"Double" charging of foreign tourists is killing our business, say Krabi long tail boat operators

[gk10002000]

Some nominal or reasonable fee to out of towners, or out of country visitors is not something new.  Here in the USA many state or local parks charge 50% or even double the entrance fee to non state residents.

[Alan Deer]

1 minute ago, Tracyb said:

Condo project " 168" on Sukhumvit soi 36 in Bangkok recently revealed to buyers that it has dual pricing for This/Foreigners.  A difference of 25,000 Baht per square meter.   "168residence.com"   WHAT??

That's business - caveat emptor....if the market allows it they will try it on.

One wonders about the law though.

[Matt96]

3 minutes ago, Alan Deer said:

"ownership" is not what national heritage is about - it is to do with conservation, preservation and reasonable public enjoyment thereof.

Many sites around the world are deemed "world Heritage" - Thailand as a few and still 2-tier charges.

 

No country in it's right mind would "hide it's heritage under a bushel" - it is this heritage that attracts visitors who come to enjoy it - it is what makes a country interesting and even respected...

Many foreign countries' museums own French Impressionist paintings but hey don't refuse admission to foreigners (Trump excepted) to see the art or charge them 10 times over......ownership is NOT the criteria - it is more than a basic commodity.

 

Thailand's tourism is based on their natural resources - they are grossly mismanaged - I'd say that this is in a large part due to the ignorance of successive governments who seem incapable of seeing them as anything more than a cash-cow...in the end this simply reflects badly on the Thai nation and gives them and international image of a bunch of Philistines.

 

" "ownership" is not what national heritage is about "

you can think whatever you want. but all "national heritages" are in fact a property of citizen of a specific state. either you like it or not.

 

"No country in it's right mind would "hide it's heritage under a bushel" "

it's just your opinion. it's up to the country to decde to hide something or allow people to see it. and if seeing is allowed - on what conditions.

"it is what makes a country interesting and even respected"

according to tourism statistics - Thailand is very interesting for foreigners. and if some "entitled generation" foreigners are not satisfied with something in Thailand - this is their own problem. not Thailand's

 

"ownership is NOT the criteria - it is more than a basic commodity." for leftists like you ownership is never a criteria. "if I want something - I have a right for it" - this is how people like you think. but the international law contradicts

why if you, leftists, want something (which belongs to others) for free - you call it "a basic commodity"?

 

"who seem incapable of seeing them as anything more than a cash-cow" and they have a full right for seeinth them as cash-cows. becuase Thai society is the owner of them. you don't like it? up to you.

 

".in the end this simply reflects badly on the Thai nation and gives them and international image of a bunch of Philistines." some countries dare to bomb innocent civilians to control oil and natural resources of foreign countries. dare to topple sovereign governments around the globe. it surely reflects badly on country's image. but seems like it does not care. lol

 

[jesimps]

3 hours ago, scubachild said:

 I know that is against our western sensibilities to pay more but a little bit more wouldn't be unreasonable   Let's not forget Thai people rarely have the chance to travel overseas as us westerners do. 

Sorry, disagree! There're an awful lot of Thais who are better off than me, also lots of them would be able to travel overseas if they saved all year for a holiday like farang do. Everyone, regardless of race should pay the same. If farang object, they should vote with their feet like I do. I can't think of many tourist attractions I've been impressed with here anyway.

I wouldn't object to a reduction for people who live locally or old people, but it would have to be ALL locals regardless of race. By locals I mean in-state.

 

Edited February 10, 2017 by jesimps

[Matt96]

11 minutes ago, chrissables said:

Stop showing your ignorance. If it's a UNESCO site, it receives funds from UNESCO. It it is funded from money outside of Thailand, they should reflect that in the pricing.

UNESCO can pay for whatever it wants. it does not make UNESCO the owner of sights it pays for.

[Linesy]

"being able to pay is not the same as willing."
OK if you are not willing to pay the price sellers asks - don't buy the entrance. sellers charges you as much as he decides and he does not care either you find this price acceptable or not.
 
why it's so hard to understand?
 

The Krabi long tail boat operators care, the clue is in the Thread title.

[Alan Deer]

2 minutes ago, gk10002000 said:

Some nominal or reasonable fee to out of towners, or out of country visitors is not something new.  Here in the USA many state or local parks charge 50% or even double the entrance fee to non state residents.

 

2 minutes ago, gk10002000 said:

Some nominal or reasonable fee to out of towners, or out of country visitors is not something new.  Here in the USA many state or local parks charge 50% or even double the entrance fee to non state residents.

No State or locals get concessions or discounts.

 

What is a stake here is not what other countries do, it is how thai heritage is managed - and like so many other things in Thailand the incompetent and parochial guys in charge just ignore proven iteration practices and adopt a simplistic line that they fail to see is actually just schoolboy nonsense - the result - poaching and encroachment in national parks - the degradation of historic monuments and the discouraging of tourist to visit.

 

BTW - Anyone withy experience of the heritage industry or any event or attraction will tell you that the admission is almost irrelevant - what counts is getting the punters in - once in you can start getting their cash with "added value" whether it be souvenirs, food, services whatever - that is where the money is made.

 

 

[MadMac]

So after all they got beaten in their own game :). Must hurt, now that funny begging starts again. Suck it in! The hands that feed you have to too!

[Matt96]

9 minutes ago, Tracyb said:

Condo project " 168" on Sukhumvit soi 36 in Bangkok recently revealed to buyers that it has dual pricing for This/Foreigners.  A difference of 25,000 Baht per square meter.   "168residence.com"   WHAT??

it means that there are too many foreigners who want to buy an apartment in a "foreign quota". that's why it's more expensive. simple balance between offer and demand.

 

anyway seller can charge whoever he wants as much as he wants. if you can't accept this - don't buy. seems like the developer has enough foreign buyers.

[Alan Deer]

3 minutes ago, Matt96 said:

" "ownership" is not what national heritage is about "

you can think whatever you want. but all "national heritages" are in fact a property of citizen of a specific state. either you like it or not.

 

"No country in it's right mind would "hide it's heritage under a bushel" "

it's just your opinion. it's up to the country to decde to hide something or allow people to see it. and if seeing is allowed - on what conditions.

"it is what makes a country interesting and even respected"

according to tourism statistics - Thailand is very interesting for foreigners. and if some "entitled generation" foreigners are not satisfied with something in Thailand - this is their own problem. not Thailand's

 

"ownership is NOT the criteria - it is more than a basic commodity." for leftists like you ownership is never a criteria. "if I want something - I have a right for it" - this is how people like you think. but the international law contradicts

why if you, leftists, want something (which belongs to others) for free - you call it "a basic commodity"?

 

"who seem incapable of seeing them as anything more than a cash-cow" and they have a full right for seeinth them as cash-cows. becuase Thai society is the owner of them. you don't like it? up to you.

 

".in the end this simply reflects badly on the Thai nation and gives them and international image of a bunch of Philistines." some countries dare to bomb innocent civilians to control oil and natural resources of foreign countries. dare to topple sovereign governments around the globe. it surely reflects badly on country's image. but seems like it does not care. lol

 

No sir they are not my opinions they are proven practices - you are simply showing how little you have thoght about this topic or understand how it functions.

i'm affraid you really need to come to a topic better informed -it isn't possible to talk about a spherical planet to a flat earther.

[Matt96]

1 minute ago, Linesy said:

The Krabi long tail boat operators care, the clue is in the Thread title.

it's just a few of thousands of operators.

 

it's called dumping

[FitnessHealthTravel]

Whom ever makes the biggest mess shall pay more...I think they got that wrong...just saying

[Rajab Al Zarahni]

Interesting and in stark contrast to my recent experience of a vacation in Malaysia. Simply by proving that I was over 55, I found myself entitled to all the reduced price tickets and entry fees enjoyed by Malaysian citizens of the same age group.

Edited February 10, 2017 by Rajab Al Zarahni

[graeme64]

2 hours ago, PatOngo said:

"Double" charging?

40 (local) doubled equals 400 (farang)?

Maths on par with their ethics! 

your English is worse than their perceived Maths.

[chrissables]

10 minutes ago, Matt96 said:

UNESCO can pay for whatever it wants. it does not make UNESCO the owner of sights it pays for.

Did i say it did?

 

What does mean mean Thailand as a country should factor this into it's pricing.

 

Except for people like you who seem to like paying 10 fold prices and support the idea. If you actually went to some of the National Parks, you would see, they are not even worth the Thai price. 

 

Phi Phi Island were taking the park fees and pocketing it. Is that alright in your warped thinking?

Edited February 10, 2017 by chrissables
edit

[petedk]

2 hours ago, Crash999 said:

It's not the long tail boat owners that make high level decisions like that. If anything they'd like it to be free so a lot more tourists came in. 

 

I disagree with you on that.

 

Only today, did I hear the group of motorcycle taxis that I have been using for the past 5 or 6 months, talking together to agree to charge me double Thai price. I asked why.   The answer was farang pay more.

 

This idea of charging farangs more is spreading like wildfire.

Even local mom and pop stores are beginning to try their luck. I have stopped using two shops recently after they tried to charge me 15 to 20 baht for a bottle of water.

[NoshowJones]

5 hours ago, ourmanflint said:

what is the charge actually for? 

Greed, what else? As long as they can get away with it.

[jdf2231]

Experienced a similar situation at the Samutprakarn crocodile farm and zoo. I paid 300 THB while my friend paid one tenth of the cost. It's not about the cost, but the principle. I paid 10x more but got no extra benefit, all visitors are treated same. 

[Matt96]

21 minutes ago, jesimps said:

Sorry, disagree! There're an awful lot of Thais who are better off than me, also lots of them would be able to travel overseas if they saved all year for a holiday like farang do. Everyone, regardless of race should pay the same. If farang object, they should vote with their feet like I do. I can't think of many tourist attractions I've been impressed with here anyway.

I wouldn't object to a reduction for people who live locally or old people, but it would have to be ALL locals regardless of race. By locals I mean in-state.

 

"also lots of them would be able to travel overseas if they saved all year for a holiday like farang do" may be they just don't need to see some faranglands full of violent "refugees"?

 

"Everyone, regardless of race should pay the same." sure. and any person of any race with Thai citizenhip pays the same. you can't play a race card here. don't even try.

 

"If farang object, they should vote with their feet like I do." good idea! but seems like Thai authorities are saitisfed with the amount of tourists visiting Thai national parks.

"I can't think of many tourist attractions I've been impressed with here anyway." so why are you still here?! I am sure there are much more better tourist attractions at your homeland. why don't you go back here?

"but it would have to be ALL locals regardless of race." and it's regardless of race now. but depends on citizenship.

Edited February 10, 2017 by Matt96

[MartinL]

2 hours ago, Emster23 said:

Amen. What would the term be for charging 10x more? Deci-charging?

No, it'd be deka-charging or deca-charging. 

 

[NoshowJones]

3 hours ago, scubachild said:

 I know that is against our western sensibilities to pay more but a little bit more wouldn't be unreasonable   Let's not forget Thai people rarely have the chance to travel overseas as us westerners do. 

That's no excuse. Same prices for all, nothing less.

[peterrabbit]

GUN   -    FOOT    -    O dear not again!

 

Will they ever learn?   NO

 

Will they admit they got it wrong?   NO 

 

Will they ever change?    NO

 

[Matt96]

2 minutes ago, jdf2231 said:

Experienced a similar situation at the Samutprakarn crocodile farm and zoo. I paid 300 THB while my friend paid one tenth of the cost. It's not about the cost, but the principle. I paid 10x more but got no extra benefit, all visitors are treated same. 

no. you did not pay more. but your friend paid less. because he is a Thai citizen and you are not. He is teh co owner of Muang Thai. and you are not. why it's so hard to accept?

[mogo51]

It is not just there of course, it is rampant all over Thailand, nothing new here.  Just another nail in their coffin.

[Matt96]

8 minutes ago, Alan Deer said:

No sir they are not my opinions they are proven practices - you are simply showing how little you have thoght about this topic or understand how it functions.

i'm affraid you really need to come to a topic better informed -it isn't possible to talk about a spherical planet to a flat earther.

proven practices?! proven by who? ok let those who proved these practices  follow them. Thais have different practices which you pledged to follow (by international law) by applying to Thai visa.

[PatOngo]

4 minutes ago, graeme64 said:

your English is worse than their perceived Maths.

Thanks.....I'm working on it!

[munchlet]

Given that  I am sure the fees are paid in cash, I recommend that the longtail boat owners unilaterally reduce the prices and just pocket what they think the punters WILL pay. Ignore the money grabbing officials, doesn't matter where they come from, they always cause trouble. I am sure they imposed this on the boat owners so that thy can increase the amount they milk off them for "license fees". Haha. Cynical but likely true.............

Edited February 10, 2017 by munchlet
spellling

[phycokiller]

so everyone here in in favor of free trade. thats good

[Matt96]

Just now, munchlet said:

Given that  Iam sure the fees are paid in cash, I recommend that the longtail boat owners unilaterally reduce the prices and just pocket what they thinkg the punters WILL pay. Ignore the money grabbing officials, doesn't matter where they come from, they always cause trouble. I am sure they imposed this on the boat owners so that thy can increase the amount they milk off them for "license fees". Haha. Cynical but likely true.............

and they will be kicked out of business on the next day. because they broke the regulation.

 

why don't you show an example of "ignoring officials" by  entering Thailand without visa, for example?  they are money grabbers! why do you have to pay for visa - you are entitled to enter everywhere for free!

[sahibji]

6 hours ago, PatOngo said:

Fortunately they've made enough already to pay for their own funeral! Rest in Shame!

if it is some consolation India is charging the foreigners up to twenty five times the domestic tickets for their attractions.