so what about EMIGRATION?

I'm an Émigré....

Just semantics, really. You emigrate from a country, and immigrate to a country.

Quote= Cpt_M0ney_Sh0t

"Sure it's nice to have a bunch of slave labor bodies in place to build all your fancy appartment buildings and such, but for just a lil bit more money you can hire Thai pepole who need the jobs. It's not like in America where you get a Mexican laborer for $30 or $40 a day with no benifits, but a American would cost $15-20 per hr with benifits and can sue for injury! I think, at worst, the cost for Thai over Burmese may be about 25-35% but I am no expert."

I can tell you that finding Thai people too work can be difficult and the Cambodians near my home are asking for Thai wages. Every year it is getting harder to find agriculture workers in Sakeo province. My wife fares better than the other land owners because we treat the workers well and don't cheat them. I think its gonna get worse, the Cambodians work as a team but last seasons a few teams were robbed at gun point while on their journey back accross the border. Apperantly it was a Khmer insider and Thai police who raided their group. They worked all season and went home empty handed. If this happens again we may not have anybody to work our farms in the future.

Edited July 4, 200620 yr by Sakeopete

Immigration can be a bit of a red herring. It is often used for party political reasons (witness the BNP in Britain) and as a form of scaremongering. Countries always have a level of immigration/emigration, but it is the net figure that needs to be looked at. Britain, for instance, has a steady net minus figure (meaning more people immigrate than emigrate), but that isn't necessarily long-lasting.

The latest place with problems is Malta which, since joining the EU, has taken on 1000 immigrants this year alone - pro rata with Spain's population density, it is the equivalent of 100,000 into Spain.

As a result, it makes headlines and frightens people - particularly the less educated and more insular.

i see a lot of people saying that they must be talking about the los, burma or cambodian people. thais can not be talking about the american, english, french, canadian etc..people..how do you know that..when i see 82% i think..just maybe i am included in the 82%..as an american..call me crazy..

์Well, your basic premise is flawed... the 82% are the number of Thais who responded they think immigration is generally more bad for Thailand than not. It does not signify the number of immigrants in any way...

But of course you will be able to find Thais negative to Westerners migrating into Thailand.

It is just not likely based on my own experience that a whooping 82% of Thais would respond the same if Western migration specifically was mentioned.

Many others seem to agree with this, including Heng who is Thai himself.

That is the question which can be asked anywhere in the world, and not just Thailand.

"If you yourself are a descendant of an immigrant family, is it fair to hold anti-immigration views against others who wish to immigrate too?"

Sure. Why not?

Yeah, I'm the "Belle of the Ball" wherever I go in Isaan. They all still seem to hate George W., but the connection never spills over to me.

Might have to do with all the 'infrastructure' the US put into Udorn, Udon etc a few years back and some Thais are still grateful?

I can tell you that finding Thai people too work can be difficult and the Cambodians near my home are asking for Thai wages. Every year it is getting harder to find agriculture workers in Sakeo province. My wife fares better than the other land owners because we treat the workers well and don't cheat them. I think its gonna get worse, the Cambodians work as a team but last seasons a few teams were robbed at gun point while on their journey back accross the border. Apperantly it was a Khmer insider and Thai police who raided their group. They worked all season and went home empty handed. If this happens again we may not have anybody to work our farms in the future.

Some unscrupulous employers have been known to call in a raid on payday to avoid paying their illegal workers. Thai abuse of caught illegal workers seems to be the status quo as well. So much so that when the workers feel a raid "season" coming on, the first thing they do is send the women to hide or in some cases just tell them to all go home (to avoid police rape).

That said, IME it's difficult to find Thais that will do unskilled labor and maid type work nowadays.

Yeah, I'm the "Belle of the Ball" wherever I go in Isaan. They all still seem to hate George W., but the connection never spills over to me.

Might have to do with all the 'infrastructure' the US put into Udorn, Udon etc a few years back and some Thais are still grateful?

That's EXACTLY the case. I've had Thai friends tell me that directly. "I would like to pay you back in friendship and kindness for all the nice things the American GI's did for our village when I was a kid." Gives you a pretty warm feeling.

IMO other 3rd world immigrants give poor Thais a sense of being superior to someone. These 3rd world immigrants are the primary customers for the endless outside markets and street businesses. fIRST WORLD immigrants want to control things by using resources acquired from whatever in their home country. I am pretty confident that whoever participated in this survery were referring to Farangs.

Has anyone here ever been called up for one of these "polls"? I never have and nobody I know has ever mentioned being called by Mr. Gallup.