I just need to vent how disappointed I am with the way Thailand is treating foreigners. This big joke motto is "bad guys out and good guys in", but I see no change in any way to make it easier for the good guys to stay in. Other countries like Cambodia and Vietnam have been relaxing their visa and business laws to attract foreigners and Thailand seems to be going nowhere in that department.

 

I recently traveled to Hoi An in Vietnam, I wanted to go to a good bakery and looked up on Trip Advisor for the highest rated bakery/ desert place.

Number one place was a bakery called La Petite Patisserie. It was a house that they converted into a bakery/ coffee shop. What caught my attention the most was there was only 2 people working (the owners) a husband and wife french couple in their early 30s, no vietnamese employees at least at the time I visited. Both were working in making the bakery and serving customers. Number 1 bakery on Trip Advisory!! 

 

If it was in Thailand apart from being down right illegal there would be 100 thais complaining the foreigners are taking business away from them and they would make a whole ordeal about the evil foreigners stealing their "rightful" customers because they are Thai and they come first. 

 

I really don't understand how the expats whom are married to Thai women take it. Having to prove you are married every year without any chance of permanent residence. These things should be reciprocal as tourists visas. A place like Taiwan for example doesn't allow foreigners to buy land IF they come from countries that don't allow Taiwanese citizens to purchase land.

 

I will take all the BS rules for now because there is no better option but as soon as there is I am leaving this place fast. 

I suggest you apply to Makro for a job. They employ a number of foreign bakers.

I am not a baker. You are missing the point.

You worry too much....Go with any foreign countries flow or stick to your own countries flow....????

1 minute ago, 3421abc said:

I am not a baker. You are missing the point.

 

So you're not married and you're not a baker !!

 

That's why Thailand doesn't want you, no French influence here...

I am disgusted with how people people treat their hosts!!

If you don't like it then you know what you can do.

 

Correct, it ends in 'off'.

47 minutes ago, 3421abc said:

I am not a baker. You are missing the point.

No he's not.  You compare Vietnam which is still economically undeveloped with a GNI of 6,450 PPP to relatively wealthy Thailand with a GNI of 17,099 PPP.  Two very different countries.  Thailand occupies a completely different social development level than Vietnam.  The countries are night and day when it comes to basic measures such as health care, education, consumer goods access and even  happiness. It follows then that they have a different approach to visas, immigration and  social development.

 

Thailand is not particularly interested in attracting small operation foreign bakers. I like a good croissant as much as the next person and I note that the Novotel at the Bangkok airport where I often stay IMO has terrible baked goods at breakfast despite having French chefs and  management, so a foreigner is not necessarily going to turn bad dough and palm oil into a heavenly buttery light  croissant.  Because you saw a listing on a pay for play unreliable website, does not mean that it is  the best bakery..

 

Thailand does not need low skilled foreign labour unless it is for hard labour like  fishing boats & processing plants, construction and some cleaning jobs. Thailand  tries to encourage its workers to obtain higher skilled jobs like data & financial transaction processing or R&D or skilled manufacturing.  It  has adapted its  immigration policy accordingly. This is similar to what western countries do. I can assure that the visiting medical researchers, including the folks who have been in and out for years have no problems with immigration. The executives over at Ford, and Honda  do not either. The Canadian bankers from Scotia Bank who come in to work at Thanachart Bank have no issues, nor do the insurer execs that rotate in from Allianz, Zurich or AXA.   Johnny Foreigner who runs a crappy beer bar that pimps out girls, or Harry who helps  his lady boy Bunny  with her hair dressing salon probably have  some immigration hassles if they do not meet the necessary financial requirements.  Sven and Katy the  smiling  Danish retirees who follow the  immigration rules and are organized don't have any issues, nor does Luke the retired train engineer from Sussex  who runs his visa renewal like he ran his freight, with punctuality.

 

 

50 minutes ago, Briggsy said:

I suggest you apply to Makro for a job. They employ a number of foreign bakers.

And they will make a huge photo of the bakers' face and hang in in their shop.

 

On the bag will be 'baked fresh every day' but on the sticker it tells that it's 3 days old.

 

I travel 20 km to buy some decent bread in BKK and contribute to the pollution by doing so.

1 minute ago, fruitman said:

And they will make a huge photo of the bakers' face and hang in in their shop.

 

On the bag will be 'baked fresh every day' but on the sticker it tells that it's 3 days old.

In Thai or English or French?

Just now, marcusarelus said:

In Thai or English or French?

In english but nobody in the Makro can speak english of course.

 

Once i took a 'fresh baked every day' bread and brought it to the customer service....i pointed at the picture of that farang baker and at the expiry sticker which was 3 days old and told them that a farang baker would never ever do that.

 

They couldn;t understand me but few weeks later the poster of the baker was gone, now there's a poster of a thai baker.

7 minutes ago, fruitman said:

I travel 20 km to buy some decent bread in BKK and contribute to the pollution by doing so.

I make decent bread almost every day in my bread machine at home.

Didn't think much of the bread in Vietnam, almost every bakery in Cambodia is better.

30 minutes ago, j8k said:

If you don't like it then you know what you can do.

 

Correct, it ends in 'off'.

I think I was trying to say the same thing in response to the OP, only in a nicer way.

Good grief, why are there so many posts like this?  Thailand's not for everyone, can be frustrating but you either deal with it, or don't.  Complaining won't help much, and moving isn't an option for many people who have family/work here.  If people think life will be any easier in another SE Asian country they are likely to be disappointed.

So you see a young French couple baking bread in a remote VN town and instantly your whole being is turned to revulsion against Thailand.

 

OP, I am sure you are a sweet person but don't you think this is a bit of a leap?

8 minutes ago, fruitman said:

And they will make a huge photo of the bakers' face and hang in in their shop.

 

On the bag will be 'baked fresh every day' but on the sticker it tells that it's 3 days old.

 

I travel 20 km to buy some decent bread in BKK and contribute to the pollution by doing so.

I buy fresh baked bread 1km from my home. 50 baht for a large loaf. It' comes out of the oven at 5.15 every day and by 6pm it's usually sold out. It was baked by a Frenchman, but he recently retired. However, he had trained his Thai staff up on the art and the bread is still, probably the best bread in Thailand. I speak to the staff in Thai, they speak to me in English.

 

Good quality bread is available everywhere in both Saigon and Phnom Penh, due to the legacy of their French occupiers. The little baguette sandwiches from the food carts are up there amongst my favourite street food anywhere.

1 minute ago, Spidey said:

I buy fresh baked bread 1km from my home. 50 baht for a large loaf. It' comes out of the oven at 5.15 every day and by 6pm it's usually sold out. It was baked by a Frenchman, but he recently retired. However, he had trained his Thai staff up on the art and the bread is still, probably the best bread in Thailand. I speak to the staff in Thai, they speak to me in English.

 

Good quality bread is available everywhere in both Saigon and Phnom Penh, due to the legacy of their French occupiers. The little baguette sandwiches from the food carts are up there amongst my favourite street food anywhere.

In BKK the bakeries are in the malls which open at 11 am during the week....and they don't speak a word english.

20 minutes ago, geriatrickid said:

No he's not.  You compare Vietnam which is still economically undeveloped with a GNI of 6,450 PPP to relatively wealthy Thailand with a GNI of 17,099 PPP.  Two very different countries.  Thailand occupies a completely different social development level than Vietnam.  The countries are night and day when it comes to basic measures such as health care, education, consumer goods access and even  happiness. It follows then that they have a different approach to visas, immigration and  social development.

 

Thailand is not particularly interested in attracting small operation foreign bakers. I like a good croissant as much as the next person and I note that the Novotel at the Bangkok airport where I often stay IMO has terrible baked goods at breakfast despite having French chefs and  management, so a foreigner is not necessarily going to turn bad dough and palm oil into a heavenly buttery light  croissant.  Because you saw a listing on a pay for play unreliable website, does not mean that it is  the best bakery..

 

Thailand does not need low skilled foreign labour unless it is for hard labour like  fishing boats & processing plants, construction and some cleaning jobs. Thailand  tries to encourage its workers to obtain higher skilled jobs like data & financial transaction processing or R&D or skilled manufacturing.  It  has adapted its  immigration policy accordingly. This is similar to what western countries do. I can assure that the visiting medical researchers, including the folks who have been in and out for years have no problems with immigration. The executives over at Ford, and Honda  do not either. The Canadian bankers from Scotia Bank who come in to work at Thanachart Bank have no issues, nor do the insurer execs that rotate in from Allianz, Zurich or AXA.   Johnny Foreigner who runs a crappy beer bar that pimps out girls, or Harry who helps  his lady boy Bunny  with her hair dressing salon probably have  some immigration hassles if they do not meet the necessary financial requirements.  Sven and Katy the  smiling  Danish retirees who follow the  immigration rules and are organized don't have any issues, nor does Luke the retired train engineer from Sussex  who runs his visa renewal like he ran his freight, with punctuality.

 

 

Very well put, and this applies equally to other near neighbours of Thailand as well that are often mentioned as alternatives.

22 minutes ago, geriatrickid said:

The countries are night and day when it comes to basic measures such as health care, education, consumer goods access and even  happiness.

Agree, for the poor, healthcare and education are far better in Vietnam. The happiness of the local people is palpable. I really have no idea why Thailand is known as the "Land of Smiles" and Vietnam isn't.

He's so disgusted, he has decided to stay another year.

5 minutes ago, Spidey said:

I really have no idea why Thailand is known as the "Land of Smiles" and Vietnam isn't.

It's anti-communist propaganda spread by the western world.

Junta good, communist bad.

21 minutes ago, Spidey said:

I buy fresh baked bread 1km from my home. 50 baht for a large loaf. It' comes out of the oven at 5.15 every day and by 6pm it's usually sold out. It was baked by a Frenchman, but he recently retired. However, he had trained his Thai staff up on the art and the bread is still, probably the best bread in Thailand. I speak to the staff in Thai, they speak to me in English.

 

Good quality bread is available everywhere in both Saigon and Phnom Penh, due to the legacy of their French occupiers. The little baguette sandwiches from the food carts are up there amongst my favourite street food anywhere.

Could you let us know the name of the bakery?

1 hour ago, 3421abc said:

I am not a baker. You are missing the point.

And you are talking nonsense: "without any chance of permanent residence."

There is a chance of permanent residence.

Just now, Turbo Slayer said:

Could you let us know the name of the bakery?

Only if you promise to keep it to yourself!

 

Azure, ex Fabrice, restaurant and bar, off Soi Neurn Plub Wan.

Why would you stay in Thailand for now when you can live in your beloved Vietnam? 

3 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

And you are talking nonsense: "without any chance of permanent residence."

There is a chance of permanent residence.

Slim to none and Slim's left town.

1 hour ago, Briggsy said:

I suggest you apply to Makro for a job. They employ a number of foreign bakers.

what language they speak these ""foreign"" bakers because at the Makro I visited everyday, all bakers are Thais and only speak Thai

30 minutes ago, fruitman said:

In BKK the bakeries are in the malls which open at 11 am during the week....and they don't speak a word english.

And why should they? Do they speak Thai in the shops in your country? First thing that I did when I came here to live was to learn Thai.

14 minutes ago, Spidey said:

Only if you promise to keep it to yourself!

 

Azure, ex Fabrice, restaurant and bar, off Soi Neurn Plub Wan.

Cheers 

16 minutes ago, Mavideol said:

what language they speak these ""foreign"" bakers because at the Makro I visited everyday, all bakers are Thais and only speak Thai

Open your eyes.