Column – Farang, a walking bag of money in slippers
In Thailand, as a Western foreigner, you are not just a tourist, but a walking bag of money in flip-flops. Whether you are living off your last savings or trying to survive on a backpacking budget, the myth of the rich farang remains persistent. How did this stereotype come about and why does it still persist? Time to scratch off the gold leaf.
Why should foreigners pay more for a hotel?
I want to go away with family for a few days and run into these hotel rules. I see this at more and more hotels and I feel more than sewn. I live in Thailand and my wife and children are Thai.
Thailand's Ministry of Tourism plans to ask hotel operators to implement a dual pricing system, where foreign visitors can be charged rates similar to pre-pandemic period, while locals can continue to enjoy deep discounts.
Despite efforts by the TAT to end Thailand's hated two-price system, it remains. So if you look like an Asian, you pay 300 baht for the Chiang Mai Night Safari, but if you look like a white-nose farang, you pay 800 baht for exactly the same trip.
The dual price system in Thailand
If you know Thailand a little better or even live here, there is a good chance that you have already come into contact with the double price display. This means that different prices apply to different groups of people for the same product or service. In other words, for the same product or service, a Thai often pays considerably less than a foreigner.
Dual pricing by Thai state hospitals is legal
Erwin Buse is a Dutchman who has been in conflict for years with the administration of a state hospital in Hua Hin and the Ministry of Health in Bangkok. He underwent many cancer treatments in that hospital and noticed that he had to pay several hundred baht more than a Thai patient.
Different entrance fees at attractions in Thailand
Whenever sights are discussed on Thailandblog, the entrance fee is often discussed at the end. Thailand often uses double prices at national parks, for example. An entrance fee for the Thais, ditto for farangs with a Thai driving license and without a Thai driving licence. A discussion often breaks out about this rule.
The Facebook group 2PriceThailand denounces the two-price system in Thailand and comes up with examples that foreign tourists in Thailand sometimes have to pay 10 times more for a local tourist attraction than Thai.
Reader question: Are farang being squeezed in Thai hospitals?
Went to Memorial Hospital Pattaya today for dental treatment. I had an abscess/inflammation of a crowned tooth. Dentist spoke good English. First an X-ray was taken, then it turned out that a 'deep cleansing' had to be performed with local anesthesia. Of course also immediately prescribed antibiotics and received antiseptic mouthwash. Total cost Baht 2.478 with a credit card exchange rate of 31,35.
Double price system now also in state hospitals in Thailand
Foreigners who use a Thai state hospital for medical treatment or other services could face higher prices from the end of September than those for Thai nationals and people from neighboring countries.
Reader Submission: Double pricing system in Thailand
There has been some commotion lately about the different entrance fees in Thailand. Just a small comment about that; Yesterday we went with a visit from Belgium to the Royal Park in Chiang Mai. According to the website, the entrance fee is 200 Baht for farang and 100 BHT for Thai. Of course, this is still a bargain compared to European entry prices.
Everyone who lives here or stays longer in Thailand knows that there is a system of double entry fees for foreigners. A few years ago you could also buy a ticket as a foreigner on presentation of your Thai driver's license for the same price as a Thai. In many cases that will no longer work, even with a yellow house book.
Reader submission: Farang entrance fees at Khao Yai National park
It's Christmas Day 2015, shining sun, you've washed your car, vacuumed it and you're dressed in your Christmas best. A wonderful day to visit the wine regions north of Khao Yai National Park.
A remarkable report in Bangkok Post about a Thai who visits a popular tourist destination in Krabi with his friends. Because the man looked a lot like a Farang (foreigner), he had to pay ten times (!) for his entrance ticket.
Reader Submission: The dual pricing system in Thailand
Since the beginning of February 2015, prices have increased for more than 30 national parks and attractions. The biggest annoyance for many foreigners is the 'Two-price system' where the prices of foreigners differ greatly from those of the Thai population.
The sneaky two prize system at the Asiatique Ferris Wheel in Bangkok
Blogger Richard Barrows calls on foreigners to boycott the Ferris wheel at Asiatique in Bangkok and, above all, to make everyone aware of the sneaky way they are trying to get foreigners to pay more.
The two-price system in Thailand
Everyone here is sometimes confronted with the two-price system. For the Thai 100 Baht and for the foreigner 500 Baht, just to name a few. We will have to accept that we cannot change this.
A farang? Please pay double…
Thailand is a beautiful country to live in or to visit as a tourist. There are, however, a few caveats left and right. An example of this is the hated double pricing system. A much discussed and controversial subject among tourists, expats and pensioners.