Thai Economics 101: Baht Bus Fares

I know its a hot-button topic for many farang to discuss equality to their Thai brethren regarding baht bus fares. I personally don't mind paying a bit more than the locals, but I understand others' insistance on not paying extra.

Now, that said, there is a fascinating quote from the president of the Pattaya Transport Cooperative on page three in the June 23, 2006, issue of Pattaya Mail. The article is titled: "Baht bus chief says fares set in accordance with Land Transport Department guidelines", with a sub-title: "Says foreign tourist fares are higher because of currency differences".

Yes, indeedy folks, the baht coming from the pocket of a visiting falang has different value than baht coming from the pocket of a Thai. Apparently it has to do with foreign exchange rates. Right.

The articles clarifies that the president ot the PTC "said that foreign tourist fares are higher than normal fares because the value of the Thai baht and foreign currencies are different and that most tourist cities have the same pricing strategies." Huh??? Other tourist cities, such as Honolulu, Monaco or Singapore? Or, other tourist cities, such as Udon Thani, Songkhla or Buriram?

I had NO idea that those humble baht bus drivers were so intimately aware of, much less involved with, the wonderful world of foreign exchange markets. Amazing Thailand, yes it is! ;-)

[TrongpaiExpat]

I have on several occasions observed Chinese, Asian Americans and other Asian nationalities get the "Thai" price and it's not a case of mistaken nationality.

The Pattaya songtows are a bargain compared to Phuket and Ko Samui where the Farang gets a real soaking. I have noticed that in Issan cities they have not yet learned how to inflate prices for the farang.

Some of the national parks list the entry price in English and then in Thai script list the Thai price.

Any of you who have retirement visa's ever try showing it to one of these establishments and saying I am not a foreign tourist, I live here?

That is hilarous though, but better shut up, because if they "think" about this too much, pretty soon they will be demanding 10 dollars instead of 10 baht. They might say, it is fair, everybody pays 10!

[Davey612]

Well, maybe I am not stealing the general topic - how Thais treat foreigners.

Anyway, even the Singapore government is not immune. See today.reuters.com/business/newsArticle.aspx?type=media&storyID=nBKK234522 (http://today.reuters.com/business/newsArticle.aspx?type=media&storyID=nBKK234522). I wonder whether they think buying the Shin corporation was such a good thing.

See also nationmultimedia.com/2006/06/22/politics/politics_30006997.php (http://nationmultimedia.com/2006/06/22/politics/politics_30006997.php)

[Doug]

Today, in the Canadian parliament the prime minister officially apologized for the racist mistreatment of the Chinese over 80 years ago. Chinese workers were invited to come to Canada to help build the railways across the country at very low wages. Over 1000 died in the effort. When the railways were completed, Canada decided it had no further use for the Chinese and, in a effort to force them to return to China, a head tax equivilent of 2 years wages was demanded of the laborers. Also, any further immigration from China was blocked keeping families apart. This immigration ban wasn't lifted until 1949.

This is a very black mark in Canadian made even blacker by the years of delay in doing what is right. $20,000 will be given to those charged the head tax but now there are only 22 still alive and the offer doesn't extend to offspring.

I do not begrudge paying a little more as a foreigner in Thailand but I do not accept being taken advantage of. It's a difference I can recognize within my own circumstances.

DELETED

Yes, it is racism and thuggery, and yet it is worth an extra 5 baht to avoid having your face smashed in.
I figured once for a farang resident who relies on the baht bus, paying double for every ride could easily amount to an extra thousand or two dollars a year annually, so it isn't chicken feed when you look at it that way. Also remember there are no transfers on baht buses. It often takes 3 legs to get somewhere. That's 3 fares. 3 times overcharged.

I have entered the parks and the Tiger Zoo on Thai entrance fees by just showing my Thai drivers license.