National Park Pricing, The Other Side

[Mekong]

There are often many negatives posted about "Dual Pricing", and here is my latest experience with it.

 

The wife and I were up in Ubon this weekend and decided to borrow her fathers car and drive over to Pah Tam National Park whilst there.

 

It had heard back in September that NP prices were due to double, then there was some debate about wheter it was going to happen or not, It happened its now 40 Baht for Thai, 400 for Foreign National.

 

Since we had flown to Ubon I just so happened to have my passport on me and thought I would try out showing them my passport / work permit and explaining that as a Tax Payer here I should be exempt from the Foreign National uplift and should be entitled to Thai pricing.

 

I was suprised when the gate staff replied "One Moment we will check this out" and 3 mins and a couple of phonecalls later they informed me that I was correct and I was entitled to the Thai fee.

 

I was so suprised at the fact that my query was treated with an efficiency not often witnessed over here I paid the total 80 Baht entry fee with 200 Baht whilst thanking them for their assistance.

 

As for the NP Boring as Shite but at least the shite cost me 240 Baht less than it could of done.

[WorldFun]

great stuff, but did you say you tipped staff for doing their job?

[Nervous_Dog]

I never pay farang fee, EXCEPT on Loi Kratong when someone at the zoo insisted so rather than get bullish I bowed to the romance of the evening

 

Showing your Soc Sec Card usually works for me

 

DOG

[PhilAnders]

I just so happened to have my passport on me and thought I would try out showing them my passport / work permit and explaining that as a Tax Payer here I should be exempt from the Foreign National uplift and should be entitled to Thai pricing.

 

 

 

I was so suprised at the fact that my query was treated with an efficiency not often witnessed over here I paid the total 80 Baht entry fee with 200 Baht whilst thanking them for their assistance.

quote]

 

 

Well done.

 

[Mekong]

great stuff, but did you say you tipped staff for doing their job?

 

 

I was in Shock!

 

[Flashermac]

I used to get into places like the Grand Palace and the Nat Museum ... SOMETIMES ... by showing my Thai temporary civil service ID card. But about 1/3d of the time, the bunghole at the entrance would say, "No, you Farang. You pay!"

 

It's a hit or miss situation.

 

 

[Guest lazyphil]

fuck i'll learn thai just to tell a park official, 'look buster i've been to the grand canyon national park, heard of it?...its fucking awesome and i payed the same as a local american, so stick your double fee up your arse'

[Torneyboy]

Good win

[Hugh_Hoy]

I bet 100% of the board could live to be 500 years old and not be able to translate that into thai with the same meaning and emphasis :grin:

 

HH

[cardinalblue]

I am sorry but giving them a 200 baht tip is showing off arrogance and "I am wealthy" attitude...

 

So the next time a foreigner goes to this park, that employee will think "How much will he give me?" 200 baht sounds about right and if he shows no signs of coughing up now an expected tipping fee, iwill put a bug in his ear...

 

Could you imagine a thai givnga tip which amounts to more than a day's wage of a laborer. It's like the arab tipping $50 bucks for a $12 meal. Yeah the money is nice for staff but what is left is a longer lasting resentment towards the giver (i am better, i am wealthier, i can but anything i want including you)..

 

CB