Robin Hood

[rak sa_ngop]

I have heard 'Robin Hood ' used as a superb tap sap (loan word) for I think for a scam, cheat etc. In one case it was used by a young Thai man who described how he was cheated by an overseas worker scam when going to Korea.

Can anyone give some examples sentences how to use this phrase? Is it a bit like the word 'corruption' คอร์รัปชั่น which I think can be used in many ways as a noun, verb and adjective?

[yoot]

The word 'Robin Hood' is used in the meaning of living in the country illegally.

In one case it was used by a young Thai man who described how he was cheated by an overseas worker scam when going to Korea.

He might explain why he became 'Robin Hood' in Korea.

If you google for the word โรบินฮู้ด you will see a lot of examples there.

[rak sa_ngop]

The word 'Robin Hood' is used in the meaning of living in the country illegally.

In one case it was used by a young Thai man who described how he was cheated by an overseas worker scam when going to Korea.

He might explain why he became 'Robin Hood' in Korea.

If you google for the word โรบินฮู้ด you will see a lot of examples there.

So it refers to people who go abroad to work and stay on illegally. i.e. become outside the law like Robin Hood?

[weary]

I can think of two reasons for calling it Robin Hood:

Person from a developing nation who lives illegally (outlaw aspect) in an industrialized or developed country and sends money back home to the 'less fortunate' (benefactor aspect).

Is the second one also part of it or am I looking too deeply into it?

Edited March 6, 2008 by weary

[Rikker]

So it refers to people who go abroad to work and stay on illegally. i.e. become outside the law like Robin Hood?

Yep, that's how my wife uses it to refer to Thais we know who are doing just this in the United States (which is part of why the immigration process is so arduous for us... grr).

[siamesekitty]

It refers to the "outlaw" aspect of being in a country illegally, and does not involve the act of taking/giving anything.

[Rikker]

I can think of two reasons for calling it Robin Hood:

Person from a developing nation who lives illegally (outlaw aspect) in an industrialized or developed country and sends money back home to the 'less fortunate' (benefactor aspect).

Is the second one also part of it or am I looking too deeply into it?

I think that's the original idea behind it (breaking the law for a good purpose), yes, but I don't think everyone associates it with a noble cause. My wife, for example, doesn't like that her friends do this. But that's the word, so she uses that. It's judgment neutral in her usage, at least.

[aanon]

when i first came across this word i was told it is mostly used to refer specifically to overstayers in the USA. any truth in that?

other 'overstayer' words i've heard regularly in Australia and New Zealand are เป็นผี and อยู่อย่างเว่อร์. what others are there?

all the best.

[Briggsy]

How strange. I hardly ever use this term and I used it today and then this thread appears.

A Thai bloke with a good admin office job in Bangkok was telling me he went to Texas for a month to see his mate who is a chef there. My mind immediately jumped to thinking about working illegally. I asked him "Did you Robin Hood?" in English like that using Robin Hood as a verb. He replied, "Oh yes. I saved 2000$ in a month."

I had used the word meaning to work illegally. After reading this I'm not sure if he understood me as meaning "Did you work illegally?" or "Did you overstay?"