Differential pricing in tourism and hospitality

[18past19]

…. is unfortunately universal everywhere. But I am afraid price discrimination towards tourists is more harsh here in Thailand. I can understand free admission for locals to temples and palaces or other heritage sites etc whilst tourists will be charged a fee. But i am surprised to learn that there are different prices for tourists at certain restaurants too. and i am not sure if it is even ethical to do so with meals  

e.g. the price difference for a buffet dinner atop Baiyoke sky hotel is almost 200 baht between tourists versus locals. 

🧐😞😞😞

[Marc in Calif]

50 minutes ago, 18past19 said:

the price difference for a buffet dinner atop Baiyoke sky hotel is almost 200 baht between tourists versus locals.

 

You're privileged to be able to live in or visit their country for sex holidays. I wouldn't complain about US$6.

[18past19]

It is more about the principle than the real amount. 

[Marc in Calif]

8 minutes ago, 18past19 said:

It is more about the principle than the real amount. 

Well, these places are private businesses. They can do as they want, can't they? 

Your "principles" (ethics? morals?) might be different from theirs. Welcome to the world of international travel and cultural/social differences! 🌏

[PeterRS]

3 hours ago, 18past19 said:

It is more about the principle than the real amount. 

If you spend too much time worrying about principles, I'd forget about travel. Many countries have different prices for tourists one way or another. Just put it down to experience. If you take it to an extreme, in my own country the UK I pay more to visit Heritage sites because many locals are paid up annual members and can access as many as they want over a 12 month period. Why should I have to pay proportionately more than they do? Because I'm a one-time visitor. That's perfectly fine with me. I don't pay taxes in Thailand. If occasionally I have to pay more than a Thai to enter a national park or even a restaurant, that's also perfectly fine.

[vinapu]

while I generally don't mind price difference  for locals and tourists when comes to admission or even transportation I think example given by 18past19 is gross and  prime example of corporate greed specially , that as one can imagine , it won't be poor locals who will be dining atop of Baiyoke

6 hours ago, Marc in Calif said:

Well, these places are private businesses. They can do as they want, can't they? 

 

including spitting into my soup before serving  ? really?

[alvnv]

11 hours ago, 18past19 said:

the price difference for a buffet dinner atop Baiyoke sky hotel is almost 200 baht between tourists versus locals. 

🧐😞😞😞

They might believe that tourists eat more (or waste food) than locals.

If we don’t like it, we could take our business elsewhere.

I think that the cardinal mistake is calling it a local/Thai vs. farang/tourist price. People might not mind it as much if the price was presented as regular and discount (for locals, seniors, military, etc.)

[Latbear4blk]

4 hours ago, vinapu said:

I think example given by 18past19 is gross and  prime example of corporate greed

I could not say it is corporate, but a relatively wealthy visitor complaining about paying six extra bucks sounds greedy and gross. 

[Marc in Calif]

43 minutes ago, Latbear4blk said:

I could not say it is corporate, but a relatively wealthy visitor complaining about paying six extra bucks sounds greedy and gross. 

I think this is something that many people on these forums don't want to accept. Yes, they ARE relatively wealthy compared to the locals with whom they usually interact. 

"But I'm NOT wealthy," they'll complain. Yeah, you are -- compared to those around you. Accept your privileges and all the benefits that go with them, and stop complaining about slight price differences.

[Marc in Calif]

5 hours ago, vinapu said:

while I generally don't mind price difference  for locals and tourists when comes to admission or even transportation I think example given by 18past19 is gross and  prime example of corporate greed specially , that as one can imagine , it won't be poor locals who will be dining atop of Baiyoke

including spitting into my soup before serving  ? really?

They can do that in your own home country too!

[Riobard]

14 hours ago, 18past19 said:

…. is unfortunately universal everywhere. But I am afraid price discrimination towards tourists is more harsh here in Thailand. I can understand free admission for locals to temples and palaces or other heritage sites etc whilst tourists will be charged a fee. But i am surprised to learn that there are different prices for tourists at certain restaurants too. and i am not sure if it is even ethical to do so with meals  

e.g. the price difference for a buffet dinner atop Baiyoke sky hotel is almost 200 baht between tourists versus locals. 

🧐😞😞😞

You made a declaration based on one observation of an apparent absolute cost discrepancy without a proportional differential. Therefore, we cannot know the true scope of your example because it lacks corresponding percentage terms. It may be 1%; some guys will enter a half marathon if it means the chance to swing by an ATM with a 1 buck exchange rate break. However, 1% in relativistic terms may equate to a difference that is more protest-worthy. It’s anybody’s prerogative to object to what they perceive as inequity, or to suck up same, or to reflect on how much privilege should enter the equation. 

You actually did not pose a question yet others answered a question as if you had. That’s the nature of social media. You’ll need to decide where it got you. Assumptions may be made about your capacity for flexibility and taking the bad with the good.  

A topic could have been initiated by anybody related to handling various observable cost discrepancies. The same circular discussion would have occurred whether the opener is neutral or not, whether or not you had added a position that set up polarization in viewpoint. Just look at the first sets of emojis for how these things go.

That said, both unfairness and serendipity are baked into life but rarely in equal measure. 

[Marc in Calif]

6 hours ago, Riobard said:

You actually did not pose a question yet others answered a question as if you had. That’s the nature of social media. 

Wrong! 

We "others" simply commented on his written statements. We obviously did not provide "answers." 

That is why these are called "replies" instead of "answers." 😇