Welcome to Koh Chang and the Land of Smiles - that will be 320,000 baht please

[tifino]

5 minutes ago, true blue said:

cruise ships visit patong on a regular basis,Wonder what they pay there.

 

5 minutes ago, true blue said:

cruise ships visit patong on a regular basis,Wonder what they pay there.

 

not the same thing.......

 

Patong is not a declared national Park

 

but aside from all this - you're much better off going to Koh SiChang instead...

No Cruise Ships will ever ever go there as it is not pushed as a touristy place

There's real island type normal in fact Thais living there

Plenty of hillside Temples to explore, and the views from above are great!!

HRH RamaV's holidays retreat chalets are all real heritage - and open to view, and all for free,

apart from the initial water taxi ride from SiRacha

[dluek]

Opportunistic bologna. Normally the 200 baht national park fee is collected only when visiting waterfalls overseen by the park, not for simply setting foot on the island. Short-sighted officials went for a quick scammy chunk of cash rather than considering that the cruise ship might return many times if the tourists were treated with respect. 

[Shiver]

Bloody migrant tourists.  Next thing they'll be expected to pay for *not* getting a free house and not getting social security from Thailand.

[Puccini]

Is perhaps all of Ko Chang Noi part of the Mu Koh Chang National Park?

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mu_Ko_Chang_National_Park?wprov=sfla1

[cmth]

No long term vision. Only concerned about how much can I make today. The cruise ship will not be returning and will advise other lines of the issue as well. What could have been a great long term opportunity has been stopped with one swift shot into their own foot.

[sabaii69]

3 hours ago, Inn Between said:

The TAT is thrilled to see 2.4 million spent quickly by the type of quality tourists they hope to attract, so to show their gratitude and entice these ocean liners to repeat such generous stops, they spring a fee of almost $US 10,000 on them.

 

And people actually study for MBA's here? I guess according to the Thai business model, we'll be paying admission to the likes of Big C and Tesco to enter their stores for the privilege of giving them our money. 

People are simply missing the point: Koh Chang is a national park as is Koh Samet and you pay B200 or go away. I paid and got a proper receipt. If you don't want to go to a nice clean beach, Cheap Charlie, you can go to Pattaya Beach and swim with rubbish in the water. You will still have to pay for a spot to sit your cheap butt. My God, go home!

[Maestro]

2 hours ago, eggers said:

Most countries charge "landing fees" for cruise liners nothing to do with "wealth passengers",just a normal fees, same as aircraft landing fees, no bru haha over aircraft fees! What's the big deal 200 b per passenger???

 

From the news article I understand that this was not a "landing fee" but the common national park fee.

[brucegoniners]

How freaking stupid!

 

Penny wise and pound foolish.

 

I'm sure next time they plan the itinerary, the cruise ship will go somewhere else and Ko Chang will get nothing.

 

These people here don't have a clue about business.

[sabaii69]

Be careful of lures to Bailan Beach. There is NO Beach just lots of rocks.

[sabaii69]

1 minute ago, brucegoniners said:

How freaking stupid!

 

Penny wise and pound foolish.

 

I'm sure next time they plan the itinerary, the cruise ship will go somewhere else and Ko Chang will get nothing.

 

These people here don't have a clue about business.

Don't drag your cheap butt to American parks and expect to not pay. As a senior citizen Veteran I still have to pay about B350 and that's a deal. 

[sabaii69]

I wonder if those 'quality tourists' noticed the dual pricing for foreigners for the park fee and for the TAXIS. Yep, my thai lady paid B70 one way to town and I paid B100. Now, about tourist attractions....bend over. Welcome to Thailand. Remember that when you get home and Thai 'strangers' wait on you in your restaurants. CA-CHING NOT!

[LannaGuy]

5 hours ago, robblok said:

No quite normal every foreigner pays to enter Thai national parks (though I was not aware Koh Chang was one of those as i never paid to enter it)

 

Why would big spenders be exempt from paying the National park fee ?

 

another quality post eh? you never paid but they should?

[off road pat]

5 hours ago, canuckamuck said:

So continues the tradition of seeing the small picture so clearly.

Yes,...famous Thai short time thinking,...and blowing up chances this cruse ship (or others) would come back !!!

[LannaGuy]

52 minutes ago, dominique355 said:

Kho Chang is NOT a National Park. I have been there dozens of time and never was charged with any kind of admission fee.

 

My advice to the cruise ship company: Avoid Thailand alltogehther!

And what exactly is a "High end tourist"?

 

 

 

 

 

"high end tourist" is a walking ATM who must be fleeced at every opportunity you don't understand 'Thainess"?   

[Broeno]

For so far the high end tourist. 320.000 in the pocket of a few. Now the low end again.

what a couple of greedy idiots.

[Puccini]

2 hours ago, bmanly said:

I have had several cruises on cruise ships before and I have never had to pay to go onshore anywhere. If I had to pay then I wouldn't go. I have also been to Koh Chang many times, never ever did I ever have to pay an entry fee to visit the island. This was nothing but a scam.

 

Have you been to Ko Chang Noi, where the tourists from this cruise ship reportedly went?

[off road pat]

3 hours ago, cumgranosalum said:

Koh Samed is a National Park and you pay to go on the island - as far as I'm aware the National Park on KC doesn't cover all the island and the PUBLIC ARE NOT ADMITTED - so tell me I'm wrong but at present I can only conclude that this is a barefaced scam.

 

[tuanku]

Something strange about this story. I am sure that a cruise ship with 1400 passengers DID NOT just turn up out of the blue without anyone from the cruise company checking and making arrangements first. Was there no meeting between tourism officials and company reps prior to the visit? if there was then someone did not ask the right questions or someone did not give the right answers. Just as one uses an airport you pay an airport tax, when a ship uses a port there is a tax to be paid. I doubt it was a National Park entry fee. Looking at it realistically it is a drop in the ocean compared to the cruise company's profits and could be written off with a bit more grace by them with representations made through official channels rather than made public. It is a large and unexpected windfall for the tourism authorities and as long as it is legit and passed on properly I personally see no problem with the charge per-se. They might learn a bit from this about being honest up-front when it comes to port charges that's all.

[evadgib]

I couldn't find one depicting a GPMG!

[Inn Between]

39 minutes ago, sabaii69 said:

I said: (Then sabail69 quoted me) 

 

The TAT is thrilled to see 2.4 million spent quickly by the type of quality tourists they hope to attract, so to show their gratitude and entice these ocean liners to repeat such generous stops, they spring a fee of almost $US 10,000 on them.

 

And people actually study for MBA's here? I guess according to the Thai business model, we'll be paying admission to the likes of Big C and Tesco to enter their stores for the privilege of giving them our money. 

-----

 

Quote

People are simply missing the point: Koh Chang is a national park as is Koh Samet and you pay B200 or go away. I paid and got a proper receipt. If you don't want to go to a nice clean beach, Cheap Charlie, you can go to Pattaya Beach and swim with rubbish in the water. You will still have to pay for a spot to sit your cheap butt. My God, go home!

 

 

Well, your assumption that my post was focused on keeping 200 baht in my pocket, calling me a cheap charlie, and requesting I leave the country isn't very nice. but I think it's you who is missing the point. It's that TAT could have capitalized on this situation and made a gesture of welcome by waiving the fee for such an unusually large group or reducing it by 1/2, creating a wonderful media situation rather that a negative one. They have been going one for ages about doing things to attract these types of tourists but nothing was done to take advantage of a good opportunity. But as you are obviously the type who looks for the negative in people  and situations, your post is understandable, yet sad.   

 

(Doesn't nesting quotes work here anymore? How are people supposed to get context? This site needs serious repair work.) 

[steve73]

3 hours ago, cumgranosalum said:

Koh Samed is a National Park and you pay to go on the island - as far as I'm aware the National Park on KC doesn't cover all the island and the PUBLIC ARE NOT ADMITTED - so tell me I'm wrong but at present I can only conclude that this is a barefaced scam.

 

Only part of Koh Samed is a national park... If you visit the northern coastline (turn right when you get off the jetty) there's no fee to pay..  And the main village is also excluded.

...although they'll often try to charge you as you get off the boats. 

[Puccini]

2 hours ago, tomacht8 said:

...
 

The great islands of Koh Chang Noi, Koh Khlum, Koh Wai, Koh Lao Ya and Koh Ko May in the archipelago are admission free visitable...

 

Please see this post that says otherwise:

 

[tails]

4 hours ago, Inn Between said:

The TAT is thrilled to see 2.4 million spent quickly by the type of quality tourists they hope to attract, so to show their gratitude and entice these ocean liners to repeat such generous stops, they spring a fee of almost $US 10,000 on them.

 

And people actually study for MBA's here? I guess according to the Thai business model, we'll be paying admission to the likes of Big C and Tesco to enter their stores for the privilege of giving them our money. 

 

 

well... people already pay companies like nike, adidas and even nok air so they can walk around marketing their products, so why not adopt that concept for entry fees too! 

[4MyEgo]

Karma people, karma, it doesn't matter how much disappointment we all feel, you can't get a cow to eat anything different to grass, so don't be too hard on the cow's, Thai's are definatley not educated to the western standards, so rough rats will always be rough rats, remember, Karma

[Puccini]

1 hour ago, walkoff said:

...However, a list of "National Parks" or other venues that might require an entrance fee doesn't show Koh Chang(sorry if I missed the listing)...

 

Does the list show Ko Chang Noi?

[Puccini]

1 hour ago, TSF said:

Sounds like a BS shakedown to me. I've been 3 times to Koh Chang now and there's no such thing as a National Park fee to go to the island. Koh Samet, yes, but not Koh Chang.

 

 

 

From the news article I understand that these tourists went to Ko Chang Noi. Have you been there? Did you have to pay a fee?

[Puccini]

2 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

Someone local to the area really needs to clarify:

 

--If the place where the tourists would disembark the ship is considered part of the National Park there, then I can see how a park entry fee could be demanded?

 

on the other hand...

 

--if the place where the tourists would disembark the ship is NOT part of the National Park but just nearby, then of course no fee should have been charged.

 

From the OP:

 

"Thai tourism officials in Trat were rubbing their hands in glee when they heard that the Pacific Eden - an Australian luxury liner packed with big spending and wealthy tourists from Britain, Australia and New Zealand - was to anchor off Koh Chang Noi Bay."

 

From the above it is safe to assume that the tourists set foot on Ko Chang Noi.

[Matty83210]

Koh chang pier is not a national park. If the cruise staff paid they are as stupid as the locals !

[impulse]

2 hours ago, bmanly said:

I have had several cruises on cruise ships before and I have never had to pay to go onshore anywhere. If I had to pay then I wouldn't go. I have also been to Koh Chang many times, never ever did I ever have to pay an entry fee to visit the island. This was nothing but a scam.

 

Port fees are included in the price of your ticket.  You paid through the nose, but you didn't know it.  Just like people who fly out of London pay up to hundreds of dollars in airport fees. 

 

https://www.londoncityairport.com/content/pdf/2015-16-fees-and-charges.pdf  http://www.economist.com/blogs/gulliver/2013/03/britains-exorbitant-airport-taxes

 

The cruise line should have known about the fees and taken care of them without a word to the media.  Their bitching is more a reflection of their poor practices than on Thailand's pretty reasonable fees.  It's not as if those docks build themselves and the good fairy cleans up behind the tour groups.

[retarius]

I was in Koh Chang several weeks ago….no charge to disembark from the ferry.