Entry fees into national parks for foreign tourists remain unchanged

[Bangkok Barry]

2 hours ago, maoro2013 said:

Selective pricing like this is illegal in Australia, political correctness no doubt.

And yet an Australian company owns the Aquarium at Siam Paragon and operates dual pricing. I suppose When In Rome.....

[dictater]

'The fee, although high, is not really the issue for me. The issue is that there are more " Rangers " running around collecting fee's, than people keeping the parks clean and in good order. They are going to control numbers? Ha! Has he ever been to Phi Phi Lie? There are more staff there, and housing for the staff, than any other place I have been to. 100 tourists on the beach before 07.30.  I collect rubbish every morning I go there, from the southern lookout. All they do is sweep up leaves! '

 

I am an avid visitor to National Parks and even worked in one for three months many many years ago. They are all well overstaffed, as are most government agencies, and under serviced. I know very well from my time working in a park how the corruption worked there and what the rangers did, not much, and as that was little visited park that 90% of the rubbish came from the rangers and their families that livid in the park. 

 

There has been talk over the years of creating a membership card for foreigners but until the recent crackdown on letting foreigners with Thai ID's in for Thai prices it didn't matter much. I love going to national parks but I hate paying 400 baht to go to a place that should be free. It's really disappointing to read this article and not have the issue addressed at all, or even a reason given for it. Two Tier pricing exists all over Thailand and when the government does it here, and on the railway system, and the government bus system how can we expect shop owners etc... to do otherwise?  

[manhood]

Proceeds from the entry fee are allocated to develop facilities in the parks for the benefit of tourists

Well if that would be happen it would be OK to charge for fees, but the fact is tourists or so called FARANG are overcharged!!!!!!!!

and i have no idea for what the money is used as all the things you can get es a foreigner in any of the parks is just: nothing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

compare to NP's in the USA where you can find information centers and the parks are maintained well

in Thailand the parks are just a money making machinge for some more corrupt people!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

So say no and not go!!!!!!!!!!!!

[hkt83100]

2 hours ago, colinneil said:

One thing nobody has mentioned, is over 60 years old get in free.

A while back , before my accident i took my FIL to the fish caves 15 kilometers north of Mae hong son.

I went to pay and the lady said over 60 free, showed my passport and went in free.

Congratulations, you dealed with a lady, who did not know the rules. I was told this 60-year-bonus is just for Thai people...

[Bangkok Barry]

36 minutes ago, chuang said:

What's all the huluhulu about....if you don't like the fees then don't go...you don't need to be a rocket scientist to know it...no one is forced to visit the parks...

 

As others have said, they DO boycott. I wonder how much the parks lose by overcharging foreigners and if they lose more than they would gain by charging us the Thai price.

[khunPer]

It's fair enough that tourist can pay "little" more than "poor" locals – money is also needed to keep parks and temples and like in good condition – and if you convert 400 baht to foreign currency, which tourists do, it's about $11 or 10€. 

What do you for example get for 10€ as tourist in Europe..?

 

[mrjohn]

I'm not a tourist. I live here.

But farang face = farang price.

[khunPer]

1 minute ago, mrjohn said:

I'm not a tourist. I live here.

But farang face = farang price.

Citizen, permanent resident or expat (long-time tourist)..?

[johng]

31 minutes ago, kannot said:

"poor Thais in their new pickups"

poor Thais and the finance company's new pickups ?

[JonnyF]

I've boycotted them for the last 3 years. Used to go to Erawan a few times per year (paying local rate) but then they started to want the tourist price despite me living here 10 years, having a work permit, driving licence etc. Given that I pay a significant amount of tax here, I see no reason I should be charged 10 or 20 times the price to use public facilities. It's basically because I am Caucasian, no other explanation. So I refuse to support their discriminatory practices and spend my money elsewhere.  

 

For those who think it's OK, maybe they can petition for the practice to be applied everywhere? Maybe you can ask if we can sit at the back of the bus and have separate toilets as well. You're like turkeys voting for Christmas.

 

[robin33]

It isn't the price, it's the principle. Double pricing in Thailand is racist. If they discounted the entry fee for ALL people who lived locally (regardless of nationality), the elderly, disabled etc I'd have no objection.
 

For me it is the price, i do not mind at all paying more. There country there rules.

But i visit multiple national parks on holiday. And think 200. Is okey. But 400 is to much.




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[evadgib]

1 hour ago, chuang said:

What's all the huluhulu about....if you don't like the fees then don't go...you don't need to be a rocket scientist to know it...no one is forced to visit the parks...

Spare a thought for those who find out after a several hour each way drive though eh?

[UlrikDK]

There is only one way to avoid these unfair differences in fees. Stay away from them all. Why should foreigners be the only to finance Thailands National parks. Once again it only shows how they are shooting themselves in the foot. Thai people has no clue whatsoever how to make business. They surely loose many tourists by going on like this. Tourists are for Thailand one of Thailand's highest income sources, but they do everything to ruin it with examples like this as well as their immigration rules. Increase the entrance fee to a realistic price, equal to all no matter of what nationality, is the only fair solution to the all over problem.

[Bluespunk]

1 hour ago, alex8912 said:

Where I come from there are many town beaches that are free for residents with a pass but often $20-25USD for out of towners also state beaches are cheaper for in state residents as well. I think national parks are the same for everyone. The only problem with Thai parks I have are that many are not nearly as clean as they should be. Koh samed is just getting gross, I used to go every year. You can sneak in very easily if you are against the higher price for foreigners or after your friend pays he/ she can walk back by the 7/11 and hand you off the park receipt and if it really bothered most tourists ( which it doesn't seem to) a whole system could easily be in place to exchange the receipts with each other. You enter only once no one would know what day you entered if you stay a few days. After I arrive I go back and forth between the 7/11's outside the park and inside and no one asks for ticket ever. How would you know if there was even a fee? The office is off to the left of entering and I always walk up from the boat instead of getting the stupid truck that stops at the office with all the tourists ?

Does residents encompass foreign nationals who live locally?

[Xonax]

3 hours ago, jlwilliamsjr18 said:

Don't bother going to the parks.  Besides most well travelled areas are littered anyway.  

Let me ask this, what if a Thai family went to the USA and wanted to go to a national or an amusement park and found they had to pay up to 10 times the admission to enter based on their citizenship.  Not very nice... is it?

I actually had to pay 5 times the price what the locals pay, when I visited Universal Studios Hollywood back in 1998.  I paid $ 40 while my local host paid only $ 8.

[Foozool]

They will reconsider their decision when there will be no farang. 

[Monkeyrobot]

It's not only the national parks doing this, there are plenty of places with two tier pricing one attraction in BKK Thais free and Farang 500b another is underwater would paragon . 

[Farang99]

3 hours ago, Diamondbob said:

Ko Samed national Park is exactly the same.
200 THB for foreign adults and 100 THB for foreign children.
For Thais it's 40 THB for adults and 20 THB for children.

It's ALL about the principle, Land of smiles they say, sure we understand why !!!
Outrages and completely wrong!

I'm over 20 years married with a Thai lady and have 2 children, they all can enter under the Thai rate but the moron asked me to pay the foreign fee, <deleted>!

 

I note that all references are to foreign tourists, and there is no distinction between brief visitors and those of us who have a settled life here. At one time and some parks it was possible to gain admission at the Thai rate by showing a Thai driving license, but that too seems to have gone by the board.

[Get Real]

This has been widely know for long time. No problem! Just pay the fee and be happy. If not happy, just don´t visit.
I think that it´s a great business idea that has been working so far. What the tuorists want to see, they can make money on.

[trainman34014]

And these MORONS have the cheek to call us ALIENS !      Lol.

[MartinL]

46 minutes ago, Xonax said:

I actually had to pay 5 times the price what the locals pay, when I visited Universal Studios Hollywood back in 1998.  I paid $ 40 while my local host paid only $ 8.

... and I'd bet that your 'local host' could have been Mexican, Chinese, Swedish or any other nationality -  not only a US Citizen - if they lived in the locality.

[bikerbri]

Simple answer. Don't go.Ask every one else to boycott.

[khunPer]

46 minutes ago, Foozool said:

They will reconsider their decision when there will be no farang. 

There will be plenty of farangs – i.e. tourists – gladly paying as little as $11 or 10€ in entrance fee; the "poor" expats staying away cannot make-it-up for a difference in-low-to-no-fee for all, compared to tourist's willing to pay the asked for...

[elgordo38]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

It also recommended standard control and the number of tourist boats and the control of the number of tourists visiting national parks.

If foreigners are smart they will boycott these venues. Loss if income is all they understand. Anybody that has been to the parks post some pictures show us what we are missing.  

[Thaimike370]

I have children and grandchildren plus friends who visit, we never ever go where there are two prices charged.  The same goes for shopping if there are no prices displayed we never ever buy.  It is not being mean, we just will not tolerate being ripped off.  We are all generous tippers so the only people who lose are the Thais for being greedy.

[JulesMad]

5 hours ago, jlwilliamsjr18 said:

Don't bother going to the parks.  Besides most well travelled areas are littered anyway.  

Let me ask this, what if a Thai family went to the USA and wanted to go to a national or an amusement park and found they had to pay up to 10 times the admission to enter based on their citizenship.  Not very nice... is it?

How many Thai families go to usa? How many usa families go to Thailand?

[janpharma]

Let's just boycot those parcs and warn all tourists...Amazing Thailand...

[JGV]

This seems to confirm the prejudice that exists in Thai society and the notion that it is OK to rip off foreigners

[MikeN]

2 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

And yet an Australian company owns the Aquarium at Siam Paragon and operates dual pricing. I suppose When In Rome.....

I thought that Bangkok Sealife was just copying the Sydney logo, you know, "thainess", but after reading your comment I checked and apparently the Merlin Entertainment Group ( http://www.merlinentertainments.biz/) owns both, and according to Wikipedia ... "Merlin Entertainments is a British-based company headquartered in Poole, Dorset (England), which operates 127 attractions, 19 hotels and 7 holiday villages in 24 countries."

Those attractions range from the Falls Creek and Mt Hotham ski resorts in Australia, various Legolands and Madame Taussauds around the world, and even the Blackpool tower. It is a publicly listed company on the British stockmarket, so If anybody has any shares in them they could always go to the AGM and ask why they practice racial discrimination ! Do they have special prices for Thais at the Blackpool tower, or Madame Taussauds in London ? I bet not !

And actually, looking at the Sealife Bangkok website it is triple pricing....the sign at Siam Paragon just has different 2 prices in Thai and English but according to the website tickets bought online for Thais and expats (must show work permit/license/Thai ATM card/utility bill) are 440baht, for foreigners they are 890 baht, for Chinese 1100.50 baht (charged in US$)

[masuk]

5 hours ago, jlwilliamsjr18 said:

Don't bother going to the parks.  Besides most well travelled areas are littered anyway.  

Let me ask this, what if a Thai family went to the USA and wanted to go to a national or an amusement park and found they had to pay up to 10 times the admission to enter based on their citizenship.  Not very nice... is it?

It's not based on citizenship.  If you look Asian and have dark skin you get in for the local price.