Tourism: An end to dual pricing? Tourism minister talks of stimulus measures

[overherebc]

1 hour ago, drbeach said:

Anything imported, including food and beverages imported from other countries is expensive in Thailand. Ditto for cars, even locally built ones are more expensive than the same vehicles sold in western countries. This is true even when these vehicles are imported - in Australia, a country that no longer manufactures cars, a Toyota Corolla (probably manufactured in Thailand) is absurdly enough cheaper than a Toyota Corolla sold in Thailand (maybe not that much cheaper, but still). This makes zero sense given that the cost of shipping has to be added to the final sales price, plus things like land rental and labor costs in Australia are higher than in Thailand hence there are higher costs associated with getting the car into Australia, into a showroom and selling it to a customer than in Thailand.

 

Not that Thais are poor anymore (they aren't), but I am still amazed by how Thais on 15,000-20,000 Baht monthly incomes can afford to buy new cars or even any car. Back home, one would probably only buy an old clunker on such a salary. Something is amiss here.

Take home      15,000

Rent                2,000

Food               3,000

Car payment   14,000

Insurance        what ??

Road tax          eh ??

See, it all works out ok

????????

[shy coconut]

17 minutes ago, sniggie said:

I note what you say. At times when I am a lone tourist the foreigner price is often quite reasonable in the absolute scale of things. What does get to me, though, is when we go out as a family group with associated hangers-on.  They wouldn't be there without me driving them but at times I'm still asked for the higher fee.  

I've been out with the family a couple of time and got charged local fees, my sister in law is quite 

a negotiator and argued the same point that you brought up!

 

I've read in the past that one person would sit in his car rather than pay the surcharge

waiting for his family members to finish their visit. I can't imagine how crazy that would

look to anyone witnessing his protest!

[masuk]

1 minute ago, BritManToo said:

It's free if you're over 60.

You only pay for the parking.

When did free entry for over 60s start?  Never once offered to me and I'm way beyond 60!

[BritManToo]

3 minutes ago, masuk said:

When did free entry for over 60s start?  Never once offered to me and I'm way beyond 60!

At least ten years, you gotta ask and show ID.

The sign is there (in Thai) for everyone to read.

[1FinickyOne]

4 hours ago, holy cow cm said:

this atrocity of being raped. It would be a good direction to go. They could have discounts to seniors and students

Whoa Scooter.. sorry you feel so abused... but then discounts to Srs could also be construed as double pricing... So, you are in favor of it when it benefits you? and when not, you are the victim of atrocities... ??

 

ps.. the USA is rife w/two tier pricing too... 

[Mavideol]

4 minutes ago, masuk said:

When did free entry for over 60s start?  Never once offered to me and I'm way beyond 60!

maybe you look (too) young

[Pumpuynarak]

4 hours ago, essox essox said:

you might do BUT are you THAI?????

LOL, its not just a case of being Thai but Asian, the times i've been in tourist attraction queues and wifey hears the conversation from others and knows they're not Thai but do they have to pay the increased price, not a chance, i think its called racism lol

[CanterbrigianBangkoker]

5 hours ago, Yinn said:

Not everyone. I not piss off. 

You wouldn't be would you! ????

 

The outrage such a dual pricing system would cause in the 'developed world' is hard to convey to a Thai, especially one who has never left the country.

It is simply xenephobic prejudice writ large, and for all to see. It's a total affront to a large chunk of the very people who subsidise the maintenance of such tourists attractions / heritage sites.

It should have been abolished years ago and would have been if the government had any sense ( ???? sorry, silly concept), but better late than never I guess?

[Pumpuynarak]

1 hour ago, Yinn said:

 

 

If you show the driving liscence and ask in thai, most time will get a discount.

sure.

Yes agreed but not always. I've even got a pink Thai ID card which i have yet to put to the test as i've virtually covered all the tourist attractions but it will be interesting when i do.

[1FinickyOne]

10 minutes ago, Shiver said:

I sat outside on the curb and waited for them, on principle.

Well, you showed them! 

 

By the way, who cared? 

[1FinickyOne]

9 minutes ago, masuk said:

When did free entry for over 60s start?  Never once offered to me and I'm way beyond 60!

Over 60 but still a handsome young man... can't have everything... i would rather be young and handsome and pay the freight. 

[justaphase]

They won't lose any money now anyway being as there's no foreigners left here now because of the super tight visa regulations.

[Skeptic7]

Just went to Chaloem Rattanakosin National Park the other day. Great place with great caves, but B100 for GF and B200 for "Foreigner Fee". Very clean and well maintained. Abundant, clean restrooms. Gladly paid it in this instance. 

 

They will probably just raise the Thai price to the "farang" price...or at best, lower the "farang" by 25%, while increasing the Thai fee by 50%, thus still getting same money. 

 

 

[Mavideol]

1 minute ago, CanterbrigianBangkoker said:

You wouldn't be would you! ????

 

The outrage such a dual pricing system would cause in the 'developed world' is hard to convey to a Thai, especially one who has never left the country.

Xenephobia writ large and for all to see. It's a total affront to a large chunk of the very people who subsidise the maintenance of such tourists attractions / heritage sites. It should have been abolished years ago and would have been if the government had any sense (????, sorry silly concept), but better late than never I guess?

it's very difficult for (the majority) of Thai people to understand the problems/discrimination faced on a daily basis by foreigners, since it's so outrageous and out of any logic it's difficult to accept and/or understand

[wotsdermatter]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Looking after the welfare of tourists was his number one priority, he said

The operative word in the quote is "WAS".

 

By omitting the rest of the published statement, shows how easy it is to convince people of a falsehood something Thais are fond of doing in their published facts, for example about the anticipated increase of tourist arrivals, etc.

'nuf sed

5 hours ago, CharlieH said:

What's the odds he gets moved to an empty desk

Has he already been moved because the above quote suggests his tenure is over (although it isn't, is it)?

'nuf sed.

[Pumpuynarak]

5 hours ago, holy cow cm said:

I even stopped going to parks because of this atrocity of being raped.

Yep thats the way to do it, i've taken wifey and her friends on two occasions to Phimai Historical park and i've sat in the aircon coffee shop round the corner, they can stick it where the sun don't shine.

[dcnx]

5 hours ago, Yinn said:

Good for local people get the discount.

You must be Thai or you have stayed here so long it’s rubbed off on you.

 

Locals don’t get a “discount.” Foreigners get charged extra. A lot extra. There’s a difference.

 

Discount pricing would work like this:

 

Crappy uneventful park charges 80b for everyone to get in. However, if you produce a local ID you get 10% off entry. That’s fair and understandable.

 

What pisses people off is this:

 

Crappy uneventful park charges 20b for Thais and 400b+ for foreigners.

 

This sort of pricing structure is offensive.

[Mavideol]

8 minutes ago, Pumpuynarak said:

Yes agreed but not always. I've even got a pink Thai ID card which i have yet to put to the test as i've virtually covered all the tourist attractions but it will be interesting when i do.

I have the pink card and so far have been lucky using it and getting Thai pricing in Surat Thani and Nakon Si Thamarat but wasn't so lucky in Trang... one can't always win

[BobbyL]

1 hour ago, from the home of CC said:

maybe you should look for a better paying job..

Thanks for the comment. Another Thai apologist I see. 

[dcnx]

22 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

It's free if you're over 60.

You only pay for the parking.

Is there a clear sign for this? They charged my parents full price recently.

 

 

[waxpro]

The last time I visited the national park at khao yai was more than 2 years ago, when I paid entrance fees 450 baht, but for Thai wife paid just 40 baht,,, it's x 11 times higher,,,

and before this, was another time when trying to enter puttabat national park coming from khao kho, petchabun province, almost 3 years ago, the guards asked to pay 500 baht,, just to drive inside the park?

Anyone of you foreigner guys faced the same situation???

Any thing changed about this? or still the same policy?? I decided to never go again to any of such places,

Additionally, to make it clear, the guards in both places shown me a printed paper half Thai and half English to prove the fee amount is a regulation by the management or something alike, and not their idea, I believe the guards at the entrance saying the true amount as they told,

Anyone here to inform the minister about this? why the fees for Thai person at 40 baht, and 450-500 baht for a foreigner? any logical reason behind this? I used to pay 80 baht some years int eh past,, suddenly jumped to more than x 10 times?

 

 

[AmericanSafety]

I’m not concerned about dual pricing; it is far down the list as far as I’m concerned. The retirement visa amounts requirement in the banks is far more of a concern. When none of your neighbors in SE Asia have anything close to that, it instantaneously makes Thailand less desirable. That coupled with a falsely adjusted baht valuation makes anywhere else more desirable. 

[keith101]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

The same could also be true of medical tourism as it was not just the sick who would be coming to Thailand but their families and friends who would stay in hotels, go to restaurants and visit tourist attraction. 

Not going to happen with the exchange rate the way it is .

[holy cow cm]

21 minutes ago, kenk24 said:

Whoa Scooter.. sorry you feel so abused... but then discounts to Srs could also be construed as double pricing... So, you are in favor of it when it benefits you? and when not, you are the victim of atrocities... ??

 

ps.. the USA is rife w/two tier pricing too... 

How would it benefit me big guy? Retirement for Thai Seniors here is way over my little age of mid fifties.

[dcnx]

2 hours ago, Yinn said:

Thai women number 1 in world!!!!!!

 

https://www.thailand-business-news.com/news/top-stories/29585-thailand-has-most-women-in-top-management.html

 

More than farang woman.

That’s good to see. It helps balance out the number of prostitutes. 
 

Now Thailand is #1 for both. ????????

[beowolf2012]

Tourism e, and then i think when he talk about dual payment for foreigner then it´s was a reduce of payment to government hospitals. Yes i understand we have to pay more, but double up in everything of treatment. 200 baht just for talk with a doctor and if have to be operated double up +. The + stand for nursery. 

[Deli]

And what about the NPs, where it really hurts the tourists ? 

Oh no... mia noi needs a new car...

[Matzzon]

2 hours ago, SoilSpoil said:

It clearly hasnt worked for years. Lots of people, including myself, feel offended by it. Whether people can afford it or not, is not an issue. The feeling of being ripped off is.

 

You are not beeing ripped off. Accept that it has and still is the standard in this country. If you can´t afford or not want to pay, just don´t look or enter. Offended, by paying a little bit more??? This happens in other parts of the world too.

[BritManToo]

23 minutes ago, dcnx said:

Is there a clear sign for this? They charged my parents full price recently.

It's on the entrance booth, either on the side or on the wall behind the ticket person

Same sign as all the ticket and parking prices.

https://chiangmaifamilyguide.com/queen-sirikit-botanic-garden/

Queen Sirikit Garden entrance fees

Spending a few hours here will be well within your family budget, especially since all children under 12 are free! Grandma and grandpa are also free, as long as they’re over 60. Adults are 100 baht and children or teenagers aged 13-18 are 50 baht. You can get Thai price if you have a Thai ID card – yes, dual pricing exists here too. Thai price is 40 baht for adults and 20 baht for children. 

[Mavideol]

2 hours ago, Yinn said:

Thai women number 1 in world!!!!!!

for what... that could be misunderstood as it all depends on what the ratings are about and from where they classification started, someone's being placed at the last place by inverting the report's classification they would be assigned as 1st place. There's an old saying in business going as ..."" client is king.... but they never said of what...""