A Farang Living In Thailand

[Naam]

Maybe Thailand is fed up by Frang that will not integrate into society, farang who insist on living western lifestyles, refuses to learn the language, refuses to comply with visa regulations, etc.

Maybe it will be easier for us farang living here when we begin to correct us by the host's rules and culture.

Thailand has always had big problems with immigrants that cause the country great economic losses and crime.

If you want to make money here so you should have a work permit.

At least one like you on every thread.

and are both applicable to your nonsensical comment.

you are too kind Robert

And this is all you managed to contribute with here, just nonsense!

we both referred to nonsense. do you want us to be more specific?

[EirikJohannesen]

[

At least one like you on every thread.

and are both applicable to your nonsensical comment.

you are too kind Robert

And this is all you managed to contribute with here, just nonsense!

we both referred to nonsense. do you want us to be more specific?

No thanks, the ruler technique you use here is just to low.

Edited June 3, 2011 by EirikJohannesen

[Richard4849]

Gotta say, I don't get it.

It has always been illegal to work without a permit, whether playing music, teaching, whatever -- with or without remuneration.

If the authorities have indeed been looking the other way in recent years, people should be grateful for the free ride. Not complain that it's over.

[soihok]

Many of us who have been here more than a decade sreally miss the past when xenophobia was not felt and it seemed like we were welcomed in Thailand.

I have been here 2 decades and can not remember a time when Westerners were not whining about the Thais not appreciating us ( cream of the crop that most of us are).

Actually, things have gotten progressively easier as far as visas and such, many more Western foods and entertainment staples are available and most Thais are as friendly as they ever were. As far as I am concerned, the good old days are right now.

Nice post.

I would love to live full time in Thailand, but, there is no way that I could earn the same money as I do working in other SE Asia countries. I,m not interested in returning to the west at all.

Been married for 10 years to my good lady from Thailand, we two kids together. The world is shrinking my friends, the laws and attitudes that affect us all are streamlining.........no one is immune ( unless you are a member of the Global Elite, but then again they make the rules.....not the puppet governments we are given to focus on ).

Being a farang in Thailand ( not a tourist ) is trying, but at the same time very rewarding . I have lived totally outside of my home country for almost 15 years, and I,m 46 years old. I initially left 20 years ago, but its hard to make funds on your travels.

I,m from England. I also think that if you like shackles on your emotions and enjoy taxation, not to mention being looked after to the point that you don't know how to make a living to earn money to support your family ( claiming this and that from a grey civil servant in a grey office in a grey city in a grey country ).

Then stay in farang land. Its far more easier there.

My greatest fear is the future of my children in Thailand. Saying that, they have the best start I can give them both. Dual nationality and registered births in both countries. Any parent that fails to place these essential steppingstones for their children is failing them.

The most important thing in Thailand is to have a good family. Ok money helps :jap:

Oh dear, I,m off topic

[Beetlejuice]

[

And this is all you managed to contribute with here, just nonsense!

we both referred to nonsense. do you want us to be more specific?

No thanks, the ruler technique you use here is just to low.

.

[Millard]

I feel most of the time as an outsider but tolerate that for all the good things that brought me here.Just this week I had an eye opener of what people here really think of me. I take thai language lessons every night and feel my thai is improving. But every time I speak thai to my friends who are thai they look at me like what did you say and act confused. I feel I cannot communicate. Then last week I was in Bangkok and tried my thai on everyone I met and it worked perfectly I had decent conversations. I mentioned this to my Thai teacher.He said they probably look at me as their stupid farang friend and when I talk thai to them they just refuse to talk thai because they feel I am to stupid to carry on a conversation so why try. Nice friends huh. Gives me the feeling they patronise me rather than befriend me.

That's a rather harsh assumption of your friends by your teacher, especially if your teacher has never met them.

[barky]

live by the rules and you wont have a problem.. I feel warmly accepted by my ladies family and all of the village.. Life is good

you mean the special westener rules we often get hit over the head with regularly, or maybe you mean the thai rules that thais ignore but are shoved down our throats.

You stay up in the village as far away from reality and the norm as possible. lucky you. you've been well re-programmed.

[Warhammer820]

But from my experience over many years in Thailand, I am seeing more and more restrictions placed upon us

Op. I think this is because Thailand is getting more developed, and don't have any use of

Farangs anymore, compared to say 20 years ago.

Not really sure how bad it was 20 years ago compared to the US, but i can say that there is a fair amount of leeches that act like they need farang money.

Not saying that is a lot of thai's but it's what bi have seen

Edited June 3, 2011 by Warhammer820

[soihok]

chr*st , we're lucky they let us stay here

i mean , have u seen some of the farang they let through the gates of suwarnabhumi ?

Jack has a point here. Its a bit like Rotherham bus station at times.

Edited June 3, 2011 by soihok

[barky]

How could you folks ever complain about your farang status in Thailand is beyond me? I think almost all Thai population treat you with a great respect.

this kinda statement is for those westeners who are the non-thinking brain dead or the spineless cream puffs who have nowhere else to go outside of thailand and therefore have to accept this regular duffing so as not to get kicked out.

This is exactly the propaganda a thai is taught in school and their programmed to believe, but its so far from the truth its just plain offensive.

if its a joke its not funny, if its not <deleted>.

Now if you had said a very very small proportion and not almost all I would have agreed.

Edited June 3, 2011 by barky

[craigt3365]

Of course I was fully aware that if I came to live in Thailand I would always be considered as a foreigner.

I have never felt any differently than this and never expect to. I am a foreigner living in a foreign land. It is our own unrealistic expectations that cause all the problems "fitting in".

+1

I think that is one reason many of us are here. It's different than "home"! Makes life interesting.

But from my experience over many years in Thailand, I am seeing more and more restrictions placed upon us

Op. I think this is because Thailand is getting more developed, and don't have any use of

Farangs anymore, compared to say 20 years ago.

For sure Thailand is getting more developed like the rest of the world and for sure has many more foreigners living here now compared to 20 years ago.

I've been treated with respect by the Thais I've met. Stay away from the farang ghettos and the Thais are some of the nicest people on the planet.

[soihok]

I second that Craig.

The people that live in the village are a far cry from the tourist centre industry workers.

What amuses me is that what ever I try to do ( simple construction jobs or actions and manneriems) is looked upon with jest. Even though some of them are sh*t hot ( in my humble opion ).

Saying that, isn't this one of the reasons why we are here ( or there in my case as I,m not living in Thailand at the moment ) ?

Edited June 3, 2011 by soihok

[StreetCowboy]

This thread has really cheered me up.

I'm glad that I can afford all the agents' fees and so forth to make the annual trip to immigration tedious, rather than painful, and that I have no intention of 'integrating', going bush, or wishing to be accepted and meet with the locals... I suppose its like when I lived in England, but with more bureaucracy. I only realy mixed with other expats there, as well, other than at work. All right, maybe not expats, but out-of-towners... I don't know how troublesome the bureaucracy is for foreigners in the UK.

Call me tribal, if you want; narrow-minded and parochial, but I have never had a desire to be accepted by foreigners as anything other than a foreigner. I suppose that might change in the future, and I can't really imagine retiring to bitter on the bowling green now, but I'll worry about that when the time comes...(to be sure, I doubt I would fit in and be accepted by the natives at the bowling green now)

SC

[jdinasia]

Of course I was fully aware that if I came to live in Thailand I would always be considered as a foreigner.

I have never felt any differently than this and never expect to. I am a foreigner living in a foreign land. It is our own unrealistic expectations that cause all the problems "fitting in".

Absolutely ... and yet I still feel like I fit in here Speaking some Thai, having a life that involves me with people at all levels of society (where I am in the position of respect... which may be something many other people never get) ... staying active with friends ....

I can't remember who it was who always gave the same advice at the end of every post to noob's ..... but it was

"Don't become a drunk!"

To be honest, with all the tourists and all the expats that are booze hounds ... it doesn't surprise me that some people (particularly in the tourist areas) get treated with a bit of disdain .... but it isn't that way for everyone! Thankfully!

[jdinasia]

Of course I was fully aware that if I came to live in Thailand I would always be considered as a foreigner.

I have never felt any differently than this and never expect to. I am a foreigner living in a foreign land. It is our own unrealistic expectations that cause all the problems "fitting in".

Absolutely ... and yet I still feel like I fit in here Speaking some Thai, having a life that involves me with people at all levels of society (where I am in the position of respect... which may be something many other people never get) ... staying active with friends ....

I can't remember who it was who always gave the same advice at the end of every post to noob's ..... but it was

"Don't become a drunk!"

To be honest, with all the tourists and all the expats that are booze hounds ... it doesn't surprise me that some people (particularly in the tourist areas) get treated with a bit of disdain .... but it isn't that way for everyone! Thankfully!

[jdinasia]

Of course I was fully aware that if I came to live in Thailand I would always be considered as a foreigner.

I have never felt any differently than this and never expect to. I am a foreigner living in a foreign land. It is our own unrealistic expectations that cause all the problems "fitting in".

Absolutely ... and yet I still feel like I fit in here Speaking some Thai, having a life that involves me with people at all levels of society (where I am in the position of respect... which may be something many other people never get) ... staying active with friends ....

I can't remember who it was who always gave the same advice at the end of every post to noob's ..... but it was

"Don't become a drunk!"

To be honest, with all the tourists and all the expats that are booze hounds ... it doesn't surprise me that some people (particularly in the tourist areas) get treated with a bit of disdain .... but it isn't that way for everyone! Thankfully!

[IanForbes]

Of course I was fully aware that if I came to live in Thailand I would always be considered as a foreigner.

I have never felt any differently than this and never expect to. I am a foreigner living in a foreign land. It is our own unrealistic expectations that cause all the problems "fitting in".

Ulysses said it all in a nutshell. Who cares if you fit in? Accept the good with the bad and let the rest go. I'm just thankful I have my good health and can enjoy myself. As I said in the thread on age gaps between couples, you can only sit on one chair at a time and sleep in one bed at a time. And, as long as you have enough money to eat well then everything else is extraneous. Excess is just a waste. Yes, it is frustrating when you can see obvious solutions to simple problems and yet countries leaders continually make bad decisions, but who cares? As a foreigner, all you can do is shake your head in wonder. Humans are greedy, lazy and sometimes evil, but there enough that are loving, honest and generous to balance it. Just accept what you can't change and surround yourself with positive thinking people. You can't save the world so don't even bother trying. If you can help just one other person in this world enjoy just one day then that is all that matters.

[soihok]

Ian, that's a great post mate.

[StreetCowboy]

Of course I was fully aware that if I came to live in Thailand I would always be considered as a foreigner.

I have never felt any differently than this and never expect to. I am a foreigner living in a foreign land. It is our own unrealistic expectations that cause all the problems "fitting in".

Ulysses said it all in a nutshell. Who cares if you fit in? Accept the good with the bad and let the rest go. I'm just thankful I have my good health and can enjoy myself. As I said in the thread on age gaps between couples, you can only sit on one chair at a time and sleep in one bed at a time. And, as long as you have enough money to eat well then everything else is extraneous. Excess is just a waste. Yes, it is frustrating when you can see obvious solutions to simple problems and yet countries leaders continually make bad decisions, but who cares? As a foreigner, all you can do is shake your head in wonder. Humans are greedy, lazy and sometimes evil, but there enough that are loving, honest and generous to balance it. Just accept what you can't change and surround yourself with positive thinking people. You can't save the world so don't even bother trying. If you can help just one other person in this world enjoy just one day then that is all that matters.

Sometimes I think that the apparently bad decisions that people make are perhaps good decisions by their criteria. Perhaps in some countries, the state serves the government, rather than the people, and perhaps in some countries, the government puts their own interests ahead of those of the people. Or the interests of the nation ahead of those of the people.

I would suggest that rather than your slightly negative defeatist and possibly pessimistic advice "you can't save the world so don't even bother trying", a more idealistic suggestion might be "don't expect other people to save the world for you, especially if you tell them to." Whether people want to save the world or not is their business, and there is only one man who can save us now... Flash Gordon, I think, and he's getting on a bit. Perhaps he is your nemesis...

SC

[soihok]

Equally impressive post.

I have been awake for 20 hours.

I am one of the sad bas**rds of the world that has to work for a living. Thankfully not in Europe.

[tigerfish]

chr*st , we're lucky they let us stay here

i mean , have u seen some of the farang they let through the gates of suwarnabhumi ?

Jack has a point here. Its a bit like Rotherham bus station at times.

the same could be said about Heathrow immigration compared to any one of the major bus terminals around Thailand.

some piece of skirt dressed up to the nines, face pack of make-up, some awful colour nail varnish, dress up their arse that doesn't take to much imagination to figure out what lies beneath, push up bra, 6 inch heels. plastered from head to foot in gold with a heart attack in tow waiting to happen !

Edited June 3, 2011 by tigerfish

[Richard4849]

I'm going to get some flak for this...but the farangs I know who are always bitching about how they are treated by the Thais would be treated exactly the same way if they were suddenly transported into a Thai body.

It's like this: Thais are not going to treat you with respect if you lack hygiene, manners, polite dress habits, and basically walk around with a sense of owning the damned place.

How Thais treat people has far less to do with that person's nationality and/or race than it does with how that person presents himself, behaves, and relates to others around them.

A Thai guy walking around in a singlet with his gut hanging out and a liter of Singh in his hand, acting the total slob and being a pest would be treated no better than his farang counterpart.

This is an extreme stereotype, of course, but Thais (just like anyone else) are sensitive to manners, upbringing, appearance, cleanliness, dress, sobriety, "dating habits", etc.

If you are lacking, it isn't going to matter if you're a farang, black, Arab, or another Thai.

You have to earn the way you are treated here -- you can't just expect it because you show up.

[soihok]

Very true

Edited June 3, 2011 by soihok

[Warhammer820]

ok your post makes sense. I only felt that i was mistreated by thai males my age. It is possible that they were threatened by my appearance and the thai ladies reactions to me.

I'm going to get some flak for this...but the farangs I know who are always bitching about how they are treated by the Thais would be treated exactly the same way if they were suddenly transported into a Thai body.

It's like this: Thais are not going to treat you with respect if you lack hygiene, manners, polite dress habits, and basically walk around with a sense of owning the damned place.

How Thais treat people has far less to do with that person's nationality and/or race than it does with how that person presents himself, behaves, and relates to others around them.

A Thai guy walking around in a singlet with his gut hanging out and a liter of Singh in his hand, acting the total slob and being a pest would be treated no better than his farang counterpart.

This is an extreme stereotype, of course, but Thais (just like anyone else) are sensitive to manners, upbringing, appearance, cleanliness, dress, sobriety, "dating habits", etc.

If you are lacking, it isn't going to matter if you're a farang, black, Arab, or another Thai.

You have to earn the way you are treated here -- you can't just expect it because you show up.

[EirikJohannesen]

I'm going to get some flak for this...but the farangs I know who are always bitching about how they are treated by the Thais would be treated exactly the same way if they were suddenly transported into a Thai body.

It's like this: Thais are not going to treat you with respect if you lack hygiene, manners, polite dress habits, and basically walk around with a sense of owning the damned place.

How Thais treat people has far less to do with that person's nationality and/or race than it does with how that person presents himself, behaves, and relates to others around them.

A Thai guy walking around in a singlet with his gut hanging out and a liter of Singh in his hand, acting the total slob and being a pest would be treated no better than his farang counterpart.

This is an extreme stereotype, of course, but Thais (just like anyone else) are sensitive to manners, upbringing, appearance, cleanliness, dress, sobriety, "dating habits", etc.

If you are lacking, it isn't going to matter if you're a farang, black, Arab, or another Thai.

You have to earn the way you are treated here -- you can't just expect it because you show up.

You're absolutely right

[soihok]

Take it away Jake !

[IanForbes]

Of course I was fully aware that if I came to live in Thailand I would always be considered as a foreigner.

I have never felt any differently than this and never expect to. I am a foreigner living in a foreign land. It is our own unrealistic expectations that cause all the problems "fitting in".

Ulysses said it all in a nutshell. Who cares if you fit in? Accept the good with the bad and let the rest go. I'm just thankful I have my good health and can enjoy myself. As I said in the thread on age gaps between couples, you can only sit on one chair at a time and sleep in one bed at a time. And, as long as you have enough money to eat well then everything else is extraneous. Excess is just a waste. Yes, it is frustrating when you can see obvious solutions to simple problems and yet countries leaders continually make bad decisions, but who cares? As a foreigner, all you can do is shake your head in wonder. Humans are greedy, lazy and sometimes evil, but there enough that are loving, honest and generous to balance it. Just accept what you can't change and surround yourself with positive thinking people. You can't save the world so don't even bother trying. If you can help just one other person in this world enjoy just one day then that is all that matters.

Sometimes I think that the apparently bad decisions that people make are perhaps good decisions by their criteria. Perhaps in some countries, the state serves the government, rather than the people, and perhaps in some countries, the government puts their own interests ahead of those of the people. Or the interests of the nation ahead of those of the people.

I would suggest that rather than your slightly negative defeatist and possibly pessimistic advice "you can't save the world so don't even bother trying", a more idealistic suggestion might be "don't expect other people to save the world for you, especially if you tell them to." Whether people want to save the world or not is their business, and there is only one man who can save us now... Flash Gordon, I think, and he's getting on a bit. Perhaps he is your nemesis...

SC

I'm far from being a pessimist, SC, but I AM a realist. I make choices in life using past experiences as a guideline. I accept responsibility for all my own decisions. I analyze just about everything and try to look at both sides of any discussion. I can even make excuses for other people's bad behaviour, but that doesn't mean I have to put up with it. If I don't like where I am at any point in time then I move.

[surayu]

To fit or not to fit? I am willing to accept anything good and refuse anything bad, i don't care if it's coming from a local or from a foreigner.

I dislikes people willing to accept any wrongdoings because that is the norm....

[Debothai]

There are good farangs and bad farangs here of course, but it is the same in any country there are good expats and bad ones. It depends on what they can get away with.

It is not just foreigners who crave for western food, that is why you see the food in Tops, like Cheese, Marmite, etc. Or go into a Large Mall you find McDonalds and KFC, both western restaurants.

Based on extensive research involving Mrs Soutpeel, I can conclude that the only reason Marmite is imported to satisfy British expats... ...she hates the stuff which I find quite offensive considering some of the cr*p she eats...

-my wife says that marmite is pla-ra-farang- she hates the stuff...

[MAJIC]

The longer you live here the more you realize that we will never be accepted as anything more than alien visitors completely different in every respect than a "Thai," from their perspective anyway.

Its frustrating because the more you live here and make an attempt to learn the language, culture etc., you eventually start asking yourself; "why hava I put so much effort into it?"

For me, I love my wife and she will always accept me, so its worth it; at least thats the best I can come up with

But when you see things like the music thing, and hear Thais say things like "I don't care if a 'falang' has lived here 10,000 years, they will never be part of our culture" it is very disheartening and dissapointing.

The OP is speaking words of truth and so are you, Kurt Vonnegut, I mean, Kilgore Trout Many of us who have been here more than a decade sreally miss the past when xenophobia was not felt and it seemed like we were welcomed in Thailand. The welcome mat started going away when a certain nameless person (who has a square head) took control and brought out the worst traits Thais possess. That was a sad turning point in Thai history. After that the immigration rules were radically changed (why those rules were not changed under the new administration is a mystery) and "sanook" started being harder and harder to find. I know I will never fit in. Now I have desire to fit it This is the most xenophobic country I have ever lived in, and I have lived in many countries because of my job. But many farangs do not see the xenophobia, especially those who have no long-term perspective and have only been here a few years. All they see is what is on the surface. Unfortunately, the more the economy goes downhill, the more farangs will be used as scapegoats for everything that has gone wrong in Thailand. Thais really do not accept blame for anything, as far as I can tell. They rationalize the most abhorrent behavior, including stealing from farangs. Arresting foreign musicians for playing on the street borders on insanity--especially if they are not asking for money.

Can't see what all the fuss is about,

IMHO you would be off your head to even want to be integrated,accepted,and become part of this Mad ,Greedy,Xenophobic,Corrupt, Politically unstable Country.

Give up my Countries Citizenship? and exchange it for this Nightmare?do me a favour.these Pseudo Wannabe Thai's, are quite pathetic, if I ever started having leanings towards obtaining Thai Citizenship,I would find a good Clinic,with Top Class Psychiatrists, and book in urgently!

I suppose its about time for a "Go Home Posting" soon.

Edited June 3, 2011 by MAJIC