Foreigners Feeling No Long Welcome In Thailand

[Pakboong]

The bankers are not as stupid as you might think.

[simon43]

The bankers are not as stupid as you might think.

[\quote]

I respectfully have to disagree with you on that point.....

Simon

[macb]

Well dais JDinasia.

I was momentarily shocked this morning, but then it passed.

Thailand does not want to kick you all out, it is about time the visa laws were changed, but the visa laws were passed by MR Thaksin I believe without going through parliament, so do they still apply as that government has been ousted????.

I am happy and all you need as JD says and I said in an earlier thread get a visa simple.

DONT PANIC MR MANNERING

macb

[davethailand]

If you feel that you're unwelcome here ... you probably are.

Agreed

[zeusbheld]

So, the OP voices his concers and cites examples of how he feels that Thailand is making it more difficult for non-Thai residents to live in the country and all he gets is crap . . . nice people we have here on TV.

Would you not care to address the issues he raises or are you completely comfortable with the situation? I guess answering that would cause you to think too much.

was gonna cogitate on the matter but the OP's inflated sense of entitlement:

Foreigners Feeling No Long Welcome In Thailand, How many feel like that after all they have given to Thailand?

made me throw up in my mouth, so never got around to it.

ungrateful thailand! after all we've done for you!

[zeusbheld]

But regardless of how much I try to integrate, and how much money that I invest into Thailand, I am still treated as a second-class citizen by Thai rules and regulations.

errrr my understanding is that this has always been the case? at least this was widely known before i decided to come here. was it diffferent back in the day?

I want to integrate 100% and be as 'Thai' as my Thai neighbours. But this is proving very difficult to achieve

my understanding has always been that if say, you are ethnically indian and a citizen and have been here for 3 generations, you're still a 'guest' in thai people's minds.

fair or not, it's part of the playing field for living in asia IMO.

[crockett]

Crockett - i think the problem is that the banks here don't understand what 'the big boss who owns the company and invests money, but doesn't need to actually work here' means - as opposed to 'the lowly employee who has a WP'

You are probably right...

[the swagman]

I love Thailand, but don't feel like it "owes" me anything. It is a privilege to live here and I am lucky as heck to have discovered it.

My peeve is with many of my fellow foreigners who come here and try to change the Kingdom into a carbon copy of the same sh*tty countries that they are all running away from!

Totally agree.

And if all is not the same as the sh**ty place they have come from then they complain and feel slighted.

Your in a different country and for many of us it really is the other side of the world, and so it is different, learn to live with it. Learn to find things just as pleasing, many times more so.

There's no need to whinge about it all the time. Agreed?

[Dakhar]

I lived in Taiwan for some time, I went 100%, as far as a caucassion could go. Spoke the language like a native, loved the place, loved the people culture etc. But in the end, I was still an outsider...

Tis the same here... sad but true.

I too feel unwelcomed, and yes I am here legally no issues there. But the new policies and regs make me feel like farangs are not welcomed. I also have had some dealing with Thais in the past that make me feel that not only is it the govt. position that I should not be here, but also the thais.

That said, I have seen a lot of farangs being just plain rude, or nasty to Thai people... So my point is, at times I think they are forming an opinion with just cause. (Sadly)

[Pepe']

Tonado,

Thanks' for the reality check. I was concerned that the board was just becoming filled with arrogance and ignorance as well as bravado

and harsh attitudes towards those that express anything other than a "let's party attitude."

It's good to see this mood is not the exclusive, unfortunately it is dominant. Thai visa was a very different place years ago. Everything changes though...

Pepe'

I think the OP is right in many ways. It is getting a lot harder.

I also think it is geographical. If you travel throughout Thailand, you feel a lot better in some areas than others.

Many times on this forum, you get people telling you how wonderfull it all is, but many hardly venture beyond the bar scene or from there farang friends or they live in Bangkok, which is just another big city.. Business in Thailand (Phuket for that matter) is corrupt and it is very hard to be successful, you are constantly scammed, stolen from and you cannot do much about it. It comes with education, when your trying to do business with an un educated person, how can they possibly know what, why and how to achieve - thats where the problems lie.

In Bangkok, you have many well educated Thais, competing in world business and are a pleasure to deal with, compared to the rural areas, where they think 1 million baht is the be all and end all and will scam/steal and cheat to get it.

Like the rest of the world now, we are ALL driven by money and the Thais are just like the rest of us - greedy.

Dont get downhearted OP, life is shit, then you die.

[Sing_Sling]

If you feel that you're unwelcome here ... you probably are.

Agreed

Sabaijai, .That makes no sense whatsoever. The OP is talking about government regulations, not personal relationships.

Dave . . . , a cunning linguist as usual . . .

Pepe' and Dhakar, you are now officially part of the 'I hate Thailand ' crowd and will be attacked with rotten tomatoes and the like at every turn when you don't suggest that the sun shines out of Thailand's rear end.

It is true, Pepe' . . . the type of person on TV has changed.

Edited September 20, 2006 by Sing_Sling

[Pepe']

"Pepe' and Dhakar, you are now officially part of the 'I hate Thailand "

I hope you're joking. Even if you are it's a bad one. I have family in Thailand. I in fact love this place and feel a true natural affection for the King.

Why do you say some thing like this?

If you feel that you're unwelcome here ... you probably are.

Agreed

Sabaijai, .That makes no sense whatsoever. The OP is talking about government regulations, not personal relationships.

Dave . . . , a cunning linguist as usual . . .

Pepe' and Dhakar, you are now officially part of the 'I hate Thailand ' crowd and will be attacked with rotten tomatoes and the like at every turn when you don't suggest that the sun shines out of Thailand's rear end.

It is true, Pepe' . . . the type of person on TV has changed.

[OlRedEyes]

. . . the type of person on TV has changed.

I take longish breaks from TV, and everytime I return, there seems to have been a swing in the balance of posters. Then it swings back again. Quite naturally.

As in this thread. Maybe I'm a little but this thread must be on balance by far the best thread I've ever seen on the subject, on TV.

And a lot of the posters are new to me.

It's a pleasure to read arguments from both sides that can hold some water.

[atlastaname]

Hi Sing_sling,

Don't worry , i still understand what you are saying even if some here don't have the brain power to grasp it .

Although most on TV are pleasant , there is a vocal minority who belong to what i call the "Thailand is wonderful, can do no wrong, and if you come here you should obey the rules 100% otherwise you deserve to be thrown in a Thai jail for huge numbers of years " brigade , who must lead the most boring of lives and hate to see anyone else still left with a spark of life in them.

They hate the nightlife scene , puritanical about sex tourists, and staunch in their support of every clampdown and crackdown that can be initiated. Its almost like they have no lives so they want to ensure everyone else doesn't as well.

Thailand, specifically Bangkok, has become steadily more tame and boring over the last 6 years and that pleases the puritans here on TV.

Don't give up Sing_Sling, keep posting your very rational views. I for one like them.

[nostrel]

Thailand is great to live if you can tolerate a bunch of lying cheating chisselers who are always trying to cheat you in some way .Not all are like that but putting up with it year after year is a burden .It helps if you are thick skinned and are willing to laugh it all off ,especially the double and triple pricing.

But having to tolerate the cheating long term does wear down a lot of people.

Back home they know that when they get up in the morning 3+3 =6. or 5+5=10, but in LOS the answer can be anything they choose it to be at your disadvantage ,usually.

[zeusbheld]

Thailand is great to live if you can tolerate a bunch of lying cheating chisselers who are always trying to cheat you in some way .Not all are like that but putting up with it year after year is a burden .It helps if you are thick skinned and are willing to laugh it all off ,especially the double and triple pricing.

But having to tolerate the cheating long term does wear down a lot of people.

Back home they know that when they get up in the morning 3+3 =6. or 5+5=10, but in LOS the answer can be anything they choose it to be at your disadvantage ,usually.

i havent encountered that much cheating but then i live in thonburi, don't hang around go go bars, and let my girlfriend negotiate anything important. either i dont get ripped off often or i am constantly being ripped off, but to the tune of 10 baht here 5 baht there, so mai bpen rai.

an acquaintance of mine has a thai drivers' license. he claims that he gets thai price on a lot of things with it, at least on stuff like national parks.

[number6]

The bankers are not as stupid as you might think.

[\quote]

I respectfully have to disagree with you on that point.....

Simon

me to - ive lived here about 5 years and done business here for about 15 years - I have about 6 bamk accounts and at last got a checking account - a few years ago i went into a foreign bank and

asked for details of opening an account - I said i have which was true about 15 million baht to put into account - the nice girl said wheres your work permit - i replied my dear i dont need to work - so when i asked her why they did not want my business her reply is its you who asked us - the bank standard chatered but she was a thai manager - says it all - TIT - but give a 5,000 baht bribe and their all over you - TIT

[Sing_Sling]

Thailand is great to live if you can tolerate a bunch of lying cheating chisselers who are always trying to cheat you in some way .Not all are like that but putting up with it year after year is a burden .It helps if you are thick skinned and are willing to laugh it all off ,especially the double and triple pricing.

But having to tolerate the cheating long term does wear down a lot of people.

Back home they know that when they get up in the morning 3+3 =6. or 5+5=10, but in LOS the answer can be anything they choose it to be at your disadvantage ,usually.

i havent encountered that much cheating but then i live in thonburi, don't hang around go go bars, and let my girlfriend negotiate anything important. either i dont get ripped off often or i am constantly being ripped off, but to the tune of 10 baht here 5 baht there, so mai bpen rai.

Go into business . . .

[Ulysses G.]

Thailand is great to live if you can tolerate a bunch of lying cheating chisselers who are always trying to cheat you in some way .Not all are like that but putting up with it year after year is a burden .It helps if you are thick skinned and are willing to laugh it all off ,especially the double and triple pricing.

But having to tolerate the cheating long term does wear down a lot of people.

Back home they know that when they get up in the morning 3+3 =6. or 5+5=10, but in LOS the answer can be anything they choose it to be at your disadvantage ,usually.

i havent encountered that much cheating but then i live in thonburi, don't hang around go go bars, and let my girlfriend negotiate anything important. either i dont get ripped off often or i am constantly being ripped off, but to the tune of 10 baht here 5 baht there, so mai bpen rai.

Go into business . . .

I have a bunch of retail outlets and very little problem with my staff or suppliers.

I know that I have been lucky, but there are lots of good, honest Thais out there.

[Richard Hall]

"Foreigners feeling no longer welcome in Thailand..."

Well, I guess I am a foreigner (holding a work permit) but nevertheless I do not have that feeling. Is it because I usually stay away from the foreigners here but rather stick to the Thais?

Nope, I'm neither blind, deaf nor dumb. Granted, in terms of "dumb" I'm not 100%ly sure but wait I'm gonna ask my Thai wife.

Cheers,

Richard

[Donz]

I wouldnt live in a place where I didnt feel welcome. If you havent burnt your bridge's then I would move to another country. Thats if your wife lets you

[zeusbheld]

i havent encountered that much cheating

Go into business . . .

haha point taken.

as a guy i know, a farrang who has been in business here for many years and is quite successful, put it, thais don't seem to understand the concept of a win-win deal...

a lot of people complain about thai taxi drivers--i find them to be more honest than most places, and far more honest than the average new york taxi driver. i suspect the stories are true, but center around tourist areas. human beings are less likely to rip you off if they believe they might see you again...

Edited September 21, 2006 by zeusbheld

[Sing_Sling]

Ulysses, I agree to a certain extent. I have not had any problems with staff - other than simply walking out and not returning for afew weeks and then expecting to continue where they left off.

Suppliers are a different story - thankfully our plant is in the N/E and people are genrally quite pleasant and since everyone is related one way or another major cheating is not tolerated.

Having said that, I could tell you some doozies . . .

[Douggie Style]

OlRedEyes>

I take longish breaks from TV, and everytime I return, there seems to have been a swing in the balance of posters. Then it swings back again. Quite naturally.

As in this thread. Maybe I'm a little (IMG:style_emoticons/default/drunk.gif) but this thread must be on balance by far the best thread I've ever seen on the subject, on TV.

And a lot of the posters are new to me.

It's a pleasure to read arguments from both sides that can hold some water.

Spot on!

[Gonzo the Face]

The bankers are not as stupid as you might think.

[\quote]

I respectfully have to disagree with you on that point.....

Simon

me to - ive lived here about 5 years and done business here for about 15 years - I have about 6 bamk accounts and at last got a checking account - a few years ago i went into a foreign bank and

asked for details of opening an account - I said i have which was true about 15 million baht to put into account - the nice girl said wheres your work permit - i replied my dear i dont need to work - so when i asked her why they did not want my business her reply is its you who asked us - the bank standard chatered but she was a thai manager - says it all - TIT - but give a 5,000 baht bribe and their all over you - TIT

I think the writing of the above poster says alot, but the line that got me was "- i replied my dear i dont need to work - "

Somehow it formed an opinion in my mind of this poster.

Without saying a word either way, did anyone else feel anything about this or is it only myself?

[crawford]

So, the OP voices his concers and cites examples of how he feels that Thailand is making it more difficult for non-Thai residents to live in the country and all he gets is crap . . . nice people we have here on TV.

Would you not care to address the issues he raises ...? I guess answering that would cause you to think too much.

POT...KETTLE...BLACK.

You're really one to talk, aren't you, horse? After all the crap I've seen you give out....

'Address the issues' - indeed!

[crawford]

I have to agree with sing_sling.. the OP did make some valid points and in any case , he deserves to be treated with respect. There are an amazing number of miseries on TV who make the most stupid posts, usually consisting of one word answers which, by their very nature , do not address a long post by the originator.

Comments like sling your hook and goodbye and stop whineing don't address the OP's original questions or points and don't contribute to the discussion in any way.

Whether you agree with him or not , he did make some points and was asking for comment. If you can't be bothered to give a reasoned reply , why bother giving one?

From my point of view i think he has made a couple of mistakes but also a couple of good points and i hope the resultant downturn in tourism and people choosing to live in Thailand will, one day, force the authorities to stop introducing new laws which make it more difficult for people to stay here.

I expect the miseries will now shoot me down , with a one word post of course, but its a chance i'll take.

To the OP, sorry you were treated by some here so rudely , but that is part of the TV experience.

BRAVO!!

[crawford]

Unfortunately Thailand has changed for the worse over the last 6 years or so, and is starting to move away from the free for all it was in the nineties and towards a controlled county that it is now fast becoming e.g. the nightlife scene over the last 6 years is very different.

How was it different before?

[camerata]

Prior to TRT gaining power, Thailand had the freest press in Asia and no "social order" campaign. At the core of the TRT was a group of former Phalang Dharma (a quasi-religious political party) stalwarts with a social agenda. Not all of it was bad. For example, plenty of people whinge about not being able to buy Valium and Xanax over the counter anymore, but that's no different from the situation in Western countries. Also, don't forget that this is Thailand and many Thais supported the social order campaign.

However, there was nothing good at all about muzzling the press to prevent legitimate criticism.

[Sing_Sling]

So, the OP voices his concers and cites examples of how he feels that Thailand is making it more difficult for non-Thai residents to live in the country and all he gets is crap . . . nice people we have here on TV.

Would you not care to address the issues he raises ...? I guess answering that would cause you to think too much.

POT...KETTLE...BLACK.

You're really one to talk, aren't you, horse? After all the crap I've seen you give out....

'Address the issues' - indeed!

You are an odd fellow, indeed, Crawford.

Here you give me a little slap, with no examples, and in your next post you say bravo to a poster who agrees with what I had said . . .

What a welcome addition to TV you are . . .

DONZ, please come over, we need your ascerbic wit to counter Crawford!