www.fairprice-thailand.org

[stogie bear]

www.fairprice-thailand.org

Fascinating stuff here. I'll move it to the Travel Information forum in a few days...

SB

[Road Runner]

That's why I always send 'Herself' to go and buy the tickets or book the hotel rooms while I hang around outside

RR.

[stogie bear]

Hi RR... Is it something you agree with? I must admit I have no problems with dual pricing so long as it is transparent and obvious. It's no secret that a lot of places have two-tier pricing and the prices are usually clearly placed or labelled.

I prefer to think of the system as a discount for Thais rather than a price hike for farangs!

I also think the system should be adopted in Britain where Thais should pay double for all theatre tickets and parks etc.

Well - fair's fair, right?

[Road Runner]

Hello Stogie,

In one or two cases I think it's OK.

Thais get into the Royal Palace for free where's others have to pay 200 Baht.  It is their palace and they have already paid taxes.  Similarly with the national parks.
In any case the entrance fees are still fairly small and as you say the prices are clearly displayed.

But in other cases no I don't think it's right.  Every hotel we have stayed at in Thailand has dual pricing.  Most of the tourist attractions also.

I have not seen one hotel where the dual pricing has been advertised.
Many of the attractions do admittedly show the different price but as it's in Thai my guess is that many of the less worldly-wise will not realise what's happening.

Like I said  -  I do play the system  -  and often have fun seeing the looks on their faces when I walk in after 'Herself' has paid the Thai price  

RR.

[donnnnnny]

TIT thais have been doing this for donkeys years. if you did the same to them in the uk or here in australia there would be a fucking out cry
enough said

[stogie bear]

This IS new to me. I have never known of any hotels who operate dual pricing and I'd love to know which ones do this. Are they the high end ones or the mid range ones or the dorms with a broken fan? Also are these big city locations or rural ones?

I don't see how this works as most people book on line and the internet prices are almost always cheaper than the walk in price.

Now I'm wondering if I have actually stayed in a hotel that charges different rates and paid extra myself.

I'll take a bit of convincing that there is widespread dual-pricing at hotels in Thailand.

Mind you - I only stay at hotels where almost no Thais would be seen dead!

[Bravo]

"It is their palace and they have already paid taxes. Similarly with the national parks".

Well I have paid the taxes here too so why should I pay extra?

It's racist so don't apologise for it

[Road Runner]

(Bravo @ Apr. 26 2006,14:56) Well I have paid the taxes here too so why should I pay extra?

It's racist so don't apologise for it

Hello Bravo,

Yes it is racist - but the simple fact is that so are most countries in the world. In Thailand it is at least less overt but it's still there.

If you live there and pay taxes then write to your local politician and complain.
I'm not in any position to change things. My status on my visa when I am there is 'Tourist'

RR.

[stogie bear]

It's not racist. Get real. They don't charge higher prices because they don't like foreigners! They do it because farangs have more money. It's simple economics!

It is discriminatory, but not racist.

[Road Runner]

(stogie bear @ Apr. 26 2006,14:24) This IS new to me. I have never known of any hotels who operate dual pricing and I'd love to know which ones do this. Are they the high end ones or the mid range ones or the dorms with a broken fan? Also are these big city locations or rural ones?

I don't see how this works as most people book on line and the internet prices are almost always cheaper than the walk in price.

I'll take a bit of convincing that there is widespread dual-pricing at hotels in Thailand.

Hello Stogie,

Like I said  -  they don't advertise it.  I can't say for sure how widespread it is because we've only been to a few places round the country so far. Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Pattaya, and Korat.

We normally stay in hotels which charge around 1000-2000 Baht.  As you say the internet rates are normally 10-20% lower than the desk rate.
I can't be sure what the additional discount is as I rarely do any bookings in Thailand these days. I would say that it's probably around 5-15%.
This will of course vary depending on what the desk rate is.  You ain't going to get a 40% reduction on a 600 Baht desk rate  

I remember the hotel in Korat gave about a 15% discount on the internet  -  Herself got a 5% further reduction.

The one we regularly use in her hometown has a rate of I think 1150 per night.  The internet rate is 1000 which is a good discount.  We pay 900!  
I don't know the price for the other (not so good) hotel there.  The internet rate is 900  -  Herself books it for 800.

In Bangkok I know the Omni Tower gives about a 5% discount to Thai's.  I don't know about the others because at the time I was staying in them I was not aware of this scam.

Against this if you plan on staying in one hotel for an extended period it is worth e-mailing them before you make a booking and seeing what discount they give  -  20% is not uncommon.

RR.

[stogie bear]

It sounds like what you are describing is standard hotel practice around the world. Different rates for different situations.

I know that corporate rates in the US are pretty high and the same room can be found on line for up to 40% of the corporate rate. But if you simply walk in the door you get another rate again. Then you get 5% if you hire from Hertz or 10% if you pay by "I'm A Rch Cunt" Visa and if you simply call direct you may be able to haggle then there are the millions of on-line so-called booking agents who, once again, have their own tariff that they can offer.

Now - these all change depending on what time of year you go, too! High season, off season, low season, New Years, Easter...

So - getting a room on the cheap is possible but complicated!

I'm still not conmvinced of arbitrary duel pricing for foreigners and Thais, though...

I need more (specific) examples! On the other hand I don't! Who cares anyway!

[stogie bear]

Oh, and by the way... I'm not being pedantic or anything, but I think the word "characteristics" should appear between the words 'certain' and 'of' in your signature...

[Road Runner]

(stogie bear @ Apr. 26 2006,17:28) It sounds like what you are describing is standard hotel practice around the world. Different rates for different situations.

Now - these all change depending on what time of year you go, too! High season, off season, low season, New Years, Easter...

I'm still not conmvinced of arbitrary duel pricing for foreigners and Thais, though...

Hello Stogie,

Yes you are right about the varying rates  -  all travel and holiday business do that.
You can even get computer software that works out from who and how you are sqeezing the most money  

But they don't drop the rates in the west just because you happen to be from the same country.
That I have only found in Thailand so far  -  though I would not be surprised if someone has come accross another example.


There is an easy way to prove that hotels have duel pricing.

You can check the internet rates easily  -  there are plenty of discount sites  -  Asia Travel - Asia Rooms - Latestays  etc.....

The desk rates are not always so easy although often the hotel's own site does list them and many of the discount sites like to trumpet the saving.

Then get your terak to phone up and in her best 'girly' voice     ask how much.  Not all hotels will tell you on the phone but most will.

RR.

[donnnnnny]

i've got a visa card but i'm not a rich cunt???

[stogie bear]

You can check the internet rates easily - there are plenty of discount sites - Asia Travel - Asia Rooms - Latestays...

Not all hotels will tell you on the phone but most will.

Firstly - the above sites use the same high-quoting software to find these so called "exclusive" room prices. And none of them have the hotel phone number on their sites so you can't phone the hotels direct. These online booking agents are amongst some of the worst places to buy cheap rooms.

The internet rates that are actually set by the hotels on their own websites are usually significantly cheaper than these online reservation ripoffs. They often have promotional deals.

Calling direct usually manages to elicit the best price, but it works better when you are in Thailand of course and you don't have to plan your itinerary weeks ahead of time...

moving on...

Are you saying that there are hotels that will not tell you what they charge even if you call them directly on the phone? I think I may have misunderstood you here.