Foreign Workers

[mark lamai]

just a snippet in the paper yesterday

18% of workers in Singapore are foreigners.

amazing how they have survived this

and made their economy the strongest in se asia

so i guess if they follow Thailands lead and throw most of them out

they will get even more richer...

[Donz]

The foreigners in Singapore are far different then the ones in Thailand. They are in each countries for different reasons.

[Mid]

how many baht is $10 Singapore and why can't maids have one day off / week ??

[steveromagnino]

just a snippet in the paper yesterday

18% of workers in Singapore are foreigners.

amazing how they have survived this

and made their economy the strongest in se asia

so i guess if they follow Thailands lead and throw most of them out

they will get even more richer...

I think everyone can bring something to Thaivisa.

Perhaps you can bring Silence :-)

Very different countries, different resources; Singapore got great on 3 things; HBDs, the port and financial deregulation/infrastructure investment arm. At least that is how they like to explain it to me.

Foreigners can bring a LOT to Thailand. But some of the foreigners here bring a big supply of condoms and pay checks to keep half of Isaan looking after sick buffalo. (the pay checks do the looking after, not the condoms). Go down to Singapore to meet white people who actually know what they are talking about; it is a lot harder to find them here (although there are admittedly plenty, just they are vastly outnumbered).

[chuchok]

just a snippet in the paper yesterday

18% of workers in Singapore are foreigners.

amazing how they have survived this

and made their economy the strongest in se asia

so i guess if they follow Thailands lead and throw most of them out

they will get even more richer...

I think everyone can bring something to Thaivisa.

Perhaps you can bring Silence :-)

Very different countries, different resources; Singapore got great on 3 things; HBDs, the port and financial deregulation/infrastructure investment arm. At least that is how they like to explain it to me.

Foreigners can bring a LOT to Thailand. But some of the foreigners here bring a big supply of condoms and pay checks to keep half of Isaan looking after sick buffalo. (the pay checks do the looking after, not the condoms). Go down to Singapore to meet white people who actually know what they are talking about; it is a lot harder to find them here (although there are admittedly plenty, just they are vastly outnumbered).

I dear say that many pople of Isaan enjoy this greatly.Wasn't there a Mayor of one of the Isaan cities trying to welcome farang..cause he knew how much money they bought in??

[wintermute]

I dear say that many pople of Isaan enjoy this greatly.Wasn't there a Mayor of one of the Isaan cities trying to welcome farang..cause he knew how much money they bought in??

It's welfare generated by the white man's burden of course they enjoy it, it fits into the typical Thai characteristics of not having to work and getting something for free. This allows time for them to sit around on their houses on stilts drinking lao kao and gambling.

[ourmanflint]

just a snippet in the paper yesterday

18% of workers in Singapore are foreigners.

amazing how they have survived this

and made their economy the strongest in se asia

so i guess if they follow Thailands lead and throw most of them out

they will get even more richer...

I think everyone can bring something to Thaivisa.

Perhaps you can bring Silence :-)

Very different countries, different resources; Singapore got great on 3 things; HBDs, the port and financial deregulation/infrastructure investment arm. At least that is how they like to explain it to me.

Foreigners can bring a LOT to Thailand. But some of the foreigners here bring a big supply of condoms and pay checks to keep half of Isaan looking after sick buffalo. (the pay checks do the looking after, not the condoms). Go down to Singapore to meet white people who actually know what they are talking about; it is a lot harder to find them here (although there are admittedly plenty, just they are vastly outnumbered).

Not one for the stereotypes then!!!

Foreigners work in Singapore, because they are attracted to do so by the economic and more importantly the political environment there. Thailand as a xenophobic nay racist society will never attract workers of that calibre in any number, so instead it gets condoms and pay checks in Isaan. This is Thailands choice consciously or not, and as long as they are happy with that, then I guess nothing will ever change.

[stumonster]

how many of those foreigners are there to do jobs Singaporeans will not do ?

all the Indians on minimal wages , till they get kicked out after 9 years so they cannot apply for citizenship .

I find Singapore to be an unpleasant experience.

[Heng]

Was about to say the same. Foreigners as in Malaysians?

[Dakhar]

I had a job offer once in Sing. The option was to be poor in Sing or be poor in the US. I chose to be poor in the US.

Fortunatley I found another job that paid well in the US and things kept going well.... Now, I am here in Thailand, married to work.... lucky me.

[GuestHouse]

I'm currently on buisiness in Singapore, I've lived and worked here in the past, and I have worked for many years in Thailand.

The observation I would make is that both Singapore and Thailand welcome people with open arms when they are bringing in the right expertise, experience and qualifications.

As has been said above, the difference is that Thailand attracts a significant number of people who don't fit profile that gets the 'Welcome, we are very pleased to see you'.

There is also a huge misconception by many foreigners who move, or who would move to Thailand, never better illustrated than by this post...

It's welfare generated by the white man's burden of course they enjoy it, it fits into the typical Thai characteristics of not having to work and getting something for free. This allows time for them to sit around on their houses on stilts drinking lao kao and gambling.

– How offensive was that?!

The truth is, and I speak from experience. Thai workers are very well respected both in the region and beyond. Thais I have had the pleasure of working with have been hard working, flexible in their approach to work, willing to make an effort way beyond expectation. They also have a remarkably high uptake of further education and training (often at their own expense).

They are so good at this that they don't need help from any the 'half trained', 'ill educated' foreigners, particularly those who are only too ready to do the Thais down.

Put simply, there is a reason why many Western Companies have moved East, and it’s not because of the ready supply of Westerners looking for something to keep them occupied now that the bar opening times have restricted their usual activities.

[JimsKnight]

I dear say that many pople of Isaan enjoy this greatly.Wasn't there a Mayor of one of the Isaan cities trying to welcome farang..cause he knew how much money they bought in??

It's welfare generated by the white man's burden of course they enjoy it, it fits into the typical Thai characteristics of not having to work and getting something for free. This allows time for them to sit around on their houses on stilts drinking lao kao and gambling.

LOL!

However if I had to choose between tiny island Singapore and Thailand it would be the latter with the laid back groove that only the thais know how!

The wages in Singapore may be higher than Thailand but the cost of living takes the pss. Owning your own car? Forget it. Space to travel and tour around? Doubtful.

[jbowman1993]

I'm currently on buisiness in Singapore, I've lived and worked here in the past, and I have worked for many years in Thailand.

The observation I would make is that both Singapore and Thailand welcome people with open arms when they are bringing in the right expertise, experience and qualifications.

As has been said above, the difference is that Thailand attracts a significant number of people who don't fit profile that gets the 'Welcome, we are very pleased to see you'.

There is also a huge misconception by many foreigners who move, or who would move to Thailand, never better illustrated than by this post...

It's welfare generated by the white man's burden of course they enjoy it, it fits into the typical Thai characteristics of not having to work and getting something for free. This allows time for them to sit around on their houses on stilts drinking lao kao and gambling.

– How offensive was that?!

The truth is, and I speak from experience. Thai workers are very well respected both in the region and beyond. Thais I have had the pleasure of working with have been hard working, flexible in their approach to work, willing to make an effort way beyond expectation. They also have a remarkably high uptake of further education and training (often at their own expense).

They are so good at this that they don't need help from any the 'half trained', 'ill educated' foreigners, particularly those who are only too ready to do the Thais down.

Put simply, there is a reason why many Western Companies have moved East, and it’s not because of the ready supply of Westerners looking for something to keep them occupied now that the bar opening times have restricted their usual activities.

There you go again Guesthouse. Injecting a streak of logic into the debate. You need to come teach at my school, sometimes logic is in short supply here.

[Sing_Sling]

how many of those foreigners are there to do jobs Singaporeans will not do ?

all the Indians on minimal wages , till they get kicked out after 9 years so they cannot apply for citizenship .

I find Singapore to be an unpleasant experience.

Umm, I have a feeling that you really don't know what you are talking about, please don't take offense.

Three categories of foreigners here:

1) Labourers from Bangla Desh, Thailand etc . . . to work in the construction industry, among other heavy labour indistries.

2) Workers from Malaysia . . . to work in the service and professional sector. Many take up PR and eventually citizenship.

3) White collar expats from anywhere, like myself. Initially sent by their MNC to work out of the APAC HQ, many apply for PR after ANY LENGTH OF TIME, not 9 years.

The circumstances are generally different between people who want to work and live in Thailand and Singapore. Singapore does not have a population large enough to make a country function, therefore it's reliance on freign labour. Thailand has enough people but not enough skilled people.