Free Entry to National Parks for Thais on ‘Family Day’

[anotheruser]

Last time I heard there are no bar stools in Pattaya that have been declared national parks. So most of us soon to be citizens that haven't formally gone through the process will not be affected. Obviously becoming a citizen is very easy and there is a clear road map for individuals desiring to do so.

[Johnniey]

Good luck with your citizenship, hope you can handle disappointments ok, or are you just a natural joker?

So you know much about the citizen process do you. Please tell me how many you know who have been refused.

There is so much ignorance here when it comes to gaining citizenship.

[chrissables]

Thank you generalissimo Surasak for expressing your deep appreciation of foreigners who feed you for a large part,

and exclude them from a once a year freebee.

THEY ARE THE SMALL THINGS THAT COUNT.

This small thing doesn't count for much for many I can assure you. I was in a park yesterday, by far the majority of the visitors were of European decent, the dual pricing is not putting off tourists, perhaps a few cheap charlies who would happily drink a beer priced more than the foreigner entrance ticket, but not the intelligent clientele that frequent the parks on a regular basis, they are happy to help subsidize the upkeep. And foreigners contribute a SMALL part to the economy not a large part, about 8.5%, farming and manufacture feed Thailand's economy not a load of moaning ex-pats, thanks.

Your line regarding intelligent clientele is wrong and insulting.

I do wonder how many of them understand they are being charged 10 x the Thai price? I wonder if you would pay if it was suddenly put up to 4,000 baht?

People living here, working with families still get the 10 x added price. Do you really find that an acceptable method to run a business, which parks are if you are being charged?

The people I have met in recent days have all been intelligent, they were all aware of the dual pricing as we all had a good joke about the losers who prefer to sit in a bar and moan than pay the price of one beer to get into the park, thanks.

And I have never been to a park where it is ten times the fee, always five times and that has been from 100 to 200 baht, hardly a lot. Personally I would make a rule that anyone on a type B or O visa pays the same as Thais, that in my opinion is fair, but I also would not piss and moan about it if it was not, and I certainly would not boycott nature due to this petty amount. I wonder how many posters complaining here have spent more than the entrance fee on piss since they started moaning on here. Truly sad stuff that really epitomizes all that is wrong with Expats in Thailand.

As of last year all national parks were priced at 40 baht for Thai citizens and 400 for non Thai citizens. Previous to that you could get Thai price with your work permit or a Thai driving licence. They have stopped that.

I am sure you will find the odd park that does vary, as this is Thailand and is how it seems to work.

It could also be argued the people who will accept that paying 10 fold the local price is ok, are not so intelligent, just ill informed. Especially if you quantify the price. 400 baht is 30 % higher than the minimum wage in Thailand. To put that into more easily understandable term, if the park was in the UK, the fee based on Thai logic would be 70 pound, $99 US. With the locals paying 7 pound, $9 US.

Even in the UK i can't see anyone justifying that sort of cost, and here i don't either.

I don't know where you drink, but if you are paying more than 400 baht for a beer, it must be a good place!

I agree anyone who actually live here should automatically pay the Thai price. Retired, married or working etc.

[Radar501]

'Free Entry to National Parks for Thais'

Let me see. If foreigners have to pay 10 X what Thais do to enter these parks.....then....10 X 0 = ZERO.

[Shawn0001]

As of last year all national parks were priced at 40 baht for Thai citizens and 400 for non Thai citizens. Previous to that you could get Thai price with your work permit or a Thai driving licence. They have stopped that.

I am sure you will find the odd park that does vary, as this is Thailand and is how it seems to work.

It could also be argued the people who will accept that paying 10 fold the local price is ok, are not so intelligent, just ill informed. Especially if you quantify the price. 400 baht is 30 % higher than the minimum wage in Thailand. To put that into more easily understandable term, if the park was in the UK, the fee based on Thai logic would be 70 pound, $99 US. With the locals paying 7 pound, $9 US.

Even in the UK i can't see anyone justifying that sort of cost, and here i don't either.

I don't know where you drink, but if you are paying more than 400 baht for a beer, it must be a good place!

I agree anyone who actually live here should automatically pay the Thai price. Retired, married or working etc.

To note, I have visited two of these parks in the past week, and was charged 100 baht and that was the fee displayed on the board at the entrance, but according to the NP website the fee's should have been 300, that is why I said it was the price of a beer, because I was charged 80 Baht more than a Thai and as far as I knew that was the correct fee, perhaps some parks are not playing the game? I see that two are charging 500 Baht, that is as much as a beer in a sky bar in Bangkok, clearly very expensive, one you have a good chance of seeing some big animals so that could be how they justified that but the other is really just about the geology, I cant imagine anyone wanting to pay that.

Not sure how you think not accepting a small fee, supporting the upkeep of the parks, helping to keep fees low for Thai's and missing out on these fantastic parks makes someone clever, but that's your choice, have fun in the sweaty city.

Anyway, your claim was not true, 96 parks remain free, and here are the correct prices for the 31 parks that do charge an entrance fee;

The following parks will be 10 Baht/20 Baht for Thais and 100 Baht/200 Baht for foreigners:

1. Thap Lan National Park, Prachinburi
2. Ta Phraya National Park, SaKaeo
3. Khao Lak – Lam Ru, Krabi.
4. Mu Ko Phetra National Park, Satun
5. Kaeng Tana, Ratchathani
6. Phu Sa Dok Bua, Yasothon.
7. Phu Pha Thoep National Park, Mukdahan.
8. Phu Phan, Sakon Nakhon
9. Phu Langka, Nakhon Phanom

B. The following parks will be 20 Baht/40 Baht for Thais and 100 Baht/200 Baht for foreigners:

1. Pa Hin Ngam, Chaiyaphum
2. Ramkhamhaeng National Park, Sukhothai
3. Mae Moei, Tak

C. The following park will be 40 Baht/100 Baht for Thais and 200 Baht/300 Baht for foreigners:

1. Kaeng Krachan, Phetchaburi

D. The following parks will be 50 Baht/100 Baht for Thais and 200 Baht/300 Baht for foreigners:

1. Srinakarin Dam, Kanchanaburi.
2. Sai Yok National Park, Kanchanaburi
3. Erawan National Park, Kanchanaburi

E. The following parks will be 20 Baht/40 Baht for Thais and 150 Baht/300 Baht for foreigners:

1. Khao Sok National Park, Surat Thani
2. Mu Ko Ang Thong, Surat Thani

F. The following parks will be 50 Baht/100 Baht for Thais and 300 Baht/500 Baht for foreigners:

1. Mu Ko Surin, Krabi
2. Similan Islands, Krabi

G. The following parks will be 30 Baht/60 Baht for Thais and 100 Baht/300 Baht for foreigners:

1. Than Bok Khorani, Krabi
2. Ao Phang Nga, Phang Nga

H. The following parks will be 20 Baht/40 Baht for Thais and 200 Baht/400 Baht for foreigners:

1. Phu Chong–Na Yoi, Ubon Ratchathani
2. Pha Taem, Ubon Ratchathani
3. Khao Phra Wihan, Sisaket

I. The following parks will be 20 Baht/40 Baht for Thais and 300 Baht/500 Baht for foreigners:

1. Thung Salang Luang, Phitsanulok
2. Phu Hin Rong Kla, Phitsanulok

J. The following parks will be 20 Baht/40 Baht for Thais and 100 Baht/300 Baht for foreigners:

1. Namtok Chat Trakan, Phitsanulok

K. The following parks will be 20 Baht/50 Baht for Thais and 150 Baht/300 Baht for foreigners:

1. Doi Inthanon, Chiang Mai
2. Doi Pha Hom Pok, Chiang Mai
3. Huai Nam Dang, Chiang Mai

[chrissables]

As of last year all national parks were priced at 40 baht for Thai citizens and 400 for non Thai citizens. Previous to that you could get Thai price with your work permit or a Thai driving licence. They have stopped that.

I am sure you will find the odd park that does vary, as this is Thailand and is how it seems to work.

It could also be argued the people who will accept that paying 10 fold the local price is ok, are not so intelligent, just ill informed. Especially if you quantify the price. 400 baht is 30 % higher than the minimum wage in Thailand. To put that into more easily understandable term, if the park was in the UK, the fee based on Thai logic would be 70 pound, $99 US. With the locals paying 7 pound, $9 US.

Even in the UK i can't see anyone justifying that sort of cost, and here i don't either.

I don't know where you drink, but if you are paying more than 400 baht for a beer, it must be a good place!

I agree anyone who actually live here should automatically pay the Thai price. Retired, married or working etc.

To note, I have visited two of these parks in the past week, and was charged 100 baht and that was the fee displayed on the board at the entrance, but according to the NP website the fee's should have been 300, that is why I said it was the price of a beer, because I was charged 80 Baht more than a Thai and as far as I knew that was the correct fee, perhaps some parks are not playing the game? I see that two are charging 500 Baht, that is as much as a beer in a sky bar in Bangkok, clearly very expensive, one you have a good chance of seeing some big animals so that could be how they justified that but the other is really just about the geology, I cant imagine anyone wanting to pay that.

Not sure how you think not accepting a small fee, supporting the upkeep of the parks, helping to keep fees low for Thai's and missing out on these fantastic parks makes someone clever, but that's your choice, have fun in the sweaty city.

Anyway, your claim was not true, 96 parks remain free, and here are the correct prices for the 31 parks that do charge an entrance fee;

The following parks will be 10 Baht/20 Baht for Thais and 100 Baht/200 Baht for foreigners:

1. Thap Lan National Park, Prachinburi
2. Ta Phraya National Park, SaKaeo
3. Khao Lak – Lam Ru, Krabi.
4. Mu Ko Phetra National Park, Satun
5. Kaeng Tana, Ratchathani
6. Phu Sa Dok Bua, Yasothon.
7. Phu Pha Thoep National Park, Mukdahan.
8. Phu Phan, Sakon Nakhon
9. Phu Langka, Nakhon Phanom

B. The following parks will be 20 Baht/40 Baht for Thais and 100 Baht/200 Baht for foreigners:

1. Pa Hin Ngam, Chaiyaphum
2. Ramkhamhaeng National Park, Sukhothai
3. Mae Moei, Tak

C. The following park will be 40 Baht/100 Baht for Thais and 200 Baht/300 Baht for foreigners:

1. Kaeng Krachan, Phetchaburi

D. The following parks will be 50 Baht/100 Baht for Thais and 200 Baht/300 Baht for foreigners:

1. Srinakarin Dam, Kanchanaburi.
2. Sai Yok National Park, Kanchanaburi
3. Erawan National Park, Kanchanaburi

E. The following parks will be 20 Baht/40 Baht for Thais and 150 Baht/300 Baht for foreigners:

1. Khao Sok National Park, Surat Thani
2. Mu Ko Ang Thong, Surat Thani

F. The following parks will be 50 Baht/100 Baht for Thais and 300 Baht/500 Baht for foreigners:

1. Mu Ko Surin, Krabi
2. Similan Islands, Krabi

G. The following parks will be 30 Baht/60 Baht for Thais and 100 Baht/300 Baht for foreigners:

1. Than Bok Khorani, Krabi
2. Ao Phang Nga, Phang Nga

H. The following parks will be 20 Baht/40 Baht for Thais and 200 Baht/400 Baht for foreigners:

1. Phu Chong–Na Yoi, Ubon Ratchathani
2. Pha Taem, Ubon Ratchathani
3. Khao Phra Wihan, Sisaket

I. The following parks will be 20 Baht/40 Baht for Thais and 300 Baht/500 Baht for foreigners:

1. Thung Salang Luang, Phitsanulok
2. Phu Hin Rong Kla, Phitsanulok

J. The following parks will be 20 Baht/40 Baht for Thais and 100 Baht/300 Baht for foreigners:

1. Namtok Chat Trakan, Phitsanulok

K. The following parks will be 20 Baht/50 Baht for Thais and 150 Baht/300 Baht for foreigners:

1. Doi Inthanon, Chiang Mai
2. Doi Pha Hom Pok, Chiang Mai
3. Huai Nam Dang, Chiang Mai

I just saw online the same site about prices.

All i can say is all the ones i have tried to enter recently were asking 400 baht. Khao Yai, (actually 800 + the bike. I was with my girlfriend a Filipino lady who they had no idea what nationality she was, but demanded 800 +) Phu Hin Rong Kla, Doi Inthanon and Doi Pha Hom Pak i got in at Thai price with my Thai licence, but who knows now.

Edited April 11, 2016 by chrissables

[Caveat Emptor]

Good luck with your citizenship, hope you can handle disappointments ok, or are you just a natural joker?

So you know much about the citizen process do you. Please tell me how many you know who have been refused.

There is so much ignorance here when it comes to gaining citizenship.

Is it all really ignorance or simply a total lack of interest ?

Not everyone wants to become a Plastic Thai.

[Artisi]

Good luck with your citizenship, hope you can handle disappointments ok, or are you just a natural joker?

So you know much about the citizen process do you. Please tell me how many you know who have been refused.

There is so much ignorance here when it comes to gaining citizenship.

Probably more relevant for you to advise how many people that you know who have been successful, and yes, there is a lot of ignorance by those wishful thinkers who would like to for some reason to be Thai.

[Fookhaht]

Good luck with your citizenship, hope you can handle disappointments ok, or are you just a natural joker?

So you know much about the citizen process do you. Please tell me how many you know who have been refused.

There is so much ignorance here when it comes to gaining citizenship.

Is it all really ignorance or simply a total lack of interest ?

Not everyone wants to become a Plastic Thai.

What is a "Plastic Thai?" I thought plastic was invented, popularized, glorified, and ultimately abused by Westerners.

Edited April 11, 2016 by Fookhaht

[Fookhaht]

[Shawn0001]

What is a "Plastic Thai?" I thought plastic was invented, popularized, glorified, and ultimately abused by Westerners.

Plastic was actually invented in the 1600's in Mesoamerica as a way of making figurines from natural rubber, man-made plastic a couple hundred years later in Birmingham as a kind of synthetic ivory.

Calling people plastic of course means something a little different, used in this way it is synonymous with arrogance and being fake.

[Fookhaht]

What is a "Plastic Thai?" I thought plastic was invented, popularized, glorified, and ultimately abused by Westerners.

Plastic was actually invented in the 1600's in Mesoamerica as a way of making figurines from natural rubber, man-made plastic a couple hundred years later in Birmingham as a kind of synthetic ivory.

Calling people plastic of course means something a little different, used in this way it is synonymous with arrogance and being fake.

just throwing a little bit of lighthearted sarcasm/irony into your life. Glad you can handle it Edited April 11, 2016 by Fookhaht

[simon43]

Please tell me how many you know who have been refused.

There is so much ignorance here when it comes to gaining citizenship.

I think the refusal rate for citizenship is probably extremely low, because one's application will not be accepted from the start, if one is unable to meet the application criteria, (married or PR if single etc).

If your citizenship application is accepted, then I think you are almost certain to be awarded citizenship some years down the line.

I did a quick check on how many points I would get from the published criteria. without PR, yellow tabian bahn etc, I still get more than 70 points. But without a Thai wife or PR, my application would be refused from the start, even though I have a Thai son.

So it is the application criteria that I have issue with...

Edited April 11, 2016 by simon43

[Shawn0001]

What is a "Plastic Thai?" I thought plastic was invented, popularized, glorified, and ultimately abused by Westerners.

Plastic was actually invented in the 1600's in Mesoamerica as a way of making figurines from natural rubber, man-made plastic a couple hundred years later in Birmingham as a kind of synthetic ivory.

Calling people plastic of course means something a little different, used in this way it is synonymous with arrogance and being fake.

just throwing a little bit of lighthearted sarcasm/irony into your life. Glad you can handle it

I will refrain from explaining to you the true meaning of sarcasm and irony, neither being present within your comment, I doubt you could handle it.

[Johnniey]

Good luck with your citizenship, hope you can handle disappointments ok, or are you just a natural joker?

So you know much about the citizen process do you. Please tell me how many you know who have been refused.

There is so much ignorance here when it comes to gaining citizenship.

Probably more relevant for you to advise how many people that you know who have been successful, and yes, there is a lot of ignorance by those wishful thinkers who would like to for some reason to be Thai.

So you don't know ANYONE who has been refused

Personally I know about 10 who have applied and NONE have been refused. 6 got it and the other 4 have been told they will get it soon.

People like you who think there is no reason to become a citizen of the country you have lived in for a long time just amuse me. There are so many benefits of becoming Thai, I'm not even going to start telling you about them. I wonder f you moved to say the US or Australia or the UK you'd be happy being a guest for many years?

[Artisi]

Would you like to list just 2 benefits not already available to a non Thai living here full time that are meaningful enough to forego your current citizenship, that's assuming it is a citizenship worth having.

[Johnniey]

Would you like to list just 2 benefits not already available to a non Thai living here full time that are meaningful enough to forego your current citizenship, that's assuming it is a citizenship worth having.

Sigh, if you insist. 1- Owning land or a business. 2- No need to get visas

I am a British citizen and can have dual citizenship as can most other countries.

Would you care to tell me where you live and how old were you when you came here?

[Fookhaht]

What is a "Plastic Thai?" I thought plastic was invented, popularized, glorified, and ultimately abused by Westerners.

Plastic was actually invented in the 1600's in Mesoamerica as a way of making figurines from natural rubber, man-made plastic a couple hundred years later in Birmingham as a kind of synthetic ivory.

Calling people plastic of course means something a little different, used in this way it is synonymous with arrogance and being fake.

just throwing a little bit of lighthearted sarcasm/irony into your life. Glad you can handle it

I will refrain from explaining to you the true meaning of sarcasm and irony, neither being present within your comment, I doubt you could handle it.

Present, but over your head, Buttercup.