Many of us Western expats likely come here for sun and lower living costs — some probably also because of company in any rainbow colour — and the state welcomes us, because we transfer foreign currency and spend money, and thereby indirectly pay some taxes, for example vat. That some of us prefers food from our own kind of world and mingle with other foreigners from there — which is not different from Thais staying abroad, which can be in one of our home countries — doesn't matter, as long as we are polite guests and accepts the local laws and culture. You see a difference, OP, when you compare to muslims in our Western-style home countries. We Western expats are self-supported, we do not try to change our host and our host's religion, and we do not live by our own laws in closed societies, which you call ghettos. There is a huge difference. And if we did so, I suppose we would already be advised to leave by the government — the latter is a major difference to many of the Western home countries' democratic governments, which has welcomed the multi-cultural influence — even finacially supporting them and their families. I even know of some farangs that moved to Thailand because of this multi-cultural influence in their home countries — I could also have been one like them now, if I haven't moved out 20+ years ago. And me: I moved to here to enjoy "all year summer" and a better life-style than my savings could buy at home — a local partner was an extra benefit — I'm one of those being blamed in the OP. I both eat local food and fully enjoys my Mediterranean style candlelight suppers, even it's not my native dishes; I prefers healthy foreign food, but after my own choice, as I'm the one paying. I follow the local law and actually mingle more with Thais than foreigners. So, I don't considers myself as a burden to the kingdom, rather as an active benefit, by spending most of my lifelong savings here; and I also pay some taxes. But I don't speak Thai, beyond a few words and phrases. Because, the locals where I stay love to speak farang-language, even when they understand my extremely basic Thai — they probably like show that they speak little English as much as I like to show that I can say a la few words in their language — so, no survival need for me to be excellent, or just modest, in speaking Thai-language...🙂
Create an account or sign in to comment