Dual-pricing in Thailand: Is it time to do away with the ‘farang tax’?

[gandalf12]

gandalf12

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farang

Farang (Thai: ฝรั่ง [faràŋ]) is a generic Thai word for someone of European ancestry, no matter where they may come from. The Royal Institute Dictionary 1999, the official dictionary of Thai words, defines the word as "a person of white race".[1]

Nice, so you think you have embarrassedher?

Shouldn't you have been embarrasses about your profound knowledge of Thai after 2 years?

No actually I am well aware of the word, its derivation and it meaning. Where did you get the 2 years from? I actually have a good knowledge of the Thai language and read and write it as well as speak it. Incidentally my knowledge extends over 30 years not 2 (maybe you cant count past 2 in which I apologize for your inability to count). Embarrassed no. What I said was upset her. I wish you would also learn to read as well as count. The word incidentally has more meaning than you have provided and is very informative. However, the bit you missed is sadly lost in your case.

[vogie]

In USA if you use a state golf course you pay a higher price if you come from out of state - if you go to a state university you pay a much higher price if from another state and all for people of the same country US Citizens..

The fellow who was, I forget the wording, grossly overpriced in Phuket - well, it was only $5-6 - not that big a deal really I am sure an out of state round of golf would have cost him more and not even upset him - people pay these fees all the time in other places

and yet, people seem to feel strongly here that they are being ripped off ??

Yes I play on a Navy golf course, the navy personel pay 50 baht, my wife pays 150 baht and I pay 300 baht, still great value for the money. 200 baht (£4) tip for the caddies. No cause for complaint from me.

[mauGR1]

It's not only about the money, it just sends a kind of message, like..

" we like your money, but we don't like you "

I find it degrading for Thais themselves.

[dru2]

gandalf12

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farang

Farang (Thai: ฝรั่ง [faràŋ]) is a generic Thai word for someone of European ancestry, no matter where they may come from. The Royal Institute Dictionary 1999, the official dictionary of Thai words, defines the word as "a person of white race".[1]

Nice, so you think you have embarrassedher?

Shouldn't you have been embarrasses about your profound knowledge of Thai after 2 years?

Another poster who should get credit has pointed out farang/falang is a Thai joke. The Thai word refers to celery, which is long and white.

It's either a Caucasian or a guava. Celery is "pak chi farang". A fine distinction, maybe, but not the same.

Edited October 10, 2015 by dru2

[HOOD Robin]

Please let me know if I am mistaken, aside from Tourists, but regarding Foreigners who live here, do you not pay the Thai price if you show a Thai driving license or yellow book?

Driving license...no.

In the past... YES (10 y ago i did it in the south --> Nakhon Si Tammarat))

Nowadays.... seems NO

[Baerboxer]

Please let me know if I am mistaken, aside from Tourists, but regarding Foreigners who live here, do you not pay the Thai price if you show a Thai driving license or yellow book?

Driving license...no.

I was allowed the Thai price as Asiatique ferris wheel last Sunday on production of my Thai DL.

[727Sky]

My wife usually purchases everything for us....alone....I have never been over charged personally.... at least not to my knowledge.... Some of the Golf courses will give you the Thai rate/or discount if you have a Thai driver's license. I do agree double standards are B.S. Usually things like this are taken care of by high season and low season pricing in many other countries..

I would also avoid any place that charged me more based on the shape of my eyes or nationality.

Edited October 10, 2015 by 727Sky

[Gringogazzer]

, bra's were now ฿120 instead of ฿100, farang tax.

.

Good grief man, that deserves an entire thread of its own

Nice to see you're treating the good lady right with the high class lingerie, now that's classy !

Shop around, you must be able to economise further

She buys her own lingerie & always has.

She knows the true value of money & will only spend what's necessary. She has a lot more class than any money grubbing whale seeking opportunist or those who care more for their designer handbag than their husband.

I am a very lucky man & that would be the more appropriate topic.

[bazza40]

gandalf12

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farang

Farang (Thai: ฝรั่ง [faràŋ]) is a generic Thai word for someone of European ancestry, no matter where they may come from. The Royal Institute Dictionary 1999, the official dictionary of Thai words, defines the word as "a person of white race".[1]

Nice, so you think you have embarrassedher?

Shouldn't you have been embarrasses about your profound knowledge of Thai after 2 years?

Another poster who should get credit has pointed out farang/falang is a Thai joke. The Thai word refers to celery, which is long and white.

It's either a Caucasian or a guava. Celery is "pak chi farang". A fine distinction, maybe, but not the same.

Agree, farang is part of the larger word "pak chi farang" Excuse my failing brain cells. Caucasian or guava? You've lost me.

[wvavin]

2 options: 1. Move out of Thailand & 2. Stage a street protest and we shall see whether the government gives you a concession in the end.

[Jeremy50]

'Farang Tax' Unfortunately the name of the topic speaks volumes about the racist mindset of many Thais, which is a hurdle they will have to clear, on a course of many hurdles if Thailand is ever to develop. It is inconceivable for example that the UK media would ever be discussing 'Paki Tax' or 'Chink Tax'. Thank god we have moved on from the days when a black man would have been pointed out on the street.

On the topic of paying extra as a foreigner in Thailand, I can hardly think of any any situation where I do. Perhaps the occasional electric bill needs investigation, that's about it.

[UTH001]

gandalf12

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farang

Farang (Thai: ฝรั่ง [faràŋ]) is a generic Thai word for someone of European ancestry, no matter where they may come from. The Royal Institute Dictionary 1999, the official dictionary of Thai words, defines the word as "a person of white race".[1]

Nice, so you think you have embarrassedher?

Shouldn't you have been embarrasses about your profound knowledge of Thai after 2 years?

Another poster who should get credit has pointed out farang/falang is a Thai joke. The Thai word refers to celery, which is long and white.

It's either a Caucasian or a guava. Celery is "pak chi farang". A fine distinction, maybe, but not the same.

Agree, farang is part of the larger word "pak chi farang" Excuse my failing brain cells. Caucasian or guava? You've lost me.

Now I am totally confused: I thought PAK CHI FARANG was dill???

[MockingJay]

Live and let live... the only thing I find unfair is that tax paying expats in Thailand with proper workpermit and visa are often charged tourist prices as well. I usually get Thai price whenever I show up with Thai wife and our kids and drop Thai drivers' license, wp and passport on the counter. The few occasions where I won't get locals' fees, I found that getting angry and arguing with a park ranger for hours over this will simply destroy my mood and lower my and my families life quality in that moment and give me high blood pressure, so why bother?

Edited October 10, 2015 by MockingJay

[Bluespunk]

Please let me know if I am mistaken, aside from Tourists, but regarding Foreigners who live here, do you not pay the Thai price if you show a Thai driving license or yellow book?

Driving license...no.

I was allowed the Thai price as Asiatique ferris wheel last Sunday on production of my Thai DL.

As others have pointed out this seems to be really up to the guy at the desk. There is no guarantee it will work. Legally I seem to recall a minister 6 months or so back saying only Thais get Thai price.

[Liquorice]

Gen Prayuth "Thailand doesn't condone corruption, it must be stamped out" .............unless we call it Dual Pricing!

[Thunderbirds20]

Dual pricing permeates all sectors of Thai Culture, ..just like corruption, .. you mentioned eggs as being a fixed price, ...well, I stood waiting for a Thai woman to buy 30 eggs. She gave the vendor 100 baht and got 5 baht change. I asked for 30 of the same size eggs and was told they were 120 baht. When I took exception with that, she simply walked away and would not sell them to me for the same price as the Thai woman paid.

I have also been short changed many times, had things stolen from my room by supposed trusted friends, had a necklace snatched off me by a passing motorbike, been robbed at gun and knife point, ...... all in Pattaya, .... Welcome to Thailand!

This attitude of someone being rich and therefore having to pay more is bovine doo doo. ... and usually not true! No wonder Thailand is now grovelling to get tourists from China and Russia, because decent tourists do not come here any more

[bermannor]

gandalf12
You are one of these hopeless cases, not even understand race related and location related.
And if 2 or few, does it make a difference?
But not knowing the meaning of farang after 30 years, a triste picture.
"I pointed out to her she was the farang as inside the Embassy grounds it is considered the UK, not Thailand."

I seems, after 30 years, you have problems with expressing yourself in your mother tongue.

[pogal]

When I went to the Ancient City in Samut Prakan, the ticket lady noticed I was speaking Thai and asked me if I lived/worked here and I said yes, she said I could have Thai price! I was impressed at her pro-activeness in this situation, I hadn't even thought of asking, No proof was required either, my parents paid farang price though, which I didn't mind paying since they were tourists.

I guess I have gotten used to dual pricing.

I was also very surprised recently when another TV Member informed everyone about other countries dual pricing including my own, NZ, which absolutely shocked me to think that NZ has dual pricing. I had to track down the information and I found he was correct. I was so disappointed that NZ had done that :/ Although extremely rare in NZ (perhaps even the ONLY place in NZ) it is still a disappointment and makes me feel I cannot say anything about Thai dual pricing now or else label myself (my country) hypocritical :/

[ChrisY1]

Please let me know if I am mistaken, aside from Tourists, but regarding Foreigners who live here, do you not pay the Thai price if you show a Thai driving license or yellow book?

I think that should actually be the case.......but the "little men behind big desk" syndrone applies nationwide.......western tourists and residents are seem as cash cows in many instances....

[shirtlifter]

Whatever I pay, I still think its cheap, try comparing to prices back home. If the UK government started to charge foreigners more than the its own citisens, would we complain?

Yes, I would.

this one is for vogie,you might have a case in defence of thailand if thailand had a similar heritage and historical places of interest going back thousands of years not only in the uk but europe in general.if it was allowed that they run those historical sites the same as thailand,well i will leave that up to your immagination.i think vogie is a perfect expat apologist for thailand and he is well of out of his home country.he certainly will not be missed.

[Bluespunk]

When I went to the Ancient City in Samut Prakan, the ticket lady noticed I was speaking Thai and asked me if I lived/worked here and I said yes, she said I could have Thai price! I was impressed at her pro-activeness in this situation, I hadn't even thought of asking, No proof was required either, my parents paid farang price though, which I didn't mind paying since they were tourists.

I guess I have gotten used to dual pricing.

I was also very surprised recently when another TV Member informed everyone about other countries dual pricing including my own, NZ, which absolutely shocked me to think that NZ has dual pricing. I had to track down the information and I found he was correct. I was so disappointed that NZ had done that :/ Although extremely rare in NZ (perhaps even the ONLY place in NZ) it is still a disappointment and makes me feel I cannot say anything about Thai dual pricing now or else label myself (my country) hypocritical :/

As long as you condemn both blatantly prejudicial practices and all forms of bigotry based on nationality you are not being a hypocrite.

[bermannor]

If somebody would have opened the Wikipedia link and read it, then he would understand why guave is farang, why man farang or Pak chi farang.

All are related to farang = European (white race), probably because introduced to Thailand by Europeans.

[swampdonkey]

Please let me know if I am mistaken, aside from Tourists, but regarding Foreigners who live here, do you not pay the Thai price if you show a Thai driving license or yellow book?

Yes you are mistaken

[realenglish1]

This again is one of the route problems here in Thailand The new Prime Minster is try to deal with corruption a 2 tear pricing system for foreigners and Thais is part of that.

While not direct corruption is its part of the route problem There is no other country I know that charges a different price for foreigners.

This so called policy will bite the Thais in the butt someday

As for myself I show my drivers license and that is usually enough to get the discount but this 2 tier system is not good for the image of Thailand

[richardmellott]

I just went to a national park, and paid three times the Thai rate for entry. We actually lied to save a couple hundred baht, as one of our party looks Thai, but isn't. When you feel like you're getting ripped off, the impulse to cheat the system comes out in the best of us. I also traveled without my Thai friend, and got ripped off by a taxi driver, a food vendor, and a motorcycle taxi, all in the course of one day. I knew the rates, but because I was alone, they got doubled. I hadn't really experienced hostility here until that day, but I even had an old Thai guy throw a shoulder as he passed me on the sidewalk. It was an unfortunate eyeopener!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bermannor]

gandalf12
You are one of these hopeless cases, not even understand race related and location related.
And if 2 or few, does it make a difference?
But not knowing the meaning of farang after 30 years, a triste picture. You wrote:
"I pointed out to her she was the farang as inside the Embassy grounds it is considered the UK, not Thailand."
That is totally clear.
Reading, writing or speaking any language does not mean understanding.

[Soutpeel]

When I went to the Ancient City in Samut Prakan, the ticket lady noticed I was speaking Thai and asked me if I lived/worked here and I said yes, she said I could have Thai price! I was impressed at her pro-activeness in this situation, I hadn't even thought of asking, No proof was required either, my parents paid farang price though, which I didn't mind paying since they were tourists.

I guess I have gotten used to dual pricing.

I was also very surprised recently when another TV Member informed everyone about other countries dual pricing including my own, NZ, which absolutely shocked me to think that NZ has dual pricing. I had to track down the information and I found he was correct. I was so disappointed that NZ had done that :/ Although extremely rare in NZ (perhaps even the ONLY place in NZ) it is still a disappointment and makes me feel I cannot say anything about Thai dual pricing now or else label myself (my country) hypocritical :/

As was pointed out in another thread as both myself and another poster pointed out South Africa has double pricing for its national parks and to get in at local prices one must produce your ID book which only SA citizens and PR's have and rational is a SA citizen or PR has financed these parks as part of their taxes...

Using the same rational the one who are howling the most on this issue are neither Thai citizens or PR as much as they think they are

[vogie]

Whatever I pay, I still think its cheap, try comparing to prices back home. If the UK government started to charge foreigners more than the its own citisens, would we complain?

Yes, I would.

this one is for vogie,you might have a case in defence of thailand if thailand had a similar heritage and historical places of interest going back thousands of years not only in the uk but europe in general.if it was allowed that they run those historical sites the same as thailand,well i will leave that up to your immagination.i think vogie is a perfect expat apologist for thailand and he is well of out of his home country.he certainly will not be missed.

Thank you for being singled out, I feel quite honoured. Why bring historical sites into it, there are so many other examples, if walking around delapadated buildings is what rocks your boat, go for it. Wouldn't it be fantastic if we could all change places with the Thais, they could have our big fat pensions and we could save 10 baht on a tuk tuk! As for not being missed in my own country, oh I do hope so. Give them my regards when you return won't you?

[Viking64]

only 2 thing to do if you want thai´s to change this

they need to feel it themself, so all outside thailand must charge 10 times the price to all thai and all going to thailand must turn there back to all places with dual pricing

Spot on,mate ;-)

[theguyfromanotherforum]

What annoys me is having my work permit and social security ID turned down. However, if I'd had my driving license with me all would have been fine. So the fact that I pay my taxes, employ 20+ Thai staff & give to Thai charities doesn't entitle me enjoy various places at local prices. Hmmmm.

I also really love restaurants, bars etc. not returning with my 20 or 30 baht change as they just presumed that I was going to offer it as a tip. Well I would have done and possibly more if they'd shown willing, but when this happens I just demand my money and leave, never to return.

And while we're on the subject of being short changed, try a convenience store. Buy something that has 50 satang tagged on it and see if you get the change. Doesn't happen so often these days but maybe because I've shouted at so many cashiers that the word has spread. It's absolutely nothing to do with the amount, just the principle. Lost count of how many times I've been called a Keeniow for my ranting, but so be it.

I have been here over 2 years and have always been returned correct change at restaurants, taxis and convenience stores. This must be some Thailand of yesteryear or perhaps outside Bangkok?