JimCM

Oxford English Dictionary (OED): Expat (noun): a person who lives outside their native country. Short for “expatriate.” Cambridge Dictionary: Expat (noun): someone who lives in a country that is not their own country. You're welcome Jonathan 😁

I've no idea where you get this misinformation from. There is no limit for Thai citizenship per year. Income is only 40k if married to a local, and no Thai language requirements. PR is 80k, less than £2000.

More nonsense. You need to renew visa every 5 years, I think. You need a WP. You can't buy land or vote.

Chicken tikka masala is a British dish.

You are wrong. I know a few guys with PR and 2 with citizenship, they say they are still expats. The PRs still need to pay for re entry permits.

Bombing, having fun and totally disregarding all international law and ceasefires.

They built the tunnels as Israel built a bloody big wall around them and wouldn't let them out or things in. Jeez, try to read a bit before commenting.

How am I a coward?

I suggest you The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle. The word God has become empty of meaning through thousands of years of misuse. I use it sometimes, but I do so sparingly. By misuse, I mean that people who have never even glimpsed the realm of the sacred, the infinite vastness behind that word, use it with great conviction, as if they knew what they are talking about. Or they argue against it, as if they knew what it is that they are denying. This misuse gives rise to absurd beliefs, assertions, and egoic delusions, such as “My [or our] God is the only true God, and your God is false,” or Nietzsche’s famous statement “God is dead.” The word God has become a closed concept. The moment the word is uttered, a mental image is created, no longer, perhaps, of an old man with a white beard, but still a mental representation of someone or something outside you, and, yes, almost inevitably a male someone or something. Neither God nor Being nor any other word can define or explain the ineffable reality behind the word, so the only important question is whether the word is a help or a hindrance in enabling you to experience that toward which it points. Does it point beyond itself to that transcendental reality, or does it lend itself too easily to becoming no more than an idea in your head that you believe in, a mental idol? The word Being explains nothing, but neither does God. Being, however, has the advantage in that it is an open concept. It does not reduce the infinite invisible to a finite entity. It is impossible to form a mental image of it. Nobody can claim exclusive possession of Being. It is your very essence, and it is immediately accessible to you as the feeling of your own presence, the realization I am that is prior to “I am this” or “I am that.” So it is only a small step from the word Being to the experience of Being.

Are the Laos, Cambodian, Burmese, Indian, Japanese working in your factory expats?

I usually agree with you Bill but... Christians (~2.3 B) pray to God/Jesus Muslims (~1.9 B) pray to Allah Hindus (~1.2 B) pray to various deities like Vishnu or Shiva Buddhists (~500 M) may pray or meditate to Buddhas/Bodhisattvas depending on tradition So it’s not “nobody” — billions of people worldwide actively pray. As for “which God?” — it depends on the religion: Christians, Muslims, Hindus, and others all direct prayer to their own understanding of the divine. Belief in God isn’t just a story; it’s a lived experience for billions, across cultures and millennia.

Me too but their evil, terrorist government has been exposed exponentially, even to Thais.

Do you really need to ask this? It's all to do with trade and relations with Israel and US. Did Italy or Mexico help IRA freedom fighters as they are Catholic?

This statement is not accurate. Being a permanent resident or even a naturalized Thai citizen does not automatically exclude someone from being considered an expat. The term “expat” is a social and cultural label, not a legal one. It generally refers to a foreigner living in a country long-term, regardless of their visa or citizenship status. While many expats stay on non-immigrant visas (Non-B, Non-O, Elite, LTR), a foreigner with Permanent Residency or even naturalized Thai citizenship can still be described as an expat because they live in Thailand as someone originally from another country and often retain cultural, social, or economic ties to their home country. Legal status distinguishes temporary residents from permanent residents or citizens, but it does not redefine the social identity of someone as an expat. Many expats in Thailand eventually acquire PR or even citizenship yet remain part of the expat community, attending expat events, speaking in expat networks, and maintaining cultural ties to their home countries.

Just as well Thailand's immigration regulations are so lax, no normal Thai was asked if they wanted you here, but that's different is it? Maybe your money builds Thailand lol. Same as Johhny, who is a factory worker immigrant.

Fyi in Thailand the law states. “Immigrant” means any alien who enters the Kingdom. https://royalthaipolice.go.th/downloads/laws/laws_03_03-03.pdf

If you work here until you retire, have property and local gf, which you do, decide to retire here on you long-term visa, are you still Not an immigrant?

An immigrant is anyone who moves to another country to live long-term or permanently. That’s it. Visa type, income, or nationality doesn’t change that fact. Yet in Thailand, some Western “expats” insist they aren’t immigrants. They own property, run businesses, and have lived here for decades - but somehow, only workers from Laos, Myanmar, or Cambodia are considered migrants. The distinction isn’t legal or linguistic; it’s social and often racial. Many like you self-styled “expats” quietly or openly look down on their neighbours, applying a hierarchy based on skin colour, class, and perceived education. They embrace the term expat to feel superior, while denying the same status to people doing essential labour for lower wages. In reality, both groups moved countries for a better life — the only difference is privilege and, sadly, prejudice. Ironically, you criticize Black immigrants, blaming them for crime and social problems, all while ignoring the fact that your own privileged status as an “expat” is just another form of immigration - one youve wrapped in entitlement and self-righteousness. The hypocrisy is staggering: moving abroad for a better life is noble when you do it, and criminal when others do.

You’ve renewed that Non-Immigrant visa more times than most people renew their passports, mate. It’s amusing how some people think the words “Non-Immigrant” on their visa magically erase the fact they’ve lived here for years, bought property, and built an entire life in Thailand. The term is bureaucratic, not biographical - it describes paperwork, not reality. A Non-Immigrant visa is, in truth, a long-term residence permit with commitment issues. Call it what you like, but if you’ve been renewing it for half a decade (or half a lifetime), you’ve immigrated. The only thing “non” about it is the honesty.

You've made no secret of your support of the baby killers.

And rightly so

https://aje.io/tpvw2q?update=4101902 For decades, the Israeli military has uprooted olive trees – an important Palestinian cultural symbol – across the West Bank as part of successive Israeli government efforts to seize Palestinian land and forcibly displace residents. Settler violence has also been surging in the West Bank, with 757 attacks recorded in the first half of 2025 alone, according to data from the Israeli NGO Peace Now.

“I feel like they’ve destroyed all my pride in being an Israeli – in being an IDF officer,” Daniel says in the programme. “All that’s left is shame.” You continue to support the vile terrorist IDF, which is remarkable at this point, when even the IDF members are admit what we knew all along. You continue to support Israel who are led by far right wing extremists. You are the typical American who unconditionally supports Israel in anything they do. It’s time to stop, as your type are being shunned around the world and even on public boards and social media. Put your bias aside and be rational.