Common Roles Foreigners Fall Into in Thailand

[Alpha84]

Not trying to be negative, just curious, are these the ten most common roles foreigners fall into in Thailand, or are there others people have come across?

 

1. Pattaya YouTuber

2. Shoestring blogger

3. Freelance English teacher with no visa

4. Crypto bro not making it

5. Spiritual nomad or tantric healer

6. Digital nomad come consultant

7. Visa fixer middleman

8. Washed-up DJ or bartender

9. Illegal tour guide or motorcycle rental hustler

10. Illegal dive instructor or restaurant worker

 

 

[Harrisfan]

11 Trump hating nutter

[Alpha84]

10 minutes ago, Harrisfan said:

11 Trump hating nutter

You mean Trump loving nutter?

[scubascuba3]

Bar or agogo manager seem popular 

[Tom100]

Maybe update list to 20? 

 

Unlicensed real estate promoters, some on YouTube, paid by legal agents

meditation "teachers" 

Personal trainers

drug sellers

medication re-sellers (steroids, xanax)

[fredwiggy]

31 minutes ago, Harrisfan said:

11 Trump hating nutter

How does one make money showing hate for  Trump? Tell me and I might change my position on him from neutral.

[FriscoKid]

20 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

How does one make money showing hate for  Trump? Tell me and I might change my position on him from neutral.

Agreed. What he said is idiotic. Nutters and haters aren't grifters. But he's Trump obsessed. That's all he thinks about 24/7. He associates every topic with Trump, whether it actually relates or not. 

[save the frogs]

12 hours ago, Alpha84 said:

Pattaya YouTuber

one pattaya youtuber used to work in bars on Soi 6. 

mac something ... 

not sure if he was managing them.

but he did mention in one of his videos that there is a fairly young cutoff age. maybe 30? they want young foreigners in there it seems. to keep a hipster vibe I guess. 

did he start his youtube channel because he got kicked out? or as additional income? not sure. 

 

but your list seems exhaustive. nice job. 

[georgegeorgia]

Sex workers , a few male backpackers from different countries available gay4pay

[Lacessit]

I remember a guy trying to sell card tokens that could be used for discounts at restaurants printed on the cards.

 

Apparently the restaurants knew nothing about the cards.

[Quentin Zen]

Talked to a Russian the other day, and he told me he does "online management of tour groups."  I smiled, OK.  

 

Let's NOT kid ourselves.  We have 

 

11.   Absolute scam artists

12. Thieves

13.  Online customer support

14.  Nanny.  Well, let's say Fake Nanny for now.  

 

Heard a lot of "funny" stories of expats in Laos telling my co-workers how their entire existence revolves around scamming tourists.   

 

[Gandtee]

Muckers out of Cuckoo clocks. Knob jockeys.

[connda]

2 hours ago, Tom100 said:

Maybe update list to 20? 

 

Unlicensed real estate promoters, some on YouTube, paid by legal agents

meditation "teachers" 

Personal trainers

drug sellers

medication re-sellers (steroids, xanax)

Cannabis trafficker
Ex-cannabis trafficker cum author with book about Thai prisons

[connda]

2 hours ago, Alpha84 said:

You mean Trump loving nutter?

Translated:

"Donald Trump lives in my head rent free and I'm incapable of exorcising him."

 

"You mother sucks MAGA hats in the Oval Office.  Arrrrhhhhhhhgggg!!!"

[rattlesnake]

A few years back, there were Russians pretending to be deaf, showing you a piece of paper with text encouraging you to contribute to the "deaf cause".

[Keeps]

2 minutes ago, rattlesnake said:

A few years back, there were Russians pretending to be deaf, showing you a piece of paper with text encouraging you to contribute to the "deaf cause".

I would have pretended to be blind so I couldn't read their piece of paper. 

[BangkokReady]

4 hours ago, Alpha84 said:

Not trying to be negative

 

grifter roles

 

You're calling these people grifters, so you are definitely being negative.  Up to you, but you shouldn't lie about it.

[hankypankee]

1 hour ago, rattlesnake said:

A few years back, there were Russians pretending to be deaf, showing you a piece of paper with text encouraging you to contribute to the "deaf cause".

A.K.A Begpackers. That's a great grift angle. Infinitely shameless, but so many angles to it. The money needed for a plane ticket home was a popular grift for a while.

[hankypankee]

What about personal investment consultant or wealth manager?

[Furioso]

15. IPTV hooker upper

16. used to have that early 20's waiter from South Africa at Hemmingways. 

[Harrisfan]

3 hours ago, georgegeorgia said:

Sex workers , a few male backpackers from different countries available gay4pay

How much did you spend?

[Harrisfan]

3 hours ago, georgegeorgia said:

Sex workers , a few male backpackers from different countries available gay4pay

How much did you spend?

[frank83628]

4 hours ago, Alpha84 said:

Not trying to be negative, just curious, are these the ten most common grifter roles foreigners fall into in Thailand, or are there others people have come across?

 

1. Pattaya YouTuber

2. Shoestring blogger

3. Freelance English teacher with no visa

4. Crypto bro not making it

5. Spiritual nomad or tantric healer

6. Digital nomad come consultant

7. Visa fixer middleman

8. Washed-up DJ or bartender

9. Illegal tour guide or motorcycle rental hustler

10. Illegal dive instructor or restaurant worker

 

 

Teacher, digital nomad are not really grifting. It would be very fortunate to be able to work remotely, earn home wages and live in thailand.

 

[Fat is a type of crazy]

Used to be a lot of time share touts in Phuket. Stop you on the street. One time I got a free week at a fancy hotel but then had to spend a fair few hours with this guy who was not thrilled when he worked out I was not gonna buy his terrible time share thing. Wouldn't bother now but fun to get a free week. 

[bkk6060]

How about the secret squirrels who claim to be government agents.

They say things like: I need to always be ready cause my government might send a jet to pick me up tomorrow for a special assignment. 

[Terrance8812]

"Influencer" with millions of subscribers for hire. 

[proton]

Luktung fan  😁

[rattlesnake]

57 minutes ago, frank83628 said:

Teacher, digital nomad are not really grifting. It would be very fortunate to be able to work remotely, earn home wages and live in thailand.

 

 

If you have an actual viable business.

 

Most "digital nomads" who post selfies of themselves in their "office" on the beach are not actually working. To work, you need an office chair, a desk and convenient lighting, not sand and a deckchair.

[greeneking]

'Not trying to be negative, just curious.....'

Wow!

That was you trying not to be negative......

[frank83628]

1 hour ago, rattlesnake said:

 

If you have an actual viable business.

 

Most "digital nomads" who post selfies of themselves in their "office" on the beach are not actually working. To work, you need an office chair, a desk and convenient lighting, not sand and a deckchair.

how many do you actually know?

That's a bit of a false stereotype to be honest, i know quite a few that work online in various jobs, if they have an online meeting or are teaching then yes, they go home and are sitting at a desk, or what ever..but if that is only for certain hours they why can they not work anywhere they please for the rest?