BANGKOK, THAILAND – Falling visitor numbers and ongoing anger over so-called double pricing raised fresh doubts over whether foreign guests still felt fairly treated in the Thai capital, according to tourism representatives and travelers.
Drop in visitor numbers
Official data showed that in 2025 the country received 32.9 million foreign visitors, a decline of 7.23 percent compared with the previous year.
Industry representatives said this fall could not be traced back to a single factor, but argued that the debate over fair treatment of tourists had become unavoidable.
Dual prices at temples and museums
Different prices for locals and foreigners were common worldwide, including at the Taj Mahal in India and Petra in Jordan, where they were often justified as contributions to maintenance and upkeep of the sites.
In Bangkok and the rest of the country, public attractions such as temples and national museums followed ministerial pricing guidelines, while private operators were overseen by the Department of Internal Trade, but were significantly harder to monitor.
What really upsets tourists
For many visitors, the core problem was not the higher price itself, but how the rules were applied in practice.
The US traveler Caroline Purcell said she found the entry fees at Wat Arun reasonable and was
“not totally against local Thais visiting these attractions for free, after all it is their country.”
said Caroline Purcell, traveler.
Long-term residents feel disadvantaged
A particular breaking point in the system emerged for expatriates who had lived and worked in the country for years and paid taxes, but were still charged as foreigners at many ticket counters based solely on appearance.
Tour operator Pawarin Ramanwong stressed,
“Expats put money into the economy like locals; if we treat them like locals on prices, they feel more comfortable spending their money here.”
said Pawarin Ramanwong, tour operator.
Transparency as the key
According to Pawarin, the core problem lay less in the level of prices than in a lack of clear communication.
“What matters is to be open from the start about what a place costs and who pays how much, and to show what the money is used for – clean toilets, good signage – then visitors feel the price is justified.”
said Pawarin Ramanwong, tour operator.
Taxis, tuk tuks and apps
Alongside official entrance fees, unofficial surcharges and fraud attempts by taxis and tuk tuks in city traffic had generated complaints from travelers for years.
Both Pawarin and local vendor Duengnapa Jarijitpaiboon reported, however, that more tourists were turning to ride-hailing apps because services such as Grab or Bolt offered fixed, transparent fares in advance.
Digital controls in transport
Authorities sought to regulate traditional transport more tightly and to rebuild trust in licensed taxis.
The Department of Land Transport launched a project to install QR codes in taxis, allowing passengers to identify drivers, check fares and file complaints directly.
Growing regional competition
The tourism industry pointed out that the sector accounted for a significant share of national income and that the country faced growing competition from other destinations in the region.
A Belgian tourist said there were other countries in Southeast Asia that were
“a bit cheaper and where the service is just as good or sometimes even better.”
said an unnamed Belgian tourist.
Warnings from within the industry
Against this backdrop, industry figures increasingly feared that dissatisfaction over prices, lack of transparency and service quality could cause lasting damage to the destination.
Pawarin Ramanwong put it bluntly:
“Tourism is one of the country’s biggest sources of income; if we become careless and do not take this seriously, one day everything could disappear.”
said Pawarin Ramanwong, tour operator.