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

[captspectre]

I consider myself a guest for the following reasons, I do not work, I do not vote, I do not get involved with the thai political system, I can leave anytime I want to!

[SteeleJoe]

I consider myself a guest for the following reasons, I do not work, I do not vote, I do not get involved with the thai political system, I can leave anytime I want to!

Is the same thing not possible in your home country? (If I retire in my native country, don't vote, and don't get involved in its political system but still have the right to leave whenever I want - am I a guest despite being a native citizen?)

Edited May 9, 2013 by SteeleJoe

[Fookhaht]

A guest is someone who is there at the behest and prerogative of the host.

Yes, we are ALL guests here.

If you lived in China at the time of the Boxer Rebellion (when all foreigners were expelled), you would suddenly realize how all expats/tourists are simply guests, nothing more. Ultimately, you have no rights, nothing in your bag of tricks or inducements to require the host to treat you any better (or equal) to the natives. Yes, money talks, but when push comes to shove (take a traffic accident, for example) you will realize your "guest" status.

[SteeleJoe]

If you lived in China at the time of the Boxer Rebellion (when all foreigners were expelled), you would suddenly realize how all expats/tourists are simply guests, nothing more.

And you would be at least 110 years old.

By the way, the rebellion failed. Those trying to get rid of, and not merely "expel" but even kill the foreigners, were thoroughly crushed by thousands of troops from 8 different countries; foreign troops occupied the capital city and remained in the country along with foreign citizens who had their own laws and rights which superseded anything Chinese; and the Chinese government had to pay out a huge sum for being naughty.

An odd example of how vulnerable we are and - even aside from the fact that the Boxer Rebellion was an extraordinary event, and 19th century China and the geopolitical context are both vastly different from anything now - not even close to analogous.

Maybe Uganda in 1972 is slightly closer to demonstrating what you are trying to...or Cambodia 1975? Both of which are somewhat unlikely to happen here.

Edited May 9, 2013 by SteeleJoe

[Jigger]

I always considered myself to be a savior for Thailand....

555

[Lung666]

Six months or so ago the neighbor (Thai) asked me when I was going home. I said I wasn't, never planned on going home again (with possible family emergencies aside). He said "good". and left it at that.

Never considered myself a guest here.

He was asking because guests usually have to go at some stage.

I think he was giving you a hint.

Not really.

Once again the proof most farang here still (will never) understand thai mentality. For thai it's a nightmare NOT to be home (for a long time). Most of them simply cannot understand why a foreigner wants to be away from his home (soil), family (most important thing in life), friends, food, etc. The question "when are u going back?" makes perfect sense and is not meant offensive, on the contrary. if only u'd understand...

[Swiss1960]

I always considered myself to be a savior for Thailand....

555

Can't save the whole country, am not Superman... but try hard to safe as many girls as I can from the hands of worse farang than I am

[rct99q]

Six months or so ago the neighbor (Thai) asked me when I was going home. I said I wasn't, never planned on going home again (with possible family emergencies aside). He said "good". and left it at that.

Never considered myself a guest here.

He was asking because guests usually have to go at some stage.

I think he was giving you a hint.

I should have left. This past weekend I helped him move 500 bags of rice from his garage into his storage room. Amply rewarded with many cold drinks (iced coffee for me) and his wife's Laab Pet. love my Isaan neighbors.

[itchybum]

Six months or so ago the neighbor (Thai) asked me when I was going home. I said I wasn't, never planned on going home again (with possible family emergencies aside). He said "good". and left it at that.

Never considered myself a guest here.

He was asking because guests usually have to go at some stage.

I think he was giving you a hint.

Not really.

Once again the proof most farang here still (will never) understand thai mentality. For thai it's a nightmare NOT to be home (for a long time). Most of them simply cannot understand why a foreigner wants to be away from his home (soil), family (most important thing in life), friends, food, etc. The question "when are u going back?" makes perfect sense and is not meant offensive, on the contrary. if only u'd understand...

You first.

[Rajab Al Zarahni]

A guest is someone who is there at the behest and prerogative of the host.

Yes, we are ALL guests here.

If you lived in China at the time of the Boxer Rebellion (when all foreigners were expelled), you would suddenly realize how all expats/tourists are simply guests, nothing more. Ultimately, you have no rights, nothing in your bag of tricks or inducements to require the host to treat you any better (or equal) to the natives. Yes, money talks, but when push comes to shove (take a traffic accident, for example) you will realize your "guest" status.

Just how old are you? There aren't many of us left who can remember the Boxer Rebellion.

Edited May 9, 2013 by Rajab Al Zarahni

[wolfmanjack]

Regardless of the poll results, examining this definition of guest, I'm now wondering if considering ourselves guests of an entire nation is simply incorrect:

http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/guest

From this definition, being invited is one definition. The country doesn't invite us. A visa isn't an invitation: you APPLY for a visa. You can also be a guest in a hotel and of course generally you just book or show up at a hotel and are not invited. So guest can be used for situations of being invited and also not being invited. So you could stretch it and see Thailand as a hotel where you stay and they never invited you. But I don't think that makes sense. A hotel is one thing, an entire nation something else. That's the key I think, if you really can see a nation the same way as a hotel.

Generally we need visas or even a 30 day stamp is a sort of official permission to stay in Thailand. You don't need a visa to get invited to dinner as a guest. To stay at a hotel, you can pay with a VISA card, but again you don't need a visa.

Does staying/visiting a foreign country really fit with the word guest? I think not so much.

I consider myself a customer when I am staying at a hotel or in Thailand. I am a guest when I am staying somewhere I do not have to pay.

[Zatoichi]

If you don't have a passport from said country, and you are not part of an invading or occupying force, Then yes, you are a guest, and would be well advised to act as such.

[Jingthing]

If you don't have a passport from said country, and you are not part of an invading or occupying force, Then yes, you are a guest, and would be well advised to act as such.

Trash the hotel room?

[Zatoichi]

If you don't have a passport from said country, and you are not part of an invading or occupying force, Then yes, you are a guest, and would be well advised to act as such.

Trash the hotel room?

Guess it depends on how you think guests should act

[Jingthing]

If you don't have a passport from said country, and you are not part of an invading or occupying force, Then yes, you are a guest, and would be well advised to act as such.

Trash the hotel room?

Guess it depends on how you think guests should act

Living in a condo, cooking, doing dishes, doing my own laundry ... some hotel!

[HeijoshinCool]

Wow, eleven pages of semantics and splitting hairs!

[Jingthing]

Wow, eleven pages of semantics and splitting hairs!

Perhaps.

How about another poll about whether expats who consider themselves GUESTS are more successful, happier, and better adapted than those who eschew the GUEST label?

[HeijoshinCool]

Wow, eleven pages of semantics and splitting hairs!

Perhaps.

How about another poll about whether expats who consider themselves GUESTS are more successful, happier, and better adapted than those who eschew the GUEST label?

Be my guest.

[bangkokburning]

This poll should have broken out those on stamps and tourist visas - and those on proper visas.

Pretty meaningless as it is.

Some people by definition are in.fact visitors (guestsl and others not: domiciled, married, local kids.

The fact that the government refuses to provide us with proper long term assurance to remain in the country despite meeting financial and family obligations does not make a person any less a resident of the country. Im sure at this juncture you can find some old guys who have lived here better part of half century on bloody extensions.

Citizen, resident by goverment decree - maybe not. But hardly a "guest".

Edited May 16, 2013 by bangkokburning

[stiggy]

I can't wait to change from a person who has spent 14 years trying to live here as a resident and business owner, paying thousands in taxes,dancing through hoops and wondering if ill get another visa etc, to becoming someone who visits, and has fun as a guest only in this country.

So in the future I hope to be a guest.

Making the transition now, and believe me it does feel good.

Edited May 16, 2013 by stiggy

[rgs2001uk]

Wow, eleven pages of semantics and splitting hairs!

Perhaps.

How about another poll about whether expats who consider themselves GUESTS are more successful, happier, and better adapted than those who eschew the GUEST label?

I found ever since accepting the Farang label, I am more succesful, happier and better adapted.

Sometimes the brutal honesty is refreshing.

[Jingthing]

Wow, eleven pages of semantics and splitting hairs!

Perhaps.

How about another poll about whether expats who consider themselves GUESTS are more successful, happier, and better adapted than those who eschew the GUEST label?

I found ever since accepting the Farang label, I am more succesful, happier and better adapted.

Sometimes the brutal honesty is refreshing.

Is that the same thing to you? Taking on the label of Guest and taking on the label of F-rang as equivalent? Interesting. I don't get it but interesting.

[rgs2001uk]

Wow, eleven pages of semantics and splitting hairs!

Perhaps.

How about another poll about whether expats who consider themselves GUESTS are more successful, happier, and better adapted than those who eschew the GUEST label?

I found ever since accepting the Farang label, I am more succesful, happier and better adapted.

Sometimes the brutal honesty is refreshing.

Is that the same thing to you? Taking on the label of Guest and taking on the label of F-rang as equivalent? Interesting. I don't get it but interesting.

Race, colour, creed and religion to the Thais are all irrelevant, to them we are all kaek.

Some are kaek farang, some are kaek jeen, etc etc.

So the Thais actually have it correct, kaek/guest.

[evadgib]

To truly be a guest here i'd expect the same as foreigners receive in my homeland. Our status here is perhaps better described as long term/well behaved residents/visitors.

[Jingthing]

Well we don't have many rights here, but we DO have the right to label ourselves however we like! Nobody cares. Hallelujah!

[itchybum]

I like to label myself free.

[PalMan]

The fact that the government refuses to provide us with proper long term assurance to remain in the country despite meeting financial and family obligations does not make a person any less a resident of the country. Im sure at this juncture you can find some old guys who have lived here better part of half century on bloody extensions.

-

The term is accurate in that it reflects the above - we are allowed to remain here only by the good graces and mercy of TPTB from one year to the next. Anytime they want to change the rules or even kick us out wholesale they are free to do so, just like you can kick a guest out of your house when they become unwelcome, or your circumstances change.

Also reflects the fact that the Thais are very consistent in making clear they consider it very rude for us to comment on how the house is run, if we don't like it we're welcome to move on anytime.

[yoslim]

I don't understand the question at all

As long as I live here, have a valid visa and enough money to go by I'm happy. I don't put my nose into Thais' business and mostly keep to myself to avoid trouble

[PalMan]

Some people resent the fact that even twenty years after you've married a Thai, perhaps support a large community of Thais, even fathered Thai citizen children you don't have any security of residence nor the right to work or conduct business nor the right to own land to build a house etc etc. And can be kicked out if they decide to raise the income eligibility requirements and/or your fixed income no longer qualifies because our home currencies are in the toilet.

Some people think these kinds of things should be based on reciprocity.

I don't agree with any of it but that's how I see the issue from others' POV.

[Rik325i]

When i visit thailand, i consider myself to be a guest of the family i stay with and as such respect their culture.

But i dont consider myself to be a guest of thailand in general