"What about us!?" Thais in relationships with foreigners separated by pandemic speak out

 

Image: Sanook

 

Two Thai people who are in relationships with foreigners but not yet married have spoken out about their desperate situation separated from their loved ones abroad. 

 

They have started their own group to address the issue of people in love parted by the pandemic.

 

They are fighting prejudice and battling to have the same rights as people already married arguing that they should not be treated differently.

 

Their comments will resonate with many foreigners who have gone on forums like Thaivisa to ask when they will be able to be reunited with loved ones in Thailand. 

 

Thaivisa notes that this group also includes the legally married who have yet to be reunited due to problems in traveling back to Thailand. 

 

Sanook feature writer Nattatiti K. who "believes that every human being should be treated equally" met up with Phonrat Wisetpongphan and Thepsawarin Taphianthong who are admin of a group called "Love is Not Tourism Thailand".

 

Nattatiti said that people who were not officially married (jot tabien - registered marriage) were not a large or significant group in the bigger picture of the pandemic but they were one that deserved to be treated fairly and equitably by the authorities. 

 

She said that back in June it was announced that those foreigners who were legally married and who had children in Thailand could return but the same had not been afforded those who were unmarried.

 

This has meant bad situations where pregnant women were without the support of their foreign boyfriends who might miss the birth of their children and be unable to register them. 

 

Then there was the cases of people in the LGBTQ+ community who could not legally marry anyway. What about their rights?

 

Phonrat and Thepsawarin are in relationships with foreigners. 

 

Phonrat likened his separation from his own loved one as that of being a new graduate with hopes and dreams but no job and no way forward. 

 

Thepsawarin said there are many reasons why people may have not married just yet and there was no reason why they should be treated any differently to those that were. 

 

They spoke of the only thing they have at present - video calls replacing real hugs. The shutdown of Thailand was "affecting hearts" they said. 

 

They said that within Thailand there was a campaign to try and unite the Thai population under a banner of "don't abandon each other in this time of crisis".

 

But they felt abandoned just because they had fallen in love with a foreigner.

 

"While many Thais were getting back to normal people like us are being forgotten", said Phonrat who spoke about the prejudice he has suffered from others who spoke of stopping foreigners coming in because they might be infected and urging Thailand to keep the brakes on opening up.

 

"We want to see and hug our loved ones", he begged. "Help us out here!"

 

Thepsawarin reiterated these remarks and even went further saying that online trolls had contacted their page to say that people in relationships with foreigners were just thinking about sex.

 

"People are returning to normality in Thailand and we want some of that too," she said.

 

"People have left negative comments on the site like "loving a foreigner is not real love it is only about sex". She spoke of being hurt by such comments that were often accompanied by foul language.

 

She said that her relationship was just like married people, it involved families being together and all the other things associated with being together. It wasn't just about the bedroom.

 

Both talked about a need for humanity and compassion to be shown to people in a similar boat to them.

 

Source: Sanook

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2020-09-12

 

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listening to the PTB effectively say "sorry, i'm in love is not a valid reason to extend your visa at the current time" is despicable

 

????

 

 

 

 

Edited September 12, 20205 yr by GeorgeCross

A couple of d!<k comments so far... 

 

Real people getting separated by a government policy - its awful, unnecessary and absolutely horrible. 

 

Those foreigners who are married (with a marriage certificate) can apply to return, but the process is convoluted and not everyone can afford it; in many cases only business class seat are available on repatriation flights and the ASQ hotels are not cheap (>30,000 baht for 15 days).

 

For others, not married, there is no current route back which is outrageous. 

 

A horrible world situation has caught people out Thailand is not easing this burden at all by forcing them to remain apart. 

 

 

 

8 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

As long as they get their monthly sponsor money I think they'll be happy enough

Not every relationship in Thailand between a Thai and a foreigner is based on a hooker-John scenario. It's a belief held by sex-tourists/pats based on their own personal experiences. 

10 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

A couple of d!<k comments so far... 

 

Real people getting separated by a government policy - its awful, unnecessary and absolutely horrible. 

 

Those foreigners who are married (with a marriage certificate) can apply to return, but the process is convoluted and not everyone can afford it; in many cases only business class seat are available on repatriation flights and the ASQ hotels are not cheap (>30,000 baht for 15 days).

 

For others, not married, there is no current route back which is outrageous. 

 

A horrible world situation has caught people out Thailand is not easing this burden at all by forcing them to remain apart. 

 

 

 

Agree 100%. You could have trashed the persons making bad comments a little bit more, though. Like I do, you know. ????

Edited September 12, 20205 yr by Matzzon

Whats the difference betwesn this and love is not tourism group? There has been an update from that group saying the pm has approved for non married couples to enter thailand.  Appears just want to make the headlines with some noise.

 

 

 

It is nice the Thai are voicing their displeasure with the government. Maybe this will go even farther and the ones with family or married can be taken seriously like human beings and be given an easy PR. I mean the foreign men in this case. Woman with Thai men no problem which in a sense makes us guys persecuted for having a foreign noodle. Would be nice to breathe in this country without hoop jumping every year.

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

 

Thepsawarin reiterated these remarks and even went further saying that online trolls had contacted their page to say that people in relationships with foreigners were just thinking about sex

That's a bit rich given how deeply it's embedded in Thai Society not to mention the reports of Thai's kite flying in public that turn up on these pages occasionally ..

The authorities should consider all folk who are trapped in this situation not only those who have married and should not have taken this long to do it .. 

8 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

44 minutes ago, stephen tracy said:

Not every relationship in Thailand between a Thai and a foreigner is based on a hooker-John scenario. It's a belief held by sex-tourists/pats based on their own personal experiences. 

I didn't say it was, incidentally what's the age gap with your Thai lady/man?

3 years...  

 

.... and you are continuing to fit into the exact same ‘stereotype’ stephen tracy painted....  (belief held by your own personal experiences of hooker-john scenario).

 

 

1 hour ago, scubascuba3 said:

As long as they get their monthly sponsor money I think they'll be happy enough

Hmm, that's why they are agitating to allow them back in then? Regardless, as we all know with Thailand all relationships are suspicious...except our own.

48 minutes ago, stephen tracy said:

Not every relationship in Thailand between a Thai and a foreigner is based on a hooker-John scenario. It's a belief held by sex-tourists/pats based on their own personal experiences. 

But the TVF barstool brigade in their esteemed wisdom recently told me, that because my wife and her family are in professions affected by Covid, either losing their jobs or having salaries reduced, and not hi-so, university educated, upper level corporate minions like the wives and families they’ve all surely married into, then I MUST have married a bar girl!

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

A couple of d!<k comments so far... 

 

Real people getting separated by a government policy - its awful, unnecessary and absolutely horrible. 

 

Those foreigners who are married (with a marriage certificate) can apply to return, but the process is convoluted and not everyone can afford it; in many cases only business class seat are available on repatriation flights and the ASQ hotels are not cheap (>30,000 baht for 15 days).

 

For others, not married, there is no current route back which is outrageous. 

 

A horrible world situation has caught people out Thailand is not easing this burden at all by forcing them to remain apart. 

 

 

 

While certainly inconvenient (especially if you have running expenses in Thailand such as an apartment etc) I wouldn't use the term outrageous.

 

There simply isn't such a thing as common law partnership in Thailand that is legally on a similar step to marriage. And Thailand isn't alone with this. None of the other countries (Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore etc) allowed people back simple due to relationship status. How would you check such a claim as a government agency? Canada does allow common law partners and caretakers to enter, a friend of mine used this "loophole" and wasn't even questioned at the airport.

 

The writing that Thailand would lock down their borders was on the wall. There were other countries that did so first (such as Japan) and if someone had any common sense then getting back to TH asap would be the instant reaction if there was anything of importance in the Kingdom, especially family.

31 minutes ago, FlyingThai said:

While certainly inconvenient (especially if you have running expenses in Thailand such as an apartment etc) I wouldn't use the term outrageous.

 

There simply isn't such a thing as common law partnership in Thailand that is legally on a similar step to marriage. And Thailand isn't alone with this. None of the other countries (Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore etc) allowed people back simple due to relationship status. How would you check such a claim as a government agency? Canada does allow common law partners and caretakers to enter, a friend of mine used this "loophole" and wasn't even questioned at the airport.

 

The writing that Thailand would lock down their borders was on the wall. There were other countries that did so first (such as Japan) and if someone had any common sense then getting back to TH asap would be the instant reaction if there was anything of importance in the Kingdom, especially family.

All very well but in my case (and many others) who work outwith Thailand and travel back and fore it's not that easy. I left Thailand on 3rd June and obviously have not been able to return.

1 hour ago, scubascuba3 said:

I didn't say it was, incidentally what's the age gap with your Thai lady/man?

No, but you assumed every Thai/Falang relationship is based on cash transactions.

11 minutes ago, OnTheRun said:

All very well but in my case (and many others) who work outwith Thailand and travel back and fore it's not that easy. I left Thailand on 3rd June and obviously have not been able to return.

If you meet the criteria you are able to return now by other means than the repatriation flights, ie Emirates or KLM.

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

A couple of d!<k comments so far... 

 

Real people getting separated by a government policy - its awful, unnecessary and absolutely horrible. 

 

Those foreigners who are married (with a marriage certificate) can apply to return, but the process is convoluted and not everyone can afford it; in many cases only business class seat are available on repatriation flights and the ASQ hotels are not cheap (>30,000 baht for 15 days).

 

For others, not married, there is no current route back which is outrageous. 

 

A horrible world situation has caught people out Thailand is not easing this burden at all by forcing them to remain apart. 

 

 

 

Add to this the sexist rules wherin foreign wives get green cards along with Thai repatration requirements while foreign husbands do not.

16 minutes ago, OnTheRun said:

All very well but in my case (and many others) who work outwith Thailand and travel back and fore it's not that easy. I left Thailand on 3rd June and obviously have not been able to return.

I'm in the same situation The flight to return from Australia was booked and paid and I was almost ready to leave when Australia ,then Thailand, shut the borders

Edited September 12, 20205 yr by findlay13

2 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Thaivisa notes that this group also includes the legally married who have yet to be reunited due to problems in traveling back to Thailand. 

#MeToo

Really? There are 2(!) Wuhan cases now incountry.

2 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

As long as they get their monthly sponsor money I think they'll be happy enough

What do you fork out each month? 

How about getting married then. Can't really expect to have it both ways.

Agreed, it's a sad situation, especially now.  BUT!  There was a big window early on, and many people played the odds. Now this is what we have to deal with. 

"Common Law Marriage" for 34 years so that she can continue to legally own property in Thailand. Same age (now both close to 65). Lived together in several countries as man and wife - visited many others. But now she is stuck in Thailand and I am stuck overseas.

It was clear to read such comments full of predjudices. Not every Thai woman need a farang bf just as sponsor. My gf for sure has a higher salary than most grumpy old retirees with their pensions here in the forum. 
 

Thailand and the government just Are unable to think beyond their boundaries. People who are not married, but were already together long before the pandemic started, should get a an option. After all, it’s the individuals’ money and if someone has the time/ takes the hurdles and pays for quarantine. Where’s the problem?

 

Europe started a similar program for separated couples.

Edited September 12, 20205 yr by SpanishExpat

3 hours ago, steve187 said:

that's a bit harsh

yes but rich source.

Hellloooo !!! How many Thai women with children are left penniless by their

Thai husbands ( who have run off with their mia noi )- only to have a foreigner take care of them ?  Thousands !! These foreigners are discriminated against Daily - through double pricing and now

through barriers blocking their return to their families in Thailand should they have been abroad

in March.

3 hours ago, steve187 said:

that's a bit harsh

Yes but rich in source.

2 hours ago, stephen tracy said:

I'm single. I expect that confuses you. 

Not at all. Being single allows you to enjoy the hooker / John lifestyle to the fullest.

Yes this and property owners they should allow to enter aswell.

3 hours ago, steve187 said:

that's a bit harsh

But sadly quite often true.