Burmese In Phuket

[IrishIvan]

Anyone else noticed the amount of Burmese that are working in the service industry? I am sitting at Nakitas now and according to my TGF 2 of the staff here are from Burma. I have also had this pointed out by the TGF at many other restaurant's around Phuket. Even my local has 3 new Burmese staff. The Boss reckons they speak better English than most Thais and their mental arithmetic is a lot better too. Also he only pays them 150 baht a day. I have noticed their work ethic is also very good. Its also been pointed out to me on many occasions that some of the fellas in Phuket have partners that are actually from Laos and Cambodia. My question is, whats the deal here? Are they allowed to work here or what? My TGF could do with a few more staff in her business. And she cant find any Thais to do the job

[Jimi007]

LOL! Are you new to these parts? It's been going on for several years. And yes the Burmese actually know how to build things and actually want to work, unlike the Thais that think because they were born here they can sit on their ass and collect a 1,000 baht for driving someone somewhere because the tourist has no other choice...

[IrishIvan]

LOL! Are you new to these parts? It's been going on for several years. And yes the Burmese actually know how to build things and actually want to work, unlike the Thais that think because they were born here they can sit on their ass and collect a 1,000 baht for driving someone somewhere because the tourist has no other choice...

service industry. I meant waiting on tables. I thought it was a job reserved for Thais. Blind freddy could tell you they work in construction.

[Jimi007]

LOL! Are you new to these parts? It's been going on for several years. And yes the Burmese actually know how to build things and actually want to work, unlike the Thais that think because they were born here they can sit on their ass and collect a 1,000 baht for driving someone somewhere because the tourist has no other choice...

service industry. I meant waiting on tables. I thought it was a job reserved for Thais. Blind freddy could tell you they work in construction.

Ah sorry, I guess you don't get out much? I was at Kata Beach, at the southern end, and the beach boy collecting money was Burmese two years ago. And the rest of my prior post still stands. The locals think they are privileged, which they are, if they came from a local family with land...

[phuketsub]

The numbers continue to grow. Next to the new wet market on Ranong is a rather upscale convenience store called City Mart, that has a huge array of products from Burma. I went to buy a beer there, a can of Leo, and it said 'imported' and didn't have a word of Thai on the can. Turns out is was only 29 baht per can, five baht cheaper than the 'domestic' version. Gotta give the Burmese credit in this regard: at least they aren't raising the bar price-wise for the rest of us migrant residents.

[IrishIvan]

LOL! Are you new to these parts? It's been going on for several years. And yes the Burmese actually know how to build things and actually want to work, unlike the Thais that think because they were born here they can sit on their ass and collect a 1,000 baht for driving someone somewhere because the tourist has no other choice...

service industry. I meant waiting on tables. I thought it was a job reserved for Thais. Blind freddy could tell you they work in construction.

Ah sorry, I guess you don't get out much? I was at Kata Beach, at the southern end, and the beach boy collecting money was Burmese two years ago. And the rest of my prior post still stands. The locals think they are privileged, which they are, if they came from a local family with land...

beach boy = service industry. I get out just barely enough to distinguish a construction worker that has nothing to do with tourists, from a beach boy collecting money from tourists. You still kicking back with the beach boys and giving them cash after all your years in Thailand? Edited February 20, 2013 by IrishIvan

[bearpolar]

We've had Burmese workers. Always hard working,happy and dirt cheap. Thais were the complete opposite. Hire t hem and have to fire them a day later or they disappear before we get to do it.

[IrishIvan]

There are a lot of Burmese working in supacheap also

[hansgruber]

They will rob you in a heartbeat and jump back over the border.

[IrishIvan]

They will rob you in a heartbeat and jump back over the border.

the Thais say the same. I personally think that it's not true. TGF reports Filipinos are the most dishonest she has worked with, closely followed by Vietnamese.

[Jimi007]

LOL! Are you new to these parts? It's been going on for several years. And yes the Burmese actually know how to build things and actually want to work, unlike the Thais that think because they were born here they can sit on their ass and collect a 1,000 baht for driving someone somewhere because the tourist has no other choice...

service industry. I meant waiting on tables. I thought it was a job reserved for Thais. Blind freddy could tell you they work in construction.

Ah sorry, I guess you don't get out much? I was at Kata Beach, at the southern end, and the beach boy collecting money was Burmese two years ago. And the rest of my prior post still stands. The locals think they are privileged, which they are, if they came from a local family with land...

beach boy = service industry. I get out just barely enough to distinguish a construction worker that has nothing to do with tourists, from a beach boy collecting money from tourists. You still kicking back with the beach boys and giving them cash after all your years in Thailand?

A friend that has been coming to Thailand and Phuket for over 30 years likes a specific area of Kata Beach and rents a chair there. I go and hang with him when he's here. He speaks fluent Thai, but not Burmese, that's why I knew things were changing in the "service" industry...

[petercallen]

They will rob you in a heartbeat and jump back over the border.

the Thais say the same. I personally think that it's not true. TGF reports Filipinos are the most dishonest she has worked with, closely followed by Vietnamese.

Farangs are the most dishonest followed by all other nationalities

[angiud]

C'mon, don't start to talk by cliche'. Dishonest and honest people are not defined by their passport.

And underpay somebody just because Burmese is not fair too.

[phuketrichard]

Kamala has a few Burmese work camps.

expect the shrimp an construction business in Thailand to die once all the Burmese return back home to work there and not be looked down on by the Thai's

Then u will start to see an influx of Laotians and Cambodians

[MissChris]

When I stayed in Karon 4 years ago the hotel manager was Burmese. Brilliant service too. I've also come across a Burmese waiter in Chalong a couple of years ago.

I have observed, watching over the back fence, over a couple of weeks, the appalling conditions under which Burmese construction workers slave away. Some really dumb stuff, too, like painstakingly picking up construction rubble which could have been dealt with much more intelligently. Then there was the painter, on top of the 4 storey bamboo scaffolding, standing on his tippy toes to reach where he needed to paint. Nothing to stop him falling. Disgraceful.

I found it sad that they never looked up. Probably used to people scowling at them. I just wanted to wave & say hello. My Thai daughter in law is frightened of them.

BTW OP I'm seriously jealous that you're sitting in Nakitas & I'm stuck in Australia, in flooding rain, awaiting my next visit. Soon

[eezergood]

They will rob you in a heartbeat and jump back over the border.

That made me chuckle! what nationality are you?

[mikebike]

Thailand is no different than anywhere else in the world. Immigrant labour works harder and cheaper in every country. The immigrants are trying to achieve something. Locals feel entitled, end of.

[stevenl]

Look at other places, was recently on Phi Phi and Koh Tao, where you won't find a single Thai in the service industry. In bars, restaurants, everywhere really, mainly Burmese and plenty of westerners as well. So far Phuket has been the exception here.

[lavender19]

I have just posted in another thread basically how hard it is to find even semi good thai staff.They must be one of the laziest races I have encountered.

All they are good for is picking their spots and noses, talking on the phone and lying on their backs.Give me Burmese worker any day.Nothing to do with paying them less I would gladly pay them more.And don't get me started on the way Thai's treat them.

[SeaVisionBurma]

They will rob you in a heartbeat and jump back over the border.

Nonsense. Complete wind up.

[bearpolar]

I have just posted in another thread basically how hard it is to find even semi good thai staff.They must be one of the laziest races I have encountered.

All they are good for is picking their spots and noses, talking on the phone and lying on their backs.Give me Burmese worker any day.Nothing to do with paying them less I would gladly pay them more.And don't get me started on the way Thai's treat them.

As someone who's in a country that has a lot of Haitian labors i find that thais are 300x more hardworking than them. Yet i have not been able to keep a thai for more than a week at my business (and as i previously said, ive kept a lot of burmese and never had to fire one).

Tells you a lot about the average Haitian. And before a modo goes nuts. This isnt racism this is a socioeconomic observation.

[harleyclarkey]

They will rob you in a heartbeat and jump back over the border.

Your post is totally unfair.

We just spent 3 weeks in Burma and even though every single tourist has a huge wad of cash in brand new dollar bills on them, I didn't hear of a single episode of robbery.

Edited February 24, 2013 by harleyclarkey

[Valentine]

The legal Burmese workers are entitled to the minimum wage & so normally the Thais will want much more for the same job even they are generally not that good at it.

[chozz]

Lots of Burmese working in all the bars and restaurants from Nai Yang right down the west coast of Phuket. They are always good fun, friendly and hard working. They are very respectful like many Thai people, but I do find it disturbing how the locals tend to look down at them. Why? Because their skin is darker? Because they come from a lower social class? What a load of bullsh*t. In a few years time, Burma will be opened up to tourism like many other countries in SE Asia and hopefully these guys will be able to find work in their own country without having to tolerate this attitude from (most) Thai people.

[petercallen]

Thais working in Langkawi are paid less (8K baht a month) than Malaysians and looked down on by Malaysians

Its common for citizens of a lot of countries to look down on imported labour even though they generally do the jobs they do not want to do

[LivinginKata]

A post very offensive to Thai people and without any proof or documentation has been removed. The poster may PM me or Support with the evidence of his/her statement.

[eezergood]

Had a Burmese cleaner in Bangkok & she was brilliant

[mikebike]

I do find it disturbing how the locals tend to look down at them. Why?

Because historically Burma and Siam were at war for hundreds of years?