Officials To Inspect Business Licenses Of All Foreigner Owned Tourism Businesses In Phuket

[NamKangMan]

If you work in Thailand, you can't take a Thai's job and you need a work permit. That rule should be enforced. All the rest of this bitter talk is irrelevant.

Let's see the work permits. No work permit, goodbye.

I agree. The same rules apply in our own countries. Would be great if the crack down was applied as effectively to the jet ski operators, tuk tuk drivers, time share scams etc.

The problem is, in this case, the Thai's simply can't do the job. They do not speak, read or write Russian.

Thailand wants thousands of Russian tourist, spending millions and millions of baht, but they do not want to allow a few of them a job as a tour guide or interpreter, based solely on their skills to speak this very difficult language.

Thailand needs to make a few concessions in this regard, or lose the Russian market.

A Russian interpreter is not taking a job off a Thai because a Thai could not do that job in the first place. It's an extra position to cater for the Russian tourist.

Now, thanks to the tuk-tuk drivers closing down this business, they have actually put more Thai's out of work than Russians.

[saroq]

Time for us "Farlangs" so say goodbye to Thailand and head for greener pastures.

Huh? Exactly why do I need leave TH?

Pease provide us with a list of your top five spots you are suggesting. Please bear in mind:

1. How delightful are the local people?

2. How reasonable is the place to live?

3. How food is the local cuisine?

4. What about the local women? Are they attractive? Open to relationships with foreigners?

It is fine to say you want to leave, but where to?

As for your last reason (women). All than well if you are a sex tourist or prefer the seedier side of Thailand but any decent Thai women wouldn't want want a bar of a farang guy.

What planet are you living on? Edited February 1, 2013 by saroq

[saroq]

I dont even know where to begin, if Thai people had respect for themselves (and others) they would distance themselves from this scum... but their ridiculous and unfounded pride in being Thai gets in the way of doing anything about the real problems...

Its easy to loose faith in this country, however they have been doing what they are doing for centuries, and apparently they are doing pretty well...

Mai Pen Rai - Thailand's biggest problem and the reason that nothing changes.

[Appert]

I think that we are forgetting the core problem that is causing most of the problems in Thailand. Straight up discrimination/protectionism. The Thais, and their government want to reap all the profits, but they aren't willing to carry the burdens and responsibilities that come with them. The fact that insane 'taxes' and fees are being charged for foreigners while their own citizens hardly pay taxes. The fact that scams and violence against foreigners is socially acceptable or not seriously taken care off. A lot of laws aren't seriously being enforced while fees and laws that generate money from expats and foreign tourist are strictly being enforced. Its a shame because this country has the potential to be a heaven on earth if they would be consequent in their morals...fun part is, when Thais go to the Western countries, they suddenly know to tell what their rights are and that they have equal rights as any other person in for exmple the USA or The Netherlands, while the same person would probably tell you that you are just a farang in Thailand and you have to do whatever they say you have to do in THEIR country.

Correct me if I'm wrong but this is how I think and feel about the matter.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Beetlejuice]

I think that we are forgetting the core problem that is causing most of the problems in Thailand. Straight up discrimination/protectionism. The Thais, and their government want to reap all the profits, but they aren't willing to carry the burdens and responsibilities that come with them. The fact that insane 'taxes' and fees are being charged for foreigners while their own citizens hardly pay taxes. The fact that scams and violence against foreigners is socially acceptable or not seriously taken care off. A lot of laws aren't seriously being enforced while fees and laws that generate money from expats and foreign tourist are strictly being enforced. Its a shame because this country has the potential to be a heaven on earth if they would be consequent in their morals...fun part is, when Thais go to the Western countries, they suddenly know to tell what their rights are and that they have equal rights as any other person in for exmple the USA or The Netherlands, while the same person would probably tell you that you are just a farang in Thailand and you have to do whatever they say you have to do in THEIR country.

Correct me if I'm wrong but this is how I think and feel about the matter.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

You are absolutely right and spot on.

These are the points I have been trying to get across since the start of this thread.

This is why I keep repeating; please consider carefully before moving here.

We as Westerners are only welcome here, not for our charm and good looks, but only for how much financial benefits we can apply to the country. Now does everyone get it?

I fully understand the situation and prefer to just follow the flow by abiding by the laws and meeting the requirements of the Immigration department, to be non-descript and not become involved. The rest I just accept and let wash over my head and I`m perfectly happy with that and can live in peace stress free here.

Those who come here expecting the Thai system to fall into their scheme of things are going to be disappointed.

[Banzai99]

This is Thailand the Thais don't want a level playing field They know they cannot compete

But the wonderful thing is, you have a choice, I suggest you vote with your feet, leave Thailand immediately, and go to .................................. .?

Nope, I can't think of a better place either, so I guess I'll put up with it.

[ALFREDO]

Time for us "Farlangs" so say goodbye to Thailand and head for greener pastures.

Good luck with finding another country where you can get a decent ride, fresh curry and a beer for under 20 quid.

Easy and beer 1 Dollar! Sometime cheaper! Brewery just outside town-Sihanoukville.

I do not need all the sophistication they have in TH, I felt very well 1990 in Patong to.

No Central Festivals, no Big Cs, Lotuses, Mc D. Kfc ect. and many unpaved roads or in bad condition,

Patong - Kamala was already an adventure over the saddle of the mountain on a washed-out road with a 125 cc under powered 2 stroke with drum brakes.

I prefer Cambodia- Sihanoukville since long and more and more!

The traffic on Phuket is terrible heavy-much-intense!

[animatic]

One thing they don't grasp is that farang owned business, do not send the money out of Thailand, and usually bring money in, even if some of it is generated here. Regardless it is almost 100 % SPENT in Thailand.

The whinging comes from those who can't deliver,

but demand 'their share' for the shoddy product

they do try and foist on the unsuspecting.

If they had what people wanted, at a competitive price,

they would get the business without underhanded tactics.

The problem is how tightly or relaxed any definition of work is in Thailand. Basically, anything can be turned around and be claimed to not be related to work. Technically, doing anything outside your precise work address can break your work permit regulations. And as for volunteer work being classed as illegal, this in and of itself absolutely shoots the country in its own foot when there are probably many hundreds of qualified retired teachers who could teach junior school English, and would be happy to do so, but are not attracted to do so.

Does me, travelling by taxi taking some friends on a site seeing tour of Bangkok constitute being a tour guide. Technically, it probably does.

Are they going to pay you? If not, technically you are a volunteer.

Yes, but you are taking "WORK" from a Thai so this is unpaid work in their eyes,

and so they would go after you. The same way they go after blues jammers in clubs for

'taking audience from a Thai band'. It is quite ridiculous on the whole.

I do a number of different things and must do them anywhere in Thailand,

and ALL the stuff I do is written into my work permit, it is a paragraph,

and though the taxable base is at home province the job location is anywhere in Thailand.

And the govt. signed off on it.

After a friend was hassled by a former employee gone to another company for stepping out of his office and feeling some dirt between his fingers I redid my permit so no dirty tricks can be pulled, by the stupid, agressive or jealous.

[ALFREDO]

in the case of Langkawi, better foreign ownership of land and in the case of Cambodia, for a $25US business visa, you can work. That's right, you can serve a beer in your own bar.

I like these two places also and for Langkawi, as far as I know, they have a program, "Your second home" You have to invest in house, Appartement ect money (not to much necessary) and can than Import -a car free, without customs- with the right car, I think you have to keep a year at least in your name-, you can make, some Millions of Baht.

Cambodia, I hear, you need now a work permit to, but that is only a formality,sign and pay and costs about 300 Dollar for a year.

[ALFREDO]

I have left Thailand after years there, so tired of the constant sticky little fingers in your pocket, and the list of wrongs perpetrated daily against Falangs is never ending, the lost deposits on rental properties & hire cars, bikes etc.

Let alone the violence, the pain re Visa`s and reporting, the need to have any property in a locals name by 51% to facilitate easy transfer of assets etc etc. The issues with banks and credit cards, the list is endless.

So in response to your request to identify a better location; I have relocated to Cambodia for 6 months now, some insights as to why I prefer it here;

No Visa issues, pay for a 6 or 12 month Visa endlessly extendible at any travel agent or hotel or rental condo.

You can be in business legally, you can buy property - with caveats, but easily do-able, the people in large are more friendly than in the major hubs of corrupt sleaze as Phuket & Pattaya, and now that disease has taken hold in the tourist areas of Chiang Mai also strongly.

Cambodia, which is also rated as the 11 th fastest growing economy, or thereabouts - creating many opportunities

The Farang food is way better here if you like that, see here - http://www.khmer440....dy-bars/ - so in relation to the 20 quid query, a first class Tournedos with wine x 2 at $1 per glass, albeit small, transport to & from all for about $12.00 & real American BBQ places, NZ Venison, the best Sous Vide cooked burgers at $5 etc etc

You can get real French style Baguettes - not sugar bread, a small thing - but a very pleasant change, the Tuk Tuks are Farang sized & cost way less than in Thailand, they have Casinos if interested etc etc

The chance of me going back to live in Thailand is about the same as fair trade to take wings in Phuket !

I can only say, YES, that is how I feel to.

I know TH special Phuket since 1990, lived there for years in the late 90is and early new millennium, but disliked it in the last years.

Live now with family-children in Isaan, but for a trip to the sea and some new adventure with the other gender,

I prefer the (still-how long?) laid back feeling of Cambodia, Sihanoukville and Phnom Penh!

Lived there for many month on different trips during the last couple of years.

[spidermike007]

Attention to all interested in options and specifically to; spidermike007 & BTM & Skorz re their queries raised as copied below.

Time for us "Falangs" so say goodbye to Thailand and head for greener pastures.

and that is where?

Good luck with finding another country where you can get a decent ride, fresh curry and a beer for under 20 quid.

Please provide us with a list of your top five spots you are suggesting. Please bear in mind:

1. How delightful are the local people?

2. How reasonable is the place to live?

3. How food is the local cuisine?

4. What about the local women? Are they attractive? Open to relationships with foreigners?

It is fine to say you want to leave, but where to?

As I said earlier, Good luck with finding another country where you can get a decent ride, fresh curry and a beer for under 20 quid.

I have left Thailand after years there, so tired of the constant sticky little fingers in your pocket, and the list of wrongs perpetrated daily against Falangs is never ending, the lost deposits on rental properties & hire cars, bikes etc.

Let alone the violence, the pain re Visa`s and reporting, the need to have any property in a locals name by 51% to facilitate easy transfer of assets etc etc. The issues with banks and credit cards, the list is endless.

So in response to your request to identify a better location; I have relocated to Cambodia for 6 months now, some insights as to why I prefer it here;

No Visa issues, pay for a 6 or 12 month Visa endlessly extendible at any travel agent or hotel or rental condo.

You can be in business legally, you can buy property - with caveats, but easily do-able, the people in large are more friendly than in the major hubs of corrupt sleaze as Phuket & Pattaya, and now that disease has taken hold in the tourist areas of Chiang Mai also strongly.

It seems many Farang are able to convince them selves all is well in Thailand, as long as it is not them personally involved in a newsworthy spot of trouble, how short sighted, I decided not to stay & continue to give money to those who make no attempt to even appear as if they like or respect you for any reason other than your money - get some self respect and look elsewhere, or when your time comes to be in the cross hairs - dont complain.

Do not mistake this as all is bad in Thailand, I did have very warm contact with Thai people in a more local environment, it is the so called Hi So and tourism operators who soon see the advantage to be had by blatantly robbing tourists & falang residents there is no stopping them, and we have no rights unless you either can afford to or wish to be the highest bidder on the outcome of your life`s issue at stake to the BIB.

The sale of rose coloured glasses has been very successful in Thailand, why do so many like to live as an Ostrich, very sandy down there !

So apart from here in Cambodia, which is also rated as the 11 th fastest growing economy, or thereabouts - creating many opportunities then there is also parts of the Philippines, Laos and Vietnam as mentioned in another post.

The Farang food is way better here if you like that, see here - http://www.khmer440.com/k/2013/01/le-bistrot-a-rough-diamond-hidden-among-lady-bars/ - so in relation to the 20 quid query, a first class Tournedos with wine x 2 at $1 per glass, albeit small, transport to & from all for about $12.00 & real American BBQ places, NZ Venison, the best Sous Vide cooked burgers at $5 etc etc

You can get real French style Baguettes - not sugar bread, a small thing - but a very pleasant change, the Tuk Tuks are Farang sized & cost way less than in Thailand, they have Casinos if interested etc etc

The chance of me going back to live in Thailand is about the same as fair trade to take wings in Phuket !

Fascinating thread. Thanks for that. Yes, Thailand requires a lot of stamina and patience. Most thai people really do not have a clue. I have been to Cambodia, and liked it. I despise the government, and Hun Sen is one of the worlds greatest pigs, but the people are nice. Did not like the local food nearly as much, but it is quite easy to beat the thai baked goods. Why can't the thai people figure out how to bake? One of my conclusions is that it is an enormous handicap for a country in asia to not have been occupied. Perhaps one of the greatest problems with Thailand is that they we never occupied by a Western country?

[espinoza]

UPDATE

Crackdown begins on illegal foreigners in Phuket

Tanyaluk Sakoot

Maj Gen Choti Chavalviwat, Commander of Phuket Provincial Police.

PHUKET: -- Twelve foreigners, including people from Australia, Finland, Indonesia, Myammar, and the UK, were arrested yesterday (January 31) for working illegally in the island’s tourism industry, police said.

Their arrests came as Maj Gen Choti Chavalviwat, Commander of Phuket Provincial Police, announced an investigation into tour agencies, massage parlous and restaurants, as well as other businesses which are foreign owned or employ many foreign staff. This was prompted by a protest on Monday in Bang Tao by Thai businesspeople, who said illegal foreign businesses were undercutting the market.

The Department of Labour, in conjunction with Phuket Immigration and the Phuket Police, started checking companies yesterday (January 31) based on random checks or tip-offs from the public.

The main focus will be on businesses that are foreign owned or operated, but Thai businesses that employ large numbers of foreigners will also be checked.

Beginning the crackdown, 12 foreigners were arrested yesterday for either not having a work permit, or doing a different job to what their work permit states.

Many were working in the tour industry as tour guides, taxi drivers or masseurs, police said. Their cases have been referred to the Phuket Provincial Court.

“I understand that foreigners want to work in Phuket, but they have to work correctly,” Maj Gen Choti told The Phuket News.

Mr Choti said the officials were also checking Thai shareholders in foreign-run companies. Thai people listed as shareholders might need to show they genuinely had enough money to have been able to have invested in the company.

“The Bang Tao mob were very angry, and it is their right to be angry,” Maj Gen Choti said.

“Russians coming to travel is fine, but if they take Thai people’s careers and livelihoods by working illegally, that is not fair to the Thai people.

“Foreigners who live and work here have to show us their work permit if we do a check. If they have the correct permit, it is not a problem.”

Source: http://www.thephuket...huket-36754.php

-- The Phuket News 2013-02-01

Here it goes again. A Thai cop have done his job, and the news has to report it. The Thai news reports everytime a cop does his job.

[spidermike007]

If you work in Thailand, you can't take a Thai's job and you need a work permit. That rule should be enforced. All the rest of this bitter talk is irrelevant.

Let's see the work permits. No work permit, goodbye.

I agree. The same rules apply in our own countries. Would be great if the crack down was applied as effectively to the jet ski operators, tuk tuk drivers, time share scams etc.

The problem is, in this case, the Thai's simply can't do the job. They do not speak, read or write Russian.

Thailand wants thousands of Russian tourist, spending millions and millions of baht, but they do not want to allow a few of them a job as a tour guide or interpreter, based solely on their skills to speak this very difficult language.

Thailand needs to make a few concessions in this regard, or lose the Russian market.

A Russian interpreter is not taking a job off a Thai because a Thai could not do that job in the first place. It's an extra position to cater for the Russian tourist.

Now, thanks to the tuk-tuk drivers closing down this business, they have actually put more Thai's out of work than Russians.

Great point. It does not take a scientist to figure out these facts. Unfortunately, there are a tremendous number of people in this land who lack the intellectual resources to figure out this kind of stuff. I is pretty basic. But, the tendency toward knee jerk nationalism really keeps the Thais from progressing, and evolving. Time will reveal this crisis more and more.

[Locationthailand]

Raids on foreigners compared to the hundreds of illegal activities of the Thai's? Storm in a tea cup. Only those who get caught are made an example of. You can still do business here legally and beat the thai's at their own games. It's not that hard.

[ALFREDO]

Good luck with finding another country where you can get a decent ride, fresh curry and a beer for under 20 quid.

India is a big place.

That is true, but that is all, big and crowded.

[spidermike007]

Huh? Exactly why do I need leave TH?

Pease provide us with a list of your top five spots you are suggesting. Please bear in mind:

1. How delightful are the local people?

2. How reasonable is the place to live?

3. How food is the local cuisine?

4. What about the local women? Are they attractive? Open to relationships with foreigners?

It is fine to say you want to leave, but where to?

"As for your last reason (women). All than well if you are a sex tourist or prefer the seedier side of Thailand but any decent Thai women wouldn't want want a bar of a farang guy."

"That is such an insulting statement that i am thoroughly surprised that any mod would allow it to be posted. It is really inflammatory especially to many TV members here who are happily married to Thai ladies. My own lady has two uni degrees,has her own business, comes from a respectable middle class family in the south and they treat me with respect. Not all thai wives have had this privilege in their lives, but there many of them who are good hard working loving family wives. You really need to apoligise to these ladies. I am frankly 'pissed off' with your ignorant statement, and am sure that there will be many others in TV who would feel the same as i do."

The allegedly insulting stuff is not even applicable to you and your situation so why get so bent out of shape over it? The fact is a high % of expats do indeed participate in the seedy stuff and so what if they are involved with women of the sex industry? They worked hard all their lives and choose to enjoy whatever. It is not exactly abnormal when a male with pulse, blood pressure and testosterone finds solace at girly venues.

Point in fact; the owner of a famous upscale rachada road massage/happy ending establishment first letter begins with "P" was that of a hi so well educated family that had a high level government position.

The poster in no way targeted you or your wife/family.

IMO what I'd say is more damaging is how Thai's equate skin color so highly with social class and assume if a westerner is with a non light skin girl she is a sex worker, or if with a white skin girl, assume the westerner must be paying a lot for her.

Water off a ducks back. It is pretty obvious that this poster has an IQ approximating that of the temperature in Fahrenheit of a country home in France in the wintertime. We must ignore such nonsense, as if it never appeared. H is betraying his lack of knowledge and experience on the subject.

[Seismic]

If you work in Thailand, you can't take a Thai's job and you need a work permit. That rule should be enforced. All the rest of this bitter talk is irrelevant.

Let's see the work permits. No work permit, goodbye.

Why not ??, There are large numbers of Thai's working in other countries and taking the jobs of local people there. It would be better if Thailand gave a little reciprocity instead of the blatant rascism that prevails.

[bearpolar]

If you work in Thailand, you can't take a Thai's job and you need a work permit. That rule should be enforced. All the rest of this bitter talk is irrelevant.

Let's see the work permits. No work permit, goodbye.

Why not ??, There are large numbers of Thai's working in other countries and taking the jobs of local people there. It would be better if Thailand gave a little reciprocity instead of the blatant rascism that prevails.

Dunno about you but the few thais that make it to my country are either washing dishes at a thai restaurant for 8$/hr or cutting up fish orders for 10$/hr covered in guts all day.

[maoro]

Interesting that it is suggested that there may be a check on whether a Thai shareholder had the money to buy the shares. Total nonsense. If they are a shareholder and did not have the money then they have been given the share for free or little.

[saroq]

If you work in Thailand, you can't take a Thai's job and you need a work permit. That rule should be enforced. All the rest of this bitter talk is irrelevant.

Let's see the work permits. No work permit, goodbye.

Why not ??, There are large numbers of Thai's working in other countries and taking the jobs of local people there. It would be better if Thailand gave a little reciprocity instead of the blatant rascism that prevails.

Dunno about you but the few thais that make it to my country are either washing dishes at a thai restaurant for 8$/hr or cutting up fish orders for 10$/hr covered in guts all day.

And they have work permits.

[bearpolar]

no they dont have work permits. Who would want to move away for a 8$ hr job - 35% income tax? better off making 300b/day in thailand. Always under the table for thais

[oldsailor35]

Time for us "Farlangs" so say goodbye to Thailand and head for greener pastures.

Huh? Exactly why do I need leave TH?

Pease provide us with a list of your top five spots you are suggesting. Please bear in mind:

1. How delightful are the local people?

2. How reasonable is the place to live?

3. How food is the local cuisine?

4. What about the local women? Are they attractive? Open to relationships with foreigners?

It is fine to say you want to leave, but where to?

As for your last reason (women). All than well if you are a sex tourist or prefer the seedier side of Thailand but any decent Thai women wouldn't want want a bar of a farang guy.

Another point i need to make mylk. Its painfully obvious that you are just another sex tourist, mixing only with the type who will change partners multiple times in a week, always searching for the "walking ATM"and that you have been used many times.

I do not feel sorry for you, but sad that you think that all Thai ladies are the same. To quote the sayings of a now long dead Queenslander.............."Fly with the crows and you get shot with the crows" or "Sleep with the dogs and you wake up with fleas"

You are such a sad, sorry person with so much to learn in life. Anyhow ......good luck !

[NamKangMan]

Attention to all interested in options and specifically to; spidermike007 & BTM & Skorz re their queries raised as copied below.

Time for us "Falangs" so say goodbye to Thailand and head for greener pastures.

and that is where?

Good luck with finding another country where you can get a decent ride, fresh curry and a beer for under 20 quid.

Please provide us with a list of your top five spots you are suggesting. Please bear in mind:

1. How delightful are the local people?

2. How reasonable is the place to live?

3. How food is the local cuisine?

4. What about the local women? Are they attractive? Open to relationships with foreigners?

It is fine to say you want to leave, but where to?

As I said earlier, Good luck with finding another country where you can get a decent ride, fresh curry and a beer for under 20 quid.

I have left Thailand after years there, so tired of the constant sticky little fingers in your pocket, and the list of wrongs perpetrated daily against Falangs is never ending, the lost deposits on rental properties & hire cars, bikes etc.

Let alone the violence, the pain re Visa`s and reporting, the need to have any property in a locals name by 51% to facilitate easy transfer of assets etc etc. The issues with banks and credit cards, the list is endless.

So in response to your request to identify a better location; I have relocated to Cambodia for 6 months now, some insights as to why I prefer it here;

No Visa issues, pay for a 6 or 12 month Visa endlessly extendible at any travel agent or hotel or rental condo.

You can be in business legally, you can buy property - with caveats, but easily do-able, the people in large are more friendly than in the major hubs of corrupt sleaze as Phuket & Pattaya, and now that disease has taken hold in the tourist areas of Chiang Mai also strongly.

It seems many Farang are able to convince them selves all is well in Thailand, as long as it is not them personally involved in a newsworthy spot of trouble, how short sighted, I decided not to stay & continue to give money to those who make no attempt to even appear as if they like or respect you for any reason other than your money - get some self respect and look elsewhere, or when your time comes to be in the cross hairs - dont complain.

Do not mistake this as all is bad in Thailand, I did have very warm contact with Thai people in a more local environment, it is the so called Hi So and tourism operators who soon see the advantage to be had by blatantly robbing tourists & falang residents there is no stopping them, and we have no rights unless you either can afford to or wish to be the highest bidder on the outcome of your life`s issue at stake to the BIB.

The sale of rose coloured glasses has been very successful in Thailand, why do so many like to live as an Ostrich, very sandy down there !

So apart from here in Cambodia, which is also rated as the 11 th fastest growing economy, or thereabouts - creating many opportunities then there is also parts of the Philippines, Laos and Vietnam as mentioned in another post.

The Farang food is way better here if you like that, see here - http://www.khmer440....dy-bars/ - so in relation to the 20 quid query, a first class Tournedos with wine x 2 at $1 per glass, albeit small, transport to & from all for about $12.00 & real American BBQ places, NZ Venison, the best Sous Vide cooked burgers at $5 etc etc

You can get real French style Baguettes - not sugar bread, a small thing - but a very pleasant change, the Tuk Tuks are Farang sized & cost way less than in Thailand, they have Casinos if interested etc etc

The chance of me going back to live in Thailand is about the same as fair trade to take wings in Phuket !

Fascinating thread. Thanks for that. Yes, Thailand requires a lot of stamina and patience. Most thai people really do not have a clue. I have been to Cambodia, and liked it. I despise the government, and Hun Sen is one of the worlds greatest pigs, but the people are nice. Did not like the local food nearly as much, but it is quite easy to beat the thai baked goods. Why can't the thai people figure out how to bake? One of my conclusions is that it is an enormous handicap for a country in asia to not have been occupied. Perhaps one of the greatest problems with Thailand is that they we never occupied by a Western country?

Pretty much, the first tourists, en-mass, to Thailand, were the American soldiers into Bangkok and Pattaya during the Vietnam War.

They came here and saw the sun, sea, sand, cheap beer and sex. many came back to Thailand after their tour of duty and told all their friends and family about Thailand. That basically kicked of tourism for Thailand.

By the 80's, Thailand was a global destination for a holiday and many expats started to retire here. It was at this stage I would say Thailand started to be occupied.

Most people think of occupation as an invasion by military forces. For Thailand, you can live here with a passport, and there are millions of foreigners doing so. 99% of them are with a Thai women. Many of them have children.

It's very hard to go ANYWHERE in Thailand without seeing other farang. Even up in the villages of Issan, you will see farang.

So, in my opinion, Thailand has been occupied, and will continue to be occupied.

Thailand missed a great opportunity during this occupation, and they continue to miss that opportunity to this very day. They have highly skilled and experienced expats living here, but they will not issue work permits to them so they can teach Thai's.

For example, why not issue 100 work permits for tiling. Tilers would come here, start a business, teach Thai's how to do tiling, properly, and then those Thai's go and start their own business and teach other Thai's how to lay tiles properly as well..

As the years pass, the issuing of work permits for farang tilers can be reduced until there are no work permits for farang tilers anymore and the occupation of tiler is now reserved for Thai's only.

This would have been a cheap way to train Thai's how to do tiling, properly. Instead, what Thailand done was ban ALL farang from tiling and we have terrible tiling to this very day. Showers in 5 star hotels in Thailand are only marginally better than a cheap guest house for tiling. They could have done this with electrician, plumbers, carpenters etc etc.

Anyway, the old saying, "They don't want us here, just our money" seems to have some truth, but if they would issue a work permit for retired expats to do a few days, work, here and there, not for the money, but more to keep active in retirement, the Thai's could gain a lot of knowledge from such individuals and it would benefit Thailand.

[Jayroo]

Leave Phuket to Russians and the Thai. All solved And we get to read great story's

you forgot to mention the low class Australians too.

[Jayroo]

If the licenses aren't correct, who issued them?

They're obviously fakes, as mentioned many times in this thread alone, you can get pretty much any document counterfeited here.

[Jayroo]

Its easy for you folks to talk the other side of medallion from far far away.

These russian companies only sell products / services to Russians. They are not competing with other companies, in fact they are working private for russian people only. You may see dead sea cosmetics sold to Thais and tourists by Russian ladies in Bangkok, but that is different.

They write only in russian to their shops, you have no idea what does it say. Maybe it is a private casino? Who knows? They sell properties, houses (no idea how? maybe leasehold?), condos all written in Russian, no english or Thai.

Think again like this: They came here, they use hospitality of Thailand, but would like to keep money off themselves by participating closed-circuit tourism. This type of tourism business is not acceptable at anywhere in the world.

I'd like to book a taxi from Karon to Kata Noi. I'm not willing to pay more than 1000 baht. What time can you swing by and pick me up?

1000 baht from Karon to Kata? <deleted>?

[Jayroo]

Apparently free enterprise competition=causing trouble, in Thailand.

ASEAN here we come!

It's the same the world over. In the UK, many want to get rid of immigrants that are legally working there. They think they take their jobs and want them gone. They don't believe in free enterprise. Many people just want to protect themselves. They don't agree with free enterprise at all. Even at a local level, they don't agree with a similar company opening in the same street, even if it's run by a UK citizen, as they say they were there first and no-one should be allowed to come ans steal their customers, or their job. This isn't a Thai problem; it happens all over the world. Just look at Greece - they beat foreigners up in the street because they don't want them there - even if they are tourists. Yes, Thailand has problems, but don't forget that many other countries have similar, or worse problems.

Then those miserable Brits should go and live in Cuba.

[finnomick1]

So as I see it, the taxi drivers are complaining about foreign tour operators who are moonlighting by driving taxi's and thereby stealing their jobs.....what a load of garbage

[RogueLeader]

British people are using fake concern about 'British culture' to implement moves intended to discourage an influx of people of working age in order to keep supply down in the labour market, thus keeping the cost of labour higher by avoiding compeition.

You can argue that this is a bad thing, or a good thing, but you can't deny that this is, in fact, what's happening.

British taxi drivers don't need police collusion to jeep prices high. Compared to Bangkok (and most Thai towns) their prices are very high indeed. That's mainly due to fuel and other costs, but you can only push pricing so far before people refuse to pay it.

Edited February 2, 2013 by LivinginKata
Flame removed

[animatic]

One thing they don't grasp is that farang owned business, do not send the money out of Thailand, and usually bring money in, even if some of it is generated here. Regardless it is almost 100 % SPENT in Thailand.

The whinging comes from those who can't deliver,

but demand 'their share' for the shoddy product

they do try and foist on the unsuspecting.

If they had what people wanted, at a competitive price,

they would get the business without underhanded tactics.

The problem is how tightly or relaxed any definition of work is in Thailand. Basically, anything can be turned around and be claimed to not be related to work. Technically, doing anything outside your precise work address can break your work permit regulations. And as for volunteer work being classed as illegal, this in and of itself absolutely shoots the country in its own foot when there are probably many hundreds of qualified retired teachers who could teach junior school English, and would be happy to do so, but are not attracted to do so.

Does me, travelling by taxi taking some friends on a site seeing tour of Bangkok constitute being a tour guide. Technically, it probably does.

Are they going to pay you? If not, technically you are a volunteer.

And even a volunteer need a permit...... read the rules.

Their argument is :

'We are Thai, of course above you because you are not Thai,

and should make money from ANYTHING we can do,

and you can't do it for free if we should be making money off of it,

other wise there would be no reason to allow you ting-tong farangs

into to thailand in the first place.'

Oh, and we may let you come do it, till we learn how to do it,

then we can rule that you can no longer do it, because we can do it.

Edited February 3, 2013 by animatic