Dual pricing raises its ugly head in Bangkok

Dual pricing is one of the Thai tourism industry's dirty little secrets.

No matter where you come from you are likely to be paying more than locals. Unofficially, sometimes officially. 

Reasons: the average foreigner is assumed to have more money than the average Thai and can afford to pay more. Also, because foreigners don’t pay taxes, they can help fund tourism projects.

The Thai dual price system exists across popular travel destinations such as temples and national parks, and sometimes at markets.

Nowhere, however, is it more obvious than when using public transport in Bangkok.

Locals will pay a maximum of 45 baht ($1.90) for all electric train lines per trip starting from January 1, 2027, but foreigners are not eligible.

Our Thailand correspondent says that the press release trumpeting the new fare scheme carefully omits that this is for Thais only, saying only "eligible" passengers.

Under the planned system, Thai citizens would be charged according to the actual value of their journey. If the fare exceeds 45 baht, the government would refund the difference. 

Deputy Transport Minister Siripong Angkasakulkiat confirmed foreigners won't be eligible, which is why refunds will be paid through the government's Pao Tang app. Expats and tourists will keep paying standard fares.

Which sounds very complicated. And something that could well annoy tourists who are already threatened by increased entry and exit taxes by Thai authorities.

Regular readers know that Thailand is one of GoTR's favourite destinations. But...

"Somewhere in the dark corner of a government building there is a department which houses a group of people whose only job is to dream up ways to make anything as complicated as possible," our correspondent reports.