What kind of farangs...

[DUNROAMIN]

16 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

I don't think the Thai Government cares...  Like most Thai's they are indifferent to us foreigners and can take us or leave us, regardless of what we think, we are nothing special and deserve no special rights. 

 

Like many nations, it seems Thailand has decided to enforce its existing Immigration regulations which for so long people have been making a mockery of. 

 

Unfortunately many have been caught in the mix with diminishing exchange rates and Embassies which no longer Affirm Documents which cannot be verified (i.e. income).

 

It seems many have translated the enforcement as 'they [the Thai Government] don't want us', I don't believe that is true. It just means we can enjoy Thailand at our pleasure if we meet the requirements, which if we are being fair are not exactly 'harsh'.

And even is we abide by all their draconic laws as expats we are still expected to pay double or triple for national parks, Thai theme attractions and in many cases "farang" prices for general goods shopping. With the recent immigration changes and now government has approved all government hospitals can charge "Farangs" double or more for hospital fees, it is little wonder why many expats are feeling <deleted> off. Maybe my country (Australia) should adopt the same policies, and lets see how Thais visiting Australia like that. 

[timendres]

1 hour ago, Percy P said:

Your quoting a special case but in general Thais don't show logic or forethought.  its very sad, In school the students aren't encouraged to question what their thought or told.  2+1 = 4 and that it. 

The level of nonsense in this statement is glaring. Just watch Thai's play games - games that involve logic. They excel at these games, and I have witnessed it many times. If Thai's were not logical, this country could not function at the level that it does.

 

That said, I agree 100% that the educational system is deficient in a major way. I deal a lot with graduates of IT programs here, and I am constantly amazed at the serious deficiencies in their education.

[mlmcleod]

Thailand wants foreign tourists who will arrive, drop off all of their money and then fly back the same day!

[dotpoom]

I will certainly give it a lot of thought when I get back home with the shopping?

[Thingamabob]

They want people who don't break the law, who are financially self-supporting, and who know how to behave.

[kevin612]

Thai government wants wealthy people.

[ylmiri]

What kind of farangs? Well, this question shows farangs have a misconception of the Thai government and how the government works.

When the immigration department has a meeting regarding changing of rules or law pertaining to long stay expats (expats whether they are farangs or Asians or South Asians) they do what they think is best for their country. In Thai government system nobody question the big shot in the department. The meeting is very much like a sort of ceremony or a ritual because the big shot already decided what to do and everyone will agree. (Thailand only appears to be democratic if I may say so.) 

Of course tourists with money to spend are welcome more and certain visa exemptions are given. But every government in the world does that. Rich Chinese who put Aus$5.5 million in the Australian bank will be given a multiple-entry visa almost on the spot unless he or she has a criminal record. But if I am an ordinary guy who applied for long stay in Australia, the Australian government will ask for this and that and it would appears they are making things difficult for me. No they are not making things difficult for me. They just following the rules and take their time to do their job(my application is not on the priority list ). I will begin to feel that the Australian government is making things difficult for me because I am Asian not white.

    The Thai immigration is not concerned at all if farang expats are leaving for Vietnam or Philippines. The Thai government is not a government that worries about the damage to the economy by their bad planning if they had, Thailand today would not be so poor compare to Malaysia and Singapore.

[Tropposurfer]

Ummm let me guess: ones that obey their laws, have valid visas, don't engage in illegal activities, don't disrespect the culture (at least openly), don't do a runner on their expenses or other government bills, don't insult the monarchy, spend money and support the economy (to the degree that their money does) while they are here.

 

[BigDaddy66]

ELITE CARD Members.

They sell Visa, remember ?

[Stevemercer]

I think the government is indifferent to expats. They do have some concern for those of us on married visas because they are aware of the disruption that would occur to Thai families if we were forced out. 

 

As I read recently, while Thai society may be lacking in discipline, there is plenty of the opposite known in Thai as mug ngai. Mug ngai roughly translates as a tendency to take the easy way out with little concern for the inconvenience caused to others.

 

Hence frequent changes and knee-jerk reactions with little thought to the long term (or even medium term) consequences, and no clear overall objective/goal. 

[richard_smith237]

2 hours ago, DUNROAMIN said:

And even is we abide by all their draconic laws as expats we are still expected to pay double or triple for national parks, Thai theme attractions and in many cases "farang" prices for general goods shopping. With the recent immigration changes and now government has approved all government hospitals can charge "Farangs" double or more for hospital fees, it is little wonder why many expats are feeling <deleted> off. Maybe my country (Australia) should adopt the same policies, and lets see how Thais visiting Australia like that. 

 

When it comes to immigration policy I think many Westerners over react with the 'they don't want us here' rhetoric. But when it comes to 'government sanctioned' double pricing' it is a edge I do not like. I still think the attitude is born of a general indifference and in the case of double pricing its handled extremely clumsily through lack of indipendent and critical thought... 

... I suspect 'double pricing' at this level occurs because some one in a position of decision making power decides 'farangs are richer, they can afford more' and there it is, no consideration more than that and a 'double pricing' policy is cemented in place. Anyone with moderate thought does not criticize this because why bother, it doesn't impact them.

 

So yes, I get how these issues may give the foreigner an impression they are not wanted, but really its just because no one gives issues like this any thought whatsoever. 

 

Its similar to issues of mobility within Bangkoks public transport systems, its not that they don't want wheelchair users or pushchairm on pavements its just that the minds of the decision makers are so critically undeveloped that they don't recognize the issue.

 

And, its the same with hospitals, someone high up just really didn't think with any degree of critical intelligence. 

 

[Onrai]

Regarding the comment that there is no Thai logic.

I am American renewing my 10 year 28 page passport because I ran out of pages. Cost is $110 and turn around time 2-3 weeks. To renew a 5 year, 50 page Thai passport costs 1000 bhat, turn around time a week.

Clearly the USA is using superior logic by tripling the fees, shorting you on visa pages and tripling the turn around time. 

[Chongalulu]

1 hour ago, Thingamabob said:

They want people who don't break the law, who are financially self-supporting, and who know how to behave.

Now if only they could set themselves that same example...

[Mavideol]

if and when they give you a proper answer, please, feel free to share with us, I for my part went to the immigration to "check in" my 90 days and IMO office general manager (South area) was there coming all the way from Song Khla, he said hi and I answer back and asked permission to speak with him, he agreed to a 5 minutes conversation and my number one question was exactly what you just mention, did he knew what the IMO in BKK really want from the expats/residents, the ones married with Thais and the ones not married but still expats..... answer, you have to follow the law all explained on the books.... was going to ask what books/what law as each province but bite my tongue and smiled and thank him for his time, it happen Monday August 12

[Yinn]

2 hours ago, DUNROAMIN said:

And even is we abide by all their draconic laws as expats we are still expected to pay double or triple for national parks, Thai theme attractions and in many cases "farang" prices for general goods shopping. With the recent immigration changes and now government has approved all government hospitals can charge "Farangs" double or more for hospital fees, it is little wonder why many expats are feeling <deleted> off. Maybe my country (Australia) should adopt the same policies, and lets see how Thais visiting Australia like that. 

They do already. 

My friend went for study in Australia. Is the big scam. 

Not just 100baht more like national park. A million baht!

Hospital the same.

Terrible.

 

 

[Yinn]

7 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Bring money and/or expertise and don't create any trouble - just like anywhere else in this word.

Yes. 

Not pay sex with minor also right?

[Chongalulu]

18 hours ago, timendres said:

I believe this sums it up perfectly. Furthermore, unlike tourists, expats engage the immigration staff. In this scenario, you have a staff wishing to pad their (meager) salaries as much as possible, doing a job that is (quite honestly) miserable. There is no prejudice here (other than for those who make their job even more miserable). You are merely a target. Nothing personal.

 

Here you are off the mark. I have had numerous Thai employees who exhibit the same level of logical thinking as I have seen anywhere. In fact, I spent an hour today discussing the various plusses and minuses of financing a new house with one of my employees, and his logic was impeccable. What I believe @StreetCowboy is implying is that logic may appear illogical when it is being exercised in a context with which we are not familiar, or with which we are not fully informed.

Your quoting of an exception doesn’t make a rule. The problem is there’s far more lack of logical thinking than most developed nations . For example 

When business is down put up prices to compensate.

When having the worst road death statistics introduce a scheme where drunk driving attracts points allowing 4 transgressions!

Explain why when driving without licence or helmet ( recognised as dangerous) you are allowed to continue after paying a fine.

Explain the benefits of 90 day reporting when you already have a 1 year visa?

TM 30 when you are returning to your registered home address??.

There are many more examples which unfortunately outweigh their moments of logic

 

[NightSky]

18 hours ago, impulse said:

It appears that some nationalities are a little miffed at becoming irrelevant in the scheme of things...  Thailand could bar all Brits, or all Americans, or all French, or.. or.. and lose just a tiny portion of their tourist money. That gives them a lot of power when it comes to who they let in- even allows them to err occasionally.

 

 

Edit:  And don't make me pull out the graphic that shows Falangs aren't really the big spenders when they do come to Thailand...  Because I will...  And it will just upset them even more.

I’m quite happy to be in the minority, were a rare find ????

[Alex2554]

3 hours ago, DUNROAMIN said:

And even is we abide by all their draconic laws as expats we are still expected to pay double or triple for national parks, Thai theme attractions and in many cases "farang" prices for general goods shopping. With the recent immigration changes and now government has approved all government hospitals can charge "Farangs" double or more for hospital fees, it is little wonder why many expats are feeling <deleted> off. Maybe my country (Australia) should adopt the same policies, and lets see how Thais visiting Australia like that. 

Thais have to pay social taxes, covering their health expences.

Government supports citizens who do not pay taxes. It donates electricity, diesel fuel, rice, pork and many more. You pay reasonable prices even if they are double

 

[kellersphuket]

1 hour ago, Yinn said:

They do already. 

My friend went for study in Australia. Is the big scam. 

Not just 100baht more like national park. A million baht!

Hospital the same.

Terrible.

 

 

Yinn, I'm calling you out!

 

Australia charges ALL international students more for courses, even those that are part of the commonwealth! They are not just overcharging Thais.

 

I want to see proof that Thais are charged more for hospitals, national parks, museums, tourist attractions etc.

 

I say provide proof now!

Show us what you got.

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, Yinn said:

They do already. 

My friend went for study in Australia. Is the big scam. 

Not just 100baht more like national park. A million baht!

Hospital the same.

Terrible.

 

 

 

If I go to the UK, theoretically I have to pay for any medical treatment because I am no longer paying National Insurance, the cost of medical treatment for me is the same as any other nationality. 

In the UK, all foreigners have to pay more for University fees, UK residents pay UK fees. If I sent my Son (British/Thai) to the UK he would have to pay international rates for University (unless we lived in the UK for 2 (is it 3 now?) years before hand.

 

Thailand has no such consideration - it just charges foreigners extra for certain things because it can, even those who live here, work here, pay tax here in Thailand - This is where dual pricing differs from the examples often used by those attempting to defend it. 

 

In not recognizing this difference, it shows a degree of defensiveness [of Thailand] and bias [for Thailand] which kneecaps any logic in your argument. 

 

 

[Des Pickable]

20 hours ago, impulse said:

That gives them a lot of power when it comes to who they let in- even allows them to err occasionally.

 

i recall something about a plane being impounded

[LukKrueng]

20 hours ago, StreetCowboy said:

Maybe the people making decisions have different priorities than you; different priorities than you think that they should have; different priorities than you believe that they have.

 

When I first came to Thailand, the go-go bars in Nana and Soi Cowboy were really quite wild; then Thaksin, man of the people, and a former copper, if I recall correctly, came to power, and the bars were clamped down on, opening hours were restricted, and suddenly prostitution was driven out from behind the heavy velvet curtains and onto the streets, and the number of girls loitering along Sukhumvit Road increased dramatically.  Meaning that the bribes didn't go to the licensing magistrates, but to the beat coppers.  Everywhere you go, there is logic, if you are willing to understand it.

the logic behind strict enforcement of closing time is totally different from what you think... The laws regarding closing times were always there, and those who were supposed to enforce it were paid nicely to look the other way. The actual reason for it was a plan to divide Bangkok into zones - most zones were supposed to be restricted, and only 1 zone was supposed to become an official entertainment zone with permission to operate until the early hours of the morning. All you have to do now is guess or figure out who owned big plots of land at the proposed site. If you guessed Taksin (the man who stole from the people and the country) - you're correct...

[Matzzon]

This one is easy to answer. The foreigner that accept the rules and how they are interpreted in the country they visit or stay in, at the same time as they do not try to live in Thailand on Tourist and ED visas. Futher on they alos do not want people that steal, fight or break the law in any other way as well as not setting up shell companies to own their land and house.

Edited September 4, 2019 by Matzzon

[timendres]

1 hour ago, Matzzon said:

This one is easy to answer. The foreigner that accept the rules and how they are interpreted in the country they visit or stay in, at the same time as they do not try to live in Thailand on Tourist and ED visas. Futher on they alos do not want people that steal, fight or break the law in any other way as well as not setting up shell companies to own their land and house.

And there is a mountain of interpretation going on...

[Matzzon]

8 minutes ago, timendres said:

And there is a mountain of interpretation going on...

Yes, and then it´s a better advice to ask at the local Immigration Office, then try to get an answer here. Same with no need for moaning if ask, then you know.

[timendres]

4 hours ago, nchuckle said:

Your quoting of an exception doesn’t make a rule. The problem is there’s far more lack of logical thinking than most developed nations . For example 

When business is down put up prices to compensate.

When having the worst road death statistics introduce a scheme where drunk driving attracts points allowing 4 transgressions!

Explain why when driving without licence or helmet ( recognised as dangerous) you are allowed to continue after paying a fine.

Explain the benefits of 90 day reporting when you already have a 1 year visa?

TM 30 when you are returning to your registered home address??.

There are many more examples which unfortunately outweigh their moments of logic

Again. Anyone who believes that Thais cannot exhibit logical thinking is deluded.

 

Most of the examples that you mention may seem illogical to you, but there is logic involved. You simply cannot understand it. Putting up prices when business is down seems illogical, but you are assuming that lowering prices will bring in more customers. That is not always true. Drunk driving points has been introduced, but does not meet your draconian desires. In the US, the draconian laws are a mess, and nothing more than a payday for courts and lawyers, that destroys lives in ways one could argue are sometimes worse than the original problem. And, just as in the US, these laws are always phased in over time to allow the people and the legal system to adjust to them. Just look at the history of the "legal limit" in the US. The 90 day reports employs how many immigration personnel? The TM30 is so logical you would have to be retarded to not understand it.

 

And I am certain that I could go to any country in this world and find equivalent examples of ridiculous and illogical rules, regulations, and behaviors. Does that mean that the citizens of that country are incapable of logic? No. It means that politicians and politics, by their very nature, sometimes produce illogical results. Many would argue that Trump's trade war is totally illogical. So, by your measure, US citizens are incapable of logical thought.

[timendres]

4 hours ago, Yinn said:

They do already. 

My friend went for study in Australia. Is the big scam. 

Not just 100baht more like national park. A million baht!

Hospital the same.

Terrible.

 

 

I do not know about Australia, but in the US foreign students pay more tuition at state universities (I am not sure about private universities). And there is a very good reason for this. The state universities get a large amount of funding from the state government, and that funding comes from the tax payers of that state. In other words, those students pay less because they have already contributed to the university with their tax dollars. In fact, in most states, students from another state within the US pay more tuition than students that are residents of that state.

 

I make the same argument for national parks in Thailand. Frankly, I do not mind paying more, because I am assuming that these parks are funded significantly from the Thai government using taxes paid by Thai citizens. Hence, I see no problem with them paying less than me.

[NoshowJones]

On 9/3/2019 at 4:46 PM, NanLaew said:

The same type of resident they've want since the first Germans unfurled a towel on the sun loungers pool side at the Nipa Lodge in Pattaya before breakfast... the "bring all your money and give it all to a local before you throw in the towel and leave" type of resident.

The answer to the question is very easy, the Thai government would prefer people who will apply for the Elite Visa.

[Chongalulu]

28 minutes ago, timendres said:

Again. Anyone who believes that Thais cannot exhibit logical thinking is deluded.

 

Most of the examples that you mention may seem illogical to you, but there is logic involved. You simply cannot understand it. Putting up prices when business is down seems illogical, but you are assuming that lowering prices will bring in more customers. That is not always true. Drunk driving points has been introduced, but does not meet your draconian desires. In the US, the draconian laws are a mess, and nothing more than a payday for courts and lawyers, that destroys lives in ways one could argue are sometimes worse than the original problem. And, just as in the US, these laws are always phased in over time to allow the people and the legal system to adjust to them. Just look at the history of the "legal limit" in the US. The 90 day reports employs how many immigration personnel? The TM30 is so logical you would have to be retarded to not understand it.

 

And I am certain that I could go to any country in this world and find equivalent examples of ridiculous and illogical rules, regulations, and behaviors. Does that mean that the citizens of that country are incapable of logic? No. It means that politicians and politics, by their very nature, sometimes produce illogical results. Many would argue that Trump's trade war is totally illogical. So, by your measure, US citizens are incapable of logical thought.

The proof of the pudding... So Thais have found a way to reverse the rules of supply and demand,have they? Everyone else must be wrong? You think less draconian drink drive laws result in fewer deaths? The pudding is the respective RTA death statistics from this. Thailand is orders of magnitude worse than anywhere in Europe where you’ll be jailed for persistent drink drive offending .

Your Trump analogy is a false equivalence. His strategy cannot yer be evaluated. The examples I’ve given most certainly have.

And again I have not said incapable of logical thought but a far larger absence of it. 

Frankly your rationale for creating work as the justification for immigration procedures is risible or do you think productivity is illogical too. Thailand does not have an unemployment issue. 

Im leaning to conclude you may have been here too long and have become 'infected ' with the same malaise .