Poll: Foreigners In Thailand: When You're Here, Do You Consider Yourself A "guest" Of Thailand?

[Jingthing]

I kept it simple this time.

If you don't like the poll structure, don't vote.

Comments about the use of the word GUEST to describe foreigners in Thailand invited:

Edited May 6, 2013 by Jingthing

[Thongkorn]

money number one, see if you are considerd a guest if you have no money

[mancub]

Voted "Yes" ,as I am constantly reminded that that is my only status here .

[Jingthing]

I don't like to use the word guest in this context.

This explains my personal reasons for that:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/636581-question-re-the-russian-invasion/?p=6375673

I don't think it is wrong though to use guest. Just not my style/cup of tea. In my view, people who use guest in this context are telling you something about their world view, and it's not a world view I relate to. Doesn't make it wrong though.

Edited May 6, 2013 by Jingthing

[GuestHouse]

No I do not consider myself a 'Guest'.

I pay more taxes here than almost any Thai I have ever met and obey more laws here than most Thais would consider 'decent'.

Take my money... Take my f'king opinions too.

[itchybum]

Nobody invited me.

The poll needs a 3rd choice.

[Jingthing]

Nobody invited me.

The poll needs a 3rd choice.

Read the OP. Cheers.

[Jingthing]

No I do not consider myself a 'Guest'.

I pay more taxes here than almost any Thai I have ever met and obey more laws here than most Thais would consider 'decent'.

Take my money... Take my f'king opinions too.

GuestHouse not a guest? Oh my!

[itchybum]

Nobody invited me.

The poll needs a 3rd choice.

Read the OP. Cheers.

I did.

I came up with the decision.

It needs more choice, it's irrelevant as it is.

[Jingthing]

Nobody invited me.

The poll needs a 3rd choice.

Read the OP. Cheers.

I did.

I came up with the decision.

It needs more choice, it's irrelevant as it is.

Great. Thanks for your comment. I would think most people with your POV would simply vote NO. But you're special. I get that!

[chrisinth]

Like GH, I also pay taxes and obey the laws of the country to the best of my ability (depending which laws are flavour of the month and I am aware of them.... ).

However, I don't have residency or citizenship (only non-immigrant visa and work permit). Therefore I am at the mercy of the powers that be as to the relevance of that non-immigrant visa (whether it is dependency or retirement) at any given moment in time.

So, in my case, I would consider myself a guest................

[itchybum]

Nobody invited me.

The poll needs a 3rd choice.

Read the OP. Cheers.

I did.

I came up with the decision.

It needs more choice, it's irrelevant as it is.

Great. Thanks for your comment. I would think most people with your POV would simply vote NO. But you're special. I get that!

Thanks for your understanding.

When are you going to change the poll?

[Theoutsider]

Outsider

[Theoutsider]

What do they think?

[Jingthing]

When are you going to change the poll?

Some time after the editing time limit?

[Jingthing]

What do they think?

I guess you mean Thai people. Somehow I don't think all Thais have a collective brain. On second thought. Hmmm. Good question!

Your question made me think of what I thought about foreigners in my home country, the USA. No, I don't think of them as guests. I think of them based on more specific status, tourists, foreign students, green card residents, illegal immigrants, etc. There is something called "guest workers" that gets promoted but personally I never thought of foreigners there as guests. So in my case it makes more sense now that I'm a foreign country, I don't think of myself as a guest either.

Edited May 6, 2013 by Jingthing

[HardenedSoul]

Never thought about it to be honest but if I had to respond I'd say I'm no guest.

Tourists are guests

I live here

[NanLaew]

You are a guest in any and all countries that you were not born in. Even those (for example) getting green cards in the US remain as guests as all they have done is satisfy some arbitrary immigration criteria that is not permanent and can be revoked. Same for all foreigners in Thailand, regardless of their visa status or living arrangement, visa runner, WP holder, tax paying, perpetual tourist, condo owner, married to a local, sponsoring, etc., etc.... all still guests in the Kingdom. Domicile doesn't change this.

The only time you 'unguest' yourself in LOS is when you obtain Thai nationality and revoke the one you were born with. Then you become a citizen of that country. Same goes for gaining UK, Australian or US citizenship. However, when one becomes a felon, they can easily revoke that as well. The 'fence sitters' that maintain dual-nationality are still only guests.

If it's debate about people's interpretation of 'guest' then why is it in poll format? Belay that, polls are the OP's forte isn't it? Nice to see you back doing what you do best jt.

Edited May 6, 2013 by NanLaew

[StreetCowboy]

No I do not consider myself a 'Guest'.

I pay more taxes here than almost any Thai I have ever met and obey more laws here than most Thais would consider 'decent'.

Take my money... Take my f'king opinions too.

At least we have our democratic rights. We can get the government of our choice - because we can vote with our feet.

Like Guesthouse, I was invited to Thailand by a local company; and when the job was done, or the work dried up, I moved on.

I told one of my staff, many years ago, on the subject of why expat staff were expected to work out of hours from time to time:

"Because they live here: you're here to work"

SC

[Jingthing]

...

If it's debate about people's interpretation of 'guest' then why is it in poll format?

I wanted to do a poll about it is why. The question isn't clear enough for you or it isn't the question you want asked? Then as said, don't vote in the poll.

Also, any poll thread consists BOTH of the poll and the comments section. Polls here are only for entertainment purposes only, at least that's how I view it.

Edited May 6, 2013 by Jingthing

[HardenedSoul]

What do they think?

I guess you mean Thai people. Somehow I don't think all Thais have a collective brain. On second thought. Hmmm. Good question!

I asked the main squeeze. She said words along the line of, "Thai people don't really give a monkey's so why do you? It's not as if you want to be Thai, is it?"

Love how they cut through the bullxxxx sometimes

[Jingthing]

What do they think?

I guess you mean Thai people. Somehow I don't think all Thais have a collective brain. On second thought. Hmmm. Good question!

I asked the main squeeze. She said words along the line of, "Thai people don't really give a monkey's so why do you? It's not as if you want to be Thai, is it?"

Love how they cut through the bullshit sometimes

Post of the month!

[jocko]

'' Your a guest in my country ''

'' Your a visitor to my country ''

I don't know?

[StreetCowboy]

'' Your a guest in my country ''

'' Your a visitor to my country ''

I don't know?

You're an illiterate in my country.

Learn to speak Thai.

[Theoutsider]

It's the felling of belonging.

I don't even get this in my own so called country.

[soi41]

...

If it's debate about people's interpretation of 'guest' then why is it in poll format?

I wanted to do a poll about it is why. The question isn't clear enough for you or it isn't the question you want asked? Then as said, don't vote in the poll.

Also, any poll thread consists BOTH of the poll and the comments section. Polls here are only for entertainment purposes only, at least that's how I view it.

Hate to break it to you JT, Polls are NOT entertaining!!

[phuketjock]

What do they think?

I guess you mean Thai people. Somehow I don't think all Thais have a collective brain. On second thought. Hmmm. Good question!

I asked the main squeeze. She said words along the line of, "Thai people don't really give a monkey's so why do you? It's not as if you want to be Thai, is it?"

Love how they cut through the bullshit sometimes

Post of the month!

22 posts 9 of them by the OP. What is the point really???

Edited May 6, 2013 by phuketjock

[PoodMaiDai]

No. Even though it is forced upon us by our rulers and masters, I do not believe in countries. They do not really exist. You can not see them from space. Borders and countries are man made and wealthy men send poor men to fight and die for those imaginary man made borders. Nationalism is nothing more than propaganda and brainwashing. None of us had a choice in where we were born or what "country" would claim us as their property. I'll jump through the visa hoops and maintain my passport to please my master so he does not punish me, but I simply refuse to accept it any more than that.

Regardless of your name, tribal affiliation, race or spiritual beliefs, I think of everyone as people of earth. We all share it. None of us own it. However, by allowing countries to exist we allow ourselves to be owned.

This is why I never buy into "you're a guest... blah, blah, blah" or "this is my country.... blah, blah, blah." That is how slaves and propagandized cattle think. Wake up.

[StreetCowboy]

No. Even though it is forced upon us by our rulers and masters, I do not believe in countries. They do not really exist. You can not see them from space. Borders and countries are man made and wealthy men send poor men to fight and die for those imaginary man made borders. Nationalism is nothing more than propaganda and brainwashing. None of us had a choice in where we were born or what "country" would claim us as their property. I'll jump through the visa hoops and maintain my passport to please my master so he does not punish me, but I simply refuse to accept it any more than that.

Regardless of your name, tribal affiliation, race or spiritual beliefs, I think of everyone as people of earth. We all share it. None of us own it. However, by allowing countries to exist we allow ourselves to be owned.

This is why I never buy into "you're a guest... blah, blah, blah" or "this is my country.... blah, blah, blah." That is how slaves and propagandized cattle think. Wake up.

Thank God the Class War lives. All that time listening to the Socialist Workers' Party students was not wasted.

And we can still rise now...

Edited May 6, 2013 by StreetCowboy

[Beetlejuice]

No I do not consider myself a 'Guest'.

I pay more taxes here than almost any Thai I have ever met and obey more laws here than most Thais would consider 'decent'.

Take my money... Take my f'king opinions too.

So you do not consider yourself a guest if you are living in Thailand. Now all you need to do is convince the Government, the Police, Immigration and the Thai public to share your views on this subject, as our opinions or whatever status we consider we have here, means nothing unless it has official backing and support.

Of course we are guests and as foreigners have very few statutory rights here in Thailand. We can be thrown out on the whim at anytime