Laos In Thailand

[Jingthing]

Living in Pattaya, I am noticing a number of Lao people living here, sometimes working here. Are they generally here legally? Do they have visa breaks that farangs don't given they are neighbors and share a similar language/culture? What about farangs who take on a Lao lover to live in their home? Are the farangs liable to report this to immigration? If the Lao is illegal, is the farang guilty of a harboring crime?

[opalhort]

Are the farangs liable to report this to immigration? YES

If the Lao is illegal, is the farang guilty of a harboring crime? YES

see reply inside quote.

opalhort

[tropo]

Living in Pattaya, I am noticing a number of Lao people living here, sometimes working here. Are they generally here legally? Do they have visa breaks that farangs don't given they are neighbors and share a similar language/culture? What about farangs who take on a Lao lover to live in their home? Are the farangs liable to report this to immigration? If the Lao is illegal, is the farang guilty of a harboring crime?

Many Issan dialects are so close to the Lao dialects that the average punter wouldn't be able to distinguish them apart. I doubt illegal Laotians would volunteer the information to foreigners.

Imagine a foreigner falling for a Laotian girl, then after a period of settling in time he discovers that she is indeed from Laos and "working" illegally in Thailand...and then turns her in.

He'd have to be some kind of deranged human being to do that, irrespective of the "law".

Visa-wise they can easily stay, just as any other ASEAN citizens can. They can get a tourist visa from the Thai Consulate in Vientiane. They can do border runs too if they wish and they're cheaper because they don't need to pay for a visa into Cambodia or Laos (obviously). They also get a free 30 day entry into Malaysia. I have no idea about Burma.

Edited January 3, 2009 by tropo

[Jingthing]

I doubt illegal Laotians would volunteer the information to foreigners.

People have casually told me they are Lao. I would consider it rude to examine their passport. A long time ago I was seeing a Lao boxer but he was legal and had to return to Lao sometimes to deal with it. Now I wonder how many Laos are here illegally and whether immigration cares about them as much as farangs, Cambodians, and Burmese because the culture is so similar, they definitely aren't as foreign to Thais, especially Isaan Thais. Also, I am under the impression that Laos can easily cross the border without a passport (via the river).

Edited January 3, 2009 by Jingthing

[sjaak327]

There are plenty of Lao people in Thailand, both illegally and legally. Of course the ones that are working, are in most cases doing so illegally, but many of them, still make border runs. I also know a few Lao who actually have a work permit, but they seem to be the exception.

And yes, you are right about river crossing, it's fairly easy.

[astral]

In a similar way people from the area along the Thai side of the border from Buri Ram to Ubon Ratchatani

are known as Khon Khomen (Cambodians).

They do speak a dialect very similar to Cambodian, but they are all Thai nationals.

[TerryLH]

Without a passport they get a border crossing pass good for a few days. With a passport they get 30 days.

[Briggsy]

Just the other day, I was stunned when a taxi driver told me he was originally from Vientiane but his family had arranged for him to take over the identity of a dead Thai child when he was 8. This was 29 years ago.

I know this used to be fairly common but I was surprised he was admitting his effectively illegal status to a complete stranger, i.e. me.

[hansnl]

Just the other day, I was stunned when a taxi driver told me he was originally from Vientiane but his family had arranged for him to take over the identity of a dead Thai child when he was 8. This was 29 years ago.

I know this used to be fairly common but I was surprised he was admitting his effectively illegal status to a complete stranger, i.e. me.

It used to be quite easy to take over identities in many countries.

I do know children and adults, officially a child of a mother, but in fact a child of one of her daughters.

Face!!!!!!!

Still happens and can happen if the child is born at home!

And yes, identity takeover still happens.

And after having done that, de facto, you are the dead person.

If the dead person was never declared dead, obviously it must be alive.

The man you are talking about, well, obviously he must be Thai, he must be him, because his ID-card says so, and the admin in the Amphur agrees.

For Farang this might be a big deal, maybe not so for Asian people?

However, I know of cases in England and Holland.

Rather recent even!

[Naam]

Are the farangs liable to report this to immigration? YES

If the Lao is illegal, is the farang guilty of a harboring crime? YES

what rubbish! am i supposed to run around in the neighbourhood and check the legality of my neighbours' laotian, burmese or cambodian employees?

[ubonjoe]

The OP's question has been answered and topic has drifted off topic.

Topic closed.