Foreign man kicks up a storm over discriminatory bike rental policy in Phuket

A foreign man brought to light a discriminatory practice at a foreign-owned motorcycle rental shop in Phuket. The shop refused to serve his Thai wife and other Thai customers, justifying their decision by alleging that Thais frequently engage in motorcycle theft, complain excessively, and are unable to meet the necessary deposit requirements.

The foreign man, using the account BlacksmithSolid2194, took to the social media platform Reddit on March 4 to share his wife’s experience at the Phuket motorcycle shop.

“Today my Thai wife and I went to a motorcycle rental shop in Phuket. They said Thais are not allowed to rent from them. A Thai employee went as far as to say that Thais steal motorcycles, complain too much, and are too poor to pay the deposit.

“What recourse do we have? I’ve messaged The Thaiger and the Bangkok Post in hopes of gaining coverage. I’d like to share this story with the local Thai community as well if anyone knows of any relevant Facebook groups.”

The foreigner added that he was afraid to reveal the name of the shop for fear of being sued for defamation.

The post attracted attention on Reddit, generating nearly 150 comments. Many users criticised the foreign man for exaggerating a non-story to create an online drama. They suggested that the man and his wife simply move to another store, as there are many in the area.

Foreigner prejudice

Some said it was not a big deal. They said it was much more outrageous when foreigners were charged double to enter any attraction in Thailand.

One netizen said the practice was normal in southern Thailand because the motorcycle rental shops were worried that locals would steal the bikes.

Others accused such operators of hiding something illegal or trying to cheat foreigners, as Thais have many ways to complain to the companies and may know the law.

Some of the Reddit users agreed with the foreign man that refusing customers due to their nationalities was considered discrimination and that foreign-owned businesses based in Thailand should not refuse to serve locals. They recounted their similar experiences in the comments.

“This isn’t the first time. Many Thai hotels and villas don’t allow Thais to stay, I experienced this in Lop Buri, to quote the old Thai lady ‘They are too loud and make a big mess everywhere. Many people complain about their noise’.”

“Once I drove around Bangkok looking for a place for my Indian friend. Several buildings refused to host Indians. I guess what goes around comes around?”

Thai discrimination

“When I was in Mae Sariang, a restaurant wouldn’t let us eat there because my friend’s girlfriend spoke in Thai. The atmosphere changed when we started speaking English. The Thai discrimination is crazy.”

“It’s quite common in my experience. It happens in Chiang Mai, Koh Tao, Koh Pha Ngan and Samui. The only place I have had a pleasant experience was Hua Hin.”

Some Thais said that it was not only the foreign-owned businesses that refused Thai customers but also those owned by locals.

Several Thai men asked netizens on one of Thailand’s most popular online forums, Pantip, why some massage parlours and entertainment venues in Bangkok refused to serve Thai customers. Many others asked why some hotels were turning away Thai guests.

One Thai woman, last year, condemned a hotel in the southern province of Krabi for discrimination, saying the hotel gave good service to foreign guests but neglected Thai visitors like her.

While some suggested that concerns about illegal sex services, illegal activities or theft prevention motivated these refusals, others believed that businesses targeted foreigners because of the higher potential earnings.