National Park in Krabi refuses to stop fleecing tourists - authorities preparing for "double pricing" showdown today

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National Park in Krabi refuses to stop fleecing tourists - authorities preparing for "double pricing" showdown today

 

Picture: Thairath

 

KRABI: -- The chief of the national parks in Krabi has refused to bow to pressure from boat operators to halve entrance fees for foreign tourists.

 

He said that the fees are set by the ministry and can't be changed.

 

Now long tail and speedboat operators are threatening to blockade the park HQ in Krabi town as well as park entrances to demand action today.

 

Police and soldiers have been put on alert for trouble.

 

The decision not to change the fees came after pressure earlier this month from Ao Nang, Krabi operators. They said that charging tourists ten times the Thai rate was too much and had seen their trade threatened as tourists decided enough was enough and refused to go to the parks and be fleeced.

 

Adult non-Thai tourists pay 400 baht and children 200 while Thais pay 40 and 20 for children.

 

The operators wanted to see the fees halved to try to attract the lost tourists. They said their business was 60% down.

 

Many tourist attractions in Thailand practice "double pricing" but the reality is the fees demanded are often much more than double.

 

But far from giving in to the demands local park chief Sarayuth Tanthian ordered that his officers get tough with anyone not paying the full whack for tourists in their boats.

 

He ordered that any operators defying his demands should be reported and action would be taken later.

 

Thairath reported that one boat laden with tourists had refused to pay ten times the Thai rate for foreigners on their vessel yesterday.

 

Others reluctantly followed the regulations.

 

Meanwhile the boat operators have threatened action today, Wednesday, with planned protests and blockades of the park offices in Krabi town and entrances to national marine parks.

 

Chief Sarayuth said that police and military personnel were on alert for trouble though he said that the authorities will act within the law.

 

Source: Thairath

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2017-02-22

[Suttisan]

Well at least the tourists and expats (also considered tourists) will have free front row seats as these greedy wotsits show themselves up on the international stage (again). 

[jerojero]

Great media attention for Thailand tourism. Thought by now the PM would have intervened!

[AlexRich]

Never had this issue - I simply don't go. All foreigners should do likewise if they want to see 'farang price' stopped.

[Alan Deer]

This a lot more than just Krabi..it highlights the unpopular dual pricing system and shows how it is counterproductive. THis is NOT how you make money out of tourists, this is how you project Thailand and a niggardly, money-grabbing nation. The sooner they change the whole policy the better.

[Straight8]

Since common sense and logic, don't have a place in the Thai vocabulary then it makes no sense to change this rort, or any rort for that matter that charges locals less than a tourist.

 

You get ****** annoyed with this sh!t, when you come from a country that treats its tourists better than its locals. But as usual.. adjust & move on, cause TIT bros and sisters!!

[steffi]

It's not double pricing it's two tiered pricing.

[mercman24]

i think 99% of tourists don't know any different as to double triple quadruple pricing and think this is the normal entrance fees to these attractions,of course us "ex pats" know different, this needs international exposure, to let the world know about this disgusting rip off practice.hit this lot in the pocket, still i doubt they will listen until it is too late, "Thai know best" attitude

[rudidep]

Two tiered pricing by private enterprise (especially when using Thai script to hide the Thai prices) is despicable. This is different. Two-tiered pricing is set at all national parks in Thailand, and clearly posted in both English and Thai. I was told that the underlying rationale is that a flat fee to cover the cost of upkeep of the parks would raise the price of a ticket to a level where it would no longer be affordable for the average-income Thai family. Hence low prices for Thai, high prices for Tourists. There some logic to this...whether acceptable or not is a different matter and leave it to the forum to decide. Cheers.

[khunano]

2 hours ago, AlexRich said:

Never had this issue - I simply don't go. All foreigners should do likewise if they want to see 'farang price' stopped.

Couldn't agree more with you. I stopped going to these, albeit most of them not so great places a long time ago. Many years ago the disparity between local and foreigner price was much smaller, remember like paying 50 Baht and my Thai wife 20 Baht. I couldn't care less, but 400 Baht or more than 10 Euros for a so la la attraction, definitely not worth it!

[chrissables]

11 minutes ago, rudidep said:

Two tiered pricing by private enterprise (especially when using Thai script to hide the Thai prices) is despicable. This is different. Two-tiered pricing is set at all national parks in Thailand, and clearly posted in both English and Thai. I was told that the underlying rationale is that a flat fee to cover the cost of upkeep of the parks would raise the price of a ticket to a level where it would no longer be affordable for the average-income Thai family. Hence low prices for Thai, high prices for Tourists. There some logic to this...whether acceptable or not is a different matter and leave it to the forum to decide. Cheers.

The other problem which has come to light is that the fee's disappear! Pii Pii Island being a good example.

 

I arrived at Khao Yai, Korat on a motorbike, with my ex, a Filipino lady, they demanded 800 + the bike fee. There was no way they knew she was not a Thai lady. I am sure there are two books of tickets, the reported and accounted for tickets and "black" income tickets. 

 

At the very least the country should find a way of discounting year long visa expats. Proof you have a marriage, retirement or work visa should allow local prices. But in fact and two tiered prices i feel is wrong.

[Abilene]

400 baht might be a good price if the attraction compares favourably with what tourists are used to in their home country.  It would be a good idea for an expat to visit them all and rate them.   I see the Thai rate more as a discount reflecting comparable wages.

[TheFishman1]

Morons only place I've been where tourist pay double or triple price even on haircuts at some places TIT

[samjaidee]

3 hours ago, AlexRich said:

Never had this issue - I simply don't go. All foreigners should do likewise if they want to see 'farang price' stopped.

I'm not saying double pricing is right but really if you think about it, approximately 10 pounds, euros or dollars will not be considered an outrageous amount by a tourist to visit a marine park. Why should they spoil their holiday by missing out on the trip just to make a political point in a country where their voice will not be heard?

[AhFarangJa]

As Khunano says, I too could probably live with Double for Tourists, for example 40 Baht to 20 Baht, but 10x is just disgraceful. I voted with my feet a long time ago.

I have also found, after many years here, that most places are a rip off at any price......Waterfalls with no water, National parks with jungle, or scrubland. no wildlife, or a few tame, miserable Elephants....No clean facilities, etc.....the list goes on, but I do not see any change soon....

 

[FNQ]

3 hours ago, AlexRich said:

Never had this issue - I simply don't go. All foreigners should do likewise if they want to see 'farang price' stopped.

Totally agree,I stoped after being asked to pay 700 entry the ancient city Bkk. Thais were 300,which I thought was over the top also.

[NextStationBangkok]

They want more tourists to come and place should not be get dirty is not fair.

 

Why not charge Thai's 300 and foreigners 400. They make word Alien non-affordable.

 

Then why do you give visa to everyone, just limit the number of visas per year and after Nov tell Thailand is closed for tourists, just say no if you like to reduce the tourists.

 

Many will be happy to visit Myanmar, and Cambodia too, let them get some fair share too.

[wvavin]

Tourists should go elsewhere as the 10X fee is too excessive.

[rebelplatoon]

In a 2003 reply to the UN the permanent seat of Thailand to the UN clearly states that any and ALL kind of discrimination are prohibited by the constitution, it even clearly mentions the parts of the constitution where it says such even when you show up with Thai driver's license AND tax clearance, they refuse to charge normal rates at all national parks. Previously the attitude was that foreigners do not pay taxes, well I DO, so it's based on race only. They should've long been taken to the cleaners over this. The fact that they, themselves say it's in the constitution makes it illegal.

[Alan Deer]

3 hours ago, AlexRich said:

Never had this issue - I simply don't go. All foreigners should do likewise if they want to see 'farang price' stopped.

I can't see the logic in that at all......Thailand attracts people as tourists for a large part through their natural resources...beaches forests etc......if you can't see this stuff or don't want to, i can't see the point in visiting Thailand.

 

I have lived worked here for a long time and when I have a holiday, as I don't like the beaches in general due to over-crowding and overdevelopment, I like to go to the national parks......and I find it galling that I have to pay up to 10 times what a Thai person does for exactly the same facilities. many times I have been allowed in a basic rate largely due to embarrassment of the local officials who find it difficult to understand why the one foreigner in a group of Thais should be singled out.

 

by not visiting a national park in my opinion you are cutting off your nose to spite your face. I have however made contact with park officials and govt nabobs to voice my displeasure at this. I think it would help if others did this too.

 

The truth is that 2-tier pricing does no-one any favours. it presents a poor image of Thailand and deters visitors. In general the National Parks are grossly mismanaged - those working for DNP are usually totally unqualified to do the job (graft, nepotism & corruption sees to that) and there is no concept of how increased numbers of visitors can be handled without damage to the parks. This is a misconception - up to a point the numbers can be increased so long as they are managed correctly - but as it appears no-one in DNP is interested in finding out how they cling to this clumsy and ineffective system. furthermore it doesn't generate any signifiant income - the parks rely primarily of govt funding not visitors for income and the deterrent factor of 2-tier outweighs any benefits. 

National Parks arounds the world generate income not primarily from entrance fees but from "value added" incomes. Shops, food, camping, souvenirs guides, publications etc etc all generate income. the thing is get the people in and then give them the choice of wat to spend their money on.

 

like so many issues in Thailand the parks need government money spent on them first - they need eco-friendly nature tours built - composting/eco-friendly, a better paid staff, and a truly conservationist policy that can't be interfered with by developers, poachers and encroachers....

Once this is established the commercial spin-offs for genuine locals can be ensured and genuine.

 

 

 

 

[Alan Deer]

15 minutes ago, wvavin said:

Tourists should go elsewhere as the 10X fee is too excessive.

as the policy is pretty much universal in Thailand, are you suggesting the "elsewhere" would be a different country?

[denby45]

Has everyone lost sight of the fact that Thai's earn, in general, approximately only a tenth of what westerners earn. So tourists in my opinion should stop being Cheap Charlies and visit those wonderful parks. Imagine travelling all the way to Thailand and getting the hump over dual pricing. Cutting nose off to spite face comes to mind. Long term resident foreign pensioners here of course should be treated different and their pricing should be set at a level commensurate with their average income. I know that would be a difficult thing to work out very accurately but you could get at least somewhere near.    

 

Den

Edited February 22, 2017 by denby45

[Chicog]

Uber don't use two-tier pricing.

Just sayin'....

[FunkyDunky58]

I live in Thailand but refuse to go to any National Parks because of the 10x pricing. My girlfriend cannot understand why I take this stance. Her rationale is that for a farang its not big money. And that folks is maybe the 'rationale' for the government. We can afford it so why shouldn't we pay it. The paying taxes excuse is BS given half of Thailand exists on a cash economy. By the way I do pay taxes for running my business. The times I have been I have seen poorly maintained facilities and can see Thais that are happy to just drop their litter (plastic bottles mainly) wherever they have finished with them. So I don't think I'm cutting off my nose to spite my face as one poster claimed. I haven't been anywhere yet where I thought it was so beautiful that I really want to come back.

[Tanlic]

There are hundreds of thousands of Thais who can afford to pay 400 baht for an entrance fee but there are millions who can not. There are Thais who have never even seen the ocean, never set foot on a plane or been a holiday in their lives,.....If me paying 400 Baht allows some poor Thais access to a park that they could otherwise not afford then stuff the boat people who care nothing for them only their own pockets.

[daveAustin]

4 minutes ago, denby45 said:

Has everyone lost sight of the fact that Thai's earn in general approximately only a tenth of what westerners earn. So tourists in my opinion should stop being Cheap Charlies and visit those wonderful parks. Imagine travelling all the way to Thailand and getting the hump over dual pricing. Cutting nose off to spite face comes to mind. Long term resident foreign pensioners here of course should be treated different and their pricing should be set at a level commensurate with their average income. I know that would be a difficult thing to work out very accurately but you could get at least somewhere near.    

 

Den

Has some relevance but it is nothing less than a money-grab and facilities are typically inadequate... where does all that revenue go? National parks in my country are free. I am happy to pay 10x the going rate so long as the gov starts charging Thai people 10x to visit parks in my country. They must be moneyed if they can afford to visit after all.

[FunkyDunky58]

The floating market near Hua Hin now charges Farangs 200 baht to enter. A market! I have many friends who went there and asked why they should be charged to enter a place where they have come to spend money. Of course the hapless girl on the counter cannot answer, and all that I have spoken to said that they turned and left, and will never go back. So that was a genius move on the part of the operators wasn't it?

[Ratcher]

If you don't like it vote with your feet, stay away. I tend not buy anything in Thailand now if the price is not displayed. Been ripped off too many times before. 

[chrissables]

16 minutes ago, denby45 said:

Has everyone lost sight of the fact that Thai's earn, in general, approximately only a tenth of what westerners earn. So tourists in my opinion should stop being Cheap Charlies and visit those wonderful parks. Imagine travelling all the way to Thailand and getting the hump over dual pricing. Cutting nose off to spite face comes to mind. Long term resident foreign pensioners here of course should be treated different and their pricing should be set at a level commensurate with their average income. I know that would be a difficult thing to work out very accurately but you could get at least somewhere near.    

 

Den

Wonderful parks, please name the ones that are worth 1000% a higher price than the Thai's pay.

Edited February 22, 2017 by chrissables

[Rayscape]

I run a charter boat. But now nearly every place we visit has become a national park. Being told the fee is for 5 days, is totally stupid, we do not stay anywhere for 5 days. So apart from the costs, most of the places are totally over staffed, and most are total pig styes. The staff do very little to look after the so called National Parks. Just run around collecting money. The only people I have seen fishing in the parks, are the rangers. The boat that collects the fee's at Ko Rock. often has 6 to 7 staff on board!!!