Thai man massively overcharged at national park because he looks like a farang

[Loeilad]

It's not just a matter of "2-tier good/2-tier bad" - this whole pricing thing further reflects the attitude of the entire country to it's visitors and is just another blot of the Thai tourist landscape.....

My main interest in dual charging is with the National Parks - they are the most obvious culprits and are “endorsed” by government policy. So long as it is practiced by them, it lends respectability to the practice throughout Thailand’s tourist trade....but IMO they are making a big mistake.......

Tourism is one of Thailand’s major money spinners - accounting for up to 10% of the economy; and it’s about the only sector at present that is showing any real growth....so why does Thailand repeatedly insist on “shitting-in-their-own-nest”?

One of the reasons people find flying so far to Thailand acceptable for a holiday, is that when they get there the general cost of living is CHEAPER than at home...when confronted with artificially high prices (up to a factor of 10) they can only result in a negative reaction.

It seems that far from brining in extra money the dual charging has only a negative impact on the NPs. Firstly it deters visitors and secondly it creates a bad impression of the Thai tourist industry...furthermore,

I think some people’s assessment of the benefits of high charges for foreigners is also based on some misconceptions.....

At present it seems that 95% of visitors to NPs are Thai. This figure could change dramatically if a serious and well-organised campaign for eco-tourism was undertaken. It would of course require an equally serious improvement in infrastructure as well.........roads and access are already to place to facilitate greater numbers - it just remains to put in place the mechanisms for handling them.

So what proportion of NP income foreigners actually bring in is certainly up for debate and also I feel it is greatly overestimated as to how difficult it would be to replace this.

One needs to look at how the NPs are funded; funding comes from 2 main sources; from central government and from park entrance fees. Exactly in what proportion I can’t establish but I think it is safe to say that entrance fees represent the smaller amount when it comes to running the whole NP system.

The parks are of course currently grossly under-funded; the central government budget is limited and Dept. NP has to compete with others, such as education, public healthcare, infrastructure or even military spending. (The military and forests have a terrible record going back over decades)

In this situation it would seem logical to completely review how visitors are charged for NPs - and a removal of uniform blanket charging would be the first step; it has been found that park revenue from entrance fees could be increased if national parks were priced more appropriately.

At the end of the nineties a report was released by the ECONOMY AND ENVIRONMENT PROGRAM FOR SOUTHEAST ASIA entitled “Environmental Valuation: An Entrance Fee System for National Parks in Thailand”

In their conclusion was the following paragraph.........

“Lastly, the concept of adopting a discriminatory pricing scheme where local and foreign visitors are charged different entrance fees can help increase the total revenue for national parks. The rationale for charging foreigners higher entrance fees are: 1) foreigners do not pay income tax or business tax to the local government; and 2) foreigners tend to have a higher WTP for park visits. However, imposing higher entrance fees on foreigners could unnecessarily create silent resentment among foreign tourists and consequently affect the image of the tourism industry of the host country negatively. For this reason, this study suggests that foreign and local visitors be charged the same entrance fees. National parks should instead adopt other strategies in transferring surpluses from foreigners, such as offering special package tours inside the park or operating souvenir shops. “

....” In addition, the entrance fees of many national parks in Thailand bear no relationship to the level of park recreational services”

I think the key point here is that no-one in the past 2 decades has bothered to look at better ways to finance the National Parks or raise money from tourists. If you charge less, foreigners will stay longer and come more often.....during their stay as with ALL tourism you can then charge for optional add-ons - as said by supporters of dual charging, many (but not all) of these foreigners have cash to spend and can afford this charge - but they like to CHOOSE how to spend their money, not be forced to pay by what they perceive as an irrational and discriminatory entrance fee. ... Result; they stay away.

To this end it seems to me that parks should be allowed to determine their fees on a more individual level and tailor the cost to what they have to offer and as a response to the demographics of the visitors. Rather than the current 2-tier system, why not have a system similar to that used world-wide that DISCOUNTS certain groups...e.g. OAPs, students, disabled, school/educational groups, locals etc. and have a standard fee for others - which IMO would be higher than the current “Thai ID” rates. This should also be coupled with greater funding by the government and more outreach to world conservation funds for both finance and practical help and advice.

Eco-tourism is the way forward with these places - people will pay - not for luxury hotels but for genuine “green” experiences. These in turn will help to finance the total overhaul required to the parks facilities for visitors....raised/aerial walkways, facilities that enable visitors to observe nature without interfering with it. At present far to much trekking and stuff that claims to be “eco-friendly” is little more than organized encroachment by tour operators outside the law.

TAT definition of Eco-tourism is thus.... “Ecotourism is tourism in a natural environment where tourism resources are well taken care of and tourists can learn about and enjoy nature; while local people take part in tourism management, for example, participation in decision making about the tourism business or providing other services which generate income in proportion to the degree of their involvement”.

.

Rather than just being a top down decision by central government it is clear from this statement that eco-tourism involves locals in decision-making and they are usually in a much better position to have input on such things as charging. This looked very much like a local decision or at least one that could be taken locally.

For the last 5 years, the UNDP has been running a program to examine the running of Thailand’s natural resources and put forward some suggestions.........

The “expected results were as follows; -

EXPECTED RESULTS

· A five-year, integrated national PA system management plan and financial strategy endorsed.

· Effective monitoring and evaluation and knowledge-based data management system in place to assess progress and to inform policy decisions.

· A new PA business plan framework, integrating management and financial planning, including tools, and methods developed and implemented across the PA system.

· Capacity building programmes on effective PA management and financial planning developed and institutionalised within the Department of National Park Wildlife and Plant Conservation and implemented at five PA demonstration sites.

· Creation of an Effectiveness Unit within the Department of National Park Wildlife and Plant Conservation, to review specific management effectiveness and sustainable financing needs.

· Increased participation by local communities and other stakeholders in the development of novel models of PA management.

· Regional Department of National Park and Wildlife and Plant Conservation offices, and PA staff capacities enhanced, to coordinate management support and budget allocations across multiple PAs in Western Forest Complex for improved cost efficiencies.

· Communication strategy and materials developed and integrated into PA management and effectively supports partnership engagement and advocacy.

At this time, I haven’t seen any evidence of how effective this project has been.

In short, it looks as if the authorities have chosen to ignore all advice, both Thai and international and rather than study the situation thoroughly and formulate a long term policy, have opted for an ineffective uniform 2-tier system that will not generate any extra revenue, but WILL make Thailand less attractive to tourists seeking anything more than a bar on a beach.

[Loeilad]

And rightly so. If it looks like a farang, and talks like a farang.... it probably is a farang. It's all about the redistribution of wealth, and assisting the lower classes.

...and please explain how paying a government in a 2-tier system does that?

[nontabury]

And rightly so. If it looks like a farang, and talks like a farang.... it probably is a farang. It's all about the redistribution of wealth, and assisting the lower classes.

So your talking about distributing to the likes of Dhanin Chearavonont, chairman of CPG worth at least 7 Billion US dollars. Who can of course enter the national parks at 1/10th the cost to a farang. "Yes" this is an extreme example, but let's not forget that 10% of Thais, approx 6-7 million are far wealthier than the majority of Farangs.

[Happyman58]

On 10/5/2015 at 12:57 PM, Thian said:

Do chinese also have to pay the farang-price?

no, they get in for free  Its like going to Laos. 1500 Baht for westerner 50 baht for a Thai. Where I come from everyone gets treated the same. If you are Indian Chinese Caucasian Black if the price is $10 then it is $10 for everyone. I think the farang are discriminated against in Thailand. Just thinking if a Thai was treated like that in my home country they are the first to be jumping up and bitching and moaning why there is a special price for them. Maybe they should start charging a special price for Thais also. 

[keithpa]

On 10/5/2015 at 2:20 PM, bendejo said:

Thai man massively overcharged at national park because he looks like a farang

So, by this, TV is declaring the difference between the cost of admission in the 2-tiered system to be massive.

How one describes amounts of money depends on their income, bank balance.

[overherebc]

3 year old thread ?????

[keithpa]

12 minutes ago, overherebc said:

3 year old thread ?????

more like 33.

[kwan]

Very old thread - and he's American.

http://www.samuitimes.com/thai-man-overcharged-at-national-park-is-actually-an-american/

[dorchester]

some of these national parks could use some trashcans.As it stands one would question the value of their national treasures.

[Kasset Tak]

I went with work to pay respect to King Rama 9 after he died, we waited for 9 hours and after that my coworkers wanted to go and see the Emerald Buddha. Free for Thai but they wanted 500 Baht from me (farang...) event though I had just cued for 9 hours to pay respect at the coffin of the dead king... we all went to another temple instead and my Thai friends said that they will not go back there.
The same has happened at national parks. We had scout camp and the school already payed to the national park for renting the camping and everything, still they wanted more money because we were 2 foreign teachers joining the scout camp.

So, Thai people need to understand that this thing with dual pricing is in the end hurting the tourist industry!

Edited May 6, 2018 by Kasset Tak

[Expatthailover]

Massively overcharged 

Told you a million times not to exaggerate. 

Hyperbole aside why should foreigners get in at the same price?

Foreigners can afford it.

[Siam Bruce]

If the Thai's wish to have a two tier policy that is their affair, what I would like to see is the price clearly marked with:-

The price of entry for all Thai's  xx Baht

 

The price of entry for All foreigners xx ++ Baht.

 

Don't try and hide the difference,  be up front about it.

 

All people now have a clear choice;  to pay the required asking price or not.

 

No big deal.   It is the clear deception that I do not like. 

 

People can  then vote with their feet and go elsewhere if they feel they are being treated unfairly.

[somtamjames]

 10 times more for foreigners is criminal. 

[somtamjames]

47 minutes ago, Kasset Tak said:

I went with work to pay respect to King Rama 9 after he died, we waited for 9 hours and after that my coworkers wanted to go and see the Emerald Buddha. Free for Thai but they wanted 500 Baht from me (farang...) event though I had just cued for 9 hours to pay respect at the coffin of the dead king... we all went to another temple instead and my Thai friends said that they will not go back there.
The same has happened at national parks. We had scout camp and the school already payed to the national park for renting the camping and everything, still they wanted more money because we were 2 foreign teachers joining the scout camp.

So, Thai people need to understand that this thing with dual pricing is in the end hurting the tourist industry!

Did you not have a work permit, or Thai driver's license? That usually makes it to the normal fee. 

[fab99]

2 hours ago, somtamjames said:

Did you not have a work permit, or Thai driver's license? That usually makes it to the normal fee. 

No, it doesn't, in national parks at least. In private businesses it often does (it should be the opposite but hey Thai logic...).

I was in Koh Chang last week, and my wife and the kids wanted to go to a waterfall, I told my wife that I wouldn't go in if they charged me the farang price that is an outrageous 10x more than the Thai price, she still bought the tickets as she was too shy to say anything, I went back and got a refund, saying I have a work permit, I pay my taxes and more VAT than most Thai do, I take care of my Thai family and teach in a government school and I have been here for 9 years, I spoke Thai to the guy at the counter and all he replied was "but you are not Thai" not even feeling sorry or not agreeing that it wasn't fair... So I got my money back and read a book waiting for my wife and two children to come back from the lousy waterfall, and I ll never go back to a national park facility... It's not about the money, but the principle and in the end I had a one hour massage instead of going to a crowded underwhelming waterfall and I got to finish my book.

I really think Thai should be treated abroad the same way they treat foreigner : no way to buy land and double pricing.

Edited May 6, 2018 by fab99

[metisdead]

3 year old topic resurrected without an update.