Double pricing system in Thailand

[overhaul38]

Not much different in the USA. I am a resident of Texas but work in California. I pay about 5 times more for a fishing license. If I went to college here it would be a much higher tuition rate. State parks have a higher entry fee for a non-resident as well.

In Thailand I pay the 50 baht to enter Wat Arun with my head held high, because I can afford it. I pay the "outrageous" entry fees to Burma and Laos as well while my Thai friend enters at a fraction of what I pay.

Ivisited Khao Yai National Park with 3 Thai freinds who all paid the Thai rate. The ranger looked at me and said in Thai; "Do you speak Thai?" My reply was "I can speak a little Thai " to which everyone laughed. I got in at the Thai rate by just knowing that little bit.

Bottom line is if you want to pay the local rate, take the time to learn the language and be friendly. You might be surprised that it works.

Obviously you overlooked the difference. The premium Farang pricing in Thailand is purely based on RACE. Only white Europeans pay the premium. Korean, Japanese, Chinese tourists (if they keep their mouth shut) won't be hit for the premium. In Texas non residents, REGARDLESS OF RACE, are charged the higher entry fee. When race is the determining factor it is RACISM and is condemned by every CIVILIZED person. Every country has people who are racist but when it is government sponsored then it is repugnant.

[egon]

Disgusting.Undefendable by any argument.In BKK I was refused to check-in in a hotel as they didn,t receive farangs.Opposite this hotel farang had to pay 20% more for the buffet{probably they believe we eat more,which is not true}.Thailand is losing its paradise status :Wine too expensive as is beer,no more mae kong is produced,nature deteriorating rapidly,the once beautiful islands have become garbage heaps,scams happening daily,thai getting greedy and egoistic etc.

[thaijaidee]

I would like to say how I feel about this subject based on my experiences. Being a Thai living in Europe and often visitted Thailand with European and American friends, often, I have to explained to them why there is this Double-standard in pricing. A few times I felt ashamed as I knew that it is in someways unfair, but some other times I felt it was okay so, because, the price they asked at the entrance of the zoo or some waterfall parks to my friends are not really expensive when compared to the pricing they chaged in their own countries. We Thais, think, it is okay to ask more from foreigners because they have more money, but, how they see it, is a different story. They live in the world where equality is a norm and discrimination is not ethical, so they (some of them) feel being treated unfaily, while some others, are just happy to pay their price because to them, it is not a lot of money and they feel happy to support the local and ofcourse, they understand that their fees, will help us to improve and maintain the public places like parks and such. But I do understand the ones that feel it is unfair, because, if I am charged at higher prices here in Europe because I am not their citizen, I would feel the same way as well. But, I would say, when in Rome, act like a Romer, when in Thailand, we have to play the local rules. It is like it is.

[sibley]

So it is ok for me to go to the market to buy bananas and the price says 30 bart, when I went to pay for the bananas the young girl says to her mother, how much should I charge the farang and the mother says 40 bart, all the conversation was in Thai needless to say I just walked off.


I went in to a bar for a beer the price in the back of the menu said 70 bart, so I had my beer, then when I went to pay i was asked for 90 bart I picked up the menu and explained the beer was only 70 bart, and the reply was the menu price was wrong and should have said 90 bart. I smiled and gave them 90 bart, wish them well in their life and left.

One more thing to add I speak Thai to a good standard, I have a wife and daughter driving licence, house, car but still the Thais want to rip me off, I can never understand why.

Welcome to the land oh smiles.

[aldo]

If you can't understand double pricing then you cannot understand corruption. It is corrupt to charge more based on the colour of one's skin. Those arguing that parks and other venues need to e cleaned should answer this question: do the cleaners get a higher salary because the fee is higher. I doubt it. Thailand is earning a reputation as being money hungry which is a real pity. However when more than half the population believes that it is legitimate for a Prime Minister to line his own pockets through government contracts you start to question the values that these people hold dearly.

[henrypalm]

Do an American pay more than Thai passenger for flight ticket when they buy ticket by ThaiAirways ? If No, why doesn't the Thai's company do the double priceing system abroad ? Vietnam had the same problem but not now anymore !!!

[jaedmon]

Main point is that it is not Ferang (foreigner) discrimination, it is clearly racial discrimination, and if the National Parks are under control of the government, then it is a government policy. Only non-Asians are singled out for this "tax" on their race. More than once, my wife, who is Thai, and I have taken Chinese friends to a National Park, and I, a Caucasion American, have been the only one asked to pay the ten times higher amount. One time I asked, what if my passengers were not Thai, and the reply was, "Well, they look Thai." And if the excuse is that it is pegged to the prices paid in Europe or America and we have more money than Thais, then what about the Thais in a new 2 million baht Benz? And if it's OK for the Thai government to "peg" prices for the parks, then why can't all Thais charge all Western looking people more? Add that to the dysfunctional Immigration Service and see how long people come to "The Land of Smiles."

Jaedmon

[Ian Wensor]

Farangs sure get special treatment when they dine out with friends and all the 'uninvited 'blow in' Thais who mysteriously turn up .. They're always served last although they 're the ones who pay the check bin which incidently - is often padded to suit the occasion.

[zulu]

Farangs sure get special treatment when they dine out with friends and all the 'uninvited 'blow in' Thais who mysteriously turn up .. They're always served last although they 're the ones who pay the check bin which incidently - is often padded to suit the occasion.

that's your experience, not mine. where i live, i am part of the thai community. we share, we care. we have fun, and sometimes we mourn together.

[bobopost]

Double pricing has no justifiable reason that the higher fee should be charged to foreigners. After all, when the foreigner pays his bill, he is usually paying for a number of Thais and probably for some food and drinks and possibly more as well. If one goes to Siam Paragon to the Seaquarium, there is a sign posted with prices for Thais and another for foreigners. Is this a fair tactic when I have lived here and my daughter is half-Thai that I should pay a much higher price or even get what they think is a good discount off the foreigner (farang) price but not pay the Thai price?

Well, there are options: raise a stink and point out to all the foreigners that show up there that they are paying a much higher price so they don't go in and cause a possible situation or just leave without my daughter getting to view the fish,etc or accept the unfair pricing and take my daughter in so she can enjoy the experience.

Not everything is Thailand is fair and not just towards foreigners is it unequal...just look at the classifieds that request a person that is between a certain age, weight, etc. Would that be allowed in most countries, of course not. But TIT so we have to try to deal with it but nobody forces us to go into any event or park but sometimes explaining that you live here and your family is Thai, blah, blah, blah may do the trick.