Do you ever feel really accepted as an expat in Thailand?

[GrandPapillon]

2 minutes ago, Enzian said:

I think I learned something in the years I spent doing documentary/art photography hanging out with street kids and homeless in their squats and music venues; I had to cultivate a neutral, accepting, understanding responsive persona, which is actually me. I was at once accepted and invisible. It's similar here.

it's a nice way to put it, you are only accepted once you are invisible,

 

not the usual noisy, attention seeking and loud farang ????

Edited January 13, 2022 by GrandPapillon

[flossie35]

As an immigrant you mean? Yes.

[timberpond]

I have Thais community in my home country and nobody bothers them. They don't mixed with us locals and preferred to mingle only in their community. Beside contributing as workforce or providing special services (which they are being paid), I don't see them contributing to our economy and neither once I heard of volunteering for anything. 

 

The farangs here contributed Thai economy with their buying power which they were never officially credited for. Volunteering in so many communities in need. Changing many peasants lives which in turn got scammed and lost everything and yet justice was never served. Yet many of these are being labelled as stupid.

 

Sometimes I do suspect we indeed really are st....d! 

[bkk6060]

If you read up on the true meaning of Expat, it does not mean 70 year old fat people who drink and look for girls.

 

It does not matter much to me, but I would say No, generally not accepted.

Expats are not influential people here.  In western countries many become Doctors, Lawyers, business owners, etc.  Here, they mostly own bars and have little opportunities to assimilate themselves into the normal lives of the Thai people.

Bottom line, they do want your money.  Beyond that, seems most Expats are generally pretty meaningless to Thais.

 

Edited January 13, 2022 by bkk6060

[vandeventer]

6 hours ago, TooMuchTime said:

Thailand is for Thais.

I think not, as I have many Thai friends that will be there if I need them. I would also be there for them. When you have a Thai friend he or she is there for life. Now go make some friends!

[brewsterbudgen]

3 hours ago, car720 said:

I always thought that to be truly accepted was to be respected.

Not for me. Being "respected" has an element of admiration, which is not a necessary part of being "accepted".

[ed strong]

How many of the ex pats go for a beer with a Thai guy, say once a month?

 

I'm presuming that 99% of people don't ever.

 

Anyone with a Thai wife is going to be viewed suspiciously.

 

Even if you went to live sool in a village and helped neighbours etc...you will and always are a falang!

[Benmart]

I don't live for acceptance or validation by others. I live in peace, and its close cousins named tolerance and acceptance. Being kind works in harmony with those three virtues.  Eight years being retired here and it's one day at a time.

[thaichina]

6 hours ago, RandiRona said:

Agreed and that is by design. The so called Thai elite keep them undereducated and non skilled. Why?? Because Thailand biggest import is sexpats and biggest export are Wh'ores'. Where the raw material would come if everyone become educated and skillful??

I m quite impressed about your love and respect for Thailand, you seem like an outstanding expat.

[DefaultName]

I am a foreigner here.

But.

I had become a foreigner in the UK.

I'd rather be a foreigner in this country than in my own.

[mahtin]

After more than 20 years MIL and FIL use my name now.

Little steps.

[RandiRona]

30 minutes ago, thaichina said:

I m quite impressed about your love and respect for Thailand, you seem like an outstanding expat.

I am sure you would like to see Thailand stay as it is so that esteemed expats like you can suck it dry for ages forever but if Thailand need to grow , that would be only possible if they all get educated, knowledgeable and start looking for their future in technology/manufacturing/retail vs the monger nation it is today, but that would mean that it has to move away from the influence of autocratic country like China and become more democratic and more rights for people. That would definitely closed shops of namesake like yours but dont let me stop you from exploiting this place since Thai elite are pimping it to you for your pleasure.

Edited January 13, 2022 by RandiRona

[RandiRona]

5 hours ago, Lite Beer said:

You have respect for the police and military?

You will fit in well here.

Right, some people are conditioned, by birth, by education or they are simply coward. There is no shame for that. 99% of the world is so they just accept status quo. No one knows and they would just vanish after living their meaningless life but the one who doesnt accept staus who ends bu becoming history, Inventors, Leaders , visionaries are rare and brave and that life is not easy.

[Lacessit]

I don't care if I am accepted or not, I tread my own path. When I am in the village, I keep to myself most of the time. My GF and her grand-daughter are sufficient company.

When I am at the condo, the Thais there treat me with respect. I can't say I have the same respect for some farangs there who behave like prats.

[Hummin]

1 hour ago, bkk6060 said:

If you read up on the true meaning of Expat, it does not mean 70 year old fat people who drink and look for girls.

 

Well it sounds bad, glad im not 70 year drink and are fat, but Im still an expat 

 

"

Expatriate French voters queue in Lausanne, Switzerland for the first round of the presidential election of 2007

An expatriate (often shortened to expat) is a person residing in a country other than their native country.[1] In common usage, the term often refers to professionals, skilled workers, or artists taking positions outside their home country, either independently or sent abroad by their employers.[2] However, the term 'expatriate' is also used for retirees and others who have chosen to live outside their native country. Historically, it has also referred to exiles."

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expatriate

 

so, you better google before you make such an statement

Edited January 13, 2022 by Hummin

[EVENKEEL]

4 hours ago, ezzra said:

What i meant by blending in was "when in Rome do as the Romans do" as much as you can, of course you'll never look and behave as a Thai but you'll be tolerated with kindness and acceptance and after 30+ years here i think i should have an idea of what i'm talking about...

So you ride motorbike at night with no lights on the wrong side, drink lao kao, when you drink you drink till you're absolutely pi88ed then drive the car home with family, I routinely drive 150 kph on the ring road, routinely pass cars on blind curves and hills where i can't see oncoming traffic, I have my truck visor nicely tattooed by a monk for good luck. My drivers license expired 5 yrs ago, don't bother with insurance. 

 

I'm fitting right in. 

[1FinickyOne]

9 hours ago, petermik said:

And how do you avoid looking like a westerner????

I have 2 outfits, one is a huge sombrero that comes to my ankles w/a couple of eyeholes...

 

And for work, I cover everything and wear sunglasses - I wear a hat, a cloth over my face, gloves and a big dress... then I sell flowers to cars on the corner... 

[Tropposurfer]

10 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

"Do you ever feel really accepted as an expat in Thailand?"

 

Yes, but there is a caveat on that. I live on a tourist holiday island.

Also, I run a small business employing local staff.

Most locals are in the tourism business and we all work together.

Me - trying to bring them business and making my guests happy.

They - trying to give good service, making my guests happy and becoming more rich. We have a common goal.

I have been an 'expat' for just under 30 years, living in Thailand, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore and back to Thailand for the last 21 years.

My wife died here nearly six years ago. She was a teacher at the local International school.

At her cremation, the head monk said that he had never seen so many people (local and foreign) at a 'farang' cremation before. (I had to feed just more than 200 guests.)

When my wife and I moved here in 2000, we decided that we were never going to live in our country of origin again (the UK).

Thailand is a beautiful country with some lovely people - warts and all.

It is my home.

????????

[4MyEgo]

Never really given it much thought as I am content with who I am, not needy for acceptance by anyone.

 

I have my family, that is all that is important to me, and have my local expat mates who I see twice a week and at BBQ's every now and again, farangs in their corner and wife's, g/f's in their corner, no different to back home.

 

Don't expect Thai's to think about me or even care what they think of me, I do what I got to do, I am polite, smile and carry on as if I were in my own country, and when and if they say time to leave then I will with the family, having dual passports allows them access to my country. I wouldn't want to return to my home country because the cost of living here is so much cheaper and it's not as bad a nanny state then back in the old country.

 

 

 

   

[Tropposurfer]

3 minutes ago, Tropposurfer said:

????????

I hope, if it is my path here on the island, that in some small measure, I can experience the fullness you have ...

Edited January 13, 2022 by Tropposurfer

[PremiumLane]

You are an immigrant, no such thing as an expat

[PremiumLane]

9 hours ago, Taboo2 said:

where there are parts of the country that is a "No-Go" zone for Swedes.

do people actually believe that right wing drivel? 

[jerrymahoney]

1 hour ago, 4MyEgo said:

Never really given it much thought as I am content with who I am, not needy for acceptance by anyone.

And if you were not content with who you are, could you then be someone else?

[HAPPYNUFF]

As  another poster  said, Thailand is for Thais.  and it would be a far better place if we could just rid of the sods.

[bert bloggs]

Yes i feel accepted my wifes friends are mostly businesspeople as are the people who live around us,we lived in the UK for many years and my wife was friends with our neighbours and my family, one good thing is her english is very good.

[ncc1701d]

No but it doesn’t bother me.

[rohitsuk]

No thank god and whyever would I want to be ?

[aarontendo]

8 hours ago, car720 said:

No.  Just their women. 

Can't steal something that they really didn't want and cast away.

[ikke1959]

Yes I feel accepted in the area where I live in. But for the Government and Immigration it feels different...But I don't live with them,so I try not to focus on those and keep my life happily with the people around me...

We live normal as we did in my country.. I don't feel better than the locals 

Edited January 13, 2022 by ikke1959

[PoodThaiMaiDai]

I feel like I live here but I also don't feel fully accepted.

 

I think without speaking Thai I don't think you can really be taken seriously.

 

I have learned about 50 words in Thai and I have noticed a big difference in how I am treated just trying to speak and learn.

 

Most Thai's do not know the process for ex-pats to come or stay in Thailand so I think they just think we are here temporarily anyway.