Expats sought to help Thailand’s tourism industry in its hour of need, end to dual pricing mooted

[herwin1234]

5 minutes ago, Cake Monster said:

This is probably one of the best ideas I have heard in a longtime.

Expats are here because most of them have been successful in their own Countries and moved here on the success.

Lawyers, Engineers, Doctors Etc Etc Etc. All those skills and all that experience not being tapped.

Skills and Experience that would transform Thailand as a nation if they could be taught.

But no, we are not allowed to Educate these people to our high standards.

Thats a bit the problem with farangs. Going to other countries and mistakenly believe your standards are higher and better. And making a point out of it to keep that attitude for years and years (bc it feels so good to feel superior) ...and years, and never come to understand or apreciate or respect your new country. What a waiste!

[tomacht8]

1 minute ago, sambum said:

And maybe explain to Immigration Officers that our money is welcome, and to stop treating us ex pats like naughty children who haven't done their homework correctly when applying for a visa/extension!

 

I heard of a guy that had to make 7 (SEVEN!!!) visits to Immigration last year to get an extension basically because the I.O. dealing with his case couldn't explain what she wanted, and was making him supply all kinds of unnecessary documentation (just because she could!) 

 

 

Had a similar experience.
I downloaded the official TM 7 pdf form from the Imigration Head Office and filled it out neatly on my computer. Then had to learn that the Koh Samui Immigration has its "own" TM 7 form and the official TM 7 is not accepted there. Crazy. Then I had to do it all by hand in duplicate again.

I also had the required family photos with me for my application. Family sitting together on the bed, family together in the living room, family together in front of the house number plate, etc.
I had the photos due to their format, vertically on A4 in my documents. I was then instructed that this was not possible. I would have to deliver my photos upright on A4. Well, the immigration woman has her boss's instructions, but that you can't turn a document folder 90 degrees in your hand. Crazy.

Has a letter from the bank with me and the double set of copies of my bank book and also the original. Every 12 year old could have seen that I had the required deposit in my Thai bank account for more than 2 months, sent from abroad. 

But the nice immigration woman insisted that I go to the bank again and let the bank print out the same account numbers on paper with letterhead from the Bank.

Well, the 25-year-old translated copies of my marriage and family documents were no longer good enough. For this I had to fly to Bangkok, have it translated again, have it stamped by my embassy and then have it certified again by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 
Then again to the local Ampur and got the K22 paper. So I have already helped Thai tourism well. It cost me a lot of money and time. Still, I asked the nice immigration woman how she thinks I got the 12 non-0 multi year marriage visas that are in my passport?

Somehow the administrative processes are totally messed up.

[Dave0206]

2 million expats? seems on high side for a country of 70 million a ratio of 1/35  pattaya.hua hin ect yes but nakhon nowhere really?

[Polaky]

C'mon expats, stop with the complaints and dig deep, help to pull the country out of the sh#t, actually when was the last time you guys paid anything back for the privilege of staying here, go ahead do a good deed tomorrow, go into 11 and give the young lady behind the counter 1000b without any fanfare, or a police officer....he would appreciate the gesture or lock you up for bribery , take the family out to the islands and tip, tip, tip, dig deep, you will feel better with each donation ????

[longevity]

Quote

We might well be interested if Immigration didn't make life so hard for us expats . I would like to travel around the country but they insist on knowing where we are all the time and with all the reports they want from us i just go to the supermarket .

Exactly. It wasn't even 12 months ago that they were telling us all we had to accept being treated like criminals for "security reasons" and that if we didn't like it we could shove it. 

Well, I took them at their word and started making plans to leave (after 15+ years here). Those plans have been interrupted by COVID, but I don't see me or my family having a change of heart. It would take at least:

 

i. get rid of 90-day reporting entirely

ii. get rid of the overnight stay reporting, entirely

iii. bring in 3- and/or 5- year visa extensions for ppl who've already been here 5+ years on the same visa. It's ridiculous you have to go an repeat the same information to IM every year, proving your still married to the same wife, still parent of the same kids, still have the same income.

 

 

Edited August 4, 2020 by longevity

[Tech65]

They are eventually smelling a royal disaster, far worse than 1997, and they are fully aware that they have always acted against foreigners living in Thailand (the formal Aliens) as AH.

I'll stay in Thailand as long as my business will go well, then I will leave this mostly unfriendly and expensive country.

Moreover, they have finally dropped their Thai-fake-smile. Thai faces when they see foreigners are now a mix of disgust and fear.

Edited August 4, 2020 by Tech65

[mserror]

Friendly now, that is cute.

 

Too late, I had to leave due to visa BS.

 

My home country gets all the spending...

[Nanaplaza666]

Maybe make the whole visa dillema a bit more easy for us instead of more and more rules and paperwork and making it more hard for us to stay here long time . It's not just the dubble pricing and expensive hotels because there is always a deal to be found if look hard enough and most of us in my mind don't visit national parks or waterparks or whatever to much anyway . Just make live a bit more easy for those of us willing to spend money in the country on wichever way we feel . Every baht spend in the country is a baht won for them , not just money spend in the tourism industry but everywhere , streetfood , shopping malls , markets , buying a car a motorbike , household equipment and so on and so on .

[Dave0206]

i find it very rich when politicians ask others to make sacrifices or spend there money in a certain way lead by example? oh no i just make the suggestions.

Piers morgan( someone i do not care for much)  asked if MPS were willing to take a pay cut as a sign of good faith and to practice what they were preaching "Oh no that was not neccassary conservative mouthpiece replied"

[Destiny1990]

Example:  Remember that expat family who were spending 120k + monthly with their mother in a special dementia care centrum in Thailand. Somehow they did meet the 100% exact full requirements and so got kicked out and they left with their sick mother to the Phillipines!  So many foreigners have left here for being labeled undesirable !! And now the few still here been asked to travel around??

[samsensam]

1 minute ago, Destiny1990 said:

Example:  Remember that expat family who were spending 120k + monthly with their mother in a special dementia care centrum in Thailand. Somehow they did meet the 100% exact full requirements and so got kicked out and they left with their sick mother to the Phillipines!  So many foreigners have left here for being labeled undesirable !! And now the few still here been asked to travel around??

 

playing devil's advocate; shouldn't they have ensured they met the immigration requirements? everyone else does.

[straylight]

Living in Thailand for over 50 years, most as a permanent resident, I stopped going to any temples or other venues when dual pricing came into effect. I refuse to support this attitude. The BTS refusal to give me the senior discount I find particularly offensive. They sold me the card when they announced the discount and after several times adding more value to it, one afternoon stopped me and confiscated the card and the and the value on it as a fine. No such behavior with the MRT. 

[DrTuner]

8 minutes ago, longevity said:

Exactly. It wasn't even 12 months ago that they were telling us all we had to accept being treated like criminals for "security reasons" and that if we didn't like it we could shove it. 

Well, I took them at their word and started making plans to leave (after 15+ years here). Those plans have been interrupted by COVID, but I don't see me or my family having a change of heart. It would take at least:

 

i. get rid of 90-day reporting entirely

ii. get rid of the overnight stay reporting, entirely

iii. bring in 3- and/or 5- year visa extensions for ppl who've already been here 5+ years on the same visa. It's ridiculous you have to go an repeat the same information to IM every year, proving your still married to the same wife, still parent of the same kids, still have the same income.

 

 

For me (in same situation after 13 years, exit plan on pause but ongoing), it would take a lot more to turn the ship. Effectively Thailand would have to have the exact same privileges for immigrants as EU gives Thais. Even playing field or shove it.

[Destiny1990]

13 minutes ago, tomacht8 said:

Had a similar experience.
I downloaded the official TM 7 pdf form from the Imigration Head Office and filled it out neatly on my computer. Then had to learn that the Koh Samui Immigration has its "own" TM 7 form and the official TM 7 is not accepted there. Crazy. Then I had to do it all by hand in duplicate again.

I also had the required family photos with me for my application. Family sitting together on the bed, family together in the living room, family together in front of the house number plate, etc.
I had the photos due to their format, vertically on A4 in my documents. I was then instructed that this was not possible. I would have to deliver my photos upright on A4. Well, the immigration woman has her boss's instructions, but that you can't turn a document folder 90 degrees in your hand. Crazy.

Has a letter from the bank with me and the double set of copies of my bank book and also the original. Every 12 year old could have seen that I had the required deposit in my Thai bank account for more than 2 months, sent from abroad. 

But the nice immigration woman insisted that I go to the bank again and let the bank print out the same account numbers on paper with letterhead from the Bank.

Well, the 25-year-old translated copies of my marriage and family documents were no longer good enough. For this I had to fly to Bangkok, have it translated again, have it stamped by my embassy and then have it certified again by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 
Then again to the local Ampur and got the K22 paper. So I have already helped Thai tourism well. It cost me a lot of money and time. Still, I asked the nice immigration woman how she thinks I got the 12 non-0 multi year marriage visas that are in my passport?

Somehow the administrative processes are totally messed up.

This is simply no-longer worth it...

Ten years ago i could get an hassles one year Visa for Thailand with 4 entries with zero requirements other then to pay the fees and to bring a passport!! Something went terribly wrong here so Goodbye for me and hello to Vietnam..

[tomauasia]

5 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Someone should tell him there is a very long list to start work on.

I do find it amusing that we have been slagged off chronically through the Covid drama, but are now being looked to as the potential saviours.

Lack of education and being spoon fed Lys. Like Trump said.  " The Chinese Virus "

[American robert]

How about just letting us come back to our Thai Wives and families...I have to spend more than 30,000 Baht For Quarantine at one of these needy hotels...what is being done to help us in "The hour of need"?

Edited August 4, 2020 by American robert
Clarification, misspelled word

[sambum]

18 minutes ago, tomacht8 said:

Had a similar experience.
I downloaded the official TM 7 pdf form from the Imigration Head Office and filled it out neatly on my computer. Then had to learn that the Koh Samui Immigration has its "own" TM 7 form and the official TM 7 is not accepted there. Crazy. Then I had to do it all by hand in duplicate again.

I also had the required family photos with me for my application. Family sitting together on the bed, family together in the living room, family together in front of the house number plate, etc.
I had the photos due to their format, vertically on A4 in my documents. I was then instructed that this was not possible. I would have to deliver my photos upright on A4. Well, the immigration woman has her boss's instructions, but that you can't turn a document folder 90 degrees in your hand. Crazy.

Has a letter from the bank with me and the double set of copies of my bank book and also the original. Every 12 year old could have seen that I had the required deposit in my Thai bank account for more than 2 months, sent from abroad. 

But the nice immigration woman insisted that I go to the bank again and let the bank print out the same account numbers on paper with letterhead from the Bank.

Well, the 25-year-old translated copies of my marriage and family documents were no longer good enough. For this I had to fly to Bangkok, have it translated again, have it stamped by my embassy and then have it certified again by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 
Then again to the local Ampur and got the K22 paper. So I have already helped Thai tourism well. It cost me a lot of money and time. Still, I asked the nice immigration woman how she thinks I got the 12 non-0 multi year marriage visas that are in my passport?

Somehow the administrative processes are totally messed up.

 

Ridiculous! 

[Destiny1990]

7 minutes ago, samsensam said:

 

playing devil's advocate; shouldn't they have ensured they met the immigration requirements? everyone else does.

This one expat family generated monthly how many local jobs you think? If with an income budget spending monthly of 120+k is not meeting the asked requirements then maybe the asked requirements are over the top. Anyway they were more then welcome in Manila..

[oznomad]

I would happily indulge in some domestic tourism, with the right financial incentives.

ie not the ones where they put the price up 300% and then offer a 5% off 'deal'.

 

Breath being held in

3......

2......

1......

????

[Skeptic7]

I'm to the point...actually been here for a LONG time...where I wouldn't do anything to help Thailand. It's my home for 20+ years, but whatever "love" and well wishes and respect I ever had for The Kingdom have been beaten outta me over the years and it's not only because of the current CV19 situation. The old adage 'reap what you sow' come to mind. The place has fought me every step of the way and never sowed any good will, nor good anything towards me. Everything has been a "flaming hoop jump" silly circus of nonsense and stupidity. Personally, I wish The Kingdom nothing but the worst. And honestly...everything bad for Thailand is actually good for me and my Thai family. 

Edited August 4, 2020 by Skeptic7

[FNQ]

5 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Someone should tell him there is a very long list to start work on.

I do find it amusing that we have been slagged off chronically through the Covid drama, but are now being looked to as the potential saviours.

The Ides of March  ?

 

[Naamblar2014]

1 hour ago, Cake Monster said:

I really have to ask the following question.

How is it possible to enjoy the hospitality of a Country, its people, and their Culture as an Expat, with the attitude many Thai people show toward us.

Only today, I pulled into a Service Station for Gasoline. The Pump attendant came to my car, and when she saw that I was a " Farang " turned away, and then remonstrated with another Lady.

The second lady came over to my Car and with way too much nicety filled my Car with Gasoline. Then proceeded to give me a Gift of 1.5 L of drinking Water and a Mama Noddle Pot.

My Wife said that she was the Boss Lady, and the first Girl had refused to serve because I was " Farang ".

Now with attitude such as this in abundance in Thailand (for whatever reason ), who is going to travel around the Country and be insulted and belittled everywhere you go, when you can get the same treatment close to your own Home.

All the " Dirty Farang " rhetoric etc has really worked with the population, and the Government now want us to help them fill their banks with our Money.

From  me its a very polite  " Thank you , but no Thank you "

 

 

I have no reason to doubt that you felt you were treated badly,  but prefer to think that maybe,  just maybe in this case that the first person may have been shy to serve you. You know can't speak English and shy to talk to foreigner.  It would be rare IMO to be disrespected by a service attendant at a petrol station.  Rare but not impossible. Maybe they didn't see your wife

[Expat Tom]

I have live here for many years and spend a good amount of money that I bring from abroad in the local economy

I would gladly spend a but more and I know others like me would also. How about a simple suggestion. Make us feel wanted and appreciated and not like second class non-citizens. When a Farang is refused service in a restaurant or can not ride the bus why would he want to travel internally? It is easy....just show us a little love!...

[MRToMRT]

18 minutes ago, American robert said:

How about just letting us come back to our Thai Wives and families...I have to spend more than 30,000 Baht For Quarantine at one of these needy hotels...what is being done to help us in "The hour of need"?

 

AT least you have a "potential" route back even if extremely difficult and expensive.

 

I have lived there 25 years and can't even apply to come back being a retiree. Their donkey may have been used to kick you in the balls, but they brought the shire horse in for me.

[DJ54]

It would be nice taking time to see non touristy places... 

[Sarah secord]

Stop all quarantine and self isolation and people will go back to Thailand and spend there money 

[JaneM]

5555555555 I don't now what he has been smoking but it must be some heavy <deleted>.

Wants the Farang to help him out. What about helping the Farang when they need/ask for some help at immigration or any government related office. They all give you the dirty look and the finger. No thanks, I'll spend my $ on myself and my family. 

[tingtongfarang]

1 hour ago, lee b said:

What ever could the first one be? lol.

a close friend who was living in thailand around 10 years a few months ago got forced out by visa changes at 47, i would geuss he close to being a sterling millionair, now living in vietnam he tells me after all the effort of learning to speak read and write thai, he regrets every single baht he spent in thailand, thailand does,nt deserve any tourists.

[SunsetT]

5 hours ago, Mavideol said:

555....555 now they want/need us and came back begging......, all good no problem but we have a couple requests such as : No More dual pricing at ANY facilities, that includes hotels, restaurants, water parks, natural parks and so forth and since our purchasing power has been dropping on a daily basis due to baht appreciation, once and for all just depreciate the damn baht to allow us to spend some more money

I learned many years ago never to roll up at a hotel with a suitcase when they can charge what they like; falang or Thai! Always book in advance thru an online agent like Agoda.com or get the missus to phone in advance, or enter the hotel or business first to check the price.

[Skeptic7]

3 hours ago, johng said:

Why the hell just not say  "We are closed"  ???????

Exactly...but always done the nonsense Thai Way and defended by the ridiculous Thai Apologists. Besides...it was a freakin' RIPOFF even in the best of times!