“Double” charging of foreign tourists is killing our business, say Krabi long tail boat operators

Boat operators in the south of Thailand have said that charging foreign tourists ten times more than Thais at marine national parks is killing their business.

The long tail boatmen working at Ao Nang say that ever since the park insisted on charging foreigners 400 baht to visit, their trade has plummeted by as much as 60%, reported Manager Online.

Foreign adults pay 400 baht and foreign children 200.But Thais pay just 40 baht and 20 respectively.

Yesterday the Kamnan of Ao Nang and representatives of the long tail operators went to the park office in Krabi town to request the fees for foreign tourists be lowered.

They think that reducing the fees to 200 for adults and 100 for children would be reasonable and would lead to the return of the tourists.

A spokesman for the Had Noparat Thara – Koh Phi Phi park said that the complaint had been received. Fees could not be adjusted at a local level but they would pass on the request to head office for consideration.

The complainants also said that speedboats in the area were also feeling the pinch as foreigners decided that $11-12 was too much to pay. And there was resentment when foreigners realized that locals were paying only a fraction of this fee themselves.

Thai Visa / Manager Online

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