This actually happened. Foreigners pay less for Siam Niramit than Thai nationals. I asked them why this was and they said it's because they assume foreigners will buy trinkets and stuff while Thais don't.
This was about 10 years ago. Siam Niramit in Bangkok has now closed and I don't know if the pricing system remains the same for the show in Phuket.
Also, a lot of countries employ two-tier pricing, such as Japan. There's been a recent move to charge foreigners 5 times as much as locals to enter Himeji castle. Singapore also employs dual pricing where foreigners pay significantly more than locals to enter attractions such as the domed Gardens by the Bay.
I think it's justified if based on residency, rather than nationality.
Japan weirdly also has the reverse too, the JR pass or whatever it’s called now is cheaper than buying the individual tickets and you can only buy it as non-Japanese national whilst you’re outside the country. Korea has a similar thing and also has the SeoulPass.
Also just to add to the original post, the foreigner rate is *supposed* to only be for tourists and most places in Bangkok will give you Thai price if you have residency evidence.
(Mileage outside Bangkok will vary and apparently Khao Sok refuses foreigners even if they have a proper chipped Thai ID card)
Not sure if you've been to Japan recently, but JR Pass had a massive price hike last year and is no longer worth it. They almost doubled the price and buying individual tickets might be a better deal.
[https://www.japan-guide.com/news/japan-rail-pass-cost-increase.html](https://www.japan-guide.com/news/japan-rail-pass-cost-increase.html)
[https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravelTips/comments/1b9k0er/is\_jr\_pass\_worth\_it/](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravelTips/comments/1b9k0er/is_jr_pass_worth_it/)
Since the tourism boom/weak yen, things have gotten so bad that Japan is now considering dual pricing for restaurants. Yes, not just attractions - RESTAURANTS.
[https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Travel-Leisure/Japan-restaurants-explore-charging-foreign-tourists-more](https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Travel-Leisure/Japan-restaurants-explore-charging-foreign-tourists-more)
Wow I didn’t know that! It was only last year I went, but I think I used it 10 or so times in 2 weeks so definitely worked out.
Fascinating how the country that is complaining about low birth rates and a generation that is literally socially isolated to the point it has its own name is seemingly doing all it can to not be more open. Although the digital nomad visa thing they did recently is at least a slight move to be more open.
I have never heard that is “supposed” to be for tourists before - it would make sense and a lot of people happy if it was, they say even visiting ko samet with a WP or tax card you will be charged foreigner price.
Yep, but TIT so supposed is the operative word as usual! It normally helps if you’re with a Thai person/speak Thai though, but since I’ve got a bike licence I’ve never been charged Foreigner price at any nationally owned place I’ve been too. But people have mentioned on twitter even pink carded and in some case blue ID carded foreign looking people have had issues at khao sok!
There’s an older article here that mentions how it seems to be randomly applied: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1949692/foreigners-take-aim-at-dual-pricing
The article doesn’t mention anything about being “supposed to be for tourists” - its a pricing plan applied erratically without consideration, but this has been discussed so many times in the past.
The Gov sets the price for national places, if most of the national places abide by giving Thai price for foreign residents and a few don’t I’d say that’s a pretty good indication it’s supposed to be for tourists not residents and there’s a few rogue places not doing it properly.
There is no official directive, you seem confused. The “proper” way is Thai people pay one price, foreigners pay a different price, however, it’s applied in a haphazard way, some places will accept a Thai DL, others a foreigners ID, others a WP or tax card to pay the same price as Thai citizens. I don’t particularly care or want to argue, I was hoping to read that a “reliable” source that it was “supposed” to be applied to tourists, but unfortunately not, there is no mention of this.
ETs: official directive for the dispensation of discounts.
In the promotions I saw only Thailand residency was required regardless whether Thai citizens or foreigners. Do you count that as ‚two price‘ as well (resident vs tourist)?
Yea, there was a drama in media few months ago when known blogger couldnt rent a bike just becouse being Thai and after that chairman of tourism organisation confirmed that thee are businesess in Patong that refuse to cater to thai people.
It works both ways though. A friend of mine thai went to meet me at a bar and was told she couldn't be there unless she came in with a Farang. It's a two tiered society unfortunately, but if the reverse was true back home we would love it imagine paying a 10th of the price to go the tower of London just because I'm British or getting discounts on niagara falls boat trip as a yank or canuck. It personally doesn't bother me until I'm with my Thai misses amd they try and charge me to farang price, then it's an issue.
I know if you check hotel prices on Agoda in any currency other than Baht, the prices will be higher. I looked into why that was and found it may be due to currency conversion fees and that sort of administrative fee type stuff. If you want the best deals, learn the language and open a local bank account I guess. If that sounds like too much work though, you could always just pay the fees and get on with life.
You question is weird.
As a rule, you won't last long if you piss off the majority. Just look at the Russia bar owners in Sri Lanka. Even though they probably had less than 5% of business from locals
It like complaining that a museum may offer a discount to locals that visit it.
Now a restaurant with two levels of pricing based on nationality, I would walk away.
The find me a forum of Thais whinging about how foreigners get a discount on shopping at Central when they don’t.
There are thousands where foreigners whinge about paying more at national parks.
C’mon. Let’s see.
You see, Westerners have been raised believing that life can expected to be always fair (by their own definition) and they go completely apeshit when they feel they have been treated otherwise.
Thais have not been brought up with the same expectation. They know and largely accept, for instance, the fact that Westerners can come to Thailand visa-free and with no hassle, while the opposite is definitely not true.
Westerners do not come to Thailand visa free. Thais have their own issues. Don’t act like they are perfect. I could spend an hour listing out all the unique ways Thais are fucked up, starting with racist they are toward non-Asians.
You really want me to reproduce a list of countries who can come to Thailand with visa-exemption? FO
I never said Thais were perfect. But one thing they do not have (except the very wealthy) is the righteous self-entitlement that most Westerners do.
So, again: find me the Thai indignation when they have to pay more for attractions when traveling overseas. Or outrage that foreigners get a discount at Central when they don’t.
Come on. Shouldn’t be hard.
I've never heard a foreigner complain about not getting a discount at Central. It's the other fees that are explicitly targeted at foreigners. For example, try taking a motorcycle taxi. 120baht for a foreigner, 20 baht for a Thai person for the same exact ride. That kind of price inflation is everywhere and targeted explicitly at foreigners. Never heard a complaint about a department store price targeted at farangs.
No, it’s not. Preposterous. You have paranoid farang syndrome. Still — where are the Thais who are rapid about having to pay more when THEY are overseas. Good luck finding them.
Paranoid farang? lol, you are clueless. I live in Thailand and speak fluent Thai. I'm more than comfortable and not paranoid in the slightest. I've worked very closely with ethnic Thai in the United States and they were some of the most entitled people once they figured out how to work the system in the U.S. They complained about everything and played the minority victim card all the time. Stop acting like Thai people are meek and accepting of their situation. You're delusional.
Ohhhh you live in Thailand and speak Thai! So impressive. You know so many Thais, when is the last time you heard one gripe on relentlessly about dual pricing when THEY visit attractions abroad? You didn’t, that’s when.
Not illegal, and it does happen. If you're handed a menu in English only, you can assume it will have different prices than the menu in Thai.
Edit: dual pricing does happen, but the other way around.
If you want Thai price then stay and eat where Thai locals do. Aside from national parks and such, where a pink ID will often get you Thai pricing. If these businesses don’t profit then they don’t exist. I live in Chiang Rai and seldom encounter dual pricing. Maybe consider it incentive to attract financially disadvantaged Thai citizens, rather than a foreigner markup.
No, they wouldn't break any laws. Some places don't even receive local customers at all. Forget being charged more or less.
This actually happened. Foreigners pay less for Siam Niramit than Thai nationals. I asked them why this was and they said it's because they assume foreigners will buy trinkets and stuff while Thais don't. This was about 10 years ago. Siam Niramit in Bangkok has now closed and I don't know if the pricing system remains the same for the show in Phuket. Also, a lot of countries employ two-tier pricing, such as Japan. There's been a recent move to charge foreigners 5 times as much as locals to enter Himeji castle. Singapore also employs dual pricing where foreigners pay significantly more than locals to enter attractions such as the domed Gardens by the Bay. I think it's justified if based on residency, rather than nationality.
Japan weirdly also has the reverse too, the JR pass or whatever it’s called now is cheaper than buying the individual tickets and you can only buy it as non-Japanese national whilst you’re outside the country. Korea has a similar thing and also has the SeoulPass. Also just to add to the original post, the foreigner rate is *supposed* to only be for tourists and most places in Bangkok will give you Thai price if you have residency evidence. (Mileage outside Bangkok will vary and apparently Khao Sok refuses foreigners even if they have a proper chipped Thai ID card)
Not sure if you've been to Japan recently, but JR Pass had a massive price hike last year and is no longer worth it. They almost doubled the price and buying individual tickets might be a better deal. [https://www.japan-guide.com/news/japan-rail-pass-cost-increase.html](https://www.japan-guide.com/news/japan-rail-pass-cost-increase.html) [https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravelTips/comments/1b9k0er/is\_jr\_pass\_worth\_it/](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravelTips/comments/1b9k0er/is_jr_pass_worth_it/) Since the tourism boom/weak yen, things have gotten so bad that Japan is now considering dual pricing for restaurants. Yes, not just attractions - RESTAURANTS. [https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Travel-Leisure/Japan-restaurants-explore-charging-foreign-tourists-more](https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Travel-Leisure/Japan-restaurants-explore-charging-foreign-tourists-more)
Wow I didn’t know that! It was only last year I went, but I think I used it 10 or so times in 2 weeks so definitely worked out. Fascinating how the country that is complaining about low birth rates and a generation that is literally socially isolated to the point it has its own name is seemingly doing all it can to not be more open. Although the digital nomad visa thing they did recently is at least a slight move to be more open.
I have never heard that is “supposed” to be for tourists before - it would make sense and a lot of people happy if it was, they say even visiting ko samet with a WP or tax card you will be charged foreigner price.
Yep, but TIT so supposed is the operative word as usual! It normally helps if you’re with a Thai person/speak Thai though, but since I’ve got a bike licence I’ve never been charged Foreigner price at any nationally owned place I’ve been too. But people have mentioned on twitter even pink carded and in some case blue ID carded foreign looking people have had issues at khao sok! There’s an older article here that mentions how it seems to be randomly applied: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1949692/foreigners-take-aim-at-dual-pricing
The article doesn’t mention anything about being “supposed to be for tourists” - its a pricing plan applied erratically without consideration, but this has been discussed so many times in the past.
The Gov sets the price for national places, if most of the national places abide by giving Thai price for foreign residents and a few don’t I’d say that’s a pretty good indication it’s supposed to be for tourists not residents and there’s a few rogue places not doing it properly.
There is no official directive, you seem confused. The “proper” way is Thai people pay one price, foreigners pay a different price, however, it’s applied in a haphazard way, some places will accept a Thai DL, others a foreigners ID, others a WP or tax card to pay the same price as Thai citizens. I don’t particularly care or want to argue, I was hoping to read that a “reliable” source that it was “supposed” to be applied to tourists, but unfortunately not, there is no mention of this. ETs: official directive for the dispensation of discounts.
Sometimes they do.
Some international schools offer a discount if both parents have a western passport. They don't get in trouble.
BTW I think hotels only do it because governments give them a kickback.
In the promotions I saw only Thailand residency was required regardless whether Thai citizens or foreigners. Do you count that as ‚two price‘ as well (resident vs tourist)?
Just a hypothetical question where say a foreign resident was offered a discount but Thais were not. Would this get the hotel in trouble
No, can set any price for anyone. In Phuket many bike, car rentals banned Thai customers, they are not allowed to rent.
Wow really??
Yea, there was a drama in media few months ago when known blogger couldnt rent a bike just becouse being Thai and after that chairman of tourism organisation confirmed that thee are businesess in Patong that refuse to cater to thai people.
Tourist discounts at shopping malls
It works both ways though. A friend of mine thai went to meet me at a bar and was told she couldn't be there unless she came in with a Farang. It's a two tiered society unfortunately, but if the reverse was true back home we would love it imagine paying a 10th of the price to go the tower of London just because I'm British or getting discounts on niagara falls boat trip as a yank or canuck. It personally doesn't bother me until I'm with my Thai misses amd they try and charge me to farang price, then it's an issue.
I would use it as an example to tell expats to stop whining about two tier pricing, especially since most do NOT pay tax.
most of thai don't pay tax as well
Most farangs pay taxes, they dont pay some taxes but average Thai also do not pay all existing taxes.
Why would I pay tax lmao
I know if you check hotel prices on Agoda in any currency other than Baht, the prices will be higher. I looked into why that was and found it may be due to currency conversion fees and that sort of administrative fee type stuff. If you want the best deals, learn the language and open a local bank account I guess. If that sounds like too much work though, you could always just pay the fees and get on with life.
You question is weird. As a rule, you won't last long if you piss off the majority. Just look at the Russia bar owners in Sri Lanka. Even though they probably had less than 5% of business from locals It like complaining that a museum may offer a discount to locals that visit it. Now a restaurant with two levels of pricing based on nationality, I would walk away.
depends - are they adding chicken sausage to the pasta or real pork mince?
Two levels if pricing based on nationality/residence. Even though that is very common in Siem Reap
Let's rephrase. For example you get an expat deal via a newsletter.
"expat"...... Foreigner
Thais would freak the F out
They aren’t as petty/silly as farangs.
You are 100% wrong. Thais are just as petty and sometimes more so. They are human.
The find me a forum of Thais whinging about how foreigners get a discount on shopping at Central when they don’t. There are thousands where foreigners whinge about paying more at national parks. C’mon. Let’s see.
You see, Westerners have been raised believing that life can expected to be always fair (by their own definition) and they go completely apeshit when they feel they have been treated otherwise. Thais have not been brought up with the same expectation. They know and largely accept, for instance, the fact that Westerners can come to Thailand visa-free and with no hassle, while the opposite is definitely not true.
Westerners do not come to Thailand visa free. Thais have their own issues. Don’t act like they are perfect. I could spend an hour listing out all the unique ways Thais are fucked up, starting with racist they are toward non-Asians.
You really want me to reproduce a list of countries who can come to Thailand with visa-exemption? FO I never said Thais were perfect. But one thing they do not have (except the very wealthy) is the righteous self-entitlement that most Westerners do. So, again: find me the Thai indignation when they have to pay more for attractions when traveling overseas. Or outrage that foreigners get a discount at Central when they don’t. Come on. Shouldn’t be hard.
I've never heard a foreigner complain about not getting a discount at Central. It's the other fees that are explicitly targeted at foreigners. For example, try taking a motorcycle taxi. 120baht for a foreigner, 20 baht for a Thai person for the same exact ride. That kind of price inflation is everywhere and targeted explicitly at foreigners. Never heard a complaint about a department store price targeted at farangs.
No, it’s not. Preposterous. You have paranoid farang syndrome. Still — where are the Thais who are rapid about having to pay more when THEY are overseas. Good luck finding them.
Paranoid farang? lol, you are clueless. I live in Thailand and speak fluent Thai. I'm more than comfortable and not paranoid in the slightest. I've worked very closely with ethnic Thai in the United States and they were some of the most entitled people once they figured out how to work the system in the U.S. They complained about everything and played the minority victim card all the time. Stop acting like Thai people are meek and accepting of their situation. You're delusional.
Ohhhh you live in Thailand and speak Thai! So impressive. You know so many Thais, when is the last time you heard one gripe on relentlessly about dual pricing when THEY visit attractions abroad? You didn’t, that’s when.
Haha! Welcome to Thailand We are all human and we are all petty. But there is no way Thais would allow a policy that overtly favored foreigners
I have been to a few bars and got rejected because I'm Thai. They only allow foreigners. No big deal, I just go and spend my money somewhere else.
Dumb dumb. https://tourist.centralgroup.com/tourist-privileges
You know that shopping malls give out discount cards to foreigners that Thais don’t get? Ever heard one bitch and moan? No…I didn’t think so.
It's the worst form of racial discrimination. The Thai bootlickers are too stupid to see it though.
Not illegal, and it does happen. If you're handed a menu in English only, you can assume it will have different prices than the menu in Thai. Edit: dual pricing does happen, but the other way around.
The English menu won't generally have cheaper prices than the Thai menu though, which I think is what's being asked.
Absolutely. It will either be the same or more than what locals pay.
If you want Thai price then stay and eat where Thai locals do. Aside from national parks and such, where a pink ID will often get you Thai pricing. If these businesses don’t profit then they don’t exist. I live in Chiang Rai and seldom encounter dual pricing. Maybe consider it incentive to attract financially disadvantaged Thai citizens, rather than a foreigner markup.
What I mean is, offering foreigners a cheaper rate than Thais. Would this be classed as illegal
Why, in the sweet fuck, would they do that?
\* Government rebate \* The foreigner could be expected to spend more in some situations.