Dual Pricing and Reduced tax on Alcohol | GMT | Episode 92

Jay and Tim talk about all the hot topics around Thailand including dual pricing in Thailand and reduced duty on the import of alcohol and cigars and added tax on cigarettes.

00:00 Introduction
01:10 Coffee Culture
02:42 Thailand Re-opening
04:20 Phuket’s real situation
07:35 Dual Pricing
08:45 Dutch Goat farmer sues the government / minister
12:20 Is it fair?
13:00 Dual pricing examples
16:30 Differences
18:15 Duty reduced for alcohol and cigars
24:15 Is money saved, money saved?

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[pauldyoutube]

It drives me mad that in the UK our taxes are used to fund national parks, museums and art galleries so tourists and locals can get in for free yet if I want to go to Khao Yai it's 500B for me and 60B for Thai!

[thaidupagain]

Welcome back Tim! And to answer your question on Cigarette quality, yes there is a difference, usually cheap ones burn faster and taste inferior to a point, but the gulf in prices probably still don't justify the gap! But lets be honest this is not about stopping people from smoking just making huge profits of the terminally addicted knowing the will pay the hike more often than not.

[limconnie]

Maybe we should suggest to the Thai Nationals, how they would feel if travelling to other countries, there’s a special higher price targeted only to Thai Nationals.
It’s only fair that they should taste their own medicine to truly understand it. Previously, these kind of practices were in Vietnam during the communism regime but then it was totally normal under that circumstances.
Thank you for bringing up this subject!
👍👏👏👏

[jimmychristensen]

I am from Denmark, and dual pricing do not exist there. That would be highly illegal, not to mention concidered discrimmenating and racist. I never pay dual price in Thailand. I just walk away. My wife and me had been eating at a small local shop many times, so they knew us..one day i was there alone and when i finished eating, then i was surprised to see that the bill was doubled. I just payed the bill and walked away. Needless to say, they lost a costumer that day. Now we eat another place, right next to them. They do not look happy, but thats fine with me

[dufffredq]

Dual pricing - I just opt not to participate. They don’t get my money nor any from my family as I’m the driver and I don’t participate in scams, even “small” ones. When we stop questioning then the corrupt and unscrupulous win the day.

[BrandenLesko]

As a Thai national, my take on dual pricing is that it's unfair. Having said that, it's up to the individual to dispute and shun such practices. Ultimately, we all have a choice as a consumer. We can choose to not conduct business with those establishments. You also have the right to take legal action against those establishments and demand equality from the courts and push for change. We already have regulations like the taxi meter system and requirements for restaurants to list menu prices to avoid scams. Most countries in the west don't have dual pricing because it's discriminatory and illegal. Until such practices are recognized as unfair and are considered illegal here by the courts, no real change can occur. I hope that guy suing the hospital wins and sets some precedent for others to pursue legal action as well.

[scotchegg]

The goat farmer is not bitching. He is fighting for the same rights for everyone.

[peteroneill]

WELCOME BACK TIM. I was starting to get worried and feared you were providing the sustenance for the soil food web in Mike's new vegetable patch. I do hope you will have Mike and Bill back in future! ignore the haters.

[newtondelmar]

Dual pricing is technically discriminatory ...100%...but it is common practice in MANY developing countries...
In fact it is 100% illegal in most Western nations.
BUT, BUT, BUT...
for me as an American, a $3 admission charge to an interesting place is OK...have you seen the admission fees to Disney, Six Flags and Sea World lately ??? ...WTF...a family of 4 now needs
nearly $600 USD to enjoy a full day in one of those parks...maybe MORE depending on how many souvenirs they might buy !!!
BUT (again),
Medical emergencies should be off limits to this 2 tier scheme...a persons health is kinda sacred
and not something to be turned for profit IMO...
OK...my 2 cents (I guess it would be 10 cents in LOS...LOL!!)

[chrishill]

Nice to hear Tim confirming the real situation in Phuket

[billc]

I stopped smoking because they raise the tax on cigarettes. It works.

[dsberg]

Hey don’t criticize the cuts in alcohol taxes! Many of us want to see wine imports more reasonably priced!

[newtondelmar]

Think of it this way:
That Thai family of 4 in front of you at the museum/park lives and works AND pays taxes in Thailand 365 days each year.
You on the other hand are likely a tourist (not always, I know!) and do NOT contribute to the Thai economy on a regular basis...
The Thai family pays 75 cents per person to enter...you pay 3 times that ($2.25 per person)...
THAT does NOT seem like extorsion to me folks...

[minburibkk]

How would Thai's feel if English teachers started teaching, other, foreign students 500 baht an hour but Thai students 1000 baht an hour ? Would they think that is 'only ' 500 baht extra and agree with it ? I think we all know the answer.

[yvangadoux]

Hello,
First, welcome back Tim!
As a foreign tourist I am not surprised to pay more in Thailand (after all, I do not pay taxes to maintain heritage), but I am sometimes shocked by the overprice gap.
I have more difficulty accepting it form private business.
However that never made me backtrack.

[rethairdraun]

It is SO nice to have the smooth flow of conversation by soothing in-sync voices again! Welcome back Tim!

[pacoandellie]

Welcome back, Tim! I'm a fan of any company that sponsors The Thaiger. And, since it happens to be a coffee company, I'm on it! Thank you Coffee Culture!

[jeanclaude]

In 2012 I saw a local GP in Karon for Sinus congestion. The consultation took less than 30 minutes and I was charged 3 500 B. I still have that invoice with me which I plan to have it nicely framed so that I can hang it on my walls as a reminder to that unforgettable day

[johnmoseley]

Interesting to note that we retired expats also suffer from dual pricing by our own UK government. If we are local and live in UK we get our due pensions. If we are ex pats living abroad our pensions are frozen!

[powerboyau]

So great to have Tim back...the whole vibe of the show has been uplifted instantly.