Double pricing system in Thailand

[forain]

Let's face it: anyone who has spent much time in Thailand knows that it is among the most racist, xenophobic, sexist places on earth. I've watched locals ignore pedophilia because the kids were Burmese. I've seen Lao abused simply because they are Lao. I've watched the cast system in operation and parents openly beating their children because they can get away with it.

I'm an outspoken opponent of immigration into the U.S. from Thailand because we're not entitled to the same deal if we want to move to Thailand (which only a fool would).

The Thai remind me of the old song by The Undisputed Truth with the title "Smiling Faces." Why would it surprise anyone to learn that this backward country, with it's polygamy and prejudices, would have diffferent pricing for different races?

Many years ago a young second generation Vietnamese man told me that the "Thai are pirates. After spending too much time in Thailand, I learned that the young man was talking about the nature of Thai people. I can't say that all Thai are pirates because there are many fine Thai. However, piracy is entrenched in the culture of corruption. It doesn't matter much anyway because Thailand will be part of China in the next decades.

[drake]

That's a load of authoritative spleen by one who obviously has never been to Istanbul.
So he came to LOS and found the real thing to be much different than the one in his fantasy tourist brochure -
especially when he seems to be hanging out in the (seedy) part of town that's full of pedophiles, illegal aliens, rip-off artists, and criminals !
It's so bad here and yet he want to stay on as a resident for some reason.
Now he's miffed at the immigration policy because, it seems, they won't let him.
W00t.

The fact that a citizen of the US (or any other western countries for that matter) can just show up here with nothing in their pockets and allowed in to the country for 30 days, afterwhich they can repeatedly hop the border for extensions, while any Thai who desires to go for a business meeting in the West would need to pre-arrange a visa before they can even board a plane is perfectly non-discriminatory and equitably reciprocated, no ?

So he is upset that the immigration policy here seems to be less equitable than that of the US.
Oh, dear, doesn't he know what the actual US immigration requirements are ?
I mean, it's not like any regular Thai person can just get a green card and be allowed to move to the US at-will can he ?
Doesn't he know how long the queue for the green card lottery is ?
And that's just to get your name in to the hat...

The trouble with missionary is they always start off their journey already convinced that they are superior and the rest of the world, far inferior, should become like them.
If they would just leave their pre-conceived notions and ill-conceived morals at home and look beyond just the dark side of the society which they are merely a guest in they might even figure out someday why so many stayed here and so many more want to.

AFAIC, LOS should adopt Bhutan's immigration policy and it will be for the better.
Thank god there will be one less delusional meddler taking up resources in whatever remain of this here paradise.
Mind the door, don't let it hit you on the way out.

[forain]

Actually, where I witnessed pedophilia was at a guest house next to the police station in Mae Sot. It is a regular occurrence there - tolerated by the police if it's just Burmese kids being molested.

I once considered Thailand, but the men who move there are usually old men taking sexual advantage of the economic conditions of young Thai women.

It's not too hard for a Thai to get into the U.S. and stay, although it's more difficult if they do it legally.

That said, my earlier post was a bit harsh. In this world the Thai are among the better cultures.

I've spent a considerable amount of time in Thailand and have no affiliation with any religious group. You make many assumptions my friend. Also, "don't let the door..." doesn't suggest that you are very intelligent, but that's an assumption on my part.

Peace

[drake]

Actually, where I witnessed pedophilia was at a guest house next to the police station in Mae Sot

Mae Sot ?
555555
Like I've said, seedy part of town full of pedophiles, illegal aliens, rip-off artists, and criminals -
except for that in Mae Sot it's pretty much the whole district.
Some nice temples and scenery but it's a heaven for illegal traffickers of all sorts.
Lumber coming in, cars & mosais going out. Drugs & illegal gems coming in, electronics & fuels going out.
Old refugees who's been stuck there for a lifetime mixing with new illegal aliens who just hopped the border.
A tourist paradise, if you are looking for all that.

"but the men who move there are usually old men taking sexual advantage of the economic conditions of young Thai women."

What's ? You aren't HERE anymore ?
Um, let me look around and see how many (western/US/farang) expats I know in this LOS who are taking sexual advantage of the economic conditions of Thai women, men, or children ....
Not one that I personally know of.
Must be in the wrong part of town hanging out with the wrong crowd for that then.

It's not too hard for a Thai to get into the U.S. and stay, although it's more difficult if they do it legally.

PLEASE, Hundreds of thousands of Karen Refugee in Mae Sot are dieing to know what that 'not too hard' way to get in to the USA 'not legally' is. Works for a Thai, should work for a Karen. Right ?
OK, no Karens ?
The Thai guys over in the tin-shack ville behind my MooBan are also listening with bated breath.

anyone who has spent much time in Thailand knows that it is among the most racist, xenophobic, sexist places on earth.

In this world the Thai are among the better cultures.

The most racist, xenophobic, sexist better culture on earth. ?
Wow. Let me drink some more coolaid and LaoKhao* and see if I can wrap my head around that.

I've spent a considerable amount of time in Thailand and have no affiliation with any religious group. You make many assumptions my friend.

No assumption at all, friend.
"Being a Missionary" is a metaphor for meddlesome people with a holier than thou attitude who goes around the world and pretty much obliterated the local culture where ever they went because there's always 'something wrong' with the heathens.
There aren't many real 'missionary' these days, they've all joined NGOs - no eternal commitment required.

"don't let the door..." doesn't suggest that you are very intelligent, but that's an assumption on my part.

Not at all, you are absolutely correct on this one. Right on the nose. Nailed it. Spot on. Yowza.
Who else would have responded to a nonsense rambling ?
Twice ?

[littletown]

I tend to agree with Forain: the Thai do seem racist and xenophobic. The person wanders off topic a bit, but most people already know that the primary contemporary use of Thai numerals is to post the reduced price for Thai people to read. Fortunately, it took about ten minutes to learn those numerals before I refused to pay inflated prices. Can't do as much, but that's OK. Besides being inherently unfair, it's really not a problem for anyone except poverty stricken farang living in Thailand. Besides, reality is what it is. The Thai don't need a bunch of old pensioners sniffing around their daughters anyway. Go home if you don't like it.

[surinfarm]

I believe the ever-beloved and repeated term, xenophobia, as applied towards Thai culture and their general character receives attention that is born of myth [even redundant stereotype]. Often, if an item is attentively regurgitated over and again, falsehoods turn to reality and truisms. If you seek a diaspora of racial xenophobic tradition, there are quite a number of richly historic foundations to be witnessed worldwide, and comparatively the Thai character doesn't even come close.

Observations of angst and frustration tend to get the best of us, so naturally [as a defensive outlet] we will dream up a societal tag in which will be exaggerated to the negative overwhelming. Judging others before reflection.

[joe123x1]

Usually people call that cheating, thats it, done by people who, unfortunately, stick in the clan system from a few hundred years ago where every foreigner was a virtual enemy. As a matter of fact just look at the airport, there are lots of foreigners and prices are around triple, etc. I' ve been in many national parks in Thailand but the absolute last time I went to any was when somewhere in the very north told me to pay 200,- to enter. There were Thai people moving in who paid nothing at all, we call that cheating and that's it, who like cheating ? Actually the ONLY other SEA country who do this foreigner cheating is Myanmar and Cambodia. Do Thai people pay more when they enter any NP anywhere in the world? NO! So what?

[3rivers]

When the US dollar bottoms out..... at about 9 or 10 baht per dollar.. then it will makes a lot more sense to talk about this nonsense as a real issue. In the mean time, anyone who has gotten a haircut or ordered food in Thailand versus the West, other than at a Sizzler, knows that one paper dollar ain't the same as 30 paper bahts. As for the wonderful theory that Thailand's money should not have the same purchasing power because Americans are more 'entreprenuerial'....... give me a break!

[mr.hays]

I think it's a way for the Thai people to surrender and say; I am poor, please mister Farang - give me a dole. If you are proud of yourself, you don't ask for extra money. Then you will get extra for a good work done - not a farang bargain to pay less.
It's true that farangs earn more money in their own countries but also they have more expenses, so in the end it's about even. If Thai people go abroad they will have to pay the same as everybody else. We have no special rates for foreigners

[sibley]

I have lived in Thailand now for 3 years and I have many Thai friends, but ask me if I would trust the majority of Thai people then unfortunately I would have to say no, they would have the skin of your back and the fluff out of your pockets given half the chance.

My advice is always ask the price before you buy anything whether it be in a shop or at the market, if you are not happy with the price simile and walk off they will know what you are saying, it also helps if you can speak some Thai. and remember watch out for taxi and tuk tuk scams, if it sounds to good to be true then it probably is.