Double Pricing Golf Courses In Hua Hin ?

[JohanBKK]

Hello,

Is that true that in Hua Hin the golf courses are doing the double pricing for farang and thai ? What is the price difference and why are they doing that ?

Thanks.

[Fore Man]

This is one of those questions where "TIT" is the best answer. Thailand maintains a dual-pricing scheme in all but the best shops. If you go into a shop to buy, say, a new motorcycle, you will wind up paying far more than the average Thai. Why? Because sadly, most uneducated Thai believe that the average foreigner is far, far wealthier than they are. If the Euro exchange rate is 45 to 1, then the average Thai believes we are therefor 45 times wealthier than they are. Attend a national park and you will be asked to pay more for your admission ticket than a local. That is a well-established fact.

As for golf, many--no, make that most--courses (I cannot speak for Hua Hin area courses) charge more for a foreigner. Ask your Thai wife to call and make a tee time for you and they will invariably ask "Farang or Thai?" It definitely makes a difference in how much you will pay. Do we charge a visiting Thai golfer extra fees to play our courses in the West? Absolutely no more than any other non-member would. Scratch the average Thai businessman and you will find a greedy person who wants to milk the deal for all he can...according to his perceived understanding of how much the buyer can afford. They also commiserate with their countrymen and offer discounted prices; after all it is the farang who have steadily vilified this great land and caused rising prices for just about everything.

I love Thailand and intend to stay, but I plainly am able to see through the insincere smiles that adorn many faces here. We have to live with this, swallow our pride and accept the duality or choose to leave for a more justly locale. Even after paying these racially-biased farang greens fees, I believe I am still getting a much more inexpensive golf experience than I would in my home country.

You can either choose to play golf on their greed-motivated terms, get out on the fairways and wait behind 6 and 7-balls of local players who could care less about the farangs behind them, or stay home and sulk about the unfairness of it all.

Edited September 21, 2010 by Fore Man

[sevenhills]

This is one of those questions where "TIT" is the best answer. Thailand maintains a dual-pricing scheme in all but the best shops. If you go into a shop to buy, say, a new motorcycle, you will wind up paying far more than the average Thai. Why? Because sadly, most uneducated Thai believe that the average foreigner is far, far wealthier than they are. If the Euro exchange rate is 45 to 1, then the average Thai believes we are therefor 45 times wealthier than they are. Attend a national park and you will be asked to pay more for your admission ticket than a local. That is a well-established fact.

As for golf, many--no, make that most--courses (I cannot speak for Hua Hin area courses) charge more for a foreigner. Ask your Thai wife to call and make a tee time for you and they will invariably ask "Farang or Thai?" It definitely makes a difference in how much you will pay. Do we charge a visiting Thai golfer extra fees to play our courses in the West? Absolutely no more than any other non-member would. Scratch the average Thai businessman and you will find a greedy person who wants to milk the deal for all he can...according to his perceived understanding of how much the buyer can afford. They also commiserate with their countrymen and offer discounted prices; after all it is the farang who have steadily vilified this great land and caused rising prices for just about everything.

I love Thailand and intend to stay, but I plainly am able to see through the insincere smiles that adorn many faces here. We have to live with this, swallow our pride and accept the duality or choose to leave for a more justly locale. Even after paying these racially-biased farang greens fees, I believe I am still getting a much more inexpensive golf experience than I would in my home country.

You can either choose to play golf on their greed-motivated terms, get out on the fairways and wait behind 6 and 7-balls of local players who could care less about the farangs behind them, or stay home and sulk about the unfairness of it all.

You said it in a tee. Sadly that is the case with most things in Thailand. As they say TIT, LOScams.

[JohanBKK]

I will go every golf and ask the thai and farang price, if it's not the same i will say them : sorry, i go back home and if you want me to play i will pay the thai price only.

Easy, all the golf courses in Hua Hin are totally empty anyway. Everyone should do that and they will stop the dual pricing.

I just can't agree with this discrimination, even if they don't care about loosing 1 customer, i will play only on the courses that accept me to pay the thai price. I'm living in Thailand for 4 years, with a thai wife and a thai baby, i believe i deserve the right to pay the normal price and not the tourist price.

If they don't want me, well, i will stay at home.

Thanks all.

[metisdead]

If you do encounter this dual pricing and if you have a Thai driving license, show that and maybe the local rate will come into play.

[JohanBKK]

Maybe that will work, i used my thai license to pay the fee at the national park and i paid the thai price while the others foreigners were paying a lot more than me.

[Trickcyclist]

whatever the discrimination on price, 1,500 Baht for a round of golf at a top quality course, including golf cart and tip, access to watering holes, with nobody playing up behind and nobody fooling around in front is a bargain!

Unfortunately, it doesn't include air conditioning!

what are they charging in Europe or the US these days?

[mark5335]

When I played at Majestic Creek in Hua Hin a few years ago they had dual pricing.

These days I usually play at Springfield which is more of a farang-friendly club where dual pricing doesn't apply .

Edited September 22, 2010 by mark5335

[Fore Man]

Johann, you answered your own question. If you can't accept the reality of dual-pricing schemes in Thailand, then you have made a mistake in remaining here. It is a fact of life that all ex-pats have to get over. Life is too short to fret over this...even though it is a patent unfairness to farangs who marry Thai wives and care for their families here. Best you give up the game and enjoy your life rather than stew over it. And, as a farang, if you ask for Thai pricing, you may just get a blank stare or a noncommital response. These people may be greedy but they aren't stupid. Good luck to you in whatever you decide to do.

[GeorgeO]

This is one of those questions where "TIT" is the best answer. Thailand maintains a dual-pricing scheme in all but the best shops. If you go into a shop to buy, say, a new motorcycle, you will wind up paying far more than the average Thai. Why? Because sadly, most uneducated Thai believe that the average foreigner is far, far wealthier than they are. If the Euro exchange rate is 45 to 1, then the average Thai believes we are therefor 45 times wealthier than they are. Attend a national park and you will be asked to pay more for your admission ticket than a local. That is a well-established fact.

As for golf, many--no, make that most--courses (I cannot speak for Hua Hin area courses) charge more for a foreigner. Ask your Thai wife to call and make a tee time for you and they will invariably ask "Farang or Thai?" It definitely makes a difference in how much you will pay. Do we charge a visiting Thai golfer extra fees to play our courses in the West? Absolutely no more than any other non-member would. Scratch the average Thai businessman and you will find a greedy person who wants to milk the deal for all he can...according to his perceived understanding of how much the buyer can afford. They also commiserate with their countrymen and offer discounted prices; after all it is the farang who have steadily vilified this great land and caused rising prices for just about everything.

I love Thailand and intend to stay, but I plainly am able to see through the insincere smiles that adorn many faces here. We have to live with this, swallow our pride and accept the duality or choose to leave for a more justly locale. Even after paying these racially-biased farang greens fees, I believe I am still getting a much more inexpensive golf experience than I would in my home country.

You can either choose to play golf on their greed-motivated terms, get out on the fairways and wait behind 6 and 7-balls of local players who could care less about the farangs behind them, or stay home and sulk about the unfairness of it all.

Fore Man,

You are clearly someone of many years experience here. For the first three or four years here, I would turn up for a Saturday game, rant about waiting behind three groups of five or six-balls on the tee, and then watch as they hacked their way through their third shot just enough to finally get it into the fairway...! It was often painful to watch ... and to wait.

These days, I make a point of playing more weekday golf, where this isn't so much of a problem, with a growing group of golfers called the "Bangkok Midweekers". It is also a much cheaper way of getting around a golf course in four-and-a-half hours!

In essence, I am beginning to believe that the sport is not that much cheaper than it is in the West these days, certainly on weekends.

[Wallaby]

I am a very avid golfer in Australia but refuse to take my clubs with me to Thailand. Of course it is cheaper to play there than here, but not much cheaper, but that is not the point.

Here the wages are much higher so the prices for a game will be higher. I just don't like the idea of a course paying staff peanuts but charging western prices for a game so the clubs stay at home and I play around in other ways (pun intended).

[JohanBKK]

In France golf is very cheap for people like me (24 yo). In Thailand it's clearly overpriced and you still need to pay someone to follow you. Dual pricing will disappear if we don't pay for. There is no one playing at the golf courses, they are all empty and the staff begging for a game. I went to two golf courses, at one just for look and another just for eat, at both no one on the golf course, the parking empty and the staff begging for me to play. One of them was majestic creek.

[yankee99]

I can only speak for my home country and state. USA the state of florida. We have dual pricing based on residency. The use of parks and county golf courses will have different prices for residents and non residents. Even places like universal studios gives huge discounts for Florida residents....for example Crandon Golf course

December 15, 2009 through April 14, 2010 Monday - Friday resident price $78.50 non-resident price $160.00

I do not agree with this i am only stating that the thais are not the only one practicing this. BTW i have tried to use my thai drivers license in national parks but i was not accepted for a discount....

Edited September 28, 2010 by yankee99

[tgeezer]

I am a very avid golfer in Australia but refuse to take my clubs with me to Thailand. Of course it is cheaper to play there than here, but not much cheaper, but that is not the point.

Here the wages are much higher so the prices for a game will be higher. I just don't like the idea of a course paying staff peanuts but charging western prices for a game so the clubs stay at home and I play around in other ways (pun intended).

Is it really more expensive in Australia? Players at home normally become members don't they? then the cost of a round depends on how often you play surely.

My feelings on dual pricing range from outrage to calm acceptance. Usually having driven for an hour to an out of the way course with no players and lots of caddies looking bored out of their brains, I accept the situation.

Sometimes the management is not good; probably not watching and the person behind the counter doesn't really care how much you pay, if you give them a hundred baht for the 'kiddies' you can get a large reduction, especially if you are nice and look crestfallen and ask if she can help.

Most people want a nice day and a farang moaning about the price doesn't improve anyone's day, eventually she would rather you pissed-off; her salary is the same whether you play (pay) or not.

Even the manager doesn't own the course; if he can make a return it is better than nothing, he just needs an excuse.

We tend to say TIT but not mean it; crikey even on my course in England deals are being done. Times are hard and cash is king, if you have it then make it work for you.

[golfho]

I can only speak for my home country and state. USA the state of florida. We have dual pricing based on residency. The use of parks and county golf courses will have different prices for residents and non residents. Even places like universal studios gives huge discounts for Florida residents....for example Crandon Golf course

December 15, 2009 through April 14, 2010 Monday - Friday resident price $78.50 non-resident price $160.00

I do not agree with this i am only stating that the thais are not the only one practicing this. BTW i have tried to use my thai drivers license in national parks but i was not accepted for a discount....

Crandon $32.00 M-TH 10-2 Dade County Resident. Of course just during the Summer. Deals to be had but got to know your way around.

[golfho]

This is one of those questions where "TIT" is the best answer. Thailand maintains a dual-pricing scheme in all but the best shops. If you go into a shop to buy, say, a new motorcycle, you will wind up paying far more than the average Thai. Why? Because sadly, most uneducated Thai believe that the average foreigner is far, far wealthier than they are. If the Euro exchange rate is 45 to 1, then the average Thai believes we are therefor 45 times wealthier than they are. Attend a national park and you will be asked to pay more for your admission ticket than a local. That is a well-established fact.

As for golf, many--no, make that most--courses (I cannot speak for Hua Hin area courses) charge more for a foreigner. Ask your Thai wife to call and make a tee time for you and they will invariably ask "Farang or Thai?" It definitely makes a difference in how much you will pay. Do we charge a visiting Thai golfer extra fees to play our courses in the West? Absolutely no more than any other non-member would. Scratch the average Thai businessman and you will find a greedy person who wants to milk the deal for all he can...according to his perceived understanding of how much the buyer can afford. They also commiserate with their countrymen and offer discounted prices; after all it is the farang who have steadily vilified this great land and caused rising prices for just about everything.

I love Thailand and intend to stay, but I plainly am able to see through the insincere smiles that adorn many faces here. We have to live with this, swallow our pride and accept the duality or choose to leave for a more justly locale. Even after paying these racially-biased farang greens fees, I believe I am still getting a much more inexpensive golf experience than I would in my home country.

You can either choose to play golf on their greed-motivated terms, get out on the fairways and wait behind 6 and 7-balls of local players who could care less about the farangs behind them, or stay home and sulk about the unfairness of it all.

Fore Man,

You are clearly someone of many years experience here. For the first three or four years here, I would turn up for a Saturday game, rant about waiting behind three groups of five or six-balls on the tee, and then watch as they hacked their way through their third shot just enough to finally get it into the fairway...! It was often painful to watch ... and to wait.

These days, I make a point of playing more weekday golf, where this isn't so much of a problem, with a growing group of golfers called the "Bangkok Midweekers". It is also a much cheaper way of getting around a golf course in four-and-a-half hours!

In essence, I am beginning to believe that the sport is not that much cheaper than it is in the West these days, certainly on weekends.

Not to get to far off OP but is there a organized group of Bangkok Midweek golfers?

[tgeezer]

[quote name='golfho'

Not to get to far off OP but is there a organized group of Bangkok Midweek golfers?

In case you haven't done it already, you can google it.

[PingManDan]

Yes it is very true, I asked the caddie mother at Palm Hills why they did this, her answer "because they have money" you mean Thai's don't have money what a crock of BS !!!!!!!

Usually the price difference can be as high as a 1000 THB per green fee

Edited November 6, 2010 by PingManDan