Feb 29 2008
Tourist Privileges in Thailand
I think the Philippines could learn a thing or two from Thailand with regard to privileges of tourists. It was quite prevalent the moment we stepped out of the airport. The new Suvarnabhumi Airport (pronounced su-wan-na-poom) in Bangkok is just beautiful (it improved much from a year ago when it was suffering from birth pains) clean, efficient, and tourist-friendly.
I thought that the airport taxi kiosk is genius. All a tourist has to do is to queue up at the kiosk, tell the girl at the counter your destination, and she will advice one of the dozens of waiting taxi drivers. She will also hand the tourist a complaint form with a number to call to ensure that the taxi driver uses his meter, doesn’t overcharge, brings you to your destination, etc.. All that with the added bonus of security and peace of mind (especially in a country where most taxi drivers don’t speak English) for a minimal surcharge of 100 thai bahts (just a bit more than $3).
And then, the shopping (we came here to shop and not to sightsee). First, there are a bunch of markets where you could buy all sorts of stuff for a song. But if you’re into malling, like we are (there are also great markets in Phnom Penh but very few malls, so we prefer to go malling in Bangkok), most malls offer a 5% discount for tourists. I am quite sure that the SM and the Ayala malls don’t have this privilege which could greatly attract foreign tourists. I have to admit though that I hardly use my discount card because I only buy from stores which offer sales of 30, 50 and even 70% discounts… quite prevalent, actually.
On top of this privilege, Thailand also offers the VAT refund privilege for tourists of 7%. This really makes a lot of sense, not to mention respect for visitors in a country… why should tourists pay for VAT, after all? After paying for your purchases (at least 2000 thai baht for each store), you fill up P.P. Form No. 10. When you go to the airport before leaving the country, you have all your forms processed at the Customs in the airport. After going through immigration, you can get your VAT refund.
The 7% VAT-refund could be quite a substantial amount, especially if you’re buying more expensive stuff like computers or cellphones or watches. For this trip, we got refunded about 1,600 thai baht… exactly enough for our lunch and pasalubong-shopping in the airport.
Well, besides the sights and the culture and the beaches and the elephants… with these privileges no wonder there are so many tourists in Thailand.
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Long-time lurker here; I’m fascinated by your travel tales. Would you mind if I email-interviewed you about Phnom Penh? I’m Pinoy, by the way, brother of a freshly-minted FSO in South Africa. I hope we can talk soon. Thanks!
I disagree with you on that topic.
It would be unfair for the average Filipino. Foreigners and tourists are rich enough to pay the same prices as Filipinos do. In fact life in the Philippines is already much cheaper than in Europe or the US.
Foreigners in general are getting a friendlier treatment than Filipinos in most cases (hotels, malls, stores, etc)
@Toe. I agree that VAT should not be paid by tourists if their total purchases surpass a particular amount. In fact, this is the practice in most up-to-date countries’ airports with strong tourism promotions (e.g. Singapore, Thailand, KL, Australia, etc). Mostly if you have accumulated purchases above USD $100, you are entitled to a full refund of the VAT amount.
@Sidney. You raise a valid point. However, VAT refund like Toe described in his article is practiced at the airport when the tourist is about to leave already the country. A retailer like yourself will still get the full amount (inclusive of VAT). Everybody wins. You get your money (since the tourist paid the full amount anyway) and the foreigner feels that he got a good deal (due to the VAT refund); and more importantly, this translates to more tourist visitors — both new and repeat.
The income generated from the improved tourism by this practice far surpasses the VAT “loss” by the country. VAT anyway is an amount that is just passed and passed over from one person to another.
When it comes to attracting tourists and making them feel safe and welcome at the same time, we’re light years behind some of our SE Asian neighbors. Here, an unwary tourist would likely get fleeced or worse, get mugged by cab drivers. And I know for a fact that in Thailand, a mugger would receive a much stiffer penalty if found guilty of robbing a tourist.
I know the DOT offered some discount card to tourists who come visit our country which you can use at the SM Malls and the Ayala malls as well. The thing is the establishments at these malls were not properly adviced about this offer so some of them don’t honor these cards. Quite embarrassing for both the tourists and the sales people, if you ask me.
We seriously need to improve our services, our infrastructure as well as lower airfare, accommodation costs so we can attract the tourists in droves just like Thailand. Instead our government is distracted by these street protests and always on the defensive against certain sectors of the populace who believe that street protests is the answer(s) to a dysfunctional system.
Ok I will stop ranting baka ma high blood pa ako hehe
Daphne, you said you are against street protest to solve the problem in our government. I ask you, in a system that has been corrupted, where will Juan de la Cruz go for justice (DOJ, Regional Trial Courts or The Ombudsman?) Street protest is the realistic way of removing her. After Gloria has been removed, then let us make a near-flawless system to create the necessary policies you suggest. Gusto mo ba na ang budyet sa mga proyektong minumungkahi mo ay bumukol sa bulsa ng ating illegitimate na presidente?
To Ebert – “Street protest is the realistic way of removing her. ” – Err, not when the protests and rallies are peppered with paid Erap supporters and traditional politicians.
“After Gloria has been removed, then let us make a near-flawless system to create the necessary policies you suggest” – Well let’s see… we tried that after Marcos, and did it again after Erap was booted out. Guess what… we’re still in the dumps.
Hi Mike Aquino! Thanks for visiting my blog!
Nice site you have at about.com. I actually visit that website a lot. Sure you can email me (provided I still get to keep my quasi-privacy) 
… I hope I can answer your questions.
I’ll go check nga the Pretoria PE directory.
Hi Sidney! Oh yes… most of my non-Filipino colleagues here who have been posted to the Philippines have nothing but praise for the country. The wife of a high-ranking Indian says that her best Christmas is in the Philippines. A high-ranking American actually spends Christmas there. All I hear are raves for, after all, the Philippines is an expat’s haven. Everything is available, everyone speaks English, and yes… the service, especially to visitors, is excellent.
Don’t worry if ever the vat-refund is applied in the Philippines the same way it’s applied in Thailand. It only applies to goods which are normally sold in the duty-free outlets (but with more choices of course) such as clothes, watches, electronics, chocolate, liquor, souvenirs, etc.. It doesn’t apply to basic goods so it doesn’t affect the average Filipino. The refund can also be availed of 60 days after the date of purchase. So it’s really for short-term tourists and not foreign residents. I think it’s a great incentive for tourists to go shopping… it sure worked for me in Thailand.
Hi Gaijin Pinoy! Thanks for visiting my blog.
I agree.. the VAT refund has to be applied for purchases within a minimum amount. In Thailand, the minimum amount of purchases are 2000 THB for each store (roughly $66) and 5000 THB for total purchases (about $166).
And yes… I do feel that I’m getting a good deal at the airport (I even feel like I’m earning money
) when I get my refund. 
Snglguy, wag kang mag-alala… malayong-malayo pa yung mga bansa dito sa Indochina. Kahit nagkukuwento ako tungkol sa Thailand, ang pakiramdam ko ay malayong-malayo sila sa serbisyo sa Pilipinas. Magaling lang sila sa promotion.
Ang hirap kc dahil hindi pa sila magaling mag-Ingles at wala silang hospitality ng katulad na sa’tin. Lalo na dito sa Cambodia, mahirap din kung hindi ka nakatira sa first class. 
At parati sila nagkakamali ng order (kahit simple lang) sa mga restaurant. Pero sanayan lang. 
At sa seguridad, naku… don’t even get me started on that. 
Pero alam ko ang ibig sabihin mo… dapat nga nating ipaunlad ang imprastraktura ng turismo… simulan na sa airport… jan talaga ako nadidismaya pag umuuwi ako.
Daphne, yes, I agree that we have to develop our tourism infrastructure. We have so much to offer and they’re being wasted. Here in Thailand, all the information is available… where to get a taxi, where to stay, what to do, how to do it. And their domestic airports? Nakakainggit talaga. If we do offer the 5% discount, then it ought to be advertised.
But don’t worry, as I mentioned in my previous comments above, my feedback from foreigners is that they really really love staying in the Philippines. Despite our troubles, we’re still somehow an expat’s haven and when it comes to hospitality and service, we’re way ahead of other countries… maybe even the developed ones.
Daphne, Ebert, and Snglguy, hehe… what’s the connection between Thailand’s tourist privileges and street protests?
I do have strong political opinions but I prefer not to blog about them. 
VAT refund is sure an incentive for people to shop in Pinas. They have this scheme in other countries as well but Pinas is already relatively cheap haven for tourists anyways. They say it is cheaper for someone in Tokyo to fly to Manila and play weekend golf rather than going to Yokohama
Thailand is frequented by tourists because it is more politically stable and peaceful than Pinas. Their government did a good job with the promotion of their tourism plus they have more cultural stuff to offer than Pinas where aside from our great beaches, everything else is western amenities which could be had for a cheaper price.
Okey balik tayo sa topic, hehe.
Anyways, did you know that Thailand spends a freaking huge amount of money just for promotions? Pinas sadly, spends less than a quarter of that. And if you noticed, popular travel shows (like Anthony Bourdain’s “No Reservations”) have featured almost every country here in SE Asia, except Pinas… ever wonder why?
At isa pa, all the best places in Pinas like El Nido in Palawan and a host of other places are just too expensive for Juan de la Cruz to enjoy. Just check out their rates… grabe! Minsan nga mas mura pa pumunta ng HK or Thailand eh. And the government tells us not to be a stranger in our own country… hay nako.
ei.would want to visit thailand. am doubly interested now that you gave me another reason to visit.next year pagtapos magexam ng bar lalayas nako ulit.hehe i always read one of you entry whenever i surf.can’t do it full time pero pag natapos exam ko i’ll be readin everything.thankyou for the all the informative topics…
you want me to rant about philippines’ wrong moves (stagnation)in tourism? it’ll be such a long post
too many things thailand is doing right but it’s also rooted on culture and food. thailand is exotic to the western world, philippines is not that much to them
BW, oh yes… I agree… it is very cheap in the Philippines compared to most countries. I do believe it’s an expat’s haven. All the foreigners I’ve ever met who have been there say so.
But I don’t think golf is vat-refundable. When it is applied, it’s only applied to clothes, candies, liquor, electronics, and the like. 
Mejo magulo din ang Thailand politically, especially now… but they do have something going for them… they’re an airport hub, along with Hong Kong and Singapore. For us, sadly, we still don’t have an open-skies policy.
Hi Mark! Oh thanks for visiting my blog. I really appreciate it.
Exciting times for you ha… Bar review is fun during March, April, and May… and then the panic sets in… haha… don’t mean to scare you. 
Good luck… I’m sure you’ll make it! 
backpacking philippines, oh no… ranting wouldn’t be good for Philippine tourism at all.
I think we all know what’s wrong with our country. But even then, our blogs are read by both Filipinos and non-Filipinos, and IMHO, I think we should be ambassadors of our country and always show it in a good light. And I also think that you’re doing an excellent job of showcasing the wonderful sites of our country in your blog. 
ah ganun pala pronounciation ng “Suvarnabhumi Airport”..funny cuz I’ve been trying hard to pronounce every syllable at nasaulo ko na ang spelling nya yun pala mali. pag di ako maintindihan, i say “the new airport”.
i’ve tried that queue taxi at the Suvarnabhumi Airport, tama ka napaka-dali nga although, we got some difficulties explaining to the dispatcher the place we needed to go to and she gave us a laugh and a scratch on the head knowing that we are Filipinos. mag-explain pa siya na mukha daw kase kaming Thai. pero sa airport natin may ganito rin naman services and you can choose, taxi or FX (sa legitimate na queue ha)…and usually fixed ang bayad. like nung kami from airport to QC, 600 ata ang charge, meron din receipt kungsaan nakalagay plate number at name ng driver, etc.
about privilege cards, well Sidney has a point. usually, tourists who come to the Philippines in the Philippines are from the West and they usually have more money to spend kaya siguro we don’t need privilege cards for tourists. but for the locals, we have discount cards sa mga malls…sa SM meron kase madalas ako dun (well sort of) and I get full advantage of this cards especially when I go to the movies (10% discount per movie) which a hell of a deal for a movie buff like me.
i’ve tried getting a refund for GST in Singapore. tama ka, feeling ko kumita din ako, hehehe. ang galing ng ganitong service parang ang laki ng natawad ko. pambili din ng meryenda habang nakatunganga ka sa airport at nag-iintay ng flight!
Every year, >5 million tourists visit Thailand; meanwhile, Vietnam has 3.5 – 4 million international tourists a year while the Philippines only averages to about 1.2 – 2.0 million tourists a year. and this figure usually fluctuates every time there’s peace problem in Mindanao. yea, I think DoT needs a lot of good strategy to further boost our tourism. and i totally agree with you. I think we should be ambassadors of our country and always show it in a good light. a little creativity and humor will usually provide a snap of curiosity to these people.
Snglguy, naku… naloko na ko sa mga promotions ng Thailand na ‘yan. Ang galing talaga nila sa promotion! Kaya yung pumunta kami sa Pattaya, sobra akong disappointed kc ang dumi achaka hindi maganda yung serbisyo. Mas ok ng konti yung pumunta kaming Phuket. Pero definitely, mas maganda ang Palawan or Boracay. Mura na nga yata ngayon pumuntang Thailand kc may Cebu Pacific na. Noong time ni Gordon, ang galing ng promotion natin. Noong ASEAN Tourism Forum, bidang-bida ang Pilipinas. Ngayon, ayoko masyadong magsalita… schoolmate ko e…….
Rayts, inexplain din yan sa’kin ng friend ko na taga-Bangkok… ang layo sa spelling ng pronunciation no?
Aaaah… may ganon din pala tayo na taxi kiosk… that’s good… siempre hindi ko alam. 
Next time, always bring along a card indicating the place where you’re staying with a Thai translation. Hotels usually have that. When we used to live in my friends’ house, she had her address translated. It’s much easier for the taxi drivers.
Ahahaha… meron din akong discount card dati sa Ayala… very useful nga sa mga restaurants and movie houses.
Hindi pa narerenovate ang SM nung time na yon e. 
Grabe, ang konti ng tourists natin… ganyan din yata kadami sa Cambodia… e 2 destinations lang dito (Phnom Penh and Siem Reap), 3 if you count Sihanoukville. Samantala tayo, ang dami-daming destinations!
hehe Toe hindi ko nga masabayan ang diskusyon dito hehe
Anyway… Suvarnabhumi is pronounced as “su-wan-na-poom”? parang ang layo noh? hehe
Hmmm I’ve never been to Thailand so I don’t really know the scenario but about cabs in the airport, we also have that in the domestic airport. Pretty easy to get a cab. Sure mahaba ang pila but at least patience lang ang katapat. Naka-metro and you’ll also be given a piece of paper in case may reklamo ka or something. Unfortunately wala sa international airport ng ganun (I’m talking about the new airport…centennial ba yun?). There are incoming cabs but more often than not, namimili sila ng pasahero at humihingi ng extrang bayad. Nung bumalik ako ng Manila 2 years ago from vacation, doon ako sa International airport…sobrang tagal kong nag-antay ng taxi…tinubuan na siguro ako ng ugat hehe tapos nagbayad pa ako ng extra…hayyy.
oh btw…I think when it comes to malls and shopping centers panalo pa rin tayo
Nung nag EB kami nila Pining…manghang-mangha daw yung hubs ni Pining kasi ang lalaki ng malls natin 
isa lang naman ang gusto kong puntahan sa thailand: phi phi island.
pero sabi ng mga nakapasyal na sa thailand, yun nga glossy nga lang daw ang promotion pero at the end of the day, prefer pa rin nila ang pinas na kulang naman ang promotion (lately lang nag-eeffort ang DOT).
when it comes to VAT refund, that’s almost impossible dito sa pinas, kung ang regular na tax refund nga inaabot ng kung ilang taon, pano pa yun na mabilisan? i am not belittling the capacity of the BIR or the Immigration or whoever, pero hanggang walang nagbabago sa tax system natin, kanta na lang tayo ng impossible dream.
Verns, oh weird… may taxi line sa domestic pero wala sa international?
Yung Suwannapoom… they say it pa in a way na hindi ko ma-pronounce.
But it’s a nice airport… also nice to go around the duty free. 
Yes, malls in the Philippines are really great… and so many cheap products. I notice though that there are more people in the malls in the Philippines so I felt that I could breathe better in Thailand because of the thinner crowds (pati yung mga tao… thin
).
Oh cool… you met Pining.
Zherwin, I think Phiphi is just off Phuket, diba? I’ve been to Phuket pero parang mas type ko Boracay or Palawan. Magaling talaga sa mga glossy promotion sila.
Naapektuhan ng Tsunami yata yung Phi Phi. I heard that it’s very beautiful nga… diba ayun yung sa “The Beach”?
Ewan ko lang kung naiisip pa nila yung VAT refund.
They have that too in Singapore kaya nga sobra kaming na-enganyo mag-shop.
Bangkok is definitely a shopping haven. Kung di lang ako buntis nung pumunta kami I’m sure I would have gone home with several crates of goodies. Does the refund apply even if the item was bought in the market like say..Chatuchak? That would be great if pwede. How about jewelry? May refund din?
Naku ha, parang gusto kong pumunta ng Bangkok!!
Kongkong622, oo nga… nakaka-enganyo nga mag-shopping when you see the signs about the VAT-refund.
In Thailand, I think it’s only available in the malls and department stores, and only in accredited stores. It’s not available in the markets like Pratunam, Chatuchak, and Suan Lum. But that’s okay because the prices there are pretty reasonable anyway.
Jewelry are VAT-refundable… but the customs inspectors would have to inspect them.
Finally I decide to post comment.
This is very useful
Thanks
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Budget Thailand Hotel
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