The Thainess Thread

[baa99]

...

 

A farang, on a two week visit, pays no taxes and not working here.

 

Thus = Thais pay lower, because they pay taxes (maybe)

 

Tourists do pay taxes! You have forgotten the VAT and airport taxes. Probably pay more taxes than the Generals.

[cavanami]

One notion that many Thais have of a farang being rich....but they do not know of all the taxes the farang has to pay!

 

Yes, I make $100,000 US dollars (or whatever)...and before I see that money the US gov takes, say, 25%, then the State

gov takes another 5%, then I pay property tax, $10,000/year and then sales tax on everything I buy, 7%...etc etc etc

 

That $100,000 is now reduced to $50,000/year or less!!!

 

So as a farang, I do not have big money to pay the dual pricing, besides I live and work here and I pay taxes...how many Thais

pay taxes, damn few and what they pay is much, much less than what I pay!!!

[khunsanuk]

Hi,

 

"Many museums and national heritage sites stipulate dual pricing on entry, which is never usually more than a hundred Baht’s difference, but enough of a difference to rile some expats."

 

Actually, it is more like 10 times. I seem to recall national parks are 20 Baht for Thais, 200 Baht for non-Thais.

 

The economics angle doesn't fly either, as Thais don't pay according to their means. If a farang making 5 times what an average Thai makes should pay 5 times the price, then logically a Thai making 5 times the average should also pay 5 times.

 

Sanuk!

[cavanami]

No matter how you cut it, someone will get bloody...

[Flashermac]

The admission fee to the Grand Palace is 400 baht. Thais (and Chinese who know enough to keep their mouths shut) get in free. In the early 1980s I worked with a well known Thai prince on a photo book about the mural paintings in the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. If I went there with the prince, I got in free. But when I went by myself, I was asked to pay - even though I was working for nothing with the Royal Charities.

 

TIT

[Dexi]

When I first visited Pai,up in the far north,we had a bike ride out of town to the hot springs.There was very little there in the way of infrastructure for visitors,just an old dilapidated wooden shed without walls that looked about 50 years old.Although the hottest part of the springs were at a temperature at which eggs could be cooked in a few minutes,lower downstream one could relax among rocks in pleasantly warm/hot water.I went back last year and nothing had changed apart from an official standing at the gate and a sign board on which was written - Entry 250 Bt.Needless to say,I did not go in.Market forces will come into play as in all areas of life and charges will increase to the level which the gullible farang will pay

[Guest]

Strange you should be talking about this topic, in fact only yesterday I was in the palace with some German tourists who were relatives of a good friend and expat working here in Thailand. They remarked how ludicrously cheap the taxis in Bangkok were and also the admission charge, and had no problem with myself being admitted free.

 

The tourists that I have met over the years who vacation in Thailand for just a few weeks, really don't count up the 20 bahts as if they are counting a fortune. Or worry about telling a taxi driver to keep the change or giving him a 100 baht tip or something. Tourists simply don't care they are on holiday to enjoy themselves and spend money accordingly.

 

Now being an expat is entirely different, many are on limited resources perhaps a pension or limited savings, where money has to be taken more seriously. But these particular farang are not visiting tourist attractions as much, and if there is the odd instance they might want to, the admission fees are no more than the price of a packet of cigarettes in their own countries.

[Flashermac]

The murals have to be repainted every so many years. Bangkok's humidity takes a heavy toll on the paintings.

 

"They remarked how ludicrously cheap the taxis in Bangkok were..." I wonder if they know how ludicrously low wages are in Thailand, even for jobs requiring a university degree (and maybe even several degrees).

 

First thing I learned in Thailand was to think in baht, not dollars. I'm not paid in dollars, so the comparison is irrelevant.

[The_Munchmaster]

Entry to Thai zoos is typically B50 (£1) for Thais and B100 (£2) for farang (entry to zoos in the UK typically costs ~B1000 (£20) for everyone).

 

Entry to Petra in Jordan is JD1 (£1) for locals and JD50 (£50) for foreigners!

[Guest]

" So many times, I've seen the eyes of the vendor light up with greed on my approach, mental calculations spinning wheels in their heads, visions of Mercedes Benz floating in their minds."

 

Wearing the diamond encrusted Rolex, the hand stitched crocodile Pierre Cardin shoes, Cad & the Dandy shirt, the Ray Bands and the Armani suit all at the same time maybe the problem ..