What would you do?

sash561

Ok, here i go.

I have noticed in certain tourist places two seperate entry prices. One for foreigners and one for Indians/Locals and the price difference is pretty huge.

As a foreign national of indian origin i suppose i could get away by purchasing the Indian /Local Entry tickets and the savings over my holiday could be pretty substantial.

What would you do?...................Bring it on

machadinha

Sure, you can try for it; if it will work is never guaranteed, there have been previous discussions on it. I guess if any suspicion you'll be asked for your ID. Do you speak any local languages? Manage to blend in? Would help, no doubt. (Many Indians will have a keen sense of whether you belong or not I think, no matter how desi you may be or feel.)

I'm assuming you mean entrance fees and so on btw? In hotels and to the extent there may exist any price difference at all, the system will largely pass unnoticed to you I think. Besides, you'll normally have to sign in showing your ID anyway.

Oh, and don't try this for train rides. You wouldn't succeed anyway, and if you would, you'd be traveling as a ticketless passenger. Fines are pretty stiff, and you may well get kicked off the train I think. In any case, one of the most advantageous of quotas for you would probably be the Tourist Quota, for which you precisely do want to be known as a foreign resident.

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sash561

I was thinking more in terms of wildlife parks and other tourist attractions. Perhaps domestic flights which to be honest i havent looked into as yet. As to the local languages i do speak one but not fluent as a local.

machadinha

No, don't mess around with it for any forms of transport I'd say. Again, you'll probably have to identify yourself anyway, and you can only end yourself in a pickle. (For trains, my caution was a little redundant in fact I think; there'd be very little reason to want to travel as anything other than what you are. Being a foreigner doesn't increase the normal rates or anything.)

Yes, for entrance fees, you might try it. If not speaking any of the languages well, I wouldn't hold your hopes up. In a park again, you might need to register, and you certainly will if you plan to sleep there. Etc.

But, sure, I imagine it could save you a few bucks here and there. People (and certainly in the touristy areas, where monument fees etc. are most likely to make a real difference in the first place) are of course very used to desi visitors though, and so they may be quite able to spot you as one; so again, just don't expect too much of it. Or that's what I think.

sash561

Thanks for the advice, when i register would i be asked for my passport even if go as a group with locals?

delhiwala

You can try tagging along with some Indians, pay them and they can buy you a ticket along with theirs.....

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machadinha

<cross-posted with Delhiwala)

Normally, yes (although in the group, I can't be sure. But I would assume so.)

One gets bored with producing one's passport at every hotel, and so (years ago) it used to be you'd just drone up some fictional number, and often get away with this; but earlier this year they almost always demanded to see (and copy) it.

For entrance (so not hotel) situations though, I imagine being with a group of local friends, this could vastly increase your chances of just blending in.

labrol

I have known several chinese visitors buying Indian tickets at the Taj Mahal and saying Assam Assam. Unless a security man happens to be an Assamese, which is highly unlikely, these fellows, usually students, easily pass through.

So if you look more Indian than the Chinese fellows, you will pass through with an Indian group speaking an indian language. Just keep your mouth shut if you have a foreign accent.

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Boston123

Typically, Indian businesses can tell from your clothes, accent, even your hair cut, if you live outside India. If purchasing tickets by credit card, they can tell( from the card number) if the card is issued outside India.
Not worth the effort in my opinion

Haylo

The airlines don't care whether you are Indian / resident or not, you may as well pick the cheaper "Indian" fare.

My partner who lived in Delhi always purchased our domestic flights as resident, and we were never asked about this at check in. There have been several threads about this issue and consensus is to pay in Rupees, nobody has reported any problems.

In fact some flight booking sites don't even give you the option to say you're not Indian, you're taken to a point on the airline website which is past the option page.

If you're booking domestic flights, always check out the option to pay in Rupees, some fares are significantly lower, to a greater extent than could be explained by exchange rate differences.

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sash561

An indian national working outside of india be issued this card, so why would this be a problem?

sash561

I was thinking more in terms of wildlife parks as the savings incurred there would be substantial, but like you guys say, if i would have to submit my passport to stay in the park then it wouldnt work would it

sash561

I hear ya

namaste_cat

Only if you can produce an Indian passport; it's not based on origin or ethnicity, purely by citizenship. I used to be asked to pay the foreigner price all the time, but as soon as I whipped out my Indian passport, they'd charge me the local admission fee.

My kids are 1/2 Indian & have PIO status but it doesn't mean squat at most places. They pay the foreign rate. And even with OCI, I've found it to be hit and miss. I just suck it up and pay the foreign fee without making a fuss.

edwardseco

Boston has a good point..