Keep in mind they're likely to change sides halfway through.

well you can't let the Italians have all the fun.

I would fight with them to protect the nation.

Shame on most of you selfish people not to support the nation that has given/still gives, you so much.

I would fight with them to protect the nation.

Shame on most of you selfish people not to support the nation that has given/still gives, you so much.

I'm not clear about anything at all that Thailand "gave" me.

Oh. Just thought of something. 90 day address reports to the police are free! Thank you Thailand.

Is this a joke? I report my address every 90 days. Who in their right mind with no status here would consider this their country?

I have paid millions of baht of tax, provided for 3 Thais, and paid hundreds of thousands in hospital bills for family close and extended. I think I deserve a medal for that alone.

Instead I reported every 3 months to permit myself to stay.

Fight for them? I think I did more than my share.

A better question and more likely scenario; would you fight Thais for what you feel is yours here?

I probably would if the country got invaded . I know I would if it got close to my home or family ...

That would be a very small foreign brigade. As we know, they are not very generous with PR's or citizenship.

And you would probably need a workpermit!

No I would not! Defend values I don't believe in??

The big thing is the age. Now I have a hard time getting out of the room and 50 years ago I would probably have signed up. How are we supposed to judge what are attitude would have been 50 years ago, It certainly would be different and Thailand would definatly be different then.

The question is meaningless. Make for good bar talk.

The word hypothetical is just a long word to substitute for the word if which leaves the door open to many scenes.

Hypothetically if the dog had not stopped to shit would he have caught the rabbit?

I would fight with them to protect the nation.

Shame on most of you selfish people not to support the nation that has given/still gives, you so much.

Given? Gives?

Sorry, lost me there.

In answer to the OP, no, not a chance, if you put me in charge of a gun and there was a state of confusion breaking out, I'd probably shoot a BiB.

So...strictly theoretical, would you fight for Thailand if they were invaded by:

1. USA

2. Japan

3. Aliens

4. the Nazis

5. Bill Gates

6. Hells Angels

Tick all that apply.

Is this a joke? I report my address every 90 days. Who in their right mind with no status here would consider this their country?

Same, same, absolutely right.

Without given any Thai status here, then in fact we would only be mercenaries and not actually fighting for or defending what we could consider as a homeland.

I could never consider myself as a patriot of a country that can throw me out at the swing of a pen. I would be risking my life, for what? So I can continue to remain here as a glorified tourist with no statutory rights?

I do love Thailand, but Thailand would have to also love me on an equal basis and treated like a citizen before I would take up arms and fight for it`s defence.

"Without given any Thai status here, then in fact we would only be mercenaries"

Not even that, Mercenaries get paid!

Is this a joke? I report my address every 90 days. Who in their right mind with no status here would consider this their country?

Same, same, absolutely right.

Without given any Thai status here, then in fact we would only be mercenaries and not actually fighting for or defending what we could consider as a homeland.

I could never consider myself as a patriot of a country that can throw me out at the swing of a pen. I would be risking my life, for what? So I can continue to remain here as a glorified tourist with no statutory rights?

I do love Thailand, but Thailand would have to also love me on an equal basis and treated like a citizen before I would take up arms and fight for it`s defence.

"Without given any Thai status here, then in fact we would only be mercenaries"

Not even that, Mercenaries get paid!

Customarily, people protect their guests... I have a feeling, the Thai army would use westerners as human shields if they had to...

Being realistic, if Thailand was at war with a foreign power, unless our own countries were allied with Thailand and on Thailand’s side, and especially if being under threat of invasion or caught up in a civil war, as foreigners ourselves we would all be regarded with mistrust and suspicion by the Thais and perhaps given our marching orders to leave the country. So in fact we probably wouldn’t be given the opportunity to fight on behalf of Thailand anyway, or one Thai side or another if a civil war, unless as mercenaries considered as canon fodder.

I think the most logical moves to make if Thailand was at war, or especially if caught up in a civil war, would be to leave, rather than hanging about just asking for it, as there is no way that we would be left alone and ignored as mutual bystanders. It just doesn’t work that way.

I'm not clear about anything at all that Thailand "gave" me.

the nation.

If Thailand gives you nothing, what on earth do you gain by being here?

Being realistic, if Thailand was at war with a foreign power, unless our own countries were allied with Thailand and on Thailand’s side, and especially if being under threat of invasion or caught up in a civil war, as foreigners ourselves we would all be regarded with mistrust and suspicion by the Thais and perhaps given our marching orders to leave the country. So in fact we probably wouldn’t be given the opportunity to fight on behalf of Thailand anyway, or one Thai side or another if a civil war, unless as mercenaries considered as canon fodder.

I think the most logical moves to make if Thailand was at war, or especially if caught up in a civil war, would be to leave, rather than hanging about just asking for it, as there is no way that we would be left alone and ignored as mutual bystanders. It just doesn’t work that way.

Yes this mistrust is such a one way thing. When the Brits/US hit Arnhem in "44 they didn't trust the Dutch, which almost certainly decided the fate of the mission. But I bet they still blamed the Thais.

I'm not clear about anything at all that Thailand "gave" me.

the nation.

If Thailand gives you nothing, what on earth do you gain by being here?

Weight.

Certainly not weight of intellect, if the content of the posters of this thread is anything to go by

I'm not clear about anything at all that Thailand "gave" me.

the nation.

If Thailand gives you nothing, what on earth do you gain by being here?

Weight.

Oh, and don't forget intestinal parasites ...

I'm not clear about anything at all that Thailand "gave" me.

the nation.

If Thailand gives you nothing, what on earth do you gain by being here?

Not sure what you are talking about. Thailand gave me nor my family nothing I didn't pay for.... I mean, it gives sunshine, nice food, but is that worth fighting for?

My wife broke her leg in the UK and was treated in the accident emergency for zilch. So after 18 years, the UK is already ahead of Thailand.

So ginger, you gain nothing from Thailand?

I'm not clear about anything at all that Thailand "gave" me.

the nation.

If Thailand gives you nothing, what on earth do you gain by being here?

Not sure what you are talking about. Thailand gave me nor my family nothing I didn't pay for.... I mean, it gives sunshine, nice food, but is that worth fighting for?

So Thai at heart, you gain nothing you haven't paid for?

I'm not clear about anything at all that Thailand "gave" me.

the nation.

If Thailand gives you nothing, what on earth do you gain by being here?

Not sure what you are talking about. Thailand gave me nor my family nothing I didn't pay for.... I mean, it gives sunshine, nice food, but is that worth fighting for.

So Thai at heart, you gain nothing you haven't paid for?

I don't consider I have taken anything from Thailand anymore than anyone else living here. And as I wrote earlier, I have contributed both financially and I consider socially for Thailand, and I get zero in return.

They give me little or no rights, or legal protection and provide less than many other countries normally do. i have built companies that have employed and paid for hundreds. I gave done much beyond my own better judgement.

Does the country recognise my contribution? Not one satang of it. My wife's culture does not define her.

If I have one more snide comment about my wife being a whore or my kids being luuk kreung, from a bangkokian, maybe you will read about me on the front page of the bangkok post

I do not owe Thailand anything. Beyond that, they would not like me to contribute anyway.

Thaiatheart, please do not put me in the same bracket as your 4th paragraph above, although I accept you haven't made tat allusion. But I am questioning the statement by you and others you gain nothing from Thailand

Thaiatheart, please do not put me in the same bracket as your 4th paragraph above, although I accept you haven't made tat allusion. But I am questioning the statement by you and others you gain nothing from Thailand

Thais as a rule look down on foreigners, that's their prerogative. I have some great friends there, but as a rule, have run out of love for the place and most of the people.

I owe the place nothing, and have left. Fair deal. I was there for 18 years and realised I was no closer to being accepted than the day I got there. I was just a farang.

Without my contribution several Thais would now be dead, one wouldn't have got his degree and 3 owe their successful careers to be getting them jobs up front.

How many are truly grateful? A couple.

Without making this personal to any one person, but are any one of you suggesting you gain/have gained nothing from Thailand? As you are suggesting.

Thaiatheart, please do not put me in the same bracket as your 4th paragraph above, although I accept you haven't made tat allusion. But I am questioning the statement by you and others you gain nothing from Thailand

Thais as a rule look down on foreigners, that's their prerogative. I have some great friends there, but as a rule, have run out of love for the place and most of the people.

I owe the place nothing, and have left. Fair deal. I was there for 18 years and realised I was no closer to being accepted than the day I got there. I was just a farang.

Without my contribution several Thais would now be dead, one wouldn't have got his degree and 3 owe their successful careers to be getting them jobs up front.

How many are truly grateful? A couple.

You sound very bitter.

If you accept that no one cares about you, just drop it and move on.

Without making this personal to any one person, but are any one of you suggesting you gain/have gained nothing from Thailand? As you are suggesting.

A lesson I learnt from my father.

Know and understand the rules before you join the game.

If you do, you stand to win, if not, the chances are you will lose.

Thaiatheart, please do not put me in the same bracket as your 4th paragraph above, although I accept you haven't made tat allusion. But I am questioning the statement by you and others you gain nothing from Thailand

Thais as a rule look down on foreigners, that's their prerogative. I have some great friends there, but as a rule, have run out of love for the place and most of the people.

I owe the place nothing, and have left. Fair deal. I was there for 18 years and realised I was no closer to being accepted than the day I got there. I was just a farang.

Without my contribution several Thais would now be dead, one wouldn't have got his degree and 3 owe their successful careers to be getting them jobs up front.

How many are truly grateful? A couple.

You sound very bitter.

If you accept that no one cares about you, just drop it and move on.

Not really. I just finally realised that I had stayed a bit to long. I got there young and should have moved a while ago.

Finally got round to leaving it and feel very invigorated. Maybe will get back to appreciating it, but it's a big world out there. Looking forward to setting up family life back home, and the kids will be better for it.

It's quaint to pay off coppers as a way of life until you need them to actually do their jobs. The negatives just eventually outweighed the positives, least of which was the realisation that Thailand will never be my country in any way. I will always be a visitor.

So fight for what?

Thaiatheart, please do not put me in the same bracket as your 4th paragraph above, although I accept you haven't made tat allusion. But I am questioning the statement by you and others you gain nothing from Thailand

Thais as a rule look down on foreigners, that's their prerogative. I have some great friends there, but as a rule, have run out of love for the place and most of the people.

I owe the place nothing, and have left. Fair deal. I was there for 18 years and realised I was no closer to being accepted than the day I got there. I was just a farang.

Without my contribution several Thais would now be dead, one wouldn't have got his degree and 3 owe their successful careers to be getting them jobs up front.

How many are truly grateful? A couple.

You sound very bitter.

If you accept that no one cares about you, just drop it and move on.

But.......well it seems.......he cares.

No worries OP, the Thai army doesn't really exist for foreign enemies.

And for those saying that the Southern Insurgency is a foreign enemy, you would once again be wrong.

It's quaint to pay off coppers as a way of life until you need them to actually do their jobs. The negatives just eventually outweighed the positives, least of which was the realisation that Thailand will never be my country in any way. I will always be a visitor.

So fight for what?

If you're looking to get silly you had better go back to from where you came, because the cops don't need you and man they expect the same.

Bob Dylan ---Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues