Why Are There So Few Thais In Britain?

[GucciLittlePiggy]

Where are they all? I live in mid-sized British city, yet see hardly any.

Why is this?

[joorakee]

Because of the climate?

It might concern all European countries (except for the Mediterranean region).

[GucciLittlePiggy]

Because of the climate?

It might concern all European countries (except for the Mediterranean region).

Is that true and definitive then?

[londonthai]

in London you will find them everywhere, in the grocery, in the park. Thai restaurant is 50 metres from my home, hairdresser 100 metres. I know 6 families within 10 minutes walk, but it's many more.

it's closer to the airports - you see

[GucciLittlePiggy]

in London you will find them everywhere, in the grocery, in the park. Thai restaurant is 50 metres from my home, hairdresser 100 metres. I know 6 families within 10 minutes walk, but it's many more.

it's closer to the airports - you see

Is that so they can clear off more quickly?

I've spoken to a couple recently - one working in a pub that serves thai food, the other a restaurant owner. Both miserable as sin. Both clearly counting down the hours until they can go home.

Britain's not THAT bad, is it?

[DegenFarang]

I see a fairly large number of Thai's when I go to London - and there are many more working as prostitutes that you don't see - housewives who don't venture out a lot as well.

[londonthai]

there are different attitudes, my wife likes the cold climate, culture, cleanliness and safety in the uk. Of course, there are family bonds and she travels to thailand at least every year and stays for a few months, just a nice holiday.

[chriswatson]

Bit of a community of them 'round where I live. Probably about 4 or 5 western/thai couples that I know of within a square mile? Must be at least 4 or 5 Thai restaurants within 5 mins walking distance too, although none of the Thai's I know work in them.

But then London's not really representative of any other British city as we have all types of ethnicities living together. Thankfully.

[neil324]

Because of the climate?

It might concern all European countries (except for the Mediterranean region).

Yeh right, don't stop all in Indians,Iraqies,Pakistanis does it.

[DP25]

The number of Thais is relatively small in all Western countries. Even in America it's only about 200k. The number of Thais wanting to live permanently abroad is just small. Nothing like the millions of Phillipinos, Vietnamese, Chinese, Indians etc you find in the US.

[Somtamnication]

I also find them to be very arrogant people. Met many of them in Birmingham area, all along the a38 corridor upto Burton on Trent.

I visited a temple north of there (actually, stayed 4 days at the temple, giving merit). One actually told me that the temple is for thais only.

[lazygourmet]

There is actually a big Thai (student) community between Gloucester road and High Street Ken., in London.

The meeting point being the Churchill's Arms every Sunday.

I am not Brit but I own a flat in that area.

[LennyW]

There are a lot of Thais in Aberdeen and the north east of Scotland.

[Rinrada]

in London you will find them everywhere, in the grocery, in the park. Thai restaurant is 50 metres from my home, hairdresser 100 metres. I know 6 families within 10 minutes walk, but it's many more.

it's closer to the airports - you see

loads of em.......my place is like a local ning pong restaurant some days.....

they dont tend to go tae pubs ...peng mak or ..even thai restaurants ...also peng...and they also dont sign on the dole ......chinese side of their character......hence nobody notices them...just quietly getting by in our free market economy ...making ....$$$

[happylarry]

I'm amazed no-one has posted the main reason.....they cant get a visa.

If it was easy for a Thai to get into Britain then I am sure you would see a lot more over there, weather or not.

HL

[7by7]

Approx 2,500 settlement visa and 5,500 student visas and work permits are issued by the Bangkok embassy each year.

The average success rate for applications made in Bangkok since 2001/2 is approx 90%.

The top ten nationalities applying for a UK visa in 2008/9 were, counting down from 1:-

Indian Nigerian Pakistani Chinese Russian Turkish Saudi Philippine Thai Iranian

(source).

[dom samui]

Double pricing !!!!! 555

[lioness]

I also find them to be very arrogant people. Met many of them in Birmingham area, all along the a38 corridor upto Burton on Trent.

I visited a temple north of there (actually, stayed 4 days at the temple, giving merit). One actually told me that the temple is for thais only.

Arrogant? I take it you have gotten to know them to pass this statement, please fill us in on how you arrived at that conclusion.

[babuhavas]

simple because its not easy to get visa

and also its expensive to stay there

[Orac]

My wife came to live in the UK three years ago for a year and, within a couple of weeks, had more friends than I did.

[Brunus]

Approx 2,500 settlement visa and 5,500 student visas and work permits are issued by the Bangkok embassy each year.

The average success rate for applications made in Bangkok since 2001/2 is approx 90%.

The top ten nationalities applying for a UK visa in 2008/9 were, counting down from 1:-

Indian Nigerian Pakistani Chinese Russian Turkish Saudi Philippine Thai Iranian

(source).

Thanks for the info. It seems there are many Thais indeed, that it's pretty easy for them to get a visa and especially that they can stand the weather.

[thaimate]

Try Wimbeldon there is a large temple there and the town is full of Thais ,My sister in law and her husband who is thai but holds a british passport are working every hour God sends to save and return home to take over his fathers buisness in 5 years as for them being arrogant as one poster said ,we never met either an arrogant Thai in Britain or one who signed on the dole.

[sharecropper]

Where are they all? I live in mid-sized British city, yet see hardly any.

Why is this?

Generally, I love a good generalising troll post.

[IanForbes]

A better question is why would a Thai even WANT to go to Britain? Nobody else does unless they are trying to escape from turmoil in their own country... hence you get a lot of displaced people from Pakistan, India and Aftrica. And, those that arrive bring all their problems with them and try to perpetuate it in Britain.

[DP25]

According to the UK government statistics there are roughly 30,000 Thais in the UK, and rank as the 46th most common country of birth. So yes, they are a very, very small minority.

[HalfSquat]

Nearly every old man pub in London has a Thai kitchen doing Thai food. I assumed the cooks were Thai but maybe not?

[andyww]

I also find them to be very arrogant people. Met many of them in Birmingham area, all along the a38 corridor upto Burton on Trent.

I visited a temple north of there (actually, stayed 4 days at the temple, giving merit). One actually told me that the temple is for thais only.

Not sure about the temple you are referring to, but I am reminded of a conversation I had with an English woman at the Thai temple in Wimbledon. She sais she was a Buddhist and wanted to meditate at the temple but found that the Thais "seem to treat it as theirs and use it as some kind of social meeting place and place to hold festivals".

I explained to her this is pretty much like temples in Thailand. Furthermore the temple was originally financed entirely by the Thai government and is supported by income from festivals and from Thai-owned businesses and individuals donating their services and money. So they have every right to call it their temple.

[londonthai]

According to the UK government statistics there are roughly 30,000 Thais in the UK ... thais by country of birth

judging by the area where are I live (2 thai businesses and 6 families, some of them "all thai"), I think "roughly" is grossly underestimated.

probably thai embassy/general consulate might shed more light.

Because if the visa problems many would be overstaying for years - they are not in the statistics, because departures from the uk are not recorded (home office assumes, that they have left, before visa expired).

also outside the statistics are thai on eec permits.

in London there are around 100 thai restaurants, each employing 5-10 staff

[Jeddah Jo]

I wanted to invite a Thai friend over to the UK for a few weeks. She had her own money in the bank, a hotel booking, a return air ticket, a car rental booking, annual travel insurance and owns her own home.

She was rejected without even being invited to interview.

Frankly the state the UK is in they should be welcoming legitimate tourists with open arms not spurning them like that. Needless to say she has no interest in going to the UK anymore, and instead applied for and was given an Australian tourist visa instead. So all her tourist $$$ will go there.

Seems the UK just cannot get immigration right.

JJ.

[Shuguk]

There are a lot of Thais in Aberdeen and the north east of Scotland.

Yes I agree, and wondered if it was something to do with the oil industry. There are a few Thai restaurants, at least one massage place and there has been talk recently of building a temple here. I hope it works out.

The place local Thais eat is in the market in Market Street, Aberdeen.

I personally know of 3 Scot/Thai marriages and by what I see in the market eatery, and the number of kids I see there, there must be many more.

Ian