Fair Pricing? More like farang pricing—As if a retired Brit in Pattaya is more damaging to a waterfall than a weekend tourist from Bangkok
In the so-called Land of Smiles, you can always count on a warm welcome — just make sure your wallet’s ready. Without a Thai ID, that friendly smile might cost you double, because ‘fair pricing’ here often means one price for locals and another for everyone else. (File Photo)
PATTAYA, Thailand – The phrase “fair pricing” in Thailand, especially in tourist hubs like Pattaya, often feels more like the setup to a joke than a serious policy. For many expats and long-term visitors, the punchline comes when they discover the well-known but rarely addressed practice of dual pricing — where foreigners are charged significantly more than locals for the exact same services, attractions, or even basic necessities.
It’s a system so normalized that it’s often posted in plain sight. Visit a national park? Thais pay 40 baht. Foreigners? Try 200. Go to a public hospital? Locals get subsidized rates, while foreigners — regardless of visa status or years spent living, working, and paying taxes in Thailand — face inflated bills. Even some temples and museums apply it, despite being funded in part by public money.
One recurring grievance among both expats and foreign tourists across Thailand—not just in Pattaya—is the issue of dual pricing. A recent viral clip from a Phuket tour guide reignited the debate, as she pointed out that while foreign tourists are often criticized for haggling over taxi fares, few mention the steep entrance fees to national parks. In her case, her clients were charged 400 baht per person to enter a popular waterfall, compared to the lower rate for Thai nationals.
The guide noted that many visitors, upon learning the fee, declined to enter. “Everything is going up—except what people are willing to pay taxi drivers,” she said, adding that the park admission fee had doubled from 200 baht earlier this year. Her remarks struck a chord with many online, who applauded her for candidly addressing what they see as a long-standing but rarely challenged issue in Thai tourism.
Dual pricing divides visitors and locals alike—expats highlight the growing frustration over ‘farang tax’ in Thailand’s tourism hotspots. (File Photo)
What’s particularly galling is how quietly the system is upheld. Ask government agencies or tourism officials about it, and you’ll get vague responses about maintaining fairness or preserving national resources — as if a retired Brit who’s lived in Pattaya for 15 years and supports the local economy is somehow more damaging to a waterfall than a weekend Bangkok tourist.
Despite repeated outcries from expat communities and travel bloggers, no government — past or present — seems eager to touch this issue. There’s no real political will, likely because it’s seen as a minor grievance from a group that doesn’t vote and isn’t organized enough to demand reform. Meanwhile, the term “farang tax” has become common slang — a half-joke, half-resignation to the reality that if you look foreign, you’ll pay more. Period.
It’s not about wanting everything for free. Most long-term visitors understand that tourists pay more everywhere in the world — but this isn’t just about tourist traps. It’s a policy baked into national institutions. It draws a hard line between “us” and “them,” even when “them” are people who call Thailand home.
Until that changes, the idea of “fair pricing” in Thailand will continue to be one of the country’s more ironic slogans. You can buy a smile in the Land of Smiles — just be prepared to pay double for it if you’re not holding a Thai ID.
Foreign tourists pay 400 baht each to enter a popular waterfall, while Thai nationals pay significantly less — a clear example of the dual pricing system frustrating many expats and visitors.
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