Domestic tourism stimulus: 3,000 baht gift card and possible "cashback" for Thais may start in July

[wensiensheng]

34 minutes ago, Wiggy said:

For anyone who doubts this policy is racist, just for a moment think what would happen if the government in your country tried to exclude tax paying immigrants from partaking in similar government-funded schemes? 

Immigrants? Aren’t all non Thai nationals on some kind of short term stay visa, longest duration 12 months? Not really immigrants at all.

[Bender Rodriguez]

who travels ? not the poor...they need money for rent & food...

[wensiensheng]

1 hour ago, Wiggy said:

You can look at my post (#13) for an answer. You mention internal/domestic tourism. I'm curious as to why I'm not included in this as I've lived here for 28 years, paid taxes the entire time I've worked, and often travel domestically with my wife which promotes the local tourism market. However, I'm white and not included in this latest offer, so that's a racist policy.

Your taxes paid for all sorts of social services (whether you used them or not), they did not entitle you to receive all benefits received by a Thai nationals. I doubt very much that the Thai government even knows you are white, so that’s just tosh. People of colour who live in Thailand are not entitled to this benefit either, so colour of skin is irrelevant.

 

nationality appears to be the qualifying criteria and if you aren’t Thai, tough luck, you don’t qualify. I suggest you get over it pretty quick. If you have really been here 28 years, I’m surprised you even thought for one minute that you would entitled, or........are you just a troll playing up the current issues of race that have come to the fore in the USA? SMH.

[Wiggy]

25 minutes ago, wensiensheng said:

Immigrants? Aren’t all non Thai nationals on some kind of short term stay visa, longest duration 12 months? Not really immigrants at all.

No, not all. Some are permanent residents.

[Mung]

All they need to do is to make visas a whole lot easier to obtain, easier to renew and manage, or to create new visa groups that will bring in people more than before. 

[Wiggy]

29 minutes ago, wensiensheng said:

You do know that this is Thailand, right? 
 

you are not a Thai National, nor a permanent resident holder, why on earth would the Thai government give you money?

 

it is not racist anyway, it’s simply a matter of qualifying criteria and you are not the entitled, privileged person that you think you should be. I get regular cash rebates from the Singapore government, even though I don’t live there. It’s because I am Singaporean. You are not, so you don’t get it, nor do any Thai nationals.

Who said I wasn't a permanent residence holder? 

[LukKrueng]

6 hours ago, jonclark said:

Oh dear. Why do you not wait for the details rather than getting all wound up over basically 300 - 600 baht cashback and a gift card that will probably at best have limited participating hotels. 

Where would be the fun in that? 

[micmichd]

6 hours ago, Wiggy said:

Another racist policy. Thanks.

Do Farangs grant subsidiaries to Thai tourists in the West? No. 

So why should Thailand pamper Farangs? 

[nuckyt77]

3000 baht with so many out of a job. I don't think many Thais have listed domestic tourism as a priority on their list at the moment. Another "fabulous" idea of the Muppets at Thailands helm

[micmichd]

4 hours ago, Misterwhisper said:

So we - the wretched foreigners who legally reside in this country - are excluded once again?

 

It's not so much that we desperately need those cashbacks or a 3,000-baht gift card. But it is the principle of things. If foreigners are "allowed" to pay taxes to the Thai state, they also should benefit from this kind of promotional schemes... that are in fact co-financed through their taxes.

 

Anything else is blatant RACISM. Where are those "Thai activists" that just yesterday staged an "anti-racism" protest against an unfortunate incident that occurred in a country 14 flight hours away? Why don't these "Thai activists" rather stage protests against the racism that is a daily occurrence in their own country?  

It's not racism if you don't get privileges in a foreign country. 

Edited June 9, 2020 by micmichd

[Cadan]

Anyone who has a work permit and pays taxes should be allowed to get the benefit. STOP...

[micmichd]

2 hours ago, Wiggy said:

FYI, I pay quite a lot of income tax.

Then you're not poor and can pay for yourself. 

[tlandtday]

These guys are so out of touch.  When I first moved here I would ask the girls if they had been to various tourist areas in Thailand and I soon discovered many of them had not travelled one hundred kilometers outside the village.  Why?  Because it was a luxury they could not afford.  Once again this govt proves they are not representatives of the people they govern.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D00M2KZH1J0

[BobbyL]

19 minutes ago, micmichd said:

Do Farangs grant subsidiaries to Thai tourists in the West? No. 

So why should Thailand pamper Farangs? 

People aren't mentioning foreign tourists. We're referring to expats that live and work here being entitled to these schemes. When my wife and I lived in England she was able to access schemes (reduced train travel, discounts to enter places) that were on offer in the UK even though she didn't have British citizenship / passport.

 

People always mention farangs wanting to be pampered etc. I don't want to be pampered at all. However, it would be nice if we're acknowledged in these new tourist initiatives seeing as I live here, work here, own a property here, pay tax here, have a wife here, spend 90% of my salary each month here etc etc etc.  

 

I guess this is just another example of the closed nature of this country, where the aliens here will never be anything other than just that. 

[newnative]

1 hour ago, Wiggy said:

For anyone who doubts this policy is racist, just for a moment think what would happen if the government in your country tried to exclude tax paying immigrants from partaking in similar government-funded schemes? 

   Americans married to immigrants without social security numbers were denied the recent covid $2400 government stimulus check.  So, not only was the tax paying immigrant excluded, so was the American tax paying spouse if they filed their taxes jointly.  

[Scouse123]

5 hours ago, Misterwhisper said:

 

 

Why don't these "Thai activists" rather stage protests against the racism that is a daily occurrence in their own country?  

 

Because they don't see it or believe they are being racist.

[Traubert]

2 hours ago, Wiggy said:

For anyone who doubts this policy is racist, just for a moment think what would happen if the government in your country tried to exclude tax paying immigrants from partaking in similar government-funded schemes? 

Write to your MP?

 

The Thai one.

[Andycoops]

5 hours ago, Misterwhisper said:

So we - the wretched foreigners who legally reside in this country - are excluded once again?

 

It's not so much that we desperately need those cashbacks or a 3,000-baht gift card. But it is the principle of things. If foreigners are "allowed" to pay taxes to the Thai state, they also should benefit from this kind of promotional schemes... that are in fact co-financed through their taxes.

 

Anything else is blatant RACISM. Where are those "Thai activists" that just yesterday staged an "anti-racism" protest against an unfortunate incident that occurred in a country 14 flight hours away? Why don't these "Thai activists" rather stage protests against the racism that is a daily occurrence in their own country?  

I wonder how many foreigners of the hundreds of thousands here actually pay any tax to the Thai government.

I suspect as most are expats and retired they are in the vast minority.

[Fairynuff]

3 hours ago, abrahamzvi said:

Can you tell us why this is racist? Isn't it normal as the government is doing this to encourage INTERNAL(DOMESTIC) tourism?

So, after living here for many years, having paid more tax than most Thai people, and often travelling domestically , I shouldn’t be entitled to this and encouraged to start travelling again?

or perhaps they just don’t want non Thai people travelling.

[Wilson Smith]

5 hours ago, Misterwhisper said:

So we - the wretched foreigners who legally reside in this country - are excluded once again?

 

It's not so much that we desperately need those cashbacks or a 3,000-baht gift card. But it is the principle of things. If foreigners are "allowed" to pay taxes to the Thai state, they also should benefit from this kind of promotional schemes... that are in fact co-financed through their taxes.

 

Anything else is blatant RACISM. Where are those "Thai activists" that just yesterday staged an "anti-racism" protest against an unfortunate incident that occurred in a country 14 flight hours away? Why don't these "Thai activists" rather stage protests against the racism that is a daily occurrence in their own country?  

wouldn't it be nationalism? 

[Fairynuff]

2 hours ago, wensiensheng said:

You do know that this is Thailand, right? 
 

you are not a Thai National, nor a permanent resident holder, why on earth would the Thai government give you money?

 

it is not racist anyway, it’s simply a matter of qualifying criteria and you are not the entitled, privileged person that you think you should be. I get regular cash rebates from the Singapore government, even though I don’t live there. It’s because I am Singaporean. You are not, so you don’t get it, nor do any Thai nationals.

You’re not getting the point, probably intentionally 

[randy723]

6 hours ago, BigBadGeordie said:

 

Yeah, terrible racist policy, a government using its own financial resources, either from taxes or loans, to support their nationals and rebuild the economy!

Dastardly indeed!

I have heard some very stupid replies to an article, but you beat them all. Please you you have half a brain what is racist about helping the people. You are worse than the democrats in America that think that everything they do not like is racist. craw back into the hole you cam e out us and leave the wonderful country.

 

6 hours ago, BigBadGeordie said:

 

Yeah, terrible racist policy, a government using its own financial resources, either from taxes or loans, to support their nationals and rebuild the economy!

Dastardly indeed!

 

[taxin]

7 hours ago, uli65 said:

you can travel with your wife or your gik and use their names. 

I tried this for a hotel promotion in Phuket that was advertised for Thais, soon as they seen my GF had a farang checking in with her she was refused the promotion. Next time I will wait outside in the car while GF checks in.
 

I also pay tax, I have a tourist related company and employ Thais (I’m still paying them despite the downturn), but I will never expect to be treated any different than a sex tourist.
 

Yes it’s sad, no it’s not racist.

[Fairynuff]

2 hours ago, wensiensheng said:

nationality appears to be the qualifying criteria and if you aren’t Thai, tough luck, you don’t qualify. I suggest you get over it pretty quick. If you have really been here 28 years, I’m surprised you even thought for one minute that you would entitled, or........are you just a troll

And that’s the racist bit, not sure why you can’t get that. Even if you don’t care about the racism, don’t you think it’s a bit short sighted not to include ANYONE of any nationality to travel and spend money? That IS the point of the exercise isn’t it?

[Fairynuff]

1 hour ago, micmichd said:

Do Farangs grant subsidiaries to Thai tourists in the West? No. 

So why should Thailand pamper Farangs? 

Completely irrelevant given that no European governments have had a similar policy

[Fairynuff]

1 hour ago, micmichd said:

It's not racism if you don't get privileges in a foreign country. 

Yeah... and if you don’t like it go home .... right?

[Xonax]

3 hours ago, abrahamzvi said:

Can you tell us why this is racist? Isn't it normal as the government is doing this to encourage INTERNAL(DOMESTIC) tourism?

Well, one could argue, that domestic tourism should also include foreigners with work permit or permanent resident permit.

[Fairynuff]

1 hour ago, newnative said:

   Americans married to immigrants without social security numbers were denied the recent covid $2400 government stimulus check.  So, not only was the tax paying immigrant excluded, so was the American tax paying spouse if they filed their taxes jointly.  

Surely you’re not implying there’s racism in America?

[Fairynuff]

11 minutes ago, randy723 said:

I have heard some very stupid replies to an article, but you beat them all. Please you you have half a brain what is racist about helping the people. You are worse than the democrats in America that think that everything they do not like is racist. craw back into the hole you cam e out us and leave the wonderful country.

 

 

So angry you couldn’t even hit the right keys huh?

[JCP108]

The purpose of the handout is to stimulate the economy and keep travel-related businesses afloat. So, it's not a cash handout to deserving Thais like the recent one. The money gets to the hotels and such if there is travel activity regardless of who shows up to use the vouchers. The vouchers could all be given to slow lorises and soi dogs if they could show up and spend them...wouldn't matter. If they get spent, they help the economy (assuming the underlying economic mechanism is working the way the government is saying). So, I'm going to come down on the side of those saying only giving it to Thai people is somewhat arbitrary. Limiting it in any way just limits who will use the vouchers thus limiting the effectiveness of the program.