Expats in Thailand more justified in complaining
Re: “A higher price for foreigners is discrimination”, Letters, July 31.
This letter from “Thai Teacher back from Penang” is in rebuttal to mine (“Penang’s attractions are well worth the price”, July 29).
People paying admission to an attraction in a country where they not live, work or own property, aren’t married to a local and don’t speak the language are regarded as ordinary tourists who haven’t earned the right to criticise pricing parity.
Expatriates in Thailand complain about the two-tier pricing here because, apart from citizenship, they do qualify as stakeholders under the criteria I mentioned.
I use my real name rather than hiding behind a pseudonym. I truly love Penang Hill and think it’s one of the best tourist spots in the region. In the many years I’ve lived in Thailand and travelled to Penang for a visa renewal, I’ve never had a problem with the Thai Consulate there. Be grateful for the experience you enjoyed and stop bemoaning the small price to pay.
I think you’re displaying pettiness when you surmise that I wear “rose-coloured glasses” and “should get over [my] love for the country south of Thailand”.
While I thank The Nation for allowing us the space to express our opinions, further comment on this matter would be superfluous and unproductive. In the words of Dr Seuss, “Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.”
Niels Jeffreys
