What if you’re a tax-paying, law-abiding, foreign residence with a proper work permit? It doesn’t matter.
What if you’re also married to a Thai citizen? It doesn’t matter either.
Richard Burrow (@RichardBarrow) has for years delivered some of the best news updates on what’s happening in Thailand. Today, he tweeted a piece of bad news.
If an expat plans on vacationing in Phuket and doesn’t have a vaccination certificate or a covid-free certificate, you’ve got to cough up 500 baht for a Rapid Test. But if you’re a Thai citizen, the test is free.
It’s called dual pricing, otherwise known as Thai Privilege.
Call it racism, xenophobia, or whatever else. Thailand continues to treat foreign residences as if we still wake up in a screaming nightmare three times a night from memories of our ancestors centuries ago having to give up lands and rights to foreigners.
Therefore in the present, we have to find every which way to take revenge and suck them dry. (And let’s be frank, mainly we target westerners.)
Furthermore, as everyone already knows, it’s not just the 500 baht extra. There’s also an extra for a ride on that jetski and a host of other things.
Meanwhile, to boost tourism, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Maldives give free vaccines to foreign tourists. It’s the difference between forward-thinking and backward-thinking.
#StopLeechingExpats. They live, work, and breathe; laugh and cry; enjoy and endure Thailand, like any of us.
2021-04-22