Thailand to collect 400-baht national park entrance fee from foreign visitors

[elliss]

11 hours ago, marquess said:

Look at the minster's beaming face, another chip of the old stupid block. How can we keep fleecing farangs and keep a straight face at the same time!

         Amazing  Thailand .

Edited March 6, 2017 by elliss

[pistachios]

They should at least offer some kind of national park pass if they want to go this way. 400b is not much but it quickly adds up if you visit one or two parks a day during your vacation.

[dentonian]

They only want tourists to spend their money......they actually don't like them.

[Shawn0000]

3 hours ago, darksidedog said:

I first encountered the practice when working in India. I was paying tax there, so could enter at the local price. However, on principal, I decided against entering places that had to my mind an unfair policy.

Would I take advantage of an OAP fare in England? Yes, I would. A Tourist discount? If I qualified to the criteria,Yes, I probably would. That is an incentive put in place by local authorites, to encourage usage.

A policy of overcharging, is not the same though, is it? Especially when done on racist lines. I reiterate my position Double tiered pricing in this setting is just wrong.

 

"that had to my mind an unfair policy"

The problem there being your mind, you didn't consider that you were subsidizing the poor you just considered those who could afford a holiday in India and their budget, says a lot about what some people stop to consider, and in a place like India too.

[Shawn0000]

16 minutes ago, pistachios said:

They should at least offer some kind of national park pass if they want to go this way. 400b is not much but it quickly adds up if you visit one or two parks a day during your vacation.

 

If you visit one park for two days it is still 400 baht, or even three or four days, you only pay once, get your monies worth, take a tent.

[yogi100]

10 hours ago, impulse said:

 

What country is that?  It's certainly not in North America.  I've been paying discriminatory pricing to enter state parks and buy hunting and fishing licenses, and study in state universities all my life.  Same up in the Great White North where a foreign tourist can look forward to paying out the wazoo for a fishing or hunting license (which aren't required of anyone in Thailand, BTW).

 

Edit:  Not to mention scoring the Disney discounts based on having the correct state listed on my driver's license, and hotels that charge less because I hold an in-state drivers license.

 

How much is the Wazoo? Is it some North American Indian unit of currency?

[Notadoctor]

This system of pricing is ridulous and non productive....but the only people who are stupid enough to call it racist are racists.

It really doesn't help the discussion at all.

If it is to be stopped, it has to be exposed rationally on international media....and hopefully then the Thai authorities will be embarassed into doing something.......those who say they won't pay are equally kidding themselves  it will have no effect how important do they think they are???? They are just cutting  off  their  nose to spite their face      

[darksidedog]

2 minutes ago, Shawn0000 said:

 

"that had to my mind an unfair policy"

The problem there being your mind, you didn't consider that you were subsidizing the poor you just considered those who could afford a holiday in India and their budget, says a lot about what some people stop to consider, and in a place like India too.

Read the post. I was WORKING in India, not taking a holiday.

Regardless, my opinion, to which I am entitled, regardless of whether you agree with it, is that charging inflated prices for the same product or service, based on ethnicity is wrong.

Most of the posters on this forum agree with me. You can keep banging the drum, but you seem to be very much in the minority.

I will not take the bait for any more of your trollish posting, so save yourself the next post.

[ukrules]

They won't be getting 400 Baht off me to go to some national park, ever.

 

They can stick their national parks and the dual pricing system up their collective asses.

 

[Peterphuket]

13 hours ago, tracker1 said:

Well 1 thing Minister you won't be getting 400 baht from this little black duck or any foreign tourists that visit me !

So do I,

<deleted> up with your rediculous entrance fees.

[yogi100]

4 hours ago, the guest said:

Of course it's racism, but here its totally acceptable to be racist, and the law reflects that attitude. But you choose to still live in Thailand despite this.

 

Is it still racism if the foreign visitor is Chinese. 

It says 'foreign' in the article. Not 'white' or 'black'.

[yogi100]

4 hours ago, Baerboxer said:

When on holiday people usually pay and expect to pay all sorts of charges. But your're on holiday so pay because you are more relaxed. However, when people are being openly told they have to pay 10 times more, for entrance to a park, just because they are a foreigner - that doesn't go down so well.

Tour books and websites will start and note this. A family of 4 will have to cough up ThB 1,200. Many simply won't bother going on trips to places that charge. Or they won't bother coming to Thailand and will go to places that do welcome tourists and don't see them as an exploitable harvest.

 

What's the plan if foreign entrance numbers fall - up the price to 500?

 

But of course, high class foreigners won't worry about such trivia.

 

Lots of 'high class' people are as tight as a drum.

[jcisco]

10 minutes ago, yogi100 said:

 

How much is the Wazoo? Is it some North American Indian unit of currency?

I associate a pound as the currency of the UK...... 

 

13 minutes ago, yogi100 said:

 

How much is the Wazoo? Is it some North American Indian unit of currency?

Sounds like it wouldn't easily fit in a mans wallet..... 
 

[yogi100]

3 hours ago, theguyfromanotherforum said:

I have been reading about this national park double pricing 10 years before I even moved to Thailand and never really understood why so many expats and tourists complain about it.... especially since most of complainers will never even entertain a visit to a national park, but rather have another quality barstool night at the local pub.

 

There is double pricing of foreigners everywhere. I find it, for example, hypocritical that Canadians complain about it when Vancouver recently introduced a 25% real estate tax on foreign investors. How would this go in Thailand if "Farang" was about to purchase a condo and was informed (after paying a 20% deposit) that there will be an additional 25% tax added.... without any advance notice whatsoever? I think Thai Visa would crash.... but this is exactly what happened in Canada. When I call this a racist tax on Canadian forum, I get banned.

 

Also, the price of university education is different for foreign students and locals... about 2-3 times.

 

It's a 400 baht ticket price to a park..... which 95% of quality "farang" on this forum will never visit. If this is what gets you worked up then you must live a very privileged life. There are other more serious things that bother me about Thailand which will eventually cause me to leave. Who gives a flyin' about 400 baht fee. Absolutely ridiculous.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good post but how is the Canadian 25% tax for foreigners considered 'racist'. Some people get offended and angry when they are unjustly accused of being 'racist', that's probably why you got banned. What if the foreigner in question is English or Dutch, is it still racist and if so how and why.

 

It's the wholesale use of the 'R' word in situations when it's not applicable like in this case that has resulted in its use being often regarded as meaningless.

[ukrules]

26 minutes ago, yogi100 said:

 

Is it still racism if the foreign visitor is Chinese. 

It says 'foreign' in the article. Not 'white' or 'black'.

It's not racism, it's a perfect dictionary definition example of xenophobia.

Edited March 6, 2017 by ukrules

[Shaunduhpostman]

To me this kind of gouging seems like it is a form of  humiliation born of some kind of inexplicable bitterness.  Are there not other ways to get the same level of money out of foreign guests and also add to their experiences as opposed to simply demoralising people with outrageous fees and little to nothing in return? Couldn't many Thais have legit and rewarding jobs offering tours or running special accommodations or facilities or activities? No, there is just too much resentment and bitterness to be dished out and it is too important to show the world who is the boss here in Thailand for anyone to have a constructive and positive attitude, so foreigner you pay me now!. It is all just more of this toxic nastiness that you have to do your best to ignore and give a wide berth to should you be stuck here in this country for whatever reason and it is ubiquitous. I feel very sorry for people who have high hope s for a beautiful vacation in a nice country only to have to have meet this chip on the shoulder attitude which colors more and more of the things said and done in Thailand with each passing day.

 

[Sydebolle]

Collateral damage in the making. Racism of the first order. This country was always blessed with the most ignorant clowns at the helm of the tourism circus. 

See the following, very interesting, frustration of a Thai woman who wanted to visit the Oubkham museum in Chiang Rai with her foreign husband and their kids:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g297920-d4079667-r450324170-Oub_Kham_Museum-Chiang_Rai_Chiang_Rai_Province.html#REVIEWS 

Now this comes from a self-confident Thai! 

[evadgib]

My wife and kids experienced same a few years ago when they (kids) suddenly became not Thai enough to benefit from reduced admission on childrens day.

 

In previous years they had been fine at the same venue, having been born just 20 mins away from it.

 

Applied to all Luek Krungs...

Edited March 6, 2017 by evadgib

[garyk]

1 hour ago, pistachios said:

They should at least offer some kind of national park pass if they want to go this way. 400b is not much but it quickly adds up if you visit one or two parks a day during your vacation.

That would be great. I go back to America each year and the first thing I do is buy a park pass. It cost's me about 75 dollars and I get free entry for a year. I have often though it would be a great idea for Thailand. If you have a pass then it is obvious you live here and enjoy the parks. If not let the tourists pay the single fee price. 

[theguyfromanotherforum]

24 minutes ago, yogi100 said:

 

 

Good post but how is the Canadian 25% tax for foreigners considered 'racist'. Some people get offended and angry when they are unjustly accused of being 'racist', that's probably why you got banned. What if the foreigner in question is English or Dutch, is it still racist and if so how and why.

 

It's the wholesale use of the 'R' word in situations when it's not applicable like in this case that has resulted in its use being often regarded as meaningless.

 

So, it's not racist.

 

So, why is this 400 baht national park tax racist? I read it called racist about 20 times so far on this thread alone. It as a foreign tax applicable to everyone... from French to Chinese.

 

Sovereign nation can do whatever the heck they want. I mean, you come to a 3rd world country and expect things to be equal... and you whine and complain about if for the past 2 decades.... about 400 baht fee???? 

 

Maybe it would be more useful if foreigners didn't stab eachother in the back. When  Thai people move to another country they usually help eachother and stick together. Not gonna happen, of course.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[pepi2005]

At museums, national parks etc. in Europe (!), entrance tickets are usually cheaper, and those parks and museums are WELL-MAINTAINED, CLEAN and actually deserve the name.

 

'nuff said.

 

I will never visit any 'national park' in Thailand in the future as well and disencourage every friend I know who travels to Thailand, too.

[Naam]

37 minutes ago, Shaunduhpostman said:

To me this kind of gouging seems like it is a form of  humiliation born of some kind of inexplicable bitterness.

oh dear...

[kowpot]

Apparently some of you have never been to a Nat'l park here.  They don't challenge Lations, Vietnamese, or Filipinos for that matter. If they give the money to a Thai to pay for them,  they are never questioned.  It is because they can pass for Thai's.  Now if a Western Round Eye tries that,   they will be challenged and ultimately charged the higher rate.  NOW,  that Is racism. You are being judged by the way you look.  Racism pure and simple.

[yogi100]

Thailand is a country that is run on a nationalist basis or system. None of us falangs have any experience of it in our own countries but in Asia it very common. Thailand, Japan and South Korea are just three Asian nations that don't accept immigrants and run their countries for their own benefit.

 

The Thais charge us 400 baht to enter a park only if we're daft enough to pay it but their own people get a discount. It's how the British National Health Service should be run but it's not and that's why it's said to be on its knees.

 

We should also bear in mind that many Thais only get 300 baht a day working all day long in the heat doing hard manual work. Englishmen get nearly twice that amount on the dole and at least 10 times as much doing similar manual work. A British tradesman can get 7000 baht a day which is 20 times that of a Thai workman! It's the same with Aussie and American workers and benefit claimants. Our professional people are even better off in comparison. I for one don't see what all the fuss is about.

[TKDfella]

9 hours ago, cyberfarang said:

It has already filtered down the chain.

 

Many vendors, sellers of food and goods will push up their prices for westerners even if the westerners can speak Thai. Living here a long time I have got to learn the prices over the years and it`s been you`re going to pay more, take it or leave it attitude. If I want a service from people in my area, gardening or house repairs, the locals expect me to pay more then the local Thais. It took me 3 months to find an electrician to install some exterior wiring because they all quoted ridiculous money, a few 30 times more my Thai neighbours would expect to pay.

 

It is well known that private hospitals have unwritten duel pricing for Thais and westerners, I know from the experience of friends and myself. I could fill 200 posts with all the examples I could give you.

Yes I do agree with what you said but that's not quite what I meant. The services you mentioned I've experienced too but the difference is it's a means of making extra money from the foreigner without openly saying so. What I mean is if the gov can display dual pricing will others also put up a notice, especially if they are licensed sellers.

[gandalf12]

I think many here have taken the original post the wrong way. Remember many Thai's consider that the Westerner in particular is rich as they have seen and heard of salaries in the West. What they have not seen is the income tax and VAT rates that you have to pay. Neither have they seen the cost of everything in the West. It is with their limited idea of the money people get that they assume foreigners have a lot of money. If have explained the situation of tax and the like to Thai's who look stunned when you tell them. That assume everywhere is like Thailand. Having said that one posted put a figure of 25% I doubt if anyone would mind.

I can only speak for myself but if I wanted to see something I would pay the price no matter what it was. In the case of the National Parks I wouldn't pay the price as I know they are not maintained in the way they should be.

You have the choice pay or don't go. No need to moan about it make your choice and stick by it.

[DavidOxon]

After spitting my dummy at Lampang Elephant hospital last year I always try to clarify pricing before leaving home. Any Thai family who go with me go on the strict understanding that if there's double pricing, then we ALL leave

[wakeupplease]

Racial bast>>>>

 

Must Be Bankrupt

[tominbkk]

Best to avoid all parks. Would be. I've to start an embargo on parks by foreigners. When the cash stops flowing they might get smart.


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[MichaelJohn]

The normal practice is to get the new efficient systems working THEN increase the price. Foreigners are going to be raising the money to pay for the introduction of the systems?

I don't know of any national park that is worth B400; they are mostly un-cared for, dirty, mis-managed and nothing worth seeing. Vastly overrated.

I certainly will boycott them and anywhere else that imposes dual pricing.