Double pricing system in Thailand

[Silaworld]

Sibley,

This behaviour seems to be happening mainly with uneducated , working-class people, such as tuk-tuk drivers, motorbikers, small business-owners and their kind. I hate it too ...but... I always ask the price beforehand and if they try to cheat, I don't buy and walk away. I never discuss because it is losing your time. This is the way they are and it will never change. They don't realise they chase potential customers away!

[chara_07]

Truly understand what you foreigner feel and I personally don't agree with what we are doing, not only inThailnand but everywhere applying this policy. We need people to enjoy and and learn from where we organize or show thing; yes! like Zoo, ancient city, temples, ... I don't understand why foreigner has to pay more than local people. They come and watch and take a photo and learn and so and so, .. well not different than we the local. It doesn't mean that they earn in EUR or USD and they have to pay more here.

Well, respect the places and respect the human rights, I mean. The more we make business on tourist places, the more we don't respect our cultures and our interesting placeswe have. I do hope this will change, because i expect to pay the same price as local westerner when I travel there too (not really sure if there is doublic pricing in there )

[len]

Here’s one day of the year, both Thai and Faaarang pay the same inflated price! Valentine’s Day / rip-off day!
Be smart, save a bundle, give your girl two dozen roses on the 15th and tell her you love her every day.

[tawong]

You didn't pay tax, that's why. case closed.

Even in the US, the same university charged different rates to students, i.e. in-state US citizen, out-of-state US citizen, and non-US citizen.

Please stop crying about how u pay $5 more than thai citizen.

You got a tax-refund for shopping in the department store. Why didn't you complain?

[jerrold]

Disrespect for a fellow human being is 1 of the biggest insults humans can undergo.
foreigners coming into Thailand are quickly reminded of the 10 "not-done" commentments.
disrespecting foreigners by double pricing is the first commentment for Thais of NOT DONE to foreigners
its an insult to the intensions shown by foreigners to Thailand in the first degree.
Amazing Thailand.....smooth as silk...getting the scam-reception at the airport have a ride on a waterscooter and your fair game.
Hospitality inThailand so often proclaims to have is an hidden greed desire to skimming foreigners creditcards for to many people...all have the same reason...we are poor and you are rich.....robin hood society in his prime form.
I refer to friends "What you see is NOT what you get",,,because whenever you get what you see its about the majority of decent Thai people who doesnt want to be mentioned by the commercial Thai aproach they see in daily life and read in their newspaper.
They usaly do what we do.......buy a house ...big high wall surrounding the premis get some dog and create our own traditional thai way of living ....meaning
keep the rif raf out
protect the family
and be happy on our own terms and turf.

But thats usaly a house far way from the Non Thai tradition places like pattaya kho samui phuket and the red light district in the big cities.
That why we truly love NongKhai

[microscope]

I think that this practice of double pricing is being demonized way too much here. Being a visitor to Thailand I really didn't "feel" the bite of special tourist pricing. If I felt something was more expensive than it should, I just didn't purchase. That's simple economics. In fact, I found my trip highly affordable and am not offended at all by the fact I may have been charged on some things differently than the locals.

Thais certainly shouldn't think they are the only ones who do it. Florida is often used as an example in the forum....Florida State has a "tourist" tax on transient rentals and services, there are special deals or discount days, packages and rates for residents to go to the various theme parks and attractions, and though there is not so much the street vendor or street level merchandising, everyone knows you pay more for things in the "tourist traps", restaurants, stores, shops and such. I lived in Florida for some years and It certainly goes on in NYC where I presently live.

Foreigners coming as tourists to an area have an impact on that area and I believe those who create or run businesses there have every right to capitalize on that opportunity. This is how they can make their businesses profitable and they are the ones who pay the taxes that support the infrastructure and services burdened by the tourism. Maybe the system needs to be more controlled or discreet, but I see nothing inappropriate at all with two sets of pricing.

Here in the US there are "friend discounts", "family discounts" and many ways that the same thing goes on. We may not see as much obvious double pricing because the standard of living is relatively high as it is, but it is there. There is a term used "...what the market will bear" in other words what people are willing to pay, a concept used extensively in the West.

[Silaworld]

I think that this practice of double pricing is being demonized way too much here. Being a visitor to Thailand I really didn't "feel" the bite of special tourist pricing. If I felt something was more expensive than it should, I just didn't purchase. That's simple economics. In fact, I found my trip highly affordable and am not offended at all by the fact I may have been charged on some things differently than the locals.

Thais certainly shouldn't think they are the only ones who do it. Florida is often used as an example in the forum....Florida State has a "tourist" tax on transient rentals and services, there are special deals or discount days, packages and rates for residents to go to the various theme parks and attractions, and though there is not so much the street vendor or street level merchandising, everyone knows you pay more for things in the "tourist traps", restaurants, stores, shops and such. I lived in Florida for some years and It certainly goes on in NYC where I presently live.

Foreigners coming as tourists to an area have an impact on that area and I believe those who create or run businesses there have every right to capitalize on that opportunity. This is how they can make their businesses profitable and they are the ones who pay the taxes that support the infrastructure and services burdened by the tourism. Maybe the system needs to be more controlled or discreet, but I see nothing inappropriate at all with two sets of pricing.

Here in the US there are "friend discounts", "family discounts" and many ways that the same thing goes on. We may not see as much obvious double pricing because the standard of living is relatively high as it is, but it is there. There is a term used "...what the market will bear" in other words what people are willing to pay, a concept used extensively in the West.

This is exactly what Thai thieves (government and others) will like to hear. Thank you so much for helping us, residents from out of Thailand, shooting in our own feet.

[dutchboy]

Dear Microscope,

I know I'm asking the almost impossible from an American (believe me, I worked and lived there for 6 years), but can you please think before you write something.

You're talking about higher prices in Florida tourist area's. Correct, but for everybody. Here in Thailand it's just because you're a foreigner, they're not charging higher prices to Thais in tourist area's.

You're talking about "special" discounts in Florida for Residents.... Yes, exactly, because they are paying state tax. The Foreigners residing and working in Thailand also pay tax, but receive no such benefits.

You found Thailand cheap. Of course, we are talking US standards vs Thai Standards. In my home country a pack of cigarettes is 8 euro (6 US$ or something) here in Thailand it's 1.5 Euro.
This is still a developing country (whether they like to hear it or not) and consequently the same product here is cheaper than in the US (in the majority of the cases).

The point being made here in the Forum is that it is not right that a Foreigner gets charged 300 Baht for a product that will cost a Thai 70 Baht. Regardless whether the foreigner is a tourist or a resident.
None of your points has any relevance to that.

[crisfalcon]

My first post here. Just came to Thailand a week ago and I want to live here. Will be taking language lessons in Chiangmai. Trying to extend my 30 day visa.

I feel that special tourist prices (coming from Greece) is nothing new. It's the same in Greece. In fact, I see very little difference between Greece and Thailand, except the obvious language and physical differences, though I've never seen Thais fighting one another or with tourists, as the Greek boys sometimes do. I guess I'll have to live here longer, or maybe some old - timers on this board can inform me.

Greece = Thailand will be my theme throughout these posts. That will be my trademark--easy to remember. Look for it.

[Silaworld]

My first post here. Just came to Thailand a week ago and I want to live here. Will be taking language lessons in Chiangmai. Trying to extend my 30 day visa.

I feel that special tourist prices (coming from Greece) is nothing new. It's the same in Greece. In fact, I see very little difference between Greece and Thailand, except the obvious language and physical differences, though I've never seen Thais fighting one another or with tourists, as the Greek boys sometimes do. I guess I'll have to live here longer, or maybe some old - timers on this board can inform me.

Greece = Thailand will be my theme throughout these posts. That will be my trademark--easy to remember. Look for it.

Yeah, sure! That's exactly what we need. A tourist who has been a few days in Greece and a few days in Thailand and already knows those two countries are exactly the same.