The 19 January edition of the Bangkok Post contained an interesting 'flip side' to the whole dual pricing issue.

The main topic of the article was the largely unacknowledged part that the internet now plays in delivering billions of Bahts worth of tourism business to Thailand. Web sites such as our own partner Precision Reservations sell discount hotel rooms worth, according to the article, at least five billion Baht (US$125 Million) per year.

What does this have to do with dual pricing? Well, it seems that while these sites are able to offer the best rates on hotel rooms, clauses in the contracts prevent the sites from selling the rooms to Thais. It seems that; “Hotels always want Thai travellers to pay a higher rate.” That's a direct quote from the article. So, while some foreign tourists whine on and on about paying an extra 50 cents or a dollar to get into a national park, pitty the poor Thai who has to pay double for his hotel room.

I've hear rumors of this practice for years, but this is the first time I've seen it confirmed in print. The article didn't give any explainations for the policy, but excuses I've heard in the past include the idea that Thais don't use other hotel services, especially restaurants (what experienced traveller does?) or that Thais tend to make their plans at the last minute. Neither of these excuses, nor any of the others I've ever heard, actually makes sense, especially when it comes to internet bookings. It seems that, as is the case with so many businesses these days, the people who run them don't really understand the internet, and how it's affecting their business.