The mystery of exactly how many expats live in Thailand

[Roy Baht]

4 hours ago, justin case said:

thailand can never be a home for non-thais... you cannot buy / own land, you don't get nationality even you married / worked / family ,  you don't have the right to stay with your children in the country if you get divorced to a nasty piece of shit

Stop saying "you" when you are only talking about yourself

[connda]

4 hours ago, jlwilliamsjr18 said:

Expats are in fact one of the golden geese of Thailand. Do the math, if each one, spends 100 dollars a week, thats a sizable hunk for the economy.  So, why kill this golden goose?

Unlike more enlightened countries which welcome long-stay expats and which have paths to permanent residency, Thailand is too engrossed in it's ultra-nationalism.  The xenophobia clouds their ability to see long-stay expats as anything but national security risks and potential criminals.  They completely fail to see long-stay expats as sources of sizable amounts of foreign capital injected directly into the Thai GDP.  And that arrogance is going to start affecting the amount of foreign capital as long-term expats simply get fed up with the floundering exchange rate, inflation induced higher prices, and the ever-changing rules imposed by immigration geared to make it more and more difficult to reside here.  Eventually they'll drive a stake right through the heart of the geese laying golden eggs, and they'll rationalize it, blame evil foreigners for the problems they themselves created, and will continue promoting Thailand for Thai people and the hell with foreigners.  To their own determent. 

[Roy Baht]

3 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Those numbers are way low. A fraction of the reality.

 

According to wiki- Foreign residents by country of origin 2010 Nationality Population

 Myanmar1,292,686

 Cambodia281,292

 Laos222,432

 China141,553

 United Kingdom85,836

 Japan80,898

 India46,3261

 United States40,230

 Germany24,383

 France22,486

 Vietnam17,662

 Philippines17,574

 Malaysia8,182

 Singapore2,952

 Indonesia2,952

Others174,2366.75

Stateless117,3154.54

Unknown2,1470.08

Total population2,581,141100.00

A fraction of the reality but I think the proportions are right, no? (I.e, twice as many Brits as Yanks, etc).

[Percy P]

5 hours ago, FarFlungFalang said:

That's good then ,it means I'm not here and they won't come after me!Always wondered why I haven't had a knock on the door yet!

Eventually they will come knocking , What's your address.

[Percy P]

5 hours ago, cornishcarlos said:

 

But no Aussies, tfft.... ????

Can do without them.

[Andycoops]

5 hours ago, cornishcarlos said:

 

But no Aussies, tfft.... ????

Most Ozzies I know don't stay here 12 months a year Because they get docked by the Government from their pension(s) if they are out of Oz.

[connda]

5 hours ago, darksidedog said:

I know quite a few people who have left, so that is probably true, and of course there are numerous reasons for it. Given immigrations continuously tougher stance, you can only wonder if they are happy about the decline or whether they would be happy for even more of us to leave.

I've been talking with business owners in Chiang Mai who say the same thing regarding expats exiting Thailand.  They're talking about their long-stay expat customers who stop by to say adios, see ya later. Exchange rate gone down the crapper, prices are getting ridiculous for common items that used to be cheap, and Thai Immigration is now in attack-mode.  So an exodus has started.  I think Thais and Thai authorities are so blinded by their nationalism that they actually could care less if long-stay expats leave.  We're all just Kon Daang - literally "Other People".  Maybe not even quite human. Definitely not respected in the least.  The funds we inject into the Thai economy are completely disregarded.  Regardless of a major slowdown in retail business, Thai authorities will simply issue press releases saying how Super everything is.  So there it is. 

[Torrens54]

Bleed us dry then make us so uncomfortable we go away but eventually, word gets around and our eagerly anticipated “replacement financiers” will go elsewhere.

[Boatfreak]

7 hours ago, Isaanbiker said:

But when is a foreigner considered an expat? After 5, 10, or 15 years?

 

an expat is according to Cambridge Dictionary: someone who does not live in their own country 

A Mexican, Hondurian, Cuban in the US, a Moroccan, Syrian, Libyan in Europe, are thus all expats but for some strange reasons we Westerners like to call ourselves expat while we name a Mexican, Libyan, Moroccan, Myanmar, foreigners, immigrants,etc but certainly not expats. 

[Traubert]

31 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Let's assume they get 1,000bht for every foreigner that walks through the door (fines/extensions/agents backhanders) ...... they're making $$$$$$$$$s

Fair do's. So 2.1m foreigners to pay for the fingerprint scanning system alone. Looks like they're going to have to increase the price of tourist visas.

[moe666]

Reading a article on the internet yesterday there are 5000 and some odd americans retired in Thailand, this is the actual number of people who have their social security deposited in a Thai bank account. 

[Isaanbiker]

4 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

not sure what you are saying with your comment.

To answer your question with a question. How would he know?

[Saraphee]

49 minutes ago, Roy Baht said:

Stop saying "you" when you are only talking about yourself

Indeed, one should always refer to one's self as one

[Thaifriends]

26 minutes ago, Boatfreak said:

 

Expats are who earn more then the locals and more then what they earn back home. Orignal term was not for any other category including retiree or excile.

[Thaifriends]

Yes try to superior ourselves infront of others as mentioned. I have seen a Westerner picking up trash (rum or beer bottles) on daily basis. Felt bad for him but dont know his story.

[Almer]

1 hour ago, HiSoLowSoNoSo said:

Used to be 20.000 Swedes in Thailand, now only 19.999 (I left). Now there are more Thais in Sweden than Swedes in Thailand (I recon most of them are females).   

Its a good point you make, in Dubai many thai females and in the UK just about every empty shop opens as Thai massage, if there was a tit for tat thailand would come off  worse, many unemployable females would come back bad news for the North East villages and there families and pensions for the expats  who return  would cease to come in, before you tell me all the Thai females in Blighty have Work permits i think we all know different 

[CMNightRider]

31 minutes ago, moe666 said:

Reading a article on the internet yesterday there are 5000 and some odd americans retired in Thailand, this is the actual number of people who have their social security deposited in a Thai bank account. 

I think many of those odd Americans have been commenting on this site ????

[Isaanbiker]

Where can I report two new Farang?

 

         I've just seen two gentlemen I've never seen before. They had their nieces or so with them. They must have been 55 years wiser. 

 

    So please add two more guys to Sisaket. When will we see the final number? 

[sambum]

"Whether or not previous data sets are even comparable, the reality is that the mystery of exactly how many expats are living in Thailand remains."

 

Probably the same mystery as how many of the RTP are currently in "Inactive posts"!

[bimmerbob]

6 hours ago, cornishcarlos said:

 

But no Aussies, tfft.... ????

I know 1......but he claims Scottish ancestry!

[Isaanbiker]

It would be way more interesting to know how many are still here on a long long overstay and currently in dive mood.

 

     10- 100- 10,000? 

[SPREX]

It is not secret !!!!!

Immigration delivery the General Public report about all foreigner in the kingdom under 41 reasons (clauses

)  Exemple 2.22 clause is Retirement /  2.18 If Thai wife  etc..... 

The total inlcude people working in Thailand 

as per the last command order 2014  and immogration Code 

The report compilation is coming from BICIS datas base 

Total = 442 134  with 231 Involved nation 

Under 41 reasons
Immigration report Year 2018
Nation	Number
China	26084
American	24369
British	23179
Philippines	20402
Japanese	17314
Myanmar	16483
German	15781
France	14539
Laos	14507
Australia	14332
India	12982
Cambodge	10529
Taiwan	10506
South Korea	9973
Dutch	9873
Canadian	9596
Swiss	9591
Suède	9143
Italy	8549
Malaysia	7818
Russia	7358
Norway	6981
Vietnam	6835
Singapore	6322
Belgium	6142
Indonesia	6116
Danemark	5979

 

 

[Scott3000]

  8 hours ago, rooster59 said:

 

Of course it could be that Thailand’s expat community is in massive decline,

 

We need to re-think how we expatriate ourselves. I know I am.

Count me as -1 to the Thai expat numbers. It was great while it lasted.

 

For me, Thailand was the only place I had considered with a "settling" mentality, and I've been an expat since 1995; last visit to "my" country was for 2 weeks in 2003.

 

It would be great to have such a discussion with like minded expats -- but sans patronizing attitudes so prevalent among travelers. Butt-smooching does not help the host country  smoochees, and it doesn't help the smoocher or their fellow expats either. It feels great in the bar or café, but serves no purpose.

 

For instance:

 

YES: Thailand was a great place to live as an expatriate.

 

NO: Thailand was never awesome, amazing, incredible, or any such superlative.

 

Thailand was a great life experience, in pleasant surroundings.

 

It was just a good life that I was content to live... until it wasn't any longer.

 

And to be honest, I saw it coming. I met an Economist who analyzes country risk for a large multi-national while buying Thai fisher pants in Feb/Mar, 2014. They told me, "contrary to popular belief, nation states do not fail by invasion. Rather, they implode, and the first sign of danger is pressure on foreigners and immigrants."

 

As a Social Scientist, I reckon I just wanted to see for myself, up close and personal.

 

But I also have experience with waterfalls of different types, from different angles and different points of view.

 

I believe I bailed just in the nick of time.

 

I don't believe this will be the most popular post on this thread. But if I can connect with a couple of similar minded folks and have a meaningful discussion about some new ideas going forward -- including even a few new ideas about Thailand that do not include the hackneyed haunts of the bygone era as anything more than temporary stepping stones -- that would make it worth while!

[Jackin1960]

However many there where it's on the decline and the shift is toward third world countries apposed to western countries visiting/living in Thailand.

[SPREX]

As per all reasons all nation  2018

NATION  (ALL)	(Tous)
YEAR 2018	2018
reason for the visa	Nombre de REASON
(1), (2) and (3) in the case of being a family of Thai nationals (Thai husband)	4451
(1), (2) and (5) Thai families (Thai children)	2093
(1), (2), (3) and (6) Thai families (Thai wife)	6867
(A) In the case of investment not less than 3 million baht	40
(B) In the case of investment not less than 10 million baht	53
A craftsman Or male, medical, nursing, or professional fields to transfer knowledge to Thai people	12
alienate worker	3599
Bank	200
Being a consular employee or employee	295
Being a spouse or child under the care and being a household	498
Being a teacher or professor or expert in public education institutions	4348
Being a teacher or teacher or an expert in private education institutions	4675
Evangelize	445
Have business necessity	9201
In the case of a professional athlete Or personnel related to professional sports	208
Investment Promotion Act	1959
Is a family of aliens who are temporarily allowed to stay in the Kingdom to study in schools according to In accordance with Article 2.8 or 2.9	1144
Is a family of aliens who are temporarily permitted to stay in the Kingdom	4688
Is a family of residents of the Kingdom (only parents, spouses, children, adopted children or children of spouses)	349
Is a person in the diplomatic corps	54
Is a person who is a foreign government with the approval of the Thai government to perform duties	568
Is a person who performs duties According to the agreement that the Thai government has made with foreign governments	19
Is a personal servant	87
Is an actor, singer, musician, conductor As well as those responsible for performing for entertainment or entertainment, with occasional performances	1
Is an actor, singer, musician, hotel or entertainment company in Thailand Which has a paid-up capital of not less than 20 million baht	512
Medical treatment or rehabilitation Or care for patients	1735
Not fully qualified, not allowed to travel in 7 days	4478
Not in the rules	498
office	539
other	416
Perform duties or missions for government agencies, state enterprises, other government agencies, embassies, consulates, international organizations	509
Perform media duties	202
Prove nationality	5
Special law	3072
Study Buddhism or religious practice	779
The person who controls the vehicle and the vehicle operator who enters the station Or locality in the Kingdom And can not travel outside the Kingdom	14
There is a need for an embassy. Or the consulate to certify and request	600
There is a need to stay engaged in investments that have been approved by the relevant ministries.	350
There is a reason to have to work in government agencies, state enterprises or other government agencies.	391
To install or repair machinery, aircraft or ships	86
To prosecute or proceed with the proceedings related to the case	842
To study in private educational institutions	6319
To study in public education institutions	2682
To train or research in higher education institutions or research institutes	358
To visit relatives or return to the former domicile of a person who has Thai nationality Or of a person with a father or mother being a Thai national or having Thai nationality	2572
Use life	9369
Visiting a spouse or visiting a child with Thai nationality	5005
Work in public charities Foreign private organizations, the Foundation of the Foreign Chamber of Commerce, the Thai Chamber of Commerce Or the Federation of Thai Industries	1683
Total général	88870

 

[PaDavid]

I suspect one of the reasons there appear to be more than there are actually are is because of the number married to Thai wives who live 'back home' but make regular visits to the wives' families. In my small village in the NE I know of five, 2 German, 1 Italian, I Dane and 1 Swede. I'm the only one living here full time, but I see the others on their occasional visits. 

[SPREX]

48 minutes ago, Isaanbiker said:

Pour répondre à votre question avec une question. Comment pourrait-il savoir?

Please look Official report immigration 

[marcusarelus]

6 minutes ago, SPREX said:

Please look Official report immigration 

link

[boonrawdcnx]

Been here 4 years . Own 2 condo but tourist visa .  there is no category for people like me... pink card thai driver license 3 bank account... car motobike.. but am tourist.....

Agree - before I turned 50 I was a tourist here for 25 years and spent probably an average 1-2 million a year here but apparently that does not count!?


Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[SPREX]

Sorry BICIS data base include Tourist w15/w30/w60  Tr ou Exemption visa  In/Out Système 

National Thai people are tacked too !!!!!