Farang Selling Durian.

[Hostile17]

some thai/farang kids look 100% farang

Some thai chinese look 100% farang

[Winston888]

I personally think they should be ashamed of themselves, especially the Farang selling 'cup cakes' at the market. Geezz

Ashamed? Why?

Exactly !

Why should anyone be ashamed of earning an honest penny !

You have lost your marbles !!

[sunspun]

Depends.

In the case of a farang woman, I believe she has all the rights of a Thai if she is married to a Thai.

I think the Thai authorties don`t bother too much about this because marriages between Thai males and farang females are so few and far between.

I think this is incorrect, I do not think a Farang woman can be selling fruit just because they are married to a Thai man.

I'm not sure if this is still true, but when I first came here, a Western woman could get citizenship almost instantly after marrying a Thai man.

After a period of two years I think, from memory.

This is absolutely, 100 % not true. My rights when it comes to working, land ownership, etc as a farang woman married to a thai man are exactly the same as that of a farang man married to a thai women. I suppose the only difference is that we don't have to have 400,000 baht in the bank. One can only dream it would be that easy...

Sometimes I help my mother in law plant, harvest, and sell her fruit, I help with the rice crop, I harvest the rubber, I sell roti and tea when we have fundraiser's in the village - the same things that my 2 sister in laws (married to her sons) also do. Why should it be different because I am white? I'm not so high and mighty that I think I'm above these jobs, and that I don't have to pull my weight in the family. Besides, she'd kick my ass if I she thought I was too good to get my hands dirty. As for working permits, I suppose it may be illegal, even if I'm not profiting directly, though I'd like to see the poor immigration officer having it out with Ma when he informs her she is no longer getting my help!

[SimonD]

Knew two farangs in Thailand who did manual work without permits.

One did recycling and got grassed-up by his Thai competitors. Cost him 20k to get off. He gave it a rest for a while and then started again but on a different 'patch'.

The other drove the som-tam cart his wife ran. He just drove it, didn't assist with prep or serving customers or anything. Police didn't touch him. It was the Rolls-Royce of som-tam carts tho'...

[YipYipYa123]

theres a farang who sells what appears to be handmade trinkets like bracelets and wallets on the footpath

middle aged fellow with a grey beard and a pony tail

he puts his goods on a towel and sits under the bridge just by sala deng BTS station (prime real estate for selling stuff + passing crowd to silom and patpomg attractions

often passed him and wondered how he doesnt get hassled about a work permit in a hotspot like that but he seems to be doing ok so maybe the police cant be bothered with him or maybe he pays someone to sit there

[FlyByNights]

I personally think they should be ashamed of themselves, especially the Farang selling 'cup cakes' at the market. Geezz

Ashamed? Why?

Exactly !

Why should anyone be ashamed of earning an honest penny !

You have lost your marbles !!

Because it is not fair for all us other that follow the law.

If it was fair we would all be earning an honest penny doing the everyday jobs of the Thai people wouldn't we?

[FlyByNights]

SUNSPUN

I am almost certain marriage does not give you Thai citizenship, am I correct?

I think it’s illegal what you’re doing , and you better watch your azz before someone gets jealous, and decides to call one of those " poor immigration officer"

FYI, they are not as poor as you might think.

If your helping, and not profiting directly from the sales of the product as you mentioned, I personally think it's a good thing you’re doing, but “legally "speaking I still think you are breaking the law

Your “helping” could raise an eyebrow to the local competition or someone that’s just jealous around you and your family in general.

We can take into consideration to where you are doing these "fundraisers". If in your village, I don’t think you will have too much of a problem, as if let’s say you were "fundraising" at Patpong night market.

The “cup cake’ guys I commented on earlier, make their own treats, actually stand at the market alone, and try to make a profit five days out of the week.

Shame on them for putting their faces out like that.

I also would like to do "ordinary" jobs in Thailand and be able to make a living out of it, but I don’t want to subject myself to ridicule and possible deportation either because I am breaking the law.

[canuckamuck]

Everyone loves these letter of the law guys - so much fun.

[FlyByNights]

"letter of the law guys"

It's the principle of the fact.

It is not fair to those who really need to have a work permit and don't enjoy their jobs.

Some people here would love to sell fruit instead of having to work legally.

[BigJohnnyBKK]

"letter of the law guys"

It's the principle of the fact.

It is not fair to those who really need to have a work permit and don't enjoy their jobs.

Some people here would love to sell fruit instead of having to work legally.

Did someone teach you growing up that life was "fair"? Seems pretty disconnected from reality IMO. . .

If principles are important to you, apply them to your own thoughts, feelings and behavior.

IMO better to take reality as it presents itself and adapt to it from a practical POV on a case-by-case basis, and let others make their own decisions in that regard as they see fit. If they choose poorly, they'll have to suffer the consequences won't they.

Advice based on impractical abstract theories like "fairness" is IMO extremely suspect here. I don't think Thailand lends itself to well to judging outside reality, particularly wrt other people's behavior. In fact doing so in an extreme way can result in your suffering a world of hurt personally.

Most of the time, anyone who wants to get out and sell fruit can do so, as long as they're out in the boonies where the local police haven't even heard of the concept of a work permit, and even those that have could care less.

[BigJohnnyBKK]

I do not think selling food is a profession that a farang can do.

But they can sell their bodies on Walking St Pattaya and BIB don't seem to mind the Russians etc doing it, that's a kind of food is it not .

These aren't farang actually, for the most part the vast majority of "Russian" sex workers here aren't, their home countries may be ex-Soviet but that's ancient history now. Most of what used to be the USSR is actually Asian.

And of course those foreign workers who are here under the auspices of mafias operating under sanctioned BiB franchises don't have to worry about minor details like work permits as long as they don't go off the reservation they're under a higher-order protective umbrella, more convenient and secure than the legal one.

I personally think they should be ashamed of themselves, especially the Farang selling 'cup cakes' at the market. Geezz

What just because it's illegal? Do you feel "shame" when you jaywalk or have flutter with a friend on the footie?

I hope you don't mean because he's working at a low-class profession, there's no shame in that, he may be independently wealthy and just doing it as a lark. Or even if it's just a way to cover the rent and he prefers it to teaching English or whatever, again no shame it that, whatever makes him happy.

On the legal issue then again that's a practical matter, and up in Nakhon Nowhere it usually doesn't apply, as long as you aren't competing effectively against vindictive <deleted>.

[samran]

My wife (a non-Thai citizen) is married to me ( a Thai citizen). She has no rights above and beyond you other punters married to locals.

She needs a work permit like everyone else.

As for the person selling Durian, who knows, she proably has a Thai passport either by birth or naturalisation. Plenty of westerners with Thai passports. You just don't notice them as they are usually hiding in plain view.

[FlyByNights]

I do not think selling food is a profession that a farang can do.

But they can sell their bodies on Walking St Pattaya and BIB don't seem to mind the Russians etc doing it, that's a kind of food is it not .

These aren't farang actually, for the most part the vast majority of "Russian" sex workers here aren't, their home countries may be ex-Soviet but that's ancient history now. Most of what used to be the USSR is actually Asian.

And of course those foreign workers who are here under the auspices of mafias operating under sanctioned BiB franchises don't have to worry about minor details like work permits as long as they don't go off the reservation they're under a higher-order protective umbrella, more convenient and secure than the legal one.

I personally think they should be ashamed of themselves, especially the Farang selling 'cup cakes' at the market. Geezz

What just because it's illegal? Do you feel "shame" when you jaywalk or have flutter with a friend on the footie?

I hope you don't mean because he's working at a low-class profession, there's no shame in that, he may be independently wealthy and just doing it as a lark. Or even if it's just a way to cover the rent and he prefers it to teaching English or whatever, again no shame it that, whatever makes him happy.

On the legal issue then again that's a practical matter, and up in Nakhon Nowhere it usually doesn't apply, as long as you aren't competing effectively against vindictive <deleted>.

I do agree with your comments, but the vindictive <deleted> are not necessarily the Farang.

[DP25]

My wife (a non-Thai citizen) is married to me ( a Thai citizen). She has no rights above and beyond you other punters married to locals.

She needs a work permit like everyone else.

As for the person selling Durian, who knows, she proably has a Thai passport either by birth or naturalisation. Plenty of westerners with Thai passports. You just don't notice them as they are usually hiding in plain view.

Doesn't she have the right to apply for citizenship based on her marriage to you?

[Soutpeel]

I hope you don't mean because he's working at a low-class profession, there's no shame in that, he may be independently wealthy and just doing it as a lark. Or even if it's just a way to cover the rent and he prefers it to teaching English or whatever, again no shame it that, whatever makes him happy.

When I read that comment the same thought occured to me in that he should ashamed of himself that he is doing a job a native should be doing.... in vast majority of cases in Thailand a lot of farangs are only 1 pay cheque or pension from being on the bones of their <deleted>...and the guys maybe doing what he has to do to survive

[BigJohnnyBKK]

When I read that comment the same thought occured to me in that he should ashamed of himself that he is doing a job a native should be doing.... in vast majority of cases in Thailand a lot of farangs are only 1 pay cheque or pension from being on the bones of their <deleted>...and the guys maybe doing what he has to do to survive

Sure and no shame in that is there.

WRT taking a job from a Thai, I don't hold with that much here or back home, AFAIC tear down all the borders and let everyone go work wherever they like, high time the price of labor fell to third world levels equally all over the world. Artificially high wages based on nationality are IMO a moral abomination.

[FlyByNights]

When I read that comment the same thought occured to me in that he should ashamed of himself that he is doing a job a native should be doing.... in vast majority of cases in Thailand a lot of farangs are only 1 pay cheque or pension from being on the bones of their <deleted>...and the guys maybe doing what he has to do to survive

Sure and no shame in that is there.

WRT taking a job from a Thai, I don't hold with that much here or back home, AFAIC tear down all the borders and let everyone go work wherever they like, high time the price of labor fell to third world levels equally all over the world. Artificially high wages based on nationality are IMO a moral abomination.

"Artificially high wages based on nationality are IMO a moral abomination"

Are you referring to just Thailand or the world in general ?

[samran]

My wife (a non-Thai citizen) is married to me ( a Thai citizen). She has no rights above and beyond you other punters married to locals.

She needs a work permit like everyone else.

As for the person selling Durian, who knows, she proably has a Thai passport either by birth or naturalisation. Plenty of westerners with Thai passports. You just don't notice them as they are usually hiding in plain view.

Doesn't she have the right to apply for citizenship based on her marriage to you?

She does, as do you if you are married to a Thai. Everyone can jump the PR stage now.

[bendix]

I'm pretty sure there is a farang woman selling snacks on the soi 21 end of Cowboy most evenings - popcorn, from memory.

There is also the farang who keeps the shop selling girl's teeshirts at Phrom Pong BTS station. I understand his wife owns the shop but he is the only person I've ever seen working there - he sits in the heat day in day out. It seems an odd way to spend your life, and i can't believe for a second he has a work permit, but the BiB don't seem to do anything, despite them having the most farang-exploitative police booth a few yards away at Benjasiri Park.

[sunspun]

SUNSPUN

I am almost certain marriage does not give you Thai citizenship, am I correct?

FYI, they are not as poor as you might think.

you are correct. it does not give you citizenship. as mentioned above, it entitles you to apply, but nothing more.

are you implying I think my family is poor? or thais in general? my family certainly isn't, and in my experience most thais aren't either. unlike the seeming majority of people on here, i am not independantly wealthy and do actually need to work for a living. the only thing i see as shameful is that i am not allowed to work to support my family in this country. when my husband is in my country, he has all the same rights i do, and can work freely in whatever way he wants. I can only wish one day I'll be given equal status in his.

[jamescollister]

This letter of the law stuff comes up regularly on the forums. I know that people get done, but as of yet I have never heard of Joe Smith getting grabbed for helping his 45 kilo wife unload the the farm produce off the back of a pick up. Or anyone getting done on petty things. Remember if Immigration do arrest you, you have to appear in court. Can't see some immigration Officer standing up in front of a judge saying we busted this evil farang for helping out his 80 year old in laws collect their rice. Jim

[Semper]

A farang doing something harmless and productive, that makes me so mad.

Harmless!! Have you ever had a sniff of a durian?

[canuckamuck]

A farang doing something harmless and productive, that makes me so mad.

Harmless!! Have you ever had a sniff of a durian?

The taste is heavenly so the smell is forgiven.

[BigJohnnyBKK]

This letter of the law stuff comes up regularly on the forums. I know that people get done, but as of yet I have never heard of Joe Smith getting grabbed for helping his 45 kilo wife unload the the farm produce off the back of a pick up. Or anyone getting done on petty things. Remember if Immigration do arrest you, you have to appear in court. Can't see some immigration Officer standing up in front of a judge saying we busted this evil farang for helping out his 80 year old in laws collect their rice. Jim

More likely they'd put the screws on for baksheesh, and if you were to unreasonably hold out on them would find a more significant pretext for the standing up in court part.

Of course the truly evil BiB are already in the lucrative areas, so that's why we're cut more slack upcountry, the more moral ones are always going to be in the low-revenue franchise zones.

[BigJohnnyBKK]

in my experience most thais aren't poor

You may have a very expansive definition of not poor.

Or perhaps as we all do tend to generalize from our direct experience only.

An accurate study of available statistics (make sure you use the mean rather than medium) and a developed-country definition of the term will not yield the same conclusion.

Wealth is distributed here even less broadly than the US, and these day's it's fair to say that even most Americans are poor, but of course by a more liberal interpretation of the term.

Most Thais are pretty darn poor from a strictly economic POV, but many of them are much better off than the corresponding Americans in "gross national happiness" quality of life terms it's true.

[jamescollister]

This letter of the law stuff comes up regularly on the forums. I know that people get done, but as of yet I have never heard of Joe Smith getting grabbed for helping his 45 kilo wife unload the the farm produce off the back of a pick up. Or anyone getting done on petty things. Remember if Immigration do arrest you, you have to appear in court. Can't see some immigration Officer standing up in front of a judge saying we busted this evil farang for helping out his 80 year old in laws collect their rice. Jim

More likely they'd put the screws on for baksheesh, and if you were to unreasonably hold out on them would find a more significant pretext for the standing up in court part.

Of course the truly evil BiB are already in the lucrative areas, so that's why we're cut more slack upcountry, the more moral ones are always going to be in the low-revenue franchise zones.

Guess it really comes down to who you are and know, local cops here step too far out of line and they will find themselves riding doubled up in Yala or some not so nice southern province. BIL is the guy who pays the local polices wages and village heads and sub govs still have a lot of pull with the district Gov. Never seen a Immigration cop anywhere near here, they are mostly looking for illegal Lao workers.

Big cities and tourist places are not the real Thailand, here it's keep your nose clean and no one bothers. Been here 10 years and never paid out for anything that was not above board. Jim

[BigJohnnyBKK]

Big cities and tourist places are not the real Thailand, here it's keep your nose clean and no one bothers.

Well let's just say it's a completely different Thailand. There certainly are many completely different sub-cultures, I reckon much more variety here, same as the food, compared to back home.

[h90]

A farang doing something harmless and productive, that makes me so mad.

Harmless!! Have you ever had a sniff of a durian?

The taste is heavenly so the smell is forgiven.

taste is heavenly??? it seems we have very different taste...

[Ulysses G.]

You get used to the smell. I do not even notice it any more. The best durian is delicious indeed, but it is hard for me to pick the good ones without help from a Thai, so buying it from a vendor on my own is a bit of a crapshoot.

If it has a slightly hard crust on the fruit, the texture is not good and it is not sweet enough. If it is overly ripe, it is too mushy and a little off tastewise.

Edited June 17, 2012 by Ulysses G.

[FlyByNights]

SUNSPUN

I am almost certain marriage does not give you Thai citizenship, am I correct?

FYI, they are not as poor as you might think.

you are correct. it does not give you citizenship. as mentioned above, it entitles you to apply, but nothing more.

are you implying I think my family is poor? or thais in general? my family certainly isn't, and in my experience most thais aren't either. unlike the seeming majority of people on here, i am not independantly wealthy and do actually need to work for a living. the only thing i see as shameful is that i am not allowed to work to support my family in this country. when my husband is in my country, he has all the same rights i do, and can work freely in whatever way he wants. I can only wish one day I'll be given equal status in his.

Not talking about your family. You mentioned "I suppose it may be illegal, even if I'm not profiting directly, though I'd like to see the poor immigration officer having it out with Ma"

I might have interpreted your comment wrong. No offence intended