Mr Meeseeks

On 5/30/2020 at 4:04 PM, BeltAndRoad said:

And like it or not they are (considering all sections) the best fighting force on earth

Based on what evidence?

They lost in Vietnam, made a mess of Afghanistan, made a mess of Iraq...

Seems they are not able to decisively win any war they start, but are capable in battle.

6 minutes ago, somtumwrong said:

Hahhah, how convinient the 14 day quarantine. No thank you, Thailand. I have been in Northern Europe for the last 3 months, and I am so happy not to be in Thailand anymore. With my wife in kid here, I don't need the dirty, hormone infested meat, plastic contaminated seafood or the PM 2.5 that Thailand has to offer. Neither do I need the special price for you 'farang', or the long flights to a country with grumpy, hostile immigration officers, or sitting in a lethal taxi or the AoT service to my condo driven by some lunatic. I'm so happy not to be in Thailand, so I will opt out thank you. When the weather turns cold in October, I'll be there again with my family to breathe the fresh PM 2.5 air and enjoy the barking of the soi dogs. Because my wife wants so. Meanwhile I drive to Nordkapp to the fresh Barents Sea, even the icy water is nicer to see than the plastic infested ocean in Thailand.

 

But seriously, I cannot think of a single reason to come to Thailand during summer time! Life is so calm, orderly here, and the air is fresh, with only a handful of grumpy old people venting about the Wuhan Virus. Face masks? Deemed useless by scientific tests, based by non-bribed laboratories, but there I have to wear them.

 

It sounds wonderful there.

One question though, why are you posting on here if you are so happy and loathe Thailand so much?

10 minutes ago, jimn said:

Actually a lot of the frustration comes from people live here, who are stranded abroad and want to get back. Also people like myself who live here but go back to the UK every May for a few months to check on the house and see the family. If I go to the UK, when will I be allowed back in. No easy answer at the moment.

I think the term "live here" now needs to be replaced with 'staying here temporarily for purposes other than tourism'. Certainly if you are not a company director and taxpayer or permanent resident.

A lot of expats need to reassess their status here and plan accordingly.

It would be complete folly to ignore the language and actions from the authorities in regards to foreigners during this current crisis.

7 minutes ago, natway09 said:

Most of the younger oil & gas boys do not qualify yet as come in on visa exempt for their 

short stays.

Unfortunately the harsh reality is that is there's no option to stay here long term for those guys. There never has been. The Thais don't see the value in them if they are not tourists as they do not pay tax.

Slowly but surely they are closing all the loopholes for those kinds of visitors.

They've given foreigners a way back in with appropriate control measures to prevent the possible spread of COVID-19 and still there's moaning about it.

There's no pleasing some folk.

6 hours ago, tomauasia said:

The wheels of incompetence spinning like a Ferrari on steriods. 

Vietnam make these people look like fools. Soon Thailand will be burned globally and they will regret it. You better employ super election riggers next robbery.

Nonsense.

The Thais have dealt with the situation admirably.

Incompetence? Look to the UK and USA.

2 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

Missing my point. You work here. He still works,like you did, offshore, so he can't take off months because, especially at this time, his family needs money. Thailand can't let anyone back in, prompting a check at the airport for Covid19, and subsequent quarantine if positive, or easier, a 2 week quarantine for anyone coming in, paid for by the one arriving.

Sorry, don't buy that nonsense that his family needed the money. Offshore workers earn decent money and he should have money stashed for emergencies and should be able to live for a few months very comfortably until he can go back to work. 

He's a tourist as well so he won't be even considered to return until the gates are open for tourists and coming from the UK that's gonna be some time yet. 

Choices mate. They have consequences.

1 hour ago, Dasekel said:

You are a real bright guy. The fact is that he has a small child with a long-time partner. He works regularly abroad to earn the living for his family and because Thai Government was not capable to come up with proper plans or was never interested in considering the issue of "mixed" families the family is unnecessarily separated for a long time. The right and decent thing in any country would be to enable families to re-unite. How many countries are dealing with such issues as badly as Thailand? Your very unhelpful and family-unfriendly view is duly noted, Mr Meeseeks

Yet he is not responsible enough to get a proper visa, or make the decision to stay with his wife while she is about to give birth, or make the decision not to travel to work during a pandemic when all signs pointed to restricted international movement and possible problems being allowed back to Thailand.

That doesn't seem bright to me.

The Thai government have handled the crisis effectively. Such issues are not a priority for them as those people are not Thai citizens nor are they even Thai taxpayers.

They are allowing Thais to repatriate and are now starting to allow taxpayers back (work permit holders). It follows then that other persons on the appropriate visa (and have permission to stay i.e. retirees, marriage visas) will be allowed back in at some point.

Priorities correct and just as it should be. This guy doesn't even have a visa, maybe October for him or later... again a result of his poor planning and poor choices.

53 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

Which doesn't qualify you to comment on someone who has to leave to get money for his family here. Take a couple of months off, with the resulting pay loss?

I did offshore work for years out of Thailand on six different continents so I am more than qualified to comment.

He had a choice, Take a couple of months off, with the resulting pay loss, or miss the birth of his child and potentially get stuck outside the country.

That was his choice to make, he made it and missed the birth of his kid and is now stuck outside the country. 

Informed choices are what adults make, and they are mature enough to live by them.

Only got himself to blame, the Thai government have done absolutely nothing wrong and in fact, done everything right in attempting to protect the Thai people.

4 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

And apparently doesn't deal at all with all the expats who are here on retirement or marriage, or are stranded abroad on retirement or marriage status.

A clear signal is being sent as to who is not wanted back IMO.

2 minutes ago, poohy said:

i am pretty desperate to leave back to Uk( things to do people to see..so dont be nosey )

flight changed from April to early September

Confident i can fly out without any issue 

Uk will probably drop quarantine by then, if not i am sure i can be worked around i doubt even you would be checked

 

Big problems is the return (Dec /Jan ish) here with this bunch of "cluckwits" running the show and whatever "requirements they will dream up.

I have feeling the same cosy easy rules that apply to any returning  tourists will not be extended to a returning expat .and it could prove tiresome and expensive

Seriously might be time to just make here a holiday home for a fews months a year so i am looking at shipping dogs back and let the mrs(who would never leave her daughters an grand kids) fend for herself for a while

 

I think a lot of expats, much like yourself, will be quite rightly reassessing their long term plans based on what has happened and what may happen. I know a few of my friends are. 

It is quite clear to me that if you don't have a work permit or PR you are on a shoogly peg. 

Can't say I am surprised as the writing has been on the wall for a while now though with immigration purges on overstayers, good guys in bad guys out, biometrics, immigration smart cars, door to door visits and general tightening of the rules.

1 minute ago, EricTh said:

Malaysia has more Toyota and Honda vehicles than Proton.

 

Their English skill is 50 times better than Thai. 

 

Business visa, work permit is much easier to obtain in Malaysia for foreigners. Foreigners buying land for factories and houses is allowed unlike Thailand. None of this nonsensical 90-day reporting etc.

 

The only problem is that some countries are islamophobic.

 

I disagree and that's why we set up here in Thailand over Malaysia. As did the multinationals I mentioned in my last post and a plethora of others.

IMO the only industries that Malaysia may be more attractive in would be petrochemical or computer hardware manufacture, but then again I have had reasonable success in Thailand in the oil and gas sector too. 

The drawbacks you describe may apply to Bob Smith from Southend who met Nok on holiday in Pattaya, and is trying to live the dream on a shoestring budget, but they simply are not a real reflection of doing business in Thailand especially if you are a corporate enterprise relocating manufacturing facilities from China as described in the OP.

4 minutes ago, EricTh said:

I really doubt that Thailand is a good production base considering

 

1. the low level of English proficiency,

2. endless paper documentation for visas

3. 90-day report

4. over-protection of many jobs for Thai people only

5. restrictions in owning land for foreigners who want to invest in factories

 

I think Philippines and Malaysia would be better choices in these factors.

The tax breaks are far better in Thailand than those places.

Workforce is higher skilled.

They have a clear vision and plan for the future especially the EEC and the proposed investments.

Those are some of the reasons everyone comes here and not other places, e.g. Toyota, Honda, Mitsu, Triumph, BMW, MB, Harley Davidson etc, and those are just vehicle manufacturers.

Look at Malaysia, they still drive Protons and Peroduas. Lol.

1 minute ago, MangoPineappleBanana said:

BOI approval is rudimentary to American investment here. No your motorbike rental shop is not as easy to convince them of supporting, but majority foreign ownership in LOS is not impossible or unfathomable. 

There are only a few categories of businesses that will be considered for BOI and they change all the time.

Usually these will be in industrial sectors where Thailand lacks expertise or skills and often associated with mega-projects and infrastructure expansion. 

A promise of investment of a certain amount is required within a specified timeframe (usually twelve months).

Having done it (twice) it certainly is not impossible but you have to be in an industry and business that the Thais see as adding value to the country's economy.

Bar owners need not apply.