Foreigners Need Living License In Future?

[Firefan]

Wauw! Now this will be fun!

Bangkok, AP Wire

07 12 05 10:37PM (GMT + 7)

"Living License" Proposed for Foreigners

by Len Wooshalla

Dr. Siripipthot Paakawallop gave an unexpected press conference today in the

Rachadapisek Palace where the Interior Ministry has re-located all official

functions related to the status of resident foreigners. (Note : resident

foreigners, in fact all foreigners in Thailand, are usually referred to as

'Farang' and this is not a derogatory term, it's usually used quite

affectionately).

He revealed that a secret academic select comittee had been working closely

for over a year with the Interior Ministry to develop long-term guidelines

for foreigners who wish to live in Thailand.

Dr. Paakawallop said : "We have come to the conclusion that it is best to

have a 'living license' for all resident aliens here. The purpose is just

like a driver's license : to help the Farang understand the 'rules of the

road' and live safely alongside his Thai neighbors, avoiding accidental

collisions."

Then Dr. Paakawallop introduced Dr.Suriyawong Chasayuttana, Clinical

Psychologist famous for her forensic studies of Farangs in Thailand who have

fallen off balconies under mysterious circumstances for some opening remarks

:

Dr. Chasayuttana : "Some Thai people call Farangs 'MoneyBag,' 'ATM,' or

other silly things maybe with a little jealousy because it is true so many

crawling with money come here. But we are shocking to find that very few of

these Farangs learn to speak Thai even up to baby-stop-pooping-pants level.

Many don't know about important things like standing up in the movie, like

not putting your feet on display, not saying dirty words very easy. And yet

these same Farangs get married and make babies and get houses and have cars.

And some get in trouble."

She continued : "How can we help the Farang get basic orientalization in

Thai : that was our question we pursue this whole last year. We interview 99

Farangs who have lived here in three groups : Group 1, lived here 1 year or

less, but intend to keep staying. Group 2, lived here up to five years and

intend to keep staying. And, Group 3, lived here more than five years and

are staying. After analyzing their responses to our many questions we decide

that the "L:iving License" idea will be create to have curriculum for

Farang.

Farang will take an examination after one year on :

1. Thai social structure : The Sangha, The Royal Family, Family Life,

Children, Marriage, Divorce, Inheritance, Government Structure

2. Basic Thai alphabet : Farang should be able to at least read street

sign and traffic signs.

3. Polite Behavior and Thai Ideals : Jai Yen, Mai Phen Rai, Boon Khun,

etc."

Then Dr. Paakawallop came back to the speaker's rostrum as Dr. Chasayuttana

sat down and asked for questions.

A correspondent from Reuters asked : "What happens if the Farangs do poorly

on the examination ... how are they graded."

Dr. Paakawallop commented that while specific details of the exams, the

grading process, etc. were still being worked out, the whole idea was to

give positive reinforcement to those who showed their motivation to be good

resident aliens in Thailand, not to punish those who did not." After a pause

and a deep breath he continued to say : "Of course, if the Farang has no

motivation to learn to live here ... well, he or she should live somewhere

else."

A reporter from The Singapore Straight Times asked Dr. Paakawallop how he

could be sure that just "knowing" the answers to an exam meant that the

Farang really had any real understanding of the deep cultural issues

involved : couldn't the Farang just memorize answers, go to some kind of

cram school."

Dr. Paakawallop smiled at this and said : "Well, you know the Driver's

License has two parts, the written, and the practical."

The reporter followed up : "You mean, Sir, that there will be a test of

behavior of some kind, a social test ?"

"Yes," Dr. Paakawallop said.

Quickly this AP stringer myself stood up and said : "Please Dr. give us some

detail of practical test."

Dr. Paakawallop replied : "That is being out now with our consultants which

include the Halliburton Company, the Major Cinema Group, the

Charoenpopkhrand Chicken group, and others. That is the real challenge,

isn't it, to make the test something more than academic.

[stumonster]

should have waited till april to post this

dr pack a wallop....

[Tywais]

Zenophobia at its' finest.

[Firefan]

Like others I doubt this is "real" - just searched the AP site with no matches. Good story though! Cheers!

[Jai Dee]

Geez Firefan... I was just about to scour all my news sources for some other support of this story when I read the punchline...

Dr. Paakawallop replied : "That is being out now with our consultants which

include the Halliburton Company, the Major Cinema Group, the

Charoenpopkhrand Chicken group, and others. That is the real challenge,

isn't it, to make the test something more than academic.

Good one...

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Geez Firefan... I was just about to scour all my news sources for some other support of this story when I read the punchline...

Dr. Paakawallop replied : "That is being out now with our consultants which

include the Halliburton Company, the Major Cinema Group, the

Charoenpopkhrand Chicken group, and others. That is the real challenge,

isn't it, to make the test something more than academic.

Good one...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Don't worry. Just forget it. The poor bugger's watch sped up tp 01 April 2006

[lomatopo]

It's obviously a fake, and I think it's supposed to be funny? It is hard to figure what type of person spends their time writing these things?

"But we are shocking to find that very few of these Farangs learn to speak Thai even up to baby-stop-pooping-pants level."

Maybe it is someone trying to practice their English writing skills?

[Jai Dee]

Don't worry. Just forget it. The poor bugger's watch sped up tp 01 April 2006 

I'll just move this out of the News Forum (where someone might accidentally believe it... not that some of the other news reports are any more credible... ) and into the General Forum.

[rio666uk]

In all seriousness, if it were true, it wouldnt be so much different from the "Life in UK" test that has been recently introduced.... although that is for a forreigner to apply for citizenship, not just to live there.

[gbt71fa]

Wauw!    Now this will be fun!

   

A 

Dr. Paakawallop replied : "That is being out now with our consultants which

include the Halliburton Company, the Major Cinema Group, the

Charoenpopkhrand Chicken group, and others. That is the real challenge,

isn't it, to make the test something more than academic.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I work for Halliburton, well, for two more weeks anyways. If anybody can create more paperwork, red tape, rules, sops, and unreadable literature...its Halliburton. Maybe they're involved in not allowing porn internet links in Thailand, they just put out a rule that deems magazines such as Maxim, and Stuff as offensive. Wow, we almost had a riot here.

[britmaveric]

Cheers for the laff - afterall its the giving season!!!

[simon43]

Judging from the types of 'farang' that I see in my travels around Thailand, I actually think it's a very good idea . . .

Simon

[richard10365]

I think I'm going to need a learners permit for a few years before I test for the "Living License".

The Living License Learners Permit (LLLP) will probably come with a requirement which states,"The LLLP holder is not allowed out and about, alone, in Thailand without an Thai ID card holder".

Maybe the USA should do the same thing to the 130,000+ Thai people living in the USA.

Whats good for the goose is good for the gander......or something like that.

In my opinion....since the Doctors name is Dr. Paakawallop (Pack a whallop)...I think this is a joke.

[Buff-horns]

its a hoax message posted to the soc.culture.thai NG.

there is a moron on there who makes up fake articles and attributes them to the media.

before copy and pasting make sure its a genuine article and not a hoax .

[Heng]

Waste of time and money. Easier to have one of the Pratunam sweatshops make a few hundred thousand armbands with a picture of a single guava on them.

[Rinrada]

I Recon its a great idea ......

[bkkmadness]

I bet Pudgies involved in this scheme.

[Buff-horns]

http://groups.google.co.uk/group/soc.cultu...3a4bfc1a24d050b

link to the original hoax article .

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Dr Pack-a-wallop.

[dutch]

If I remember well,the same is happening in Holland.

"Inburgering" it is called.

I don't know the details,but it looks simular to the contents of this topic.

90% of the Dutch do believe that if foreigners (Farang ) want to stay permanently,they need to know language and social skills

Edited December 8, 2005 by dutch

[Axel]

"Inburgering" means to become a Dutch National, I believe.

To hold a passport of a country you should know language and history.

If you live in Thailand on a non-immigrant visa, it could be a different tory, the visa already says, you are not an immigrant.

Still, a little language goes a long way, and yes I think the OP is a hoax.

[Simbo]

Judging from the types of 'farang' that I see in my travels around Thailand,  I actually think it's a very good idea . . .

Simon

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There is always one,'holier than thou' reply.

[Simbo]

"Inburgering" means to become a Dutch National, I believe.

To hold a passport of a country you should know language and history.

If you live in Thailand on a non-immigrant visa, it could be a different tory, the visa already says, you are not an immigrant.

Still, a little language goes a long way, and yes I think the OP is a hoax.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

How many Thais know their own history ? they cannot even name the countries bordering their own.

[Neeranam]

How many Thais know their own history ? they cannot even name the countries bordering their own. smile.gif

Don't you mean "geography"? Just because it is important for you to know all the 75 states of America and where they all are, doesn't mean everyone should study it.

I think it is a good idea - if you want a visa, pass a simple language test - why are so many people so against learning the language of the country they live and work/retire in? I was in the Post Office yesterday and was embarrassed as one old guy was speaking English to the guy serving him, and I had to translate. Whay would you think if a Thai guy started speaking Thai only to someone working in the post office in your home country?I say he shouldn't get a UK visa if he can't speak English. Tourist, OK - 2 weeks max. At least the Thai in Britain learn the language.

This guy in the Post-Office has been in Thailand for 9 years, retired - what the fick has he been doing - too busy to learn "I want to buy a postal order to give to the American Embassy"

If you don't know the word for 'American Embassy' in Thai do you think you should be allowed into the country? - it's embarassing and shouldn't be allowed

I have a friend who has been in Thailand for 30 years and was second in command in the bloody American Embassy, and guess what - he can't even say it!!

Edited December 9, 2005 by Neeranam

[MilkPlus]

How many Thais know their own history ? they cannot even name the countries bordering their own. smile.gif

Don't you mean "geography"? Just because it is important for you to know all the 75 states of America and where they all are, doesn't mean everyone should study it.

I think it is a good idea - if you want a visa, pass a simple language test - why are so many people so against learning the language of the country they live and work/retire in? I was in the Post Office yesterday and was embarrassed as one old guy was speaking English to the guy serving him, and I had to translate. Whay would you think if a Thai guy started speaking Thai only to someone working in the post office in your home country?I say he shouldn't get a UK visa if he can't speak English. Tourist, OK - 2 weeks max. At least the Thai in Britain learn the language.

This guy in the Post-Office has been in Thailand for 9 years, retired - what the fick has he been doing - too busy to learn "I want to buy a postal order to give to the American Embassy"

If you don't know the word for 'American Embassy' in Thai do you think you should be allowed into the country? - it's embarassing and shouldn't be allowed

I have a friend who has been in Thailand for 30 years and was second in command in the bloody American Embassy, and guess what - he can't even say it!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ummmm English is the Universal Language, you're just bitter that its not BBC English.

[Neeranam]

Ummmm English is the Universal Language, you're just bitter that its not BBC English. biggrin.gif wink.gif

I'm not bitter about it. It certainly isn't CNN English

English is not a requirement for a Thai postal worker.

What do you call them - postpersons?

Do you think you don't need to learn the language of the country you are in?

Wait a minute, what country are you in?

Do the postpersons in your country speak the language of it's tourists or are the tourists expected to speak American?

Edited December 9, 2005 by Neeranam

[Jai Dee]

Wait a minute, what country are you in?

Psssst.... Florida, USA.

[zzap]

In Switzerland they have strict tests about language, history and culture for "naturalisation", obtaining Swiss citizenship, the concept is nothing new.

[MilkPlus]

Wait a minute, what country are you in?

Psssst.... Florida, USA.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

psssssssssst, see JAP *NOT the country.

[MilkPlus]

Ummmm English is the Universal Language, you're just bitter that its not BBC English. biggrin.gif wink.gif

I'm not bitter about it. It certainly isn't CNN English

English is not a requirement for a Thai postal worker.

What do you call them - postpersons?

Do you think you don't need to learn the language of the country you are in?

Wait a minute, what country are you in?

Do the postpersons in your country speak the language of it's tourists or are the tourists expected to speak American?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Relax, sheesh it was a Joke. Its an old joke.

###### for living in the land of lax some of the people here sure are serious.

Edited December 9, 2005 by MilkPlus