How do thais tell other thais apart when entering national attractions.

[Howitzer]

This is something i have noticed like for entrance to tourist/famous temples/parks etc that thais either pay less or get in for free like say the grand emerald temple for example or temples in ayuthaya etc the person at the entrance doesn't actually check the ID of the people entering he just lets them in the thai entrance if they look thai he doesn't even bother to speak to them to see if they speak thai or not which isn't actually a good indicator because i am sure a lot of non thai asians that reside in thailand can speak the language pretty well like the burmese/cambodians etc.

Anyway i know that there is a stereotypical thai look both for the darker skinned and the fairer skinned chinese looking thais. The problem is that it's a stereotypical look and obviously many thais don't have that look. I can tell apart some thais from their appearance from other south east asians like malays for example BUT there are many thais who are not malay thais or from the south who can pass off as malay and vice versa. Similarly the fairer skinned east asian looking thais resemble the southern chinese from say malaysia or singapore.

Anyway put the other thais say thai chinese/ luk kreung etc into the mix and obviously one's physical appearance doesn't determine if one is thai correct?

In western countries it would be considered non pc and offensive if they checked one's nationality just by their physical appearance using america for example and let in all the farangs without checking them and checking the non farangs and automatically assuming non farangs are foreigners for example.

Also the people in the surrounding countries say cambodia/laos/burma look like thais either yet they just simply let in anyone who simply looks thai.

Do you know of any non thais who look thai say maybe a cambodian who got in for free to these places?

[tonray]

Thais come from a few different racial groups. You have 'Thai' Thais, Chinese Thais, Indian Thais, northern hill tribe Thais, etc etc.

They use a built in sixth sense called "Thai-dar" to discern between them. For example it can tell them that although a Thai citizen is able to get into a park for free, he is not "Thai" enough to marry their daughter, which of course can change for the right amount of SinSod. It's all very complicated. Best left for the scientists to figure out.

[Howitzer]

Thais come from a few different racial groups. You have 'Thai' Thais, Chinese Thais, Indian Thais, northern hill tribe Thais, etc etc.

They use a built in sixth sense called "Thai-dar" to discern between them. For example it can tell them that although a Thai citizen is able to get into a park for free, he is not "Thai" enough to marry their daughter, which of course can change for the right amount of SinSod. It's all very complicated. Best left for the scientists to figure out.

I highly doubt it. I bet a cambodian or just a thai looking person say a chinese could be able to get in free.

[mogandave]

Don't people buying tickets most always say something to the ticket seller?

Doesn't the ticket seller generally say something to the customer?

[eldragon]

Im usually able to separate Thais from other SE Asians that look Thai based on the way they act.

[mogandave]

Im usually able to separate Thais from other SE Asians that look Thai based on the way they act.

My wife can spot a Thai walking around Disneyland from 500 meters...

[samran]

Um, it's usually the signs written in Thai saying 'Thai people enter here'. Other than that, it's asking for tickes in Thai with a Thai accent. A dead give away that last one.

[Eddy B]

I once took a Filipino friend to Doi Suthep. I told them to not say a word and just follow the non-paying Thai's. I showed my Thai drivers license and was also allowed in for free. I guess depending on the place, they will not check to see if an Asian looking person is Thai or not. To be honest though, Chinese tourists do stand out like saw thumbs as they are usually in large crowds leaving a tour bus plus the large cameras around their necks.

[Howitzer]

Um, it's usually the signs written in Thai saying 'Thai people enter here'. Other than that, it's asking for tickes in Thai with a Thai accent. A dead give away that last one.

oh pls i cannot read thai but i know which entrance the thais are allowed to enter.

[Howitzer]

I once took a Filipino friend to Doi Suthep. I told them to not say a word and just follow the non-paying Thai's. I showed my Thai drivers license and was also allowed in for free. I guess depending on the place, they will not check to see if an Asian looking person is Thai or not. To be honest though, Chinese tourists do stand out like saw thumbs as they are usually in large crowds leaving a tour bus plus the large cameras around their necks.

to be honest they rarely check unless the person doesn't look thai say a farang for example.

[Rob13]

to be honest they rarely check unless the person doesn't look thai say a farang for example.

Answered your own question.

[Howitzer]

to be honest they rarely check unless the person doesn't look thai say a farang for example.

Answered your own question.

Nope didn't because i was asking how do they tell how someone is thai from his face

[chickenslegs]

How do thais tell other thais apart when entering national attractions?

Easy - Thai arrives in 3MB Benz and joins the 20 baht queue.

Foreigner arrives on a bus and joins the 200 baht queue.

[cyberfarang]

I have a male friend who is of New Zealand Maori decent and each time he comes over on holiday and visits the Thailand tourist attractions he pays the Thai price or gets in for free. I don`t think he looks Thai, Dave is over 6ft doesn`t speak a word of Thai but he still manages to pass for a Thai. If we go together Dave, his nick name, asks me to stay behind and go in separately. Obviously I get the Farlang treatment.

I don`t understand it either.

[Gringogazzer]

If they just had that policy at immigration we'd all have a go at looking Thai...

[bendejo]

On the other hand I knew a US guy of Vietnamese parentage who came to Bkk on holiday and there were working girls who would not "go" with him because they didn't believe he was not Thai.

[hhgz]

Why does this upset you so? How does it possibly affect your stay in Thailand?

[kannot]

Don't people buying tickets most always say something to the ticket seller?

Doesn't the ticket seller generally say something to the customer?

Many a time been to places and bought something where not a word is spoken , cant say I like it at all

[kannot]

How do thais tell other thais apart when entering national attractions?

Easy - Thai arrives in 3MB Benz and joins the 20 baht queue.

Foreigner arrives on a bus and joins the 200 baht queue.

WRONG the Thais driver waits in the queue........... c'mon

[Sheryl]

My Cambodian friends always get in at the Thai rate. Any Asian will. They do indeed go by racial appearance.

[mogandave]

Don't people buying tickets most always say something to the ticket seller?

Doesn't the ticket seller generally say something to the customer?

Many a time been to places and bought something where not a word is spoken , cant say I like it at all

That has not been my experience, seems they always say something.

[Atum]

Why does this upset you so? How does it possibly affect your stay in Thailand?

You're a little upset yourself, aren't you? Why else would you post? Why do you care?

[naboo]

There is a popular temple near me that charges "foreigners" an entry fee. They get bus loads of tourists, some Thai, some not. The bus driver is always first to the ticket stand, I guess to tell them whether Thai or not.

I just walk through and ignore the ticket stand, though am usually with my (Thai) wife. I was stopped once when with my mother, I explained we were going to make merit and the requirement for an entry fee went away.

Most of the time, I think they just rely on you to open your mouth. How you speak is the immediate giveaway in any country.

[thaiduncankk]

Take it or leave it.

You are not compelled to stay here.

[BudRight]

Take it or leave it.

You are not compelled to stay here.

Being compelled to stay in Thailand or not has nothing to do with how nationality is determined at national attractions.

Furthermore, one may think that a system in a country is defective and even stupid and yet remain due to a preponderance of other things that one likes.

[mogandave]

I'm guessing all the guys whining about others getting away with not having to pay the tourist price moan even louder when they have to pay it.

[TheSpade]

I can tell a Thai from a Cambodian / Burmese / Laotion / Vietname / Burmese etc a mile away 99% of the time. I can't see why Thai's who've lived here all their lives and know what Thai people look and act like wouldn't be able to.

[tonray]

I have problems telling Northern Thai curries from Southern Thai curries....they all the look the same to me after awhile !

[sipi]

Some things are just plain obvious.

[Gringogazzer]

Some things are just plain obvious.

farang.jpg

Well...if they have a turnstile he won't be getting in at any rate...