Do you feel like an immigrant or an expatriate ?

[starky]

On 12/17/2020 at 12:27 PM, CharlieH said:

To me, it doesnt matter what you think you are, the Thai authorities deem you an "Alien" and most visa are NON IMM which is NOT IMMIGRANT, so clearly you are not that and will remain an expat, for the majority of people here. Unless and until they change their attitude (unlikely).IMHO

Further to that immigration actually implies you are seeking PR or citizenship. How many of the posters on here are actually committed to the process of either of those options?

   Or as usual is it just a moan fest about the Thai government and how unfairly judged those that don't have the determination or inclination pretend that they are?

[CharlieH]

Flame post and response removed.

 

Do not get personal in your remarks.

[Golden Triangle]

On 12/17/2020 at 10:04 AM, ICELANDMAN said:

1)  expatriates are those who plan to stay a certain period of their life in Thailand

 

 

I must be an expat then, I'm only here for a certain period of time...........................Till I die. ????

 

Immigration permitting of course ????????????

[Elizway]

I don't think we could look at ourselves as immigrants even if we wanted to because in order to consider yourself an immigrant you have to be on a course to naturalization. The laws in Thailand does not make that a very viable option. 

Edited December 22, 2020 by Elizway

[PatOngo]

I've always felt like an ethnic minority!

[wtfracing]

Definitely not an immigrant just a foreigner temporarily residing here for about 13 years before eventually returning to home country after 45 years away. Don't care what the locals think about me or anyone else really except my immediate family. Always say hi to fellow foreigners and make small talk if they are interested but does not bother me if they don't ( which is often the case as they follow their partner around). In general most people here are polite, happy  and friendly and  just trying to survive like the rest of us day to day and apart from the absurd beaurocaucy here its ok for today. Merry Christmas and happy new year to all take care

 

[Solinvictus]

On 12/17/2020 at 10:11 AM, KhunKenAP said:

In Thailand and when going to the Thai Immigration office, you feel guilty until proven innocent.

I really don't like going into there anymore and believe I will just use an agents or try to do the 90 day report online or via mail. The last time I was at CW, the women handing out the queue tickets were shouting negatively at the the folks in front of me.  Just gives me the feeling of being a school boy again going in there all the while being vulnerable to their emotional collective group chat on those phones they type into every second!

 

Ehh, I'll have a beer or two if I do have to go in there next time..

[wombat]

You can put what ever title you like...bottom line is, I am a visitor 

[Pedrogaz]

Expat. I will never have the right to immigrate here.

[billsmart]

Expatriate...

[1FinickyOne]

On 12/17/2020 at 11:44 AM, polpott said:

she spoke Issan so made a joke in Issan.

what was the joke... I could use an Isaan joke.

[polpott]

Just now, kenk24 said:

what was the joke... I could use an Isaan joke.

You had to be there to appreciate it.

[Harveyboy]

On 12/17/2020 at 10:14 AM, Liverpoolfan said:

I'm past caring now what the locals think of me.

 

I keep myself to myself and will keep it that way.

 

I ignore just about everybody these days, locals and expats alike. 

sensible sir ..me also 

[Surelynot]

I feel like a young girl....but I'm under the watchful eye of the missus.....so fat chance.

[rwill]

I would classify it like this:

 

Expatriate:  Visa/extensions

 

Immigrant:  Permanent residency

 

And since this seems to be moving to conversation about how you are treated here:

 

I love everyone until there is a reason not to.  Unlike others here I feel I often get treated better here just because I am a farang.

I think the attitude you project gets reflected back to you.

[itsallmine68]

Who cares

 

[George Aylesham]

On 12/17/2020 at 10:04 AM, ICELANDMAN said:

I have been reading the ThaiVisa forum for a couple of years to improve my English even if sometimes what I write becomes incomprehensible and it seems to me, except for errors, that there are two counter posed fields that were addressed on the forum, on the one hand expatriates and on the other other immigrants and now the time has come to clarify in order to avoid unnecessary discussions on various topics, for clarity,

 

From https://dictionary.cambridge.org/fr/dictionnaire/anglais/expatriate

 

relating to people who do not live in their own country:

The company has eight expatriate staff working around the world.

 

 

1)  expatriates are those who plan to stay a certain period of their life in Thailand

 

 

2)   immigrant

 

a person who has come to a different country in order to live there permanently:

 

while for immigrants they are those who want to integrate completely and stay forever in Thailand.

 

For many of us who have lived in Thailand for several years I would have a question to ask.

 

Do you feel like an immigrant or an expatriate? 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for this thoughtful response. An immigrant as you suggest is someone who has chosen to live permanently in Thailand. For them to describe themselves as 'expatriates' is to avoid the slightly derogatory feeling of the word 'immigrant' - but immigrants they are! Where am I coming from? A proud and happy retired immigrant to the Land of Smiles.

[newnative]

Long stay expat.

[1FinickyOne]

mostly I just feel like "Uncle" 

[4MyEgo]

On 12/17/2020 at 2:04 PM, ICELANDMAN said:

Do you feel like an immigrant or an expatriate? 

 

I don't feel like either, never given myself reason to think about or label myself, so I suppose I am a citizen of another county living in the LOS, however I would imagine Thai's would see me and classify me as a farang as I hear them calling me that all the time, to immigration I suppose I am a farang and under their legislation an alien, so perhaps both.

 

The above said, I am comfortable about being called whatever floats their boat here in Thailand as I know people back in my country call people of different appearance different things, for example; someone who has the looks of a middle easterner decent = a Mouso, short for Muslim, a Pakistani = a packy, an Asian = a Chink, Chink a$$ or a slope head, an Italian, Greek or European = a (w o g), so for Thai's calling me a farangs, I have learned to live with it, although didn't like it in the beginning, but I suppose its a way of identifying me/us, as others do them, so what goes around comes around as the saying goes, so I am a farang ????

    

Edited December 23, 2020 by 4MyEgo

[ICELANDMAN]

58 minutes ago, George Aylesham said:

Thanks for this thoughtful response. An immigrant as you suggest is someone who has chosen to live permanently in Thailand. For them to describe themselves as 'expatriates' is to avoid the slightly derogatory feeling of the word 'immigrant' - but immigrants they are! Where am I coming from? A proud and happy retired immigrant to the Land of Smiles.

 

Thanks for the suptility of your answer, you can also do this thought thought, I am a tourist for 365 days a year, why not if you feel better and at peace with yourself, but if you do this reasoning I don't think you feel like an immigrant but rather as a person who is free to leave when you and therefore even if you decide to stay in Thailand you are convinced that one day I could change country as when you chose to come to Thailand as a person free to choose.

But if a person chooses to stay forever as a migrant it does not seem to me that it is pejorative as he has decided it in complete freedom and no one has forced him to stay forever in Thailand, he lives on his job or his income or pension and can look without being disheartened by the IO who will give you the Visa extension.

 

After all, all of us who live in Thailand are special people who have had the will and the desire to change country and we are very few compared to the great majority who will never move from their village bell tower and will die in the same place where they were born.

 

So immigrants or expatriates as human beings makes no difference because we are free people and we have shown that we can adapt and live in other places easily and without problems.

 

 

[khunPer]

On 12/17/2020 at 4:04 AM, ICELANDMAN said:

Do you feel like an immigrant or an expatriate? 

I feel mainly like immigrant, but I am an expatriate...

 

I'm only allow to stay one year at the time, I'm not a permanent resident, and I might never be able to qualify as such – even I would like to – as I never came to work in Thailand, and therefore would not be able to show income tax payment from work for the required period, and I might also have difficulties in learning the language well enough to pass an interview in Thai language to become permanent resident.

 

I am most likely considered an alien expat farang for ever here even I've been welcomed in the local community, but as long as I allowed to stay, it's Okay for me, even I feel like an immigrant...????

[Bradmeister]

I applaud the OP, in the fostering of another ambiguity other than " Foreigner ". 

 

Its befuddled that a country in this day and age, (with the rest of the planet being a huge melting pot, of different races, religions, creeds, and ethnicity,) would still be calling non-Asians : Foreigners. 

 

Im especially humored when my children (who are half Japanese) are addressed by Locals in Thai, and they respond to them in Japanese. 

 

So, having said that: I would prefer either title :Expatriate, (which I'm definitely not) or Immigrant.  

 

But, I and many others I know would prefer:

 

RESIDENTS of Thailand, being part of The General Public, who lives, serves, and daily pays our taxes. 

[Speedhump]

On 12/17/2020 at 10:04 AM, ICELANDMAN said:

I have been reading the ThaiVisa forum for a couple of years to improve my English even if sometimes what I write becomes incomprehensible and it seems to me, except for errors, that there are two counter posed fields that were addressed on the forum, on the one hand expatriates and on the other other immigrants and now the time has come to clarify in order to avoid unnecessary discussions on various topics, for clarity,

 

From https://dictionary.cambridge.org/fr/dictionnaire/anglais/expatriate

 

relating to people who do not live in their own country:

The company has eight expatriate staff working around the world.

 

 

1)  expatriates are those who plan to stay a certain period of their life in Thailand

 

 

2)   immigrant

 

a person who has come to a different country in order to live there permanently:

 

while for immigrants they are those who want to integrate completely and stay forever in Thailand.

 

For many of us who have lived in Thailand for several years I would have a question to ask.

 

Do you feel like an immigrant or an expatriate? 

 

 

 

 

You explained the difference. How can you claim to be an immigrant in a country that only allows you to visit? I was in UAE for 13 years but could never claim the permanent right to settle, and the same in Thailand. 

 

Yet ignorant people try to say that calling yourself an 'expat' is displaying arrogance whereas it's only being entirely accurate. ????

[Thingamabob]

On 12/17/2020 at 10:39 AM, tonray said:

Especially Expats 

Yes, especially expats.

[soalbundy]

Whatever.

[Bender Rodriguez]

unless you get PR or citizenship (hardly anyone) we are all long stay TOURISTS

[ronaldo0]

Day release prisoner !!

[ICELANDMAN]

4 hours ago, Bradmeister said:

I applaud the OP, in the fostering of another ambiguity other than " Foreigner ". 

 

Its befuddled that a country in this day and age, (with the rest of the planet being a huge melting pot, of different races, religions, creeds, and ethnicity,) would still be calling non-Asians : Foreigners. 

 

Im especially humored when my children (who are half Japanese) are addressed by Locals in Thai, and they respond to them in Japanese. 

 

So, having said that: I would prefer either title :Expatriate, (which I'm definitely not) or Immigrant.  

 

But, I and many others I know would prefer:

 

RESIDENTS of Thailand, being part of The General Public, who lives, serves, and daily pays our taxes. 

 

I had the same experience last year in Japan when my Thai partner asked for information the Japanese answered her in Japanese, so they did not see any difference, the difference exists only in the history and culture of Thailand, Thailand like Japan has a very closed and traditionalist culture, as in Japan a foreigner will always be considered a foreigner as in Thailand we will always be considered foreign.

This is part of this country and we cannot change it but we cannot give it too much importance because it is their problem if many fail to consider us as part of their civil community.

Personally, as already written above, I feel a lot that they consider me "a farang" and proud of it.

 

 

[ICELANDMAN]

4 hours ago, Speedhump said:

You explained the difference. How can you claim to be an immigrant in a country that only allows you to visit? I was in UAE for 13 years but could never claim the permanent right to settle, and the same in Thailand. 

 

Yet ignorant people try to say that calling yourself an 'expat' is displaying arrogance whereas it's only being entirely accurate. ????

 

If you go to Malaysia " The Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H)" you can get the right of permanent stay ten years after renovated automatics if the conditions no changed.