As foreigners, is our security in Thailand now more precarious?

[simon43]

Having followed the lengthy (and often smug) comments in the visa forum concerning the recent clampdown on visa-runners and the 'I'm all right Jack, <deleted> you attitude of some of the holders of non-immigrant visas - retirement, marriage, business etc - I wonder whether foreigners who reside in Thailand will face increased resentment from Thais, urged on by (IMHO), ill-informed comment from the local press.

I read recent news reports that 'foreign nations don't understand us', as well as news reports that some foreign nations (US, France etc) condemn the military coup etc.

Do you think this military coup will make your long-term residence in Thailand more secure? Or is a Plan B now in order?

Simon

[choochoo]

guest houses should be cheap now! really-the world has NevEr taken thailand seriously. Its just bargirls galore as the world is concerned......................lol.

And to be honest --they are correct. With the bkk nightlife effectively shut down im thinking about hanging out in las vegas for awhile.

[chiang mai]

OP: I'm hugely surprised to see you ask that question Simon, really, you are much smarter than that.

Of course, solving the problem now will make the future more secure for everyone and I do not sense the same issues re. resentment of farangs that you do, so I wonder if your post is maybe (I'll say it again, maybe) not about things other than stated, you mentioned visa's.

[marko kok prong]

Personally i don't think it will have much of an effect either way, most Thai,s were i live realise expat falangs bring money into the community,it may affect residents of Pattaya and Phuket who enjoy the nightlife more but up country ,no .

[wayned]

In the 17 years that I have lived here I have never felt "insecure', life will go on as it has in the past and unfortunately Thai politics and the corruption will continue as it is a way of life! That's what most don't understand, you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink, most Thais don't think that corruption is bad as it's an inbreed fact of life.

[simon43]

OP: I'm hugely surprised to see you ask that question Simon, really, you are much smarter than that.

Or maybe smarter than your perception - I'm playing 'devil's advocate' with my post.

[wow64]

I feel insecure about getting my TrueVision account. Very worried about it still having a few days charges on it.

My plan B is to download movies.. Hope I don't need to resort to that.. very concerned.

[edwinchester]

Who knows? Depends what type of Govt emerges from the coup.

I do remember after the last coup the option of 400k in the bank was removed, for some time, for married men for whatever reason.

[Soutpeel]

Do you think this military coup will make your long-term residence in Thailand more secure? Or is a Plan B now in order?

To be honest I have always had a plan B when I have worked/lived in country in which I didn't have legal right of abode, not just Thailand

but do I think the coup will make things more difficult ? No as much as local "resident" farang's try to convince themselves they are important in Thailand, one suspects with the current events going on, the resident farangs are not even a blip on the radar in the big scheme of things.

[chrisinth]

Simon, I'm also surprised at this thread coming from you; I was actually expecting something like this from a newbee but not from someone that has been here as long as you.

Personally, no, I don't think my stay will be any more secure than it is now (or was before the takeover) but, nor do I think it is any less so at the minute.

When control is handed over to the new government, and their mandates are made clear, then the above could be subject to change. But I doubt it.

NB. I see from your avatar that you are an Optimistic Member; I prefer to remain a Pessimistic Optimist imagining the worst out of the best result...................

As for Plan B, it stays in place, no change there.

[Pralaad]

Those who hate us will continue to do so.

Those who accept and possibly respect us will not change their mind

And may be, I do say may be, those who are not familiar with us will see less western rubbish may even start to like us.

The condemnations from the West are not really publicly known, so I do not think it will have any effect

[neverdie]

OP: I'm hugely surprised to see you ask that question Simon, really, you are much smarter than that.

.

Are you sure you haven't confused your Simon's ?

[neverdie]

Do you think this military coup will make your long-term residence in Thailand more secure? Or is a Plan B now in order?

To be honest I have always had a plan B when I have worked/lived in country in which I didn't have legal right of abode, not just Thailand

but do I think the coup will make things more difficult ? No as much as local "resident" farang's try to convince themselves they are important in Thailand, one suspects with the current events going on, the resident farangs are not even a blip on the radar in the big scheme of things.

I was speaking to your misses. She reakons that you are the BIG BLIMP in your local community. She even sent me your picture to prove it !

[chiang mai]

OP: I'm hugely surprised to see you ask that question Simon, really, you are much smarter than that.

.

Are you sure you haven't confused your Simon's ?

Not really, Simon has a brain the size of a small planet and a personality to match thus I should have thought more closely about his question which he clarified subsequently.

You on the other hand.....

[neverdie]

OP: I'm hugely surprised to see you ask that question Simon, really, you are much smarter than that.

.

Are you sure you haven't confused your Simon's ?

Not really, Simon has a brain the size of a small planet and a personality to match thus I should have thought more closely about his question which he clarified subsequently.

You on the other hand.....

I agree about Simon, but I'm deeply offended that you don't realise that I've also got a big brain, it's just the contents of the brain have diminished considerably

For example; I can't answer Simons question because I haven't even worked out what plan A was yet

[marko kok prong]

OP: I'm hugely surprised to see you ask that question Simon, really, you are much smarter than that.

.

Are you sure you haven't confused your Simon's ?

Not really, Simon has a brain the size of a small planet and a personality to match thus I should have thought more closely about his question which he clarified subsequently.

You on the other hand.....

Therefore surely the answer is 42,or was it 48.

[Showbags]

Its all about how long he's got to find the next ex missus Simon.

[cooked]

I always feel a lot safer out in our small impoverished village than I do in Bangkok. However in the long term I have noticed that I am hesitating to invest more in the house that I am living in. I had always thought, worse comes to the worse, ATM, Cambodian border, go home. Farangs are having more and more border crossings closed to them, So I guess I do feel a bit less secure than previously, looking forward to a forced labour camp with NO BEER.when I am feeling paranoid.

[marko kok prong]

I always feel a lot safer out in our small impoverished village than I do in Bangkok. However in the long term I have noticed that I am hesitating to invest more in the house that I am living in. I had always thought, worse comes to the worse, ATM, Cambodian border, go home. Farangs are having more and more border crossings closed to them, So I guess I do feel a bit less secure than previously, looking forward to a forced labour camp with NO BEER.when I am feeling paranoid.

Yes i can see it now,"work you potbellied beer swillers,no more thai lady for you" as they lash us under the searing sun,as we stumble around planting rice and in a final irony man falang.

[harrry]

Simon lurches from one marriage disaster and a new hotel to the next with another new hotel. Soon he will have more hotels than there are hiltons. Each interlude between disasters has had it's highs and lows but whatever happens we all keep moving on. This is just another lurch on the road but I still have not got a hotel

[chiang mai]

OP: I'm hugely surprised to see you ask that question Simon, really, you are much smarter than that.

.

Are you sure you haven't confused your Simon's ?

Not really, Simon has a brain the size of a small planet and a personality to match thus I should have thought more closely about his question which he clarified subsequently.

You on the other hand.....

I agree about Simon, but I'm deeply offended that you don't realise that I've also got a big brain, it's just the contents of the brain have diminished considerably

For example; I can't answer Simons question because I haven't even worked out what plan A was yet

Please don't be offended. I read recently that dementia is a function of older brains having to trawl through far more accumulated stored experiences than their younger counterparts, (empty vessels and all that). So it's not so much that the contents of your brain have diminished rather you have accumulated far more data than most but it takes longer to access it. The other alternative is that you are merely dense, perhaps we can have a poll?

All in jest of course, you are loved and wanted.

[Loptr]

Is life becoming more precarious for foreigners in Thailand? Depends on which class of foreigner Simon is referring to. Those on legitimate visas and are not trying to scam the system will be fine. Those on back-to-back-to-back entries without a valid visa will not be so lucky. I for one see this as a good thing as it will drive out the fringe-dwellers. If that opinion appears smug, then so be it.

[chiang mai]

+1

[Fookhaht]

Then you read threads like this where rumor mongering and fear mongering run unabated, and you'd think all hell is about ready to break loose upon foreigners.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?/topic/728542-How-safe-are-we-going-to-be-on-our-bikes-now%3F

Ridiculous.

As long as you spend money in Thailand, the natives will put up with you.

[neverdie]

Please don't be offended. I read recently that dementia is a function of older brains having to trawl through far more accumulated stored experiences than their younger counterparts, (empty vessels and all that). So it's not so much that the contents of your brain have diminished rather you have accumulated far more data than most but it takes longer to access it. The other alternative is that you are merely dense, perhaps we can have a poll?

All in jest of course, you are loved and wanted.

Sorry, slowly. I got confused somewhere between The words 'Please' and 'wanted'.

Can I vote in the Poll? Log The second option for me.

SIMON,

After pondering your question for the last hour or so, I've come to a conclusion. You tink too mutt. There's no guarantees anywhere any more, I see LOS as no different. For example. Remember that Aussie guy (baseball er) he was living in the states and was out jogging and got gunned down by those bored hoodlums?

You see what I'm getting at. Nothing is permanent. I have no plan a, nor do I have a plan b. & when it's like that, well that's when the best things happen.

MY MOTO: Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans.

Rest easy old mate, it'll be right.......I've said that to you in the past too.....and I was right. If I didn't, I should have

[marko kok prong]

Is life becoming more precarious for foreigners in Thailand? Depends on which class of foreigner Simon is referring to. Those on legitimate visas and are not trying to scam the system will be fine. Those on back-to-back-to-back entries without a valid visa will not be so lucky. I for one see this as a good thing as it will drive out the fringe-dwellers. If that opinion appears smug, then so be it.

Agree 100% ,why should the guys that make an effort to have everything ready when they go to immigration,are legit living here,take flak,for these scruffy so called English teachers,who try to bend the system,like another thread recently where the op,had been to lazy to sort out a visa and then castigated Thai immigration for his woes,which were stupidly self inflicted,try going to live in Australia on a tourist visa and see where that gets you,deported and no return for 5 years.Good riddance to them i say.

[simon43]

...because I haven't even worked out what plan A was yet

In my own case, it is indeed true that I am somewhere between plan P and plan S.

I recall after the 2006 coup that whereas it was previously possible to obtain a 12-months non-imm B visa as owner of a Thai business (but not working in that business), after 2006 the rules rapidly changed to requiring a business owner to actually work in the business if they wanted that B visa.

So this coup could herald some important changes in the visa regulations, depending on whether or not Charlie Farang is seen as a benefit to Thailand or not.

...but I still have not got a hotel

Harry, you would (marginally) increase your chances of getting a hotel if you wore a short frock and purred 'luv u big time' in my ear. However, that is only because of my appalling eyesight...

[cmsally]

It's actually an interesting topic. As foreigners per se I don't think we particularly register on the radar. But foreigners can be affected by the fallout of crackdowns which happen in these times. I don't think foreigners are particularly the targets its just every govt official is getting paranoid about their position/promotion/pension plan. Everything that should have been enforced is now getting enforced, with signatures checked twice and nothing left to chance. Sometimes a whiff of paranoia somewhere on a high level can lead to a long chain of action. Bending rules is not seen as worth the risk at times like this.

That's on the official level.

Down on the social level, one thing that did surprise me is the number of remarks (a lot are stronger than "remarks") on Facebook against the Americans for opposing the coup. A lot of these vitriolic posters are female, I don't know if that's coincidence.

Later I saw something which looked like a rewritten version of the Paknam incident (anti French), but still not sure as it didn't seem to be at all accurate.

One thing that I find disturbing is that you can get some absolute mental retard posting, but there seem to be a number of people thinking they are better than Einstein. Oh and there seems to be a growing fan club for Putin - mix of handsome and raised finger to the USA, That seems to do the trick for some people.

So on the whole I think the answer to the question is no. But you do have this fairly large xenophobic sector but maybe only so in the fact they are pro Thai without much definition or academic debate.