When is a foreigner considered a local in Thailand?

[Will B Good]

On 7/9/2024 at 11:28 AM, richard_smith237 said:

 

There will always be those who have only ever experienced 'being the ATM' and thus lack the experience, critical thought or vision to do anything other than project that everyone else's encounters and experiences mirror their own... 

 

I read this time and time again...  Where there is some sort of sarcastic comment along the lines of "everyone on this forum claims they are married to a hi-so Sino-Thai"...     

This seems to be born of some sort of jealousy or level of disbelief as they were only ever exposed to the poorer more financially challenged strata of society and ended up with limited dating options...   

 

The reality, particularly in Bangkok is that the relationships the cynical mongers post about on this forum are everyday occurrences of normal relationships here, but those being cynical won't see that in the area's they hang out.

 

 

 

Agree,,,,the only rider I would add is that my wife is as far being hi-so as you can get.

 

How she survived her childhood upbringing to become a 'normal' adult is beyond me.

[Hummin]

17 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

Agree,,,,the only rider I would add is that my wife is as far being hi-so as you can get.

 

How she survived her childhood upbringing to become a 'normal' adult is beyond me.

Some thais is made of different stuff than westerns. Some manage to live now, and tomorow, and yesterday never existed

[Will B Good]

2 minutes ago, Hummin said:

Some thais is made of different stuff than westerns. Some manage to live now, and tomorow, and yesterday never existed

That could be it.

 

I have once, and only once, described my wife's life to some of my relatives.....all had tears in their eyes.

[PingRoundTheWorld]

Reminds me of an elderly couple I met at BKK immigration. The Thai husband was in crutches and a broken leg, but they still made the trip to do 90-day report for the Malay wife. They've been married for 30 years.

 

Never.

[n00dle]

On 7/8/2024 at 11:29 AM, RSD1 said:

I see so many foreigners who've been in Thailand for a minute and who have a job, a work permit, a yellow book, a pink card, are married to a Thai, etc, and they suddenly think they are no longer viewed as a "tourist" by the locals in the land of smiles.
 

In my opinion, none of that changes anything, nor does the amount of time you've lived in the country for that matter. You can never change the fact that you are a foreigner on the outside and that you will always be viewed and treated as such by the locals.
 

If you think that it's truly anything different then I think you are sadly mistaken. Personally I prefer it that way and wouldn't want it to be anything otherwise.
 

Do you see it any differently? What are your thoughts on the matter?

 

seems pretty clear-cut to me. if you are here full time and not on a tourist visa you are not a tourist. 

however, becoming a local takes some doing, and it is a very limited status indeed. I am very local to the motorcycle taxi win on the corner and the fruit, coffee and noodle seller outside my house.

I hear my name when i venture out and am expected to exchange pleasantries with folks i bump into. 

 

100 meters down the road however, I am just another farang.

 

i don't mind that at all.  

[PingRoundTheWorld]

On 7/9/2024 at 3:32 PM, Mason45 said:

I prefer living in my Bangkok property rather than Pattaya which is nothing like it was 25 years ago when it was a fun place instead of a rip off place like it is now.

I'm confused. If you don't drink nor go to "pussy bars" as you put it- how and why is Pattaya a rip off? Almost everything in Pattaya is cheaper than Bangkok. If you're not interested in what Pattaya has to offer that's fair, but it has nothing to do with pricing.

 

On 7/9/2024 at 4:37 PM, novacova said:

A friend in the US migrated and obtained legal US citizenship

I was going to say the US and select few other countries are probably the only ones where immigrants can truly become locals: it is possible in countries where the majority of the population is current or past immigrant. Almost everyone in 'merica is either an immigrant, or descended from relatively recent immigrants, and as the country is comprised of all races and nationalities looks won't set you apart.

[BobBKK]

Never

[BangkokReady]

On 7/8/2024 at 1:08 PM, Ralf001 said:

I doubt any of my Thai friends or work collegues think of me as a tourist.

Foreigner yes, tourist no.

 

They probably do think of you as being the same as a tourist though.  They know you're not in Thailand as a tourist, but they view you as being very similar.  Kind of a long-term tourist who works in Thailand.

[Ralf001]

1 hour ago, BangkokReady said:

 

They probably do think of you as being the same as a tourist though.  They know you're not in Thailand as a tourist, but they view you as being very similar.  Kind of a long-term tourist who works in Thailand.

Highly doubt it.

Some of my Thai friends I met when I moved here in 2006.

 

[Mason45]

I agree with you Ralf I moved here in 2000 and as my wife has 7 in her family plus she has 2 daughters in their mid 40's they treat me very well.. Even the people I've got to know in my estate treat me the same. When farangs live in non tourist areas Thais couldn't care less. Many wouldn't even know what a tourist was. Tell me a country where people are readily accepted when they choose to live in another country. If I wasn't married I would've left Thailand several years ago.Thailand as it was 20 years ago was fun and friendly those days are well gone. Us residents pay the price for the rip off farangs attitude now in Pattaya.

[BangkokReady]

8 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

Highly doubt it.

Some of my Thai friends I met when I moved here in 2006.

 

I think you're drastically underestimating how little Thai people think of foreingers.

[Ralf001]

39 minutes ago, BangkokReady said:

 

I think you're drastically underestimating how little Thai people think of foreingers.

 

I think you are clueless.

[susanlea]

2 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

 

I think you are clueless.

Most Thais lets say 85% have no involvement with foreigners. They really couldn't care.

[BangkokReady]

5 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

I think you are clueless.

 

And I think you are.

[kwilco]

On 7/8/2024 at 5:29 AM, RSD1 said:

I see so many foreigners who've been in Thailand for a minute and who have a job, a work permit, a yellow book, a pink card, are married to a Thai, etc, and they suddenly think they are no longer viewed as a "tourist" by the locals in the land of smiles.
 

In my opinion, none of that changes anything, nor does the amount of time you've lived in the country for that matter. You can never change the fact that you are a foreigner on the outside and that you will always be viewed and treated as such by the locals.
 

If you think that it's truly anything different then I think you are sadly mistaken. Personally I prefer it that way and wouldn't want it to be anything otherwise.
 

Do you see it any differently? What are your thoughts on the matter?

I think your views are clouded by racism.