Poll for longer term expats: Do you feel scapegoated as a foreigner here?

[ukrules]

I neither know nor care what the locals or anyone else for that matter thinks.

[swissie]

We deserve to be Scapegoats. Look at what we have done to this country. Long before Thailand has become an industrialised country, Tourism (Farangs) have kick-started the Thai-Economy. Despictable! It's all the Farangs fault!

In the early days, entire Isaan Villages have been catapulted into "modernity" by transfer payements by Farangs. Despictable! It's all the Farangs fault.

In our days, sitting at the Bar alone, not having imported well-heeled Farang friends? Despictable! It's all the Farangs fault.
- Considering all the financial devastation, us Farangs have caused over the years. Despictable!

Scapegoats? Rightly so, as it was us Farangs that brought the seeds of "economic-growth" to Thailand. Despictable! Having done so much harm to Thailand, naturally, we deserve punishement.

[WhatupThailand]

7 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

sometimes Thai women show up at my door claiming their new born babies look like me. 

is that a good example?

Dam, now you have given me reason to have Nightmares.

What if some of the Bar Girls I entertained in the past, had my Baby Girl,

which I know nothing about. 

And now 20 years after, baby has grown up, and is working as a Bar Girl like Mama.

And what if I unknowingly, happen upon Her in a Bar, and we both have a certain "Connection"

for each other, and wind up wanting to get Married.

So then I go to meet her Parents, only to have Mama, spring the "Nightmare" on me.

 

Now time I had a few drinks to get over this bad feeling in my head.

 

Maybe next time you have a Bar girl tell you, her Dad was a Falang, that she knows nothing about, Do a Little more digging before you commit to anything.

Edited November 25, 2019 by WhatupThailand
point made

[madmen]

I would fall off my barstool if JT would skip the fear and loathing and the endless scare mongering what if threads and post something positive...won't happen what a sad sad life

Edited November 25, 2019 by madmen

[shy coconut]

10 hours ago, Jingthing said:

I used the word that I intended.

Here is the definition:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scapegoat

I don't feel like I have been cast into the wilderness.

Edited November 25, 2019 by shy coconut
#

[greeneking]

7 hours ago, WhatupThailand said:

I think the word "Scammed" is more to the point.

1-Show you have money to take care of yourself in Thailand.

BUT your money is Locked in a Bank, in such a way that you cannot use it to take care of yourself.

2-Insureance for Medical Bills

BUT your too old to get it, and even if you did, the coverage and cost, is way out of line,

and will not help in most cases, due to their structure and restrictions.

3-90 Day reports with exact same information, just redundant make work.

4-TM30, another redundant make work.

5-Photos standing in front of House showing soi address, REALLY, just redundant make work.

6-Hand drawn map to House, Give me a Break, redundant make work.

THIS along with Yellow House Book.

7-Bankbook in Hand, with 6 Month Statement printout, Not good enough.

8-Got to Order and Pay for a 12 Month Statement from Bank HQ, Because Bank Branch can

only print out 6 Month statement. WHY ?

9-Must Pay and have bank confirm your account with your name,   more redundant make work.

Must be same day as application, with a transaction made same day. WHY ?

10-Doctor's Health Paper, more Pay for redundant make work.

 

All this, with Visa size Photos, Passport, and all the copies needed, and paying all the Fees,

Make for a wonderful "Scavenger" type experience, Every Year.

 

 

did visa extension this week.  Passport pages photocopies were done horizontal...must be done vertical! hahaha!

I tell them my address 5 times every year, at least, and a visit by 4 of them to collect information they have already.  Go to them and ask for a proof of address and they can not do it! hahaha

[shy coconut]

7 hours ago, BritManToo said:

I don't think the Burmese guy sweeping my road has 800k in the bank, or a work permit for that matter.

They probably enjoy a freedom of movement type allowance like in the EU

 

As has been said, perhaps you should go to a Burmese forum and pose the question.

 

[Lacessit]

6 hours ago, Liverpudlian said:

I await the day that i pay an entrance fee that equals that of a Thai persons entrance fee to a zoo / historicle venue or elephant show after 15 years here i STILL find it hard to swallow and thats just 1 beef off the old block ... i could add with a fistfull but cant be arsed these days.

I've found most of the "attractions" here that charge a multiple of the Thai entrance fee to foreigners are not worth the premium anyway. I fail to understand why people get so upset about dual pricing. I just exercise my choice of walking away if I consider the cost is unreasonable.

There are plenty of events and venues in Northern Thailand which are completely free of charge. For example, Singha Park near Chiang Rai, Wat Sang Kaew Phothiyan, Phu Chi Fa, the ladyboy show at the Chiang Rai Night Bazaar.

[zyphodb]

13 hours ago, DavisH said:

Honestly, I don't think Thais blame foreigners for all of their ills. Certainly, educated Thais don't think this way. 

Unfortunately it's not educated Thais who run the country and make the rules, it's the military...

[baansgr]

15 hours ago, ramrod711 said:

I appreciate that I've been allowed to stay here, I feel very unappreciated for the contributions I have made. My wife has a home which I can never own, she has money in the bank, property, health insurance. I send money to her parents, more than their Thai old age pensions amount to. Every year we help her nieces and nephews with schooling expenses, her parents with medical expenses and we make supply run once a year. I'm not asking for thanks, a pat on the back or a welldone! It would be nice to not get kicked out of the country because I can't get health insurance though. Just sayin'.

None of the above are requirements for obtaining a visa/extension.

[toolpush]

15 hours ago, orchis said:

no, not once in 24 years and a half here.

Me neither in my 26+ years here

[Chazar]

12 hours ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

All the nationalities you mention are subject to the same laws as everybody else.

cheap healthcare for Burmese...................hmmm not  quite the same is it?

[soalbundy]

16 hours ago, Thainesss said:

 

This is not a "fact of human nature" that people are scapegoated - it is a direct result of people abusing the system not meant for them.

 

Nobody should be a burden on the country they want to migrate to. 

Your last paragraph is correct but how can a falang be a burden on the state, he isn't given any help from the state anyway, far from being a burden many support a family and even send children that aren't theirs to higher education. I have no quarrel with the Thai state expecting a minimum amount of income from falang, many Western states have the same expectations, try bringing a Thai wife and a child to the UK if your income is below a certain level. Having said that I do find that the 90 day reports, TM30 and checks to see whether you are living at the said address to be oppressive and unnecessary, reminds me a little of the methods used in East Germany during the communist regime.

[RichardColeman]

We'll certainly be the scapegoats for putting children into destitution and women in prostitution if tens of thousands have to leave for insurance reasons !

[ramrod711]

7 minutes ago, baansgr said:

None of the above are requirements for obtaining a visa/extension.

That's true, I did vote that I don't feel like I've been scapegoated at all. I currently meet all the requirements for extension and have done so for my last 12. I am diabetic, health insurance will, in all probability, not cover me for heart and stroke. I am more than willing to deposit an amount of money in a Thai bank equal to the minimum required coverage. What I am not willing to do is pay for coverage that doesn't cover my pre-existing condition. I"ve enjoyed my life here, would like to stay with my wife and extended family, I hope to continue to do so. If it becomes impossible I can pack my bags. Nobody invited me in the first place, I came of my own volition so nobody in Thailand owes me anything.

[Pedrogaz]

I wrote to a moderate degree but it is only because of immigration who seem to treat fangs like criminals.

Women tend to have no problems with us....but the men? I have been here over 10 years and don't have a single Thai male friend (apart from an ex-employee and a relative of the wife's)...I feel men don't care for us here.

In my youth, I can remember going to a public phone box in England and a racist group had put up a postcard with the picture of a black guy and a strap line "Coming over here to steal your women and your job". I do wonder if Thai men resent us because we take their women?

[nkg]

No.

[toolpush]

10 hours ago, emptypockets said:

And I predict a large majority don't live in Thailand. I regularly spend a lot of time in downtown Bangkok, if you can call lower Sukhumvit downtown, never been stopped and searched. Not ever. Not once. Never.

10 years for me in Asoke area. Never been stopped or frisked.

[rwill]

It seems some people are not understanding the question asked and answering another question.

[lkv]

51 minutes ago, toolpush said:

10 years for me in Asoke area. Never been stopped or frisked.

Quite unusual. You're a foreigner, right? 

[Boon Mee]

17 hours ago, Tayaout said:

Only when I read this forum. 

sYes, the victim-ization theme does get old, no? 

[Enoon]

17 hours ago, Thainesss said:

 

Too late. Its not racism or scapegoating, its economics. 

 

 

If you come here to retire or live long term you should be able to prove you can take care of yourself. This is not scapegoating or racism, its ensuring that the priority is a nations citizens first. 

 

Take healthcare for example. There is a system in place that through the government and taxes, basic healthcare is provided for citizens. A foreigner who wants to come here should not be a burden on that system and should be able to prove it. 

 

 

Tourism, employment, and migration are completely separate issues that a country looks at individually. A few million annoying chinese coming to burn their money for a few weeks is one issue and a few thousand retirees/longstayers is another separate issue. 

 

JT chose his word carefully.

 

The OP was nothing to do with anyones ability to meet financial requirements or if anyone is a burden.

 

The immigration rule example was just a way of suggesting how the State may be using a particular mechanism (immigration rules) to seriously "turn against" foreigners, for reasons other than "immigration compliance" ones. 

 

A "reason" that they might like the Thai people to accept is "Foreigners give bad ideas to good Thai people".

 

Scapegoating was Nazis saying that Jews were responsible for all the troubles of Germany.

 

Persecution was what happened next.

 

The question is "Are foreigners, in Thailand, being scapegoated?"

 

 

 

Edited November 26, 2019 by Enoon

[4MyEgo]

17 hours ago, ramrod711 said:

My wife

We make our beds that we lay in, perhaps a marriage visa would be your way around the health insurance saga ?

[Scott Tracy]

I take issue with Thainess's comment that I've migrated. I'm not an immigrant. My visa said Non-Immigrant. My extensions are required yearly, should I so wish to remain here as a non-immigrant. 

That rant over. I am not, as of this moment, and have never been subject to or felt as if I have been scapegoated, whichever definition is used.

[1FinickyOne]

19 hours ago, BritManToo said:

As for white folk 'abusing the system', name those white folk?

Tom, Dick and Harry - - htough not every TD & H... just the ones who misstated their income on letters from the embassy... 

[1FinickyOne]

No. I do not feel scapegoated... not in the least. 

[BritManToo]

1 hour ago, kenk24 said:

Tom, Dick and Harry - - htough not every TD & H... just the ones who misstated their income on letters from the embassy... 

How could lying about your income possibly hurt anyone.

My Thai neighbour lives on 10k/month (including rent).

Had a Kiwi pal happily living in CM on 20k/month doing 2 week VISA runs (the good old days).

Nobody NEEDs 65k/month to live on.

 

You're just writing BS.

Edited November 26, 2019 by BritManToo

[Deerculler]

Many expates who have come to Thailand retire have brought there own money from there own countries 

It is money that comes here and has cost Thailand nothing.

It is free money to Thailand.

Is it too much to ask Thailand for free medical care?

We are paying for it with the money we bring here.

 

 

 

[KenKadz]

It only matters if you care!

[Airalee]

5 hours ago, ramrod711 said:

What I am not willing to do is pay for coverage that doesn't cover my pre-existing condition.

I agree with everybody that the policies being pushed are <deleted>, but what you’re asking for is akin to buying automobile collision insurance after the accident has already occurred.