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

[Jonmarleesco]

On 3/6/2017 at 3:55 AM, webfact said:

Mrs. Kobkarn said that the committee’s latest resolution recommended the national park entrance fee for foreigners remain at 400 baht ...

What a surprise. And this woman's responsible for generating increased tourism. Instead of proving part of the solution, she continues to be part of the problem.

[Jonmarleesco]

1 hour ago, Shawn0000 said:

 

Based on ethnicity, what?  Is that what you think it takes to gain citizenship?  Hilarious!

What are you wittering on about? Try reading what you have written before you post it; it might just make more sense.

[chrissables]

23 hours ago, Covenant said:

Cannot believe people are complaining about this.

A little over $10 for a day out, and it's not as if you are compelled to go.

There has to be a charge to provide basic maintenance for the parks, nobody can dispute that, and would need to be higher to fund the nice toilets and facilities that some on this site moan about.

The balance has to be there to make it affordable for Thai's to go to these places, and for some to quibble over $10+ for a once or twice a year experience is very poor

Your lack of knowledge of where the money goes is astounding, have you ever been to the park here?

[sinbin]

'Thailand is for Thais'. Their national anthem says it all. Outsiders are outsiders and will never be seen as equal to Thais.

Edited March 7, 2017 by sinbin

[chrissables]

23 hours ago, kunfish said:

Ok, this assumes you are resident, pay taxes, live there, so a discount. 

 

In the US, of course, you pay $25 to get into a national park. And so on. A state park in WA is $10 a day. I don't understand why people are getting so upset.

 

Okay:

 

1. Thais makes a lot less. Fine. I'm happy to pay $7 to get into TanTon Waterfall in Chaiyaphum or whatever. 

2. Most westerners / "First world" people make a lot more money and $7 to $11.50 is not too bad.

3. Most Thai people only make that much a day, holy cow. My wife's friend is a hard working women at at government office, not a "professional" (like accountant), only brings in 10-15 a day).

 

People need to relax.

 

Extra pricing on food? Take it easy, people. Easy to get upset, easy to forget.

If you are ok paying 1,000 % more than Thai people, good luck.

 

If you like to be cheated buying food, enjoy!

 

 

[Ace of Pop]

'Thailand is for Thais'. Their national anthem says it all. Outsiders are outsiders and will never be seen as equal to Thais.

Well that's a blessing in disguise.[emoji622]


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[Keesters]

On 3/6/2017 at 3:55 AM, webfact said:

Tourism Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul

Racist

[kowpot]

2 hours ago, DekDaeng said:

Interested to see her reaction if asked 'how much do you expect ferlang tourist visitor numbers to drop?". 

Like trump, incapable of comprehending that 'for every action, ..................'

That has to one of most stupidest comments I ever heard. Talk about getting off subject. You must have been waiting with shaking hands to make a comment where you could bash Trump.

 What in God's name does Trump have to do with Park fees in Thailand?   

[Shawn0000]

1 hour ago, Jonmarleesco said:

What are you wittering on about? Try reading what you have written before you post it; it might just make more sense.

 

It made perfect sense, I was responding to "charging inflated prices for the same product or service, based on ethnicity is wrong.", which is plain nonsense, the charges are based on citizenship not ethnicity, try engaging your brain before accusing anyone else of not making sense.

[Destiny1990]

5 minutes ago, Shawn0000 said:

 

It made perfect sense, I was responding to "charging inflated prices for the same product or service, based on ethnicity is wrong.", which is plain nonsense, the charges are based on citizenship not ethnicity, try engaging your brain before accusing anyone else of not making sense.

So u not believe charging foreigners a much higher price for example  in courts hospitals national parks etc etc has a damaging effect?why u support such practice?

[DekDaeng]

55 minutes ago, kowpot said:

That has to one of most stupidest comments I ever heard. Talk about getting off subject. You must have been waiting with shaking hands to make a comment where you could bash Trump.

 What in God's name does Trump have to do with Park fees in Thailand?   

Nothing. Read it again.

[Shawn0000]

7 hours ago, Gydur said:

This is illegal discrimination of foreigners! Thailand has signed treaties with other countries that prohibit such unfair treatment...and I will report the country...

 

Oh, like the Louvre?  Best you also report France and about 100 other countries!

[Shawn0000]

1 minute ago, Destiny1990 said:

So u not believe charging foreigners a much higher price for example  in courts hospitals national parks etc etc has a damaging effect?why u support such practice?

 

No, I do not believe it has a damaging effect, why would it?  Tourist numbers are up by the way and dual pricing is not something new, your fear of damage being caused is completely unfounded, perhaps it damages your wallet but it is not damaging Thailand.  The reason i support it is that tourists have not paid into the taxation system that largely funds all of those things so they should not get them for the taxpayer subsidized rates, if they did Thailand would become a medical tourism destination for people to bleed the system into not being able to function, try to consider Thailand instead of just yourself.

[Pigdog747]

On ‎3‎/‎6‎/‎2017 at 6:17 AM, ezzra said:

 

This is a country that sees nothing wrong with price and fare gouging it's

tourists, and why should they? they have so many millions of them

coming in every year so much  so that killing the goose that lays the

golden eggs seems the right thing to do.... 

So what the Tourism Ministry is saying ... It is Ok to be races against foreigners and charge them 10 times as much as our own people, but, please remember when I go to your country it will be against the law to rob me or treat me as bad as we treat you.  

[kaorop]

4 minutes ago, Shawn0000 said:

 

No, I do not believe it has a damaging effect, why would it?  Tourist numbers are up by the way and dual pricing is not something new, your fear of damage being caused is completely unfounded, perhaps it damages your wallet but it is not damaging Thailand.  The reason i support it is that tourists have not paid into the taxation system that largely funds all of those things so they should not get them for the taxpayer subsidized rates, if they did Thailand would become a medical tourism destination for people to bleed the system into not being able to function, try to consider Thailand instead of just yourself.

Is this a government mouth piece PR release?

 

 

 

[simon43]

One reason why I have never paid to visit a Thai national park in 15 years is because I doubt very much that my payment will actually be used for the benefit and upkeep of the park.  In many cases, I'm sure that it will end up in some corrupt person's bank account.

 

Judging by the decaying state of many of the park facilities, entrance money is NOT being used for their upkeep.

 

Thailand crows loudly about their wonderful national parks, but the truth is that many of them are dirty and strewn with litter, with filthy toilets and facilities in disrepair.  You often have minimal chance of viewing wildlife in its natural habitat because it has already been eaten by the locals (who are likely to be Thai, Myanmar, Cambodian etc, but definitely not 'farang').

[Shawn0000]

8 hours ago, Notadoctor said:

You're  making the assumption that the high prices paid by foreigners makes a difference to park finances...they don't.

 

That would be you making the assumption, not sure how you could have arrived at it as the parks do not release a budget showing how they spend the admission fees. Anyway, the year they introduced the dual pricing foreign visitor numbers at paid parks increased by 10.83% to 1,316,579, raising an additional 300 million baht, of course the largest part of their budget is from tax but, as was seen back in 1998 as they reached a crisis point and decided to change the fee system, the parks budget allowance is not enough, priorities are education and health, and the parks need to charge to support themselves, in 1998 they charged everyone 5 baht, now they charge much more but numbers are way up and they are surviving financially.  

[Shawn0000]

5 minutes ago, simon43 said:

One reason why I have never paid to visit a Thai national park in 15 years is because I doubt very much that my payment will actually be used for the benefit and upkeep of the park.  In many cases, I'm sure that it will end up in some corrupt person's bank account.

 

Judging by the decaying state of many of the park facilities, entrance money is NOT being used for their upkeep.

 

Thailand crows loudly about their wonderful national parks, but the truth is that many of them are dirty and strewn with litter, with filthy toilets and facilities in disrepair.  You often have minimal chance of viewing wildlife in its natural habitat because it has already been eaten by the locals (who are likely to be Thai, Myanmar, Cambodian etc, but definitely not 'farang').

 

How on earth would you know about the parks if you have never visited one?  I have visited many, very rare that you see litter, the toilets are clean, the facilities fine, the wildlife in abundance, you have exactly no clue so why make things up?

[simon43]

How on earth would you know about the parks if you have never visited one?

 

Huh?  Are you short on brain cells or something?  My Thai family and Thai friends visit these parks and they do actually communicate to me about these matters.

 

Additionally, since I was a police volunteer in Phuket for many years, on more than one occasion I was called out to find lost tourists in the small national park.  So I got to see the park facilities (as a non-paying visitor)

[kaorop]

6 minutes ago, Shawn0000 said:

 

I actually go to the parks frequently, do you? Obviously not or you would not be calling my true statement rubbish.

I'm out an about the Thai forested areas far far more than you will ever be.

No dont go in 10 X ripoffs anymore, I do end up in them if there are other ways in.

I do go in the small free ones.

 

I can easily prove my claims, but can you? Pics or it didnt happen, because anyone so enamoured with the Thai parks would have bucket loads of pics (no google images paalease!)

 

for starter 6mth ago and now, north of chanthaburi

You turn

[Shawn0000]

1 minute ago, kaorop said:

I'm out an about the Thai forested areas far far more than you will ever be.

No dont go in 10 X ripoffs anymore, I do end up in them if there are other ways in.

I do go in the small free ones.

 

I can easily prove my claims, but can you? Pics or it didnt happen, because anyone so enamoured with the Thai parks would have bucket loads of pics (no google images paalease!)

 

for starter 6mth ago and now, north of chanthaburi

You turn

 

I live on the edge of a park, I probably am actually out and about in forested areas about as much as is humanly possible seeing as I have to be to get anywhere at all!

 

The claim that you said rubbish to was that the parks are not full of rubbish, that the facilities are not broken, the toilets are not dirty and there is wildlife.  Your pictures do not demonstrate your claim at all, why have you posted them?  There is no rubbish in the pics and there is plenty of evidence of wildlife, what were you hoping to show, just that you have been to a park not that your claim was in any way factual?  Funny stuff!

 

 

[Destiny1990]

53 minutes ago, Shawn0000 said:

 

No, I do not believe it has a damaging effect, why would it?  Tourist numbers are up by the way and dual pricing is not something new, your fear of damage being caused is completely unfounded, perhaps it damages your wallet but it is not damaging Thailand.  The reason i support it is that tourists have not paid into the taxation system that largely funds all of those things so they should not get them for the taxpayer subsidized rates, if they did Thailand would become a medical tourism destination for people to bleed the system into not being able to function, try to consider Thailand instead of just yourself.

Hope u not end up in hospital here with heart attack then find u self first stiff price negotiatings with the doctors before they will do any bypass operation.Surely will damage your WAllet!

[Shawn0000]

6 minutes ago, Destiny1990 said:

Hope u not end up in hospital here with heart attack then find u self first stiff price negotiatings with the doctors before they will do any bypass operation.Surely will damage your WAllet!

 

Not an issue for me as I am a Thai government employee, I have medical cover, but thanks for your concern.

[survivalblue]

How about imposing and enforcing a littering law?  Fines of 2000 baht per offense/offender.  Part of this can pay the salary of the additional officers needed to fully enforce the regulation.

To go further, declare all National Parks "smoke free" and a 2000 baht fine for offenders.

This greatly increases the revenue for the parks and also establishes a clean environment that would be much worth the 400 baht entrance fee.

From my experience, the parks are littered with garbage at many of waterfalls and picnic areas.  

The monkeys are in need of a relocation program to introduce them to wilderness survival and no longer be dependant on humans for food.  

There is a great deal of "National Park" related work and public education that needs to be done.

In order for me to pay 400 baht to enter, I will expect a clean and pristine environment to enjoy.

 

 

[Destiny1990]

7 minutes ago, Shawn0000 said:

 

Not an issue for me as I am a Thai government employee, I have medical cover, but thanks for your concern.

Your welcome ? and since it does not affect  your wallet its clear why you back this up.Hope Europe fast will implement 10x prices for Thais since that will not affect  me.

[Jai Dee]

Several troll and argumentative posts have been removed from this thread.

[Destiny1990]

Bottom line once tourists find out these unbalanced price schemes they will never appreciate it and feel like taking unfair advantage for so they become negative about the place and in that way it had a damaging effect..

[Shawn0000]

12 minutes ago, Destiny1990 said:

Bottom line once tourists find out these unbalanced price schemes they will never appreciate it and feel like taking unfair advantage for so they become negative about the place and in that way it had a damaging effect..

 

Yeah, they've only been in since 1998, tourist numbers since have massively increased including admissions to the parks, obviously that is happening.

[Shawn0000]

16 minutes ago, Destiny1990 said:

Your welcome ? and since it does not affect  your wallet its clear why you back this up.Hope Europe fast will implement 10x prices for Thais since that will not affect  me.

 

I have to pay the higher entrance prices, I just don't pay for the hospital, and everyone should have insurance when they are in other countries rather than pissing and moaning that they don't get the subsidized local rate.  And Europe is never going to implement a rule just for Thai's, all that demonstrates is how small your world it, there are many many other countries with dual pricing, including those in Europe, for example the Louvre is free for EU citizens while Thai's pay.

[SoilSpoil]

8 minutes ago, Shawn0000 said:

 

I have to pay the higher entrance prices, I just don't pay for the hospital, and everyone should have insurance when they are in other countries rather than pissing and moaning that they don't get the subsidized local rate.  And Europe is never going to implement a rule just for Thai's, all that demonstrates is how small your world it, there are many many other countries with dual pricing, including those in Europe, for example the Louvre is free for EU citizens while Thai's pay.

 

BS. Thais up to 18 also have free access to the Louvre.  EU citizens up to 25 do. So I, a EU citizen, have to pay the exact rate as a Thai of my age. Telling half truths is something you're quite good at, I've noticed.