hope then of ever getting other rights issues resolved?

Do not miss understand, this is about getting treated fairly as a human being, it is not value for money, how much foreigners can afford or about getting som obligatory extra service at an obligatory extra charge.

The Sign outside any government run establishment proclaiming a dual price is a statement of discrimination from the Thai government and therefore an invite for Thais to do the same.

[britmaveric]

GuestHouse-yes its blatant discrimination and I applaud your efforts. The only way you can fight this is to change attitudes and hit them in their pocket! This will take a long time and a concerted effort by every foreigner who visits there. I'm a bit skeptical anything will change because most are tourists and don't know any better and consider it a bargain even though they are paying not the same as a Thai or someone who knows what is really going on.

[Up2U]

.............The sign outside any government run establishment proclaiming a dual price is a statement of discrimination from the Thai government and therefore an invite for Thais to do the same.

(Edited by Up2U)

But that is getting into the world of politics, UN resolutions on discrimination and so on.

If the Thai people vote for a government with a policy of discrimination against foreigners, by price differentials, then the Thai people have made their feelings clear.

If the foreigner still wants to come to Thailand, then he should accept that the Thai people have already put in place the structure for such visits.

(Yes, I know, if we start talking politics here, we're out. And the Thai people have very little choice in their politicians anyway)

[GuestHouse]

Up2U,

Isn't that exactly the point we are making.

The Thais will make their choices, but foreigners can make theirs too.

If they want foreign money they need to accept some accomodation of foreigners.

If we just say 'This is Thailand, take it or leave it', nothing will change, not because the Thais don't want to change things but because we foreigners can't be bothered to make the effort.

It's not poitics, its ecconomics, if enough people start taking their business elsewhere, then the dual pricing will be removed.

[Up2U]

If they want foreign money they need to accept some accomodation of foreigners.

If we just say 'This is Thailand, take it or leave it', nothing will change, not because the Thais don't want to change things but because we foreigners can't be bothered to make the effort.

It's not politics, its ecconomics, if enough people start taking their business elsewhere, then the dual pricing will be removed.

They want the money, yes. But there will be no accommodation of foreigners in order to get it.

The foreigners are already creating too much disturbance of the way the politicians would like Thailand to be, which is a nice, fuzzy economy where they can keep receiving a good income without actually doing anything.

Thais (not all, just the one's that have a say in government) would be much happier if all the foreign tourists just sent a credit card number to the Thai Tourism Authority, had 100,000 baht deducted, received a few postcards and some tatty (or TATty) souvenirs to show for their holiday, but actually stayed the ###### away!