Why Are People Suprised By The Stereotypical Ex-Pat?

[hotandhumid]

Pundit, old chap - If you are going to have a rant (and I love a good rant btw) then at least get your facts right..

You have made yourself look stupid.

Must do better next time.

C-

[The Pundit]

re.

I've never had a work permit or business visa, yet I have opened 2 bank accounts in Thailand.

nor me ! .. and ive got 6 bank accounts , own a bike and havnt

left thailand for years coz i use the 800 thousand method as well : )

shame the op didnt do his homework before posting : (

dave2

I think you have pretty well established the fact that the OP has never been to Thailand. I have 4 bank accounts, and have not left Thailand in 10 years. Oh ya and a truck and motorcycle.

You seem to think putting logs on a fire 30 years ago makes you Thai,I think that shows how much you know!I'm assuming you must be fluent in the Thai language after 10 years here,would I be right?

Attacking my credibilty does not disprove the fact that your lack of knowledge of Thailand most likely comes from the fact you have never spent any time in Thailand. Sorry fellow but anyone who had even vacationed here would know one can open a bank account or buy a motorcycle in your own name without a work permit.

Don't you think that's a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy?You tell everyone of your 10 years in Thailand and yet you don't speak Thai,how much credibility do you think that gives you?

[chiangmaikelly]

I think you have pretty well established the fact that the OP has never been to Thailand. I have 4 bank accounts, and have not left Thailand in 10 years. Oh ya and a truck and motorcycle.

You seem to think putting logs on a fire 30 years ago makes you Thai,I think that shows how much you know!I'm assuming you must be fluent in the Thai language after 10 years here,would I be right?

Attacking my credibilty does not disprove the fact that your lack of knowledge of Thailand most likely comes from the fact you have never spent any time in Thailand. Sorry fellow but anyone who had even vacationed here would know one can open a bank account or buy a motorcycle in your own name without a work permit.

Don't you think that's a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy?You tell everyone of your 10 years in Thailand and yet you don't speak Thai,how much credibility do you think that gives you?

Who said I didn't speak Thai? This is your thread anyway. You told all of us that one can't open a bank account or buy a car of motorcycle without a work permit.

I went to school at AUA Language center in Chiang Mai ten years ago. My Thai is fine.

So fess up. You have never lived in Thailand and your only information is from the INTERNET.

Edited November 22, 2012 by chiangmaikelly

[impulse]

Get a kick out of the long term expats that think everyone coming to Thailand should have the knowledge it took them years to gather up.

I have a WP, a legal job, etc. No problem with the bank account.

GF came to visit me on a tourist visa. Went to 4 different banks. All 4 banks told her she couldn't open an account on a tourist visa. Now, I'm sure there is someone out there who could have steered her in the right direction. I couldn't because I haven't been down that road, and didn't really have a dog in the fight.

Lots of expats do visa runs. I've read hundreds of posts in dozens of threads asking which is the easiest, quickest, cheapest.

Then I read from the guys that seem to think that anyone who thinks you have to do a visa run can't possibly live here. Some quick math tells me either someone is pulling our collective chains by asking hpw to do a visa run when they don't really need to- or someone(s) is assuming everyone here has a Thai wife who takes very good care of all their "local needs".

Lighten up. The OP has some legitimate claims. I don't agree with some of them, but don't begrudge him his opinions.

[rct99q]

I can see you sitting in your one room apartment in Dog River, Sask., having a good laugh at all the people you have hooked in with your thread. I have the feeling the only border run you do is to Lloydminster because they have run out of Moose Head and the local quicky mart is closed.

By the way it has taken the better part of 10 minutes to sort of read through all of this and have to admit has made my lunch hour pass a little quicker.

Thanks.

[chiangmaikelly]

Get a kick out of the long term expats that think everyone coming to Thailand should have the knowledge it took them years to gather up.

I have a WP, a legal job, etc. No problem with the bank account.

GF came to visit me on a tourist visa. Went to 4 different banks. All 4 banks told her she couldn't open an account on a tourist visa. Now, I'm sure there is someone out there who could have steered her in the right direction. I couldn't because I haven't been down that road, and didn't really have a dog in the fight.

Lots of expats do visa runs. I've read hundreds of posts in dozens of threads asking which is the easiest, quickest, cheapest.

Then I read from the guys that seem to think that anyone who thinks you have to do a visa run can't possibly live here. Some quick math tells me either someone is pulling our collective chains by asking hpw to do a visa run when they don't really need to- or someone(s) is assuming everyone here has a Thai wife who takes very good care of all their "local needs".

Lighten up. The OP has some legitimate claims. I don't agree with some of them, but don't begrudge him his opinions.

It would be OK if he was passing off accurate information but he is not. Bank accounts and vehicle purchases are serious business for some and the OP is postulating innacurate facts which I think can be added to his other innacurate posts about Thailand. In short he has no clue about what he is saying in a number of threads.

[jacktrip]

For your own peace, move to Sihanookville, Cambodia.

I know i would if i hadn't been stuck in a loop of helping a gf becoming self-sufficient

with no end on horizon

what is there to do there long term?

[The Pundit]

You seem to think putting logs on a fire 30 years ago makes you Thai,I think that shows how much you know!I'm assuming you must be fluent in the Thai language after 10 years here,would I be right?

Attacking my credibilty does not disprove the fact that your lack of knowledge of Thailand most likely comes from the fact you have never spent any time in Thailand. Sorry fellow but anyone who had even vacationed here would know one can open a bank account or buy a motorcycle in your own name without a work permit.

Don't you think that's a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy?You tell everyone of your 10 years in Thailand and yet you don't speak Thai,how much credibility do you think that gives you?

Who said I didn't speak Thai? This is your thread anyway. You told all of us that one can't open a bank account or buy a car of motorcycle without a work permit.

I went to school at AUA Language center in Chiang Mai ten years ago. My Thai is fine.

So fess up. You have never lived in Thailand and your only information is from the INTERNET.

I think just the fact that it's taken you the best part of the morning to realise that you can pretend to speak Thai,just like you can pretend to have lived here for 10 years and have put some 'logs on a fire' 30 years ago tells us all we need to know!

Unfortunately 'Ket tung na ja' & 'Lub you velly mut,jub,jub' do not count as speaking Thai in any way,shape or form.Better luck in the next life as the Thais say (but you'd know that anyway,right?)

[chiangmaikelly]

Attacking my credibilty does not disprove the fact that your lack of knowledge of Thailand most likely comes from the fact you have never spent any time in Thailand. Sorry fellow but anyone who had even vacationed here would know one can open a bank account or buy a motorcycle in your own name without a work permit.

Don't you think that's a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy?You tell everyone of your 10 years in Thailand and yet you don't speak Thai,how much credibility do you think that gives you?

Who said I didn't speak Thai? This is your thread anyway. You told all of us that one can't open a bank account or buy a car of motorcycle without a work permit.

I went to school at AUA Language center in Chiang Mai ten years ago. My Thai is fine.

So fess up. You have never lived in Thailand and your only information is from the INTERNET.

I think just the fact that it's taken you the best part of the morning to realise that you can pretend to speak Thai,just like you can pretend to have lived here for 10 years and have put some 'logs on a fire' 30 years ago tells us all we need to know!

Unfortunately 'Ket tung na ja' & 'Lub you velly mut,jub,jub' do not count as speaking Thai in any way,shape or form.Better luck in the next life as the Thais say (but you'd know that anyway,right?)

I have no idea what you are talking about. My Thai has nothing to do with what I was writing about. You are attempting to give inaccurate information to people about Thailand. That is wrong and you should be corrected when you post things that are not true. I have been posting on Thai Visa for a number of years as well as other forums. You don't need a work permit to open up a bank account or buy a vehicle in Thailand. If you lived here or were here for any period of time at all you would know that. You should not try to post information about Thailand if you know nothing about Thailand.

[endure]

Stop the bickering please.

[poanoi]

For your own peace, move to Sihanookville, Cambodia.

I know i would if i hadn't been stuck in a loop of helping a gf becoming self-sufficient

with no end on horizon

what is there to do there long term?

Sit at the beach & drink Ancher beer.

It is also possible to drive there, unlike Pattaya.

And no miserable visa runs or any hassle whatsoever, just pay for a year/half a year

and be left alone

[chiangmaikelly]

To get back on topic. 1. Anyone can own a business in Thailand. 2. The treaty of Amity is still in effect which makes it even easier for Americans. 3. Anyone can buy cars or bikes or trucks or any other mode of conveyance. 4. William E. Heinecke, the American who built a Thai business empire. 5. Anyone can open a bank account.

[The Pundit]

To get back on topic. 1. Anyone can own a business in Thailand. 2. The treaty of Amity is still in effect which makes it even easier for Americans. 3. Anyone can buy cars or bikes or trucks or any other mode of conveyance. 4. William E. Heinecke, the American who built a Thai business empire. 5. Anyone can open a bank account.

No they can't,there's at least 2 people on tis thread that disagree with you,you are the one spreading misinformation about Thailand,not me!

[chiangmaikelly]

To get back on topic. 1. Anyone can own a business in Thailand. 2. The treaty of Amity is still in effect which makes it even easier for Americans. 3. Anyone can buy cars or bikes or trucks or any other mode of conveyance. 4. William E. Heinecke, the American who built a Thai business empire. 5. Anyone can open a bank account.

No they can't,there's at least 2 people on tis thread that disagree with you,you are the one spreading misinformation about Thailand,not me!

To get back on topic. 1. Anyone can own a business in Thailand. 2. The treaty of Amity is still in effect which makes it even easier for Americans. 3. Anyone can buy cars or bikes or trucks or any other mode of conveyance. 4. William E. Heinecke, the American who built a Thai business empire. 5. Anyone can open a bank account.

No they can't,there's at least 2 people on tis thread that disagree with you,you are the one spreading misinformation about Thailand,not me!

Nonsense. No there aren't. You have never been in Thailand. Why would you come on the largest Thailand posting forum and try and lie to experts?

Edited November 22, 2012 by chiangmaikelly

[farang000999]

Firstly, Thailand is for Thais. It is not the aim of the Thai gov to facilitate the take over of assets or business opportunities by foreigners. If you haven't already grasped that concept you really do have a great deal to learn.

Foreigners are, in my experience, made more than welcome in Thailand, especially if they spend their money here. Contrary to popular belief by many expats, Thailand doesn't actually need your presence for the country to prosper.

Anyone can buy land in the US and many other countries.

Anyone can own a company in the US and many other countries.

Working legally is the only thing where Thailand is on par with most countries I know - it is difficult to obtain a work visa almost anywhere.

Thailand is definitely over protective of it's citizens, IMO the main reason is that they cannot compete with foreigners on many levels.

However the ASEAN treaty in 2015 will mean they will have to compete with Filipinos, Malaysians and even Burmese with much better English skills, and probably better work ethics.

Protectionism can only work to a certain extent... we live in a global society / economy.

Protectionism works very well for what it tries to do.

Here is the hint: protectionism is not about the benefit of many, just the few.

[farang000999]

why is CMK so obsessed with this conspiracy that nobody on Thai Visa besides himself has actually been to Thailand?

[chiangmaikelly]

why is CMK so obsessed with this conspiracy that nobody on Thai Visa besides himself has actually been to Thailand?

Why would you say that? The only person I disagree with is the man who says you can't open a bank account without a work permit.

[simple1]

OP: Stop playing silly games. There are thousands of retirees or people married to Thais who have an O Visa and need to deposit funds into a Thai bank to obtain their one year extension, as I have done. It does not require a Work Permit to open an account. Also you can obtain a Credit Card from a Thai bank without needing a B Visa with a Work Permit. So let's move along with your alleged issue of setting up a business in Thailand.

Edited November 22, 2012 by simple1

[jingjoe8]

walk into any kasikornbank with proof of thai address(can be guesthouse) and passport( I have education visa) can open bank account,i have 2 accounts over the last 3 years plus term deposit accounts,also own a pick up truck i don't have work permit.

word of advice for new expats,stay at a guesthouse for a few weeks and ask long term expats how things work over here..or read info on forums like this one,saves making lots of mistakes

[The Pundit]

why is CMK so obsessed with this conspiracy that nobody on Thai Visa besides himself has actually been to Thailand?

Maybe just no-one from Farang land will talk to him,so he's convinced himself that's the case!

I've never been to Thailand,yet I'm sat in my house in Bangkok posting this on my True Visions DOCSIS Ultra-High Speed Internet!

I've never been to Thailand but I used to live in Ployburin,Chang Klan,next to Chiang Mai Land.I wonder if he even knows where that is?

[The Pundit]

walk into any kasikornbank with proof of thai address(can be guesthouse) and passport( I have education visa) can open bank account,i have 2 accounts over the last 3 years plus term deposit accounts,also own a pick up truck i don't have work permit.

word of advice for new expats,stay at a guesthouse for a few weeks and ask long term expats how things work over here..or read info on forums like this one,saves making lots of mistakes

I think there's a lot of people missing the point here so let me say it again,the bank rules state that you CANNOT open a bank account in Thailand without a work permit!I'm saying the rules are prohibitive as relates to Thailand and doing business,sheesh!

[chiangmaikelly]

why is CMK so obsessed with this conspiracy that nobody on Thai Visa besides himself has actually been to Thailand?

Maybe just no-one from Farang land will talk to him,so he's convinced himself that's the case!

I've never been to Thailand,yet I'm sat in my house in Bangkok posting this on my True Visions DOCSIS Ultra-High Speed Internet!

I've never been to Thailand but I used to live in Ployburin,Chang Klan,next to Chiang Mai Land.I wonder if he even knows where that is?

What does this have to do with opening a bank account or starting a business in Thailand?

[cdnvic]

Please refrain from personal attacks, and stay on topic.

Thank you

[TommoPhysicist]

I think there's a lot of people missing the point here so let me say it again,the bank rules state that you CANNOT open a bank account in Thailand without a work permit!I'm saying the rules are prohibitive as relates to Thailand and doing business,sheesh!

Bank rules, well try TMB bank (Thai Military Bank) in particular.

If you follow this link to the TMB bank website, down the bottom you can click "documents required"

http://www.tmbbank.c.../savings-en.php

Which then says "A copy of a citizen ID card or an ID card with a photograph issued by a government agency."

Note: the website is in English, and is therefore directed at foreigners.

Seems they will accept a passport or Thai driving license or a Certificate of residence from Immigration.

In my case they were happy to accept my Thai driving license.

Or how about Bangkok Bank (also in English)

http://www.bangkokba...es/Default.aspx

They have an application form for a savings account titled "Savings account for foreign tourists"

Printed in English, they tried to get me to fill it in ...... but I wasn't a tourist and made them find the form for foreigners living in Thailand.

One wonders where you are getting your incorrect information from, or do you just believe the first thing the girl at the entrance to the bank says, because she can't be bothered to speak English to you.

(or doesn't like foreigners, or doesn't know the rules herself and is embarrassed to show ignorance in front of a foreigner or is having a bad day, etc., etc.)

Edited November 22, 2012 by TommoPhysicist

[endure]

"How do I apply?

You will need to bring:

Thai Citizens ID card or another photo ID card issued by the government.

Expatriates need their passport and work permit (if any). "

Taken directly from the Bangkok Bank website (my emphasis).

[kevvy]

non immigration "O" visa will get you a bank account krung sri (yellow bank)

[dave2]

re.

non immigration "O" visa will get you a bank account krung sri (yellow bank)

or putting 100 thousand baht and 5 other banks passbooks on the desk

will get you an account for sure : )

dave2

ps ... whats a work permit ? ... pic ... view of doi suthep this morning : )

pps ... doing the same in any bank here would probably get you a result

[impulse]

Getting back to the OP's original thoughts, (I think, sorry if I'm off track), there are hurdles to moving to Thailand, getting settled, setting up a business and so on.

I have found that's pretty much universal, and especially so in developing countries. The laws are not designed to let someone come in on a shoestring, set up and grow a micro business, and compete with the locals- without benefiting the country as much or more than you gain from the country.

They want established businesses that will come in, invest a ton of money, hire a bunch of locals, pay a bunch of taxes and probably grease a bunch of palms.

If you're worried about the difficulties of buying a car, opening a bank account, or hiring a set number of local people as a condition of getting permission to live and work here (or most countries), you're probably not their target demographic. Doesn't mean you're not a nice guy and model citizen, just that you aren't bringing in what they want- big $$$ investment, jobs, technology and distribution channels. The businesses they want to attract don't worry about such issues because those businesses can spend their way to solutions without breaking a sweat, or the piggybank.

It also doesn't mean you can't succeed in Thailand. I know several folks that have succeeded wildly on Thai business ventures. But they all seem to have come at it from a diagonal, and not addressed it as directly as they would have in, say, the USA, UK, Aus, etc. It takes some creativity to make sure you can keep what you've built when you are, by law, forced to have local partners that think differently than what you understand.

And I'd venture to guess- and it's just a guess- that for every success story, there are a dozen guys back home licking their wounds and rebuilding their financial lives. That was a pretty good summary of the guys I knew in China in the 10 years before I came to Thailand.

Or you can do what most of the folks posting here did- marry a Thai lady, put it all in her name and hope... Then rag on the nubes that don't know their way around all the rules.

Edited November 22, 2012 by impulse

[TommoPhysicist]

Once I walked into SCB with 500k in a paper bag.

I not only got a bank account, but the rather cute girl 'helping customers' wanted me to have her phone number.

Edited November 22, 2012 by TommoPhysicist

[impulse]

Once I walked into SCB with 500k in a paper bag.

I not only got a bank account, but the rather cute girl 'helping customers' wanted me to have her phone number.

Who got to keep most of the money?