Found a great website that is addressing racist pricing in Thailand www.faireprice-thailand.org

Many of the places it mentions having dual prices based on race are the exact places being asked about here.

Take a look and read the Aims and Objectives - in my mind quite a well thought out website.

WHY would you call it Racist? Special prices for Thais is what I would call nationalist not racist.

To quote what you wrote "Many of the places it mentions having dual prices based on race are the exact places being asked about here" if that is true then if you are a mongoloid, from Asia, Europe or the Americas - even native American Indians, Esquimos etc(yes they are all from the same race as most of the people from Thailand) you will get the benefit of a lower price!

I've read some of the comment on the web site and most of it is absolutely absurd! Re the Metered Taxis input, Thais are waived the 35 baht(75 US Cent) minimum charge - that is absurd! I'm a Thai and that's crap. Under the "All National Park" comment - yes Thais get a lower entrance fee because Thais pay Tax for these parks!

Some other comments are really stupid on this web site and it is obviously edited by some morons and for you "DadOn The Road" to call it Racist pricing is absolutely stupid.

I have to agree with Hanuman. Everywhere in the world (yes, even the US) there are atttractions that charge different prices for locals than non-locals (having nothing to do with race). Locals are taxpayers, so they've already contributed to the cost of an attraction.

Here,in L.A. county, during the low season, we have different prices for Disneyland tickets. In the slow season if one lives in one of the zip codes listed, then one pays a lower price for a ticket than someone who isn't considered a local. And across the States there are different university tuition rates depending on whether one is a resident of that state or not. Considering the fact that we in California pay high state taxes, then we pay lower tuition than someone who is not a residient. Plus some states don't pay state tax. So, what's the difference with Thais, who pay Thai tax, getting a lower rate to enter a national park? Happy Travels!

I'll bite. What US attractions charge more for non-US citizens?

I can see a charge based on whether you are a resident of a place (like a county park or beach in the US), but what DadOnTheRoad is talking about are charges based on citizenship. To the best of my knowledge, while the Grand Palace and the Uffizi are cheaper for Thai and EU nationals respectively, residents of Bangkok and Florence/Tuscany don't get a special break, the discount is based on citizenship.

I agree that many other countries do charge less for citzens, but was not aware that the US did, esp for national parks and other federally-owned sites.

I agree 100% with Kathie, and I would like to add something: all of us accept that Thailand is one of the most visited in Asia, and one of the of the reason of this is the low prices. So, in these conditions, why are you angry that Thai people pay less? Do you know how low are their salaries? Do you know that all these low prices (that we have to pay) are very high for them?

Why you are not angry that for a 5 starts hotel, with excelent services and food, you pay less than for 2 starts hotel in US / Europe / Canada?

N.B. - I am not from Thailand!

is that web site still up.. I cant seem too get into it..

ohh.. you know IM itching too post on this subject.

A developing economy that provides a lower fee for it's citizens to visit national parks isn't racist - IT IS ESSENTIAL!

The biggest pressure on wildlife and on National Parks in developing countries comes from over-development. One way to stop overdevelopment from destroying parkland and killing wildlife, is to create a sense of national pride in the natural beauty of a country and to generate LOCAL interest in the environment as a balance against those pushing for all-out development.

This is a strategy the World Wildlife Fund has used for at least a decade in Africa by diverting funding to allow native Kenyan's to visit their own national parks.

BTW, Disney gives a price break to Florida residents. Mount Snow, Vermont gives on to Vermont residents. It's not racist. It's called trying to generate business in the quiet periods.

Cicerone...Whether it's federally owned or not, the point I was making is that there is a two-pricing system at Disneyland...it's just that that system is a resident...of certain L.A. and Orange County zip code areas... vs. a non- resident system. So, people of other areas of California will also pay a higher price for a ticket in the low season since they are classified as tourists.The bottom line...everyone is not paying the same price. Happy Travels!

Try to use the beach in my town and you'll pay. The sticker on my windshield will let me in free.

I just checked out the website and is not as "stupid" as hanuman made it seem.. the site is basicly a message board where people poste if a place in thailand has dual pricing or not. and as in this forum others post too confirm or debate the origninal post..

as for the TAXI meter thing it was obviously FALSe and if ya actually check out the site the webmaster himself has said it was nonsence and put it under the NO dual pricing list. as far as the website it's actully a good place too find out the price of things.. Im actully going too bookmark it..

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Im a hispanic farang who hss been living in bangkok for about 2 years and I have too deal with this stuff just about everyday.. In most cases I don't think the practice is racist or nationalist it's just ancient haggling (murchant skills). one of my ex girl fraind is a wholesale cloths salesperson and she told me that she charged farang and thais by the wasy the dress, look, act. basicaly she tried too gaige your status and start the haggling from too try too get herself the best margins..

- If I have a big ticket item too buy I always try too have a thai fraind come with me or go buy the itam for me...

-in general I shop in regular deparmentn stores where prices are marked but it I want too by something were I need too haggle or atleast be offered a lower price I try too dress like a bum.

-there are just too many veriables in this matter. location is also important if you buy things in sakunivit rd or along river you'll get charged more. but if you go too some of the outer districts farangs get the same price as thais..

- many white expats love complaining about everything.. they don't realize that the japanees also get the same treatment since they are sceen too be wealthy.. and the white expats also don't realize that they are actually verry lucky in many ways and one is that they are actually not trully discriminated against is are some Muslims and Aficans in thailand

I agree that differential pricing makes sense in some situations, especially for publicly-funded facilities such as parks. I will share a story of differential pricing that was very frustrating. I was in KL about 2 and half years ago, while traveling throughout SE Asia. As a foreigner it was nearly impossible to get a taxi driver to go by the metre. The common excuse was that it was broken. A more honest driver even admitted to me that it was a crooked practice only used on foreigners. Some may argue that it is simply someone being opportunistic. However, this behaviour certainly discourages tourism. I found the same behaviour in Thailand, but not to the same extent as KL. Would you call this practice racist?

Most of my Thai friends think that the cultural ponit of view is that if you have more you are expected to pay more. They all act like its just the Thai way of life. If I am just going there as a tourist, and buying tourist kind of stuff I dont mind paying a few bucks more for something. Especially because what I make in a month is more than most people there make all year.