It might be an unpopular opinion, but I agree wholeheartedly with the OP. I do understand how complex the issues are here, but I can't deny that this sort of pricing can leave a bad taste in my mouth. I appreciate doing local things at local prices and do not enjoy being gouged.

The last time I ran into this was in December at a swimming site near Wonosobo, Indonesia. I don't recall the exact pricing, but it was something like US$1 for locals and US$10 for foreigners. I would have paid the dollar just to check it out, but for $10 I had to stop and think about whether it's worth it. After reading reviews, I passed and went elsewhere. We did end up at another place with private baths for about $3 (for two) that was well worth it.