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.
The Thai cabinet has decided to increase the entrance fees for historical monuments and national museums in Thailand, but this increase only applies to foreign visitors. This price increase applies to all foreigners, regardless of whether they are married to a Thai partner and have children, or are simply tourists.
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.
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.
