No More Thai Price for Foreign Workers in Thailand?

[Tomtomtom69]

Why shouldn't foreigners pay more, our salaries/pensions are way in excess in what a Thai person could ever hope to earn, you come to Thailand wether on holiday or to live here you abide by their rules if not go some where else. There admission prices are not excessive either compared to elsewhere.

Here we go again!

No, not all foreigners earn more than Thais. Many Thais earn a lot lot more than government school teachers.

No, we will not go elsewhere. We have families here.

We just stay away from national parks, but it is difficult when shops, shopping centers and motorcycle taxi drivers charge more "just because we are farang".

Do you think it is fair we pay 300,000 baht instead of 100,000 for an operation, just because we are farang. I did get the lower price after I told them I lived here.

Only today I was with a Thai friend. We took a motorcycle each. 20 baht for my friend. 40 baht for me. My friend didn't believe it. He asked why. The reply "farang price!"

More and more people are trying to charge farangs more.

The disease is spreading.

That sucks.

However, for me I rarely experience dual pricing. First of all, I speak fluent Thai and can read the language too. Secondly, I think this thread is more about fixed, government sanctioned dual pricing rather than entrepreneurial attempts to rip you off. If you had asked the price in advance and figured out the motorcycle taxi was trying to take you for a ride (not just literally) you had the option of asking a different driver who would have surely charged you the proper price. In my case, I don't allow dual pricing to get to me because before it does, I have already walked off to a different merchant/vendor/whatever or I don't enter the establishment in the first place.

At hospitals, this is a joke and unfair. Depends which hospitals you frequent, but if you have insurance it's usually no issue as you either don't have to pay, or you pay first then claim later so in the end, you won't be out of pocket.

As you say, it's easy enough to stay out of national parks or certain other tourist attractions.

[Tomtomtom69]

This 2 level pricing system is endemic of a greater problem hear in Thailand for foreigners . The Thais do not want you here Or should I say the Government does not want you here.

I am moving to Panama next year You ask why . I want to live in a area that appreciate people and are not xenophobic .

Can you imagine if Government run attractions in the USA charged more for Thais to go There would be a cry, holler and protest from the Thai government I am sure of it .

Why not charge All Asians $50.00 to go to the Grand Canyon but only Charge Americans $5.00 Good idea Right? Wrong

They would claim discrimination and it is morally wrong You have your answer .

There are a lot of tourist coming now But once they see how Thailand treats them they will not come back They will look to other places that truly welcome foreigners on vacation

Good question. I think it would only be the Asian associations which would claim "discrimination" rather than Asian tourists living in Asia, who would have little idea of what is going on (or wouldn't really care anyway). I am not sure that the Thai government would protest, in your case above. After all, international students have to pay a higher fee to attend university in Australia for example, not sure if there has ever been a protest but the Aussie government doesn't single out Thai or Asian students but charges everyone (except NZ citizens) the higher fee.

On the other hand, Asian student associations have sometimes complained about the fact that international students don't receive student discounts on public transport in NSW (and other parts of the country). I disagree with their campaign, because 1) Aussie taxpayers money shouldn't be used to subsidize rich foreigners and 2) why are they making a stink when in some of their own countries, foreign (international) students can't get discounts either. So in a sense they are being hypocrites.

I think that western governments may have complained to Thailand about the practice here, but it has probably fallen on deaf ears.

I can't say for sure though. Maybe it could also be that since most Thai prices are in Thai and western diplomats can't read Thai, they assume dual pricing doesn't exist. Who knows?

[chiang mai]

Yes, at least farangs do not get bashed, spat at or verbally abused by Thais here.

As long as you can go shopping around the whole goddamn planet looking for somewhere where it's worse than in Thailand you'll probably succeed.

It does not legitimate "discounts" based on race. If you think it does, it is YOU who is racist. YOU, for justifying racism.

I'm pretty sick of the US being dragged into everything as well, with someone saying "it's worse there." This is ILLEGAL in the US, since you want to make a comparison,

Really, I think that you would justify anything as long as it was a Thai anything.

This discrimination/racism thing: it's a Western concept you know, not an Eastern one and doesn't mean it has to be a global thing and doesn't mean it has to be right or even a standard. Just because it's illegal in the US, doesn't mean squat really, after all, jaywalking is also illegal there!

So you are a moral relativist? Racism or bigotry is acceptable as long as the culture practicing it thinks it is OK? Absolutely disgusting.........

I really don't have much of a problem with Thailand saying, Thai's first and everyone else second, several other countries would do well to do similar, you know, England for Brits., the US for the Mexicans, and so on.

[petedk]

Why shouldn't foreigners pay more, our salaries/pensions are way in excess in what a Thai person could ever hope to earn, you come to Thailand wether on holiday or to live here you abide by their rules if not go some where else. There admission prices are not excessive either compared to elsewhere.

Here we go again!

No, not all foreigners earn more than Thais. Many Thais earn a lot lot more than government school teachers.

No, we will not go elsewhere. We have families here.

We just stay away from national parks, but it is difficult when shops, shopping centers and motorcycle taxi drivers charge more "just because we are farang".

Do you think it is fair we pay 300,000 baht instead of 100,000 for an operation, just because we are farang. I did get the lower price after I told them I lived here.

Only today I was with a Thai friend. We took a motorcycle each. 20 baht for my friend. 40 baht for me. My friend didn't believe it. He asked why. The reply "farang price!"

More and more people are trying to charge farangs more.

The disease is spreading.

That sucks.

However, for me I rarely experience dual pricing. First of all, I speak fluent Thai and can read the language too. Secondly, I think this thread is more about fixed, government sanctioned dual pricing rather than entrepreneurial attempts to rip you off. If you had asked the price in advance and figured out the motorcycle taxi was trying to take you for a ride (not just literally) you had the option of asking a different driver who would have surely charged you the proper price. In my case, I don't allow dual pricing to get to me because before it does, I have already walked off to a different merchant/vendor/whatever or I don't enter the establishment in the first place.

At hospitals, this is a joke and unfair. Depends which hospitals you frequent, but if you have insurance it's usually no issue as you either don't have to pay, or you pay first then claim later so in the end, you won't be out of pocket.

As you say, it's easy enough to stay out of national parks or certain other tourist attractions.

I speak Thai too. I am sure you will experience dual pricing soon. I used to say the same as you, but now I have changed.

Actually I knew the price of the motorcycle taxi as I used to use them every day. They were nice enough guys and often joked with me.

One day a new guy came along and the price just doubled for me. I asked why (in Thai) and was told that it was the "farang price". No reasonable arguement... just "farang price."

I actually walk 50 metres or so to the next soi and take other motorcycles, but that day I just wanted to prove to my Thai friend that they did this. I think these guys now lose about 6-700 baht a week by trying to charge me double. I sometimes take long rides costing 60 to 80 baht too.

I usually get in most places at Thai price. I have been to the grand Palace for free several times. One time it took about 30 minutes of doing paperwork to get in.

I went on a tour to Ayuttaya with a group of Thai teachers from a government university. We went to a museum and the Thais paid 20 or 30 baht but we farangs had to pay 400 Baht each. There was absolutely no way they would let us in at the Thai price.

What an absolute waste of money (government money I may add). Nothing worked, the whole place was falling to bits. Even the 20 or 30 baht the Thais paid was a waste of money.

As for the hospital, yes the insurance paid but I still felt a duty to get the best price.

Sure I have walked out of shops when they ask for a higher price from me.

Edited March 2, 2016 by petedk

[Nowisee]

More foreigners should just walk away and stay away from places that dual charge. When more and more people walk away it will eventually sink in, I say eventually because these people would rather lose business then accept (giving in), charging reasonable (same as everyone) prices.

There are far too many places where the owners are fair and offer good product/services at a reasonable price for me to deal with these idiots. I just laugh at them and walk away.

[inbangkok]

This discrimination/racism thing: it's a Western concept you know, not an Eastern one and doesn't mean it has to be a global thing and doesn't mean it has to be right or even a standard. Just because it's illegal in the US, doesn't mean squat really, after all, jaywalking is also illegal there!

So you are a moral relativist? Racism or bigotry is acceptable as long as the culture practicing it thinks it is OK? Absolutely disgusting.........

I really don't have much of a problem with Thailand saying, Thai's first and everyone else second, several other countries would do well to do similar, you know, England for Brits., the US for the Mexicans, and so on.

Yeah, except this isn't what you said and dual pricing has nothing to do with "Thais first"......you seem to be grabbing at air now.......nice try though.

[chiang mai]

Huh!

[Bear78]

http://www.theguardian.com/money/2016/mar/01/state-pension-age-could-rise-faster-than-expected-say-experts

enjoy your pension becouse it going to worst ..

make article about this . i can not

[tinat]

Farangs pay the normal price.

Thai people get a discount. Sometimes the farangs get a discount also if they show their license or work permit.

Still very cheap, doesn't bother me the Thais get a discount.

Last week at the Royal building near the zoo, Thai girlfriend paid 150 baht, I paid 75 baht. I got the 50% discount because my phone is with AIS. They didn't even bother to ask me for a license.

At the zoo we paid the same. I can't remember if there were two prices there or not.

The answer to the OP is........ It depends.

Did you mean Western caucasian? Or as I suspect, you meant foreigner.

[DILLIGAD]

Do all the Chinese tourists pay Farang prices?

[NewlyMintedThai]

With Thai Tax ID and Thai Driver License in hand, when I encounter dual pricing base on my race, I just say "No!"

Your nationality, not your race. Boo hoo.

[Thian]

That's why I went to ko chang instead of ko samet, They hate us all.

Going to Samet you should take a boat which drops you right on the beach where you're staying. That way you avoid the ticketoffice and the fee.

I also don't go to any place where a farang pays more than a thai. Would rather fly to another continent and spend 5 times more money there.

[Tomtomtom69]

Do all the Chinese tourists pay Farang prices?

Well of course yes. Their numbers alone provide a huge windfall for national parks and other dual price charging tourist attractions.

Also, it's quite easy for anyone, Thais and westerners alike, to tell a Chinese tourist apart from a Thai.

The one exception I could think of where Chinese might be able to "slip in" for the Thai price would be in the unlikely event they were together with a group of Thais, such as for example, a Chinese university exchange student travelling with 10 other Thai class mates. Although usually, though not always, the same thing happens when a lone westerner happens to be in a group with Thais - especially if one person takes care of purchasing of the tickets and all the people are sitting on the bus/car/van whatever, by the time everyone has entered the particular attraction the foreigner is "safe" from any dual pricing attempts. This will depend very much on the establishment and the more people in the group, the better.