I have to let off some steam.....

It seems to me that basically the thai government don't want foreigners here unless they are

1. bona fide tourists

OR

2. retired and have lots of money

OR

3. have LOTS AND LOTS of money

the thai government certainly do NOT want

1. "tourists" who constantly crawl accross the border every 30 days (I can understand this)

2. foreign men marrying their women and then, horror of horrors, actually wanting to live here together, supporting their wife and family.

the thai government "tolerates"

1. sextourists

2. skilled workers / expats who are sent here from overseas

3. bona fide teachers.

I have come to this conclusion having lived here for over 4 years, having experienced the hoops that need to be jumped through concerning work permits, property ownership, business ownership, opening bank accounts, visa applications, visa extensions, alien registration etc etc. Don't get me wrong - I am not saying that all these things should be changed - but when you put them all together it gives me quite a sickly feeling. I find the whole situation to be very xenophobic, and certainly at odds with the "Land of Smiles" and "Mai-pen-rai" image that the 2-week package-tour set get (I'm sure that the irony of this is not lost on those who have lived here for a while).

Maybe some people will point to other countries - eg the UK - and say that in thailand things are not so bad, but this is not true at all. Granted, you need a visa to enter the UK but if you want to live there as a british person's spouse it is not difficult to do, and once done there are no onerous provisions like reporting to immigration every 90 days, registering your address, and working. Most of my UK friends have left, or soon will leave, thailand to settle back in the UK with their wives and families. Personally I am sticking it out here for the time being. I do still love this country. But I basically hate the politicians and beurocrats and I just wish they would make things a little easier for some of us.

OK, sweeping generalisations aside, I hope I got my points accross without ruffling too many feathers :-)

Beautifully whinged, SD, post on the whinge thread, you're a winner.