Millions of followers - farang in North Thailand a massive hit with the Thais

[Misterwhisper]

12 minutes ago, Happy enough said:

the rules are simple. don't you agree with them? sure i feel for the guy but my god if they laxed the rules on that here can you imagine the vermin wanting citizenship

A good point. But shouldn't a rule be so flexible as to being able to clearly distinguish between "vermin" (a.k.a. human riff-raff) trying to exploit the system and a person who obviously has every moral right to finally attain citizenship if he desires it so much? The core question really is: Should the outrageously high-set income be he only yardstick by which Udom is measured to be a "worthy" Thai citizen, although he could probably pass every other requirement (language proficiency, knowledge of Thai history/politics/culture, etc.) with flying colors and has literally spent almost his entire life here? 

 

 

[chatette]

Frankly, assuming this guy at least graduated high school,  his dual language skills alone would easily enable him to get a job and salary of at least the minimum for the required period so as to qualify for Thai citizenship. It isn't a lot. 
As for the process, the cost is minimal and point based. It has nothing to do with race. 
There was a United Nations range of ethnicities represented when I attended my Interior Ministry interview years ago, and I assume most applicants qualified since that was the point of the interview.
By contrast, the non-refundable processing fee alone for a long-term Thai spouse to simply apply for Australian PR is in excess of A$6k, while the U.K. imposes an extremely high income requirement for non-citizens to live with their spouses on that wet little island.
No, it is not that hard to qualify or get Thai citizenship for most people who are determined to get it, unless they are born in Thailand to stateless parents and then it really sucks.

[Misterwhisper]

14 minutes ago, zaphod reborn said:

It is purely a matter of paying PIT on THB 80,000 per year for at least the past 3 years and having a valid work permit during that period.

It is actually PER MONTH, i.e. you need to prove that you have paid PIT on at least 80,000 Baht of income every month for three CONSECUTIVE calendar years. If your income/tax dips below that minimum requirement for only one single month, the clock resets and those three years start counting again from zero.

[anon789561]

5 minutes ago, Misterwhisper said:

A good point. But shouldn't a rule be so flexible as to being able to clearly distinguish between "vermin" (a.k.a. human riff-raff) trying to exploit the system and a person who obviously has every moral right to finally attain citizenship if he desires it so much? The core question really is: Should the outrageously high-set income be he only yardstick by which Udom is measured to be a "worthy" Thai citizen, although he could probably pass every other requirement (language proficiency, knowledge of Thai history/politics/culture, etc.) with flying colors and has literally spent almost his entire life here? 

 

 

i do agree but i also understand the reasons behind their rules.

if it was me in control then anyone who could prove they had a family for a decade or more and the means to support them then that deserves citizenship IMO. but i'm not thai so not my call

[Mattd]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

He has a Thai wife and young child.

 

3 hours ago, zaphod reborn said:

He probably can't meet the ridiculous income requirement (proof of taxes paid on at least THB 80,000/mo of income for 3 years).

He doesn't have to meet this, as he is married to a Thai, he can legitimately apply for Citizenship so long as he is actually working and paying tax on 40,000 THB per month.

The question is, is he working here and earning enough, he must have some income and it must be close to this, as he has been living here for a very long time and if no PR, then it must have been on extensions of stay.

PR would have the same requirements tax wise as citizenship.

[Radar501]

Even without the precious Thai ID card that he seeks, I bet he never pays the farang price to get into national parks.

[anon789561]

3 minutes ago, Radar501 said:

Even without the precious Thai ID card that he seeks, I bet he never pays the farang price to get into national parks.

speak a bit of thai to the person behind the counter and insist you are resident then you'll pay thai price

** it may be taking it off topic but you brought it up. i stopped over in hua hin for a few days and went to the water park and the girl behind the counter wanted to charge more. my thai friends were embarrassed by that.

i believe most thais don't agree with it and are some what ashamed by it.

the countries run by a few dick head families and even the population don't agree with it.

can't blame the general thai populus as they are probably on your side but you can't say anything as they will probably lock you up or worse

Edited August 7, 2018 by Happy enough

[observer90210]

Funny....in many western nations, a person gets the nationality if having stayed long in the country as a child or plainly by marriage after 5 years....this is a biased and unfair treatment to this gentleman. With full respect to the country, Thailand really needs to change it's over protective nationalist immigration policies on many issues.

[rumak]

there are tens of thousands of "foreign workers" here in the North  (many what they call Thai Yai).

they do almost all of the farm work and a lot of the construction work.   Many have families, have lived here

for years......but still have to do the immigration/ work permit stuff.   should the farang get special treatment and be granted citizenship over them?

and then there's me .  daughter born here 30 years ago to a thai wife, so she has thai citizenship.

but there i am every 90 days filling out the form for "aliens".    i am not complaining, cause i am very 

happy that they let me stay at all.   ten years ago Australia told me :  No way i could meet their requirements .

[AdamTheFarang]

2 hours ago, Happy enough said:

could not disagree more. my business partner lived in phuket for many years and went west for his kids education. fair enough. they are doing their a levels now so will be at uni next year and him and his mrs will be back asap.

live in america? each to their own.

Thai education......are you saying is world class?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I hope he has a work permit for cutting down that banana tree....

[Farang Muang Phrae]

6 hours ago, Happy enough said:

ah the ant guy. posted on here last time. seems like a nice fella

ha ha ha!  Thank you for remembering me!  

[Farang Muang Phrae]

5 hours ago, ChiangMaiLightning2143 said:

Is he the guy who got his tree ant nest stolen?

Yes I am!  

[Farang Muang Phrae]

6 hours ago, zaphod reborn said:

I can empathize with his plight of not being granted Thai citizenship.  He probably can't meet the ridiculous income requirement (proof of taxes paid on at least THB 80,000/mo of income for 3 years).  If he has community support, and is not a burden on the state, he seems like he would make a stand-up foreigner admitted as a citizen.  Thai bureaucracy is stuck in the 19th century.

Thank you for your interest and I want everyone to know that I DO meet the requirements for Thai citizenship.  It would be the greatest honor in my life if I was allowed to become a Thai citizen.   

[Farang Muang Phrae]

3 hours ago, Misterwhisper said:

A good point. But shouldn't a rule be so flexible as to being able to clearly distinguish between "vermin" (a.k.a. human riff-raff) trying to exploit the system and a person who obviously has every moral right to finally attain citizenship if he desires it so much? The core question really is: Should the outrageously high-set income be he only yardstick by which Udom is measured to be a "worthy" Thai citizen, although he could probably pass every other requirement (language proficiency, knowledge of Thai history/politics/culture, etc.) with flying colors and has literally spent almost his entire life here? 

 

 

Thank you for your interest.  I can assure you I meet ALL the requirements. It would be the greatest honor of my life to become a citizen of this great country.  

[Farang Muang Phrae]

1 hour ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

I hope he has a work permit for cutting down that banana tree....

Believe me, I'm prepared to handle that particular issue if it becomes one.

[Farang Muang Phrae]

5 hours ago, Berkshire said:

This guy is good.  I speak pretty decent Thai, but this guy is fluent.  Cool!

Thank you for your kind comment!

[Farang Muang Phrae]

6 hours ago, johng said:

My wife showed me the above clip..she found it hilarious..

It was a good joke  he made  though......

the joke being

"the doctor told me to  eat more fruits and vegies for instance bananas"

its a play on on words joke "gluey ben don" ( where he slaps the banana trunk on his shoulder)

"ben don"  = for instance    it also means the tree trunk...so he went out and cut a banana tree trunk to eat instead of the bananas  5555555555555555555555

That's a very accurate translation, good job!

[cmsally]

I would imagine yo

23 minutes ago, Farang Muang Phrae said:

Thank you for your interest.  I can assure you I meet ALL the requirements. It would be the greatest honor of my life to become a citizen of this great country.  

I would imagine you were not born in Thailand because there are people around the same age who were born in Thailand to 2 American parents and automatically got citizenship. I can't remember when the Thais stopped that process though. Probably in the 80s is my guess.

[mok199]

6 hours ago, 55Jay said:

He's been in the news/on TVF before, trying to raise his profile with government officials to get Thai Citizenship. 

 

https://news.thaivisa.com/article/18102/video-american-desperate-to-be-thai-so-why-would-buffalo-thais-want-to-be-americans

haha...I thought he looked familiar...thanks

[connda]

6 hours ago, geriatrickid said:

Well said. Unfortunately, there are always some who believe that a country should throw open its doors to  those who live hand to mouth.

The West does that all the time.  It's political correctness in the US to assume that any Thai who enters the US illegally and brings their kids up in the US, that the kids should be allowed to stay and work toward citizenship.  Why?  Because they are 'Dreamers' with the American dream.
So Mr. Udom Suksaneh is a 'Dreamer' living the Thai dream.  Perhaps the Thai government should show some quid pro quo in this instance?  I think so.

[siamcrut]

Yes I am!  

Why would someone steal a tree ant nest? Is that eatable?
Funny vdo btw.

[Tchooptip]

2 hours ago, Farang Muang Phrae said:

That's a very accurate translation, good job!

"ben don"  = for instance "

 Personally, I would have write "bpen dtôn"  LOL  

[Mac98]

11 hours ago, geriatrickid said:

Well said. Unfortunately, there are always some who believe that a country should throw open its doors to  those who live hand to mouth.

Those who live band to mouth are the ones hired by the middle class to cut their lawns, baby sit their children, work their orchards, and prepare their restaurant meals. But I get your point, you wouldn't want that type to be granted the right to vote.

[BuckleUp]

The Thai equivalent of Steve Irwin.

 

[roo860]

The Thai equivalent of Steve Irwin.
 

Ah yes Steve Irwin, made a living out of stressing out animals with his antics, to make an 'exciting ' TV show.

Sent from my SM-G920F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[1dayumay]

13 hours ago, CiaranKL said:

2000 euro a month

 Hardly over the top.  There are rules and if you wish to be one a citizen then you follow them.  

2000 euro a month is more then the average income in most European countries after tax, so it’s ridiculous.

[1dayumay]

11 hours ago, Misterwhisper said:

What an arrogant statement.

 

Why don't you go out and ask a few Thai people on the streets whether they share your opinion that 80,000 baht net income per month is "hardly over the top"?

 

An income of 2,100 euros in Europe may be rather on the low side. But here in Thailand it isn't. I would dare say there are few locals upcountry who can boast such a salary.

 

But coming back to Udom: He basically grew up in Thailand, speaks the language fluently, supports a wife and child, has integrated well and (so I assume) lives a rather simple life on a modest Thai income. For all intents and purposes, he has become a local.

 

If the only excuse the Thai government deploys in denying him his citizenship is the outrageous requirement that he must prove three consecutive years of taxed monthly incomes that are a multiple of what the average citizen earns, then it only goes to show the contempt Thailand's authorities have for foreigners, whom they obviously only see as milking cows.

 

If European countries used the same sole yardstick, demanding that Thai people who wanted to gain citizenship had to show taxed incomes that are three or four times higher than what an average European employee makes, there hardly would be any Thai people living in Europe at all, no matter how well adapted and integrated they may have become.

 

And guess who would be first to raise a ruckus over such "unfair" or "racist" treatment? Exactly, it would be the Thai government! 

 

    

You are wrong.

the average salary in European countries after tax “EURO”

 

Europe isn’t a country, and it will never be, the difference from country to country omg Europe are huge, so speak for the whole continent is only lack of geographical knowledge.

 

[LukKrueng]

Some people just don't get it. Every country has rules. Regarding migration - Thailand is not open for migration, and that's by choice. They want to keep Thailand as a thai nation the way they like it. Some countries like the USA, Australia, new Zealand - they want migrants. Some European countries although might not encourage it, are still more open towards it. But look what happens in those countries. All the demographic changes, cultural changes. Not all for the good. There are countries that won't allow any foreigner at all to get citizenship (as far as I know one can never get a Japanese citizenship unless they are born to a Japanese national). In Thailand it is possible to become a citizen, but one has to qualify by the not so easy (yet not impossible) regulations. It's not racist, it's not cold hearted. It's the way Thailand makes sure it will remain Thailand

[Mattd]

14 hours ago, Farang Muang Phrae said:

Thank you for your interest.  I can assure you I meet ALL the requirements. It would be the greatest honor of my life to become a citizen of this great country.  

For a matter of interest, have you actually applied?

Right now Citizenship applications are being processed faster than normally and if you do meet all of the requirements, then now is the time to apply if you haven't already.