"We Love Thailand!" - Expats show the love and TAT hopes to encourage more to the Land of Smiles

 

Image: tnamcot

 

BANGKOK: -- The Tourism Authority if Thailand has announced they are organizing the Expat 2016 fair in the country for the first time.

 

Thailand is one of the top ten places in the world for expats to live and work and the TAT hopes the fair on October 1st and 2nd will encourage more foreign workers into the kingdom, reported tnamcot.

 

There are thought to be about 1.5 million expats in the kingdom and the TAT want more. They also hope that the more expats come the more they will inspire top end tourists to come and spend their money here.

 

Some top expat lovers of Thailand were on hand yesterday to promote the country - look thung singer Jonas Anderson and language teacher, columnist and social commentator Andrew Biggs led the way.

 

The Expat Fair 2016 will be held at Fragrant Park in Sukhumvit Road Soi 36. 

 

The fair will feature Thai cultural shows and showcase the excellent cooperation and spirit that exists between expatriate workers and their Thai hosts.

 

Source: tnamcot

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2016-09-20

 

There are thought to be about 1.5 million expats in the kingdom and the TAT want more.

Well you could have fooled me! Please don't forget to pass your intentions on to the Immigration Dept!

The fair will feature Thai cultural shows and showcase the excellent cooperation and spirit that exists between expatriate workers and their Thai hosts.

 

Will this including the mass proffering of brown envelopes to every seedy official on the take, to enable farang-owned commercial ventures to operate here?

Can expats work at this expat fair that promotes thainess or will all the stalls and jobs be reserved be reserved for thais.

 

Hey, it could be a sting operation where after all the expat farang has gathered

together in one place the immigration and the police will come out to check

everybody visa status......

In any case, an expat fair for farang in Thailand has no redeeming values,

and it only serves ' the masters '  to show and tell....

as long as we're treated like a second and third class citizens with very little rights

and no voice or standing in the Thai system and society....

Expat Money 2016

I hope they explain the dual pricing for expats.  Having bigger feet which takes up more room in parks doesn't cut it.

"Amazing Planet Thailand!....Centre of the Universe"

Some forum members will be wetting themselves with excitement although may possibly be miffed if not invited to be star attractions given they're support for all things Thai no matter what.

"...The fair will feature Thai cultural shows and showcase the excellent cooperation and spirit that exists between expatriate workers and their Thai hosts..."

 

My initial cynical response was to consider who is the fair targeting - Expats already living here, their Thai hosts, or tourists visiting the country?

 

However, when I started to investigate it, I discovered that this type of fair is carried out in many other cities around the world (just a few I looked at are):

• Amsterdam (http://expatfair.nl/)
• Geneva (http://www.expat-expo.info/geneva)
• Munich (http://www.expatinthecity.de/)
• Singapore (https://www.theexpatfairs.com/)
• Lausanne (http://www.lemanevents.ch/)
• Copenhagen (http://www.meetup.com/en-AU/New-to-Copenhagen-Meetup-Group/events/230514776/?eventId=230514776)
• The Hague (http://feelathomeinthehague.com/)

 

After visiting these sites I think I have gained a better understanding of what an Expat Fair should be, and who the beneficiaries are.

 

And as TAT note, the Expat Fair Thailand 2016 was organised to create a good relationship with Expats in Thailand as well as highlight the uniqueness of Thainess through the “Local Experience”. TAT suggest this strategy will not only promote Thainess to travellers who live overseas but also the Expats in the kingdom.

 

 

 

Sounds kind of desperate .

Arrival numbers going down ?

25 minutes ago, NongKhaiKid said:

Some forum members will be wetting themselves with excitement although may possibly be miffed if not invited to be star attractions given they're support for all things Thai no matter what.

 

Or maybe those members who feel that the economy would collapse without their economic contribution should be invited?

To enter you will be required to give up your social media passwords and you have to report your location every 90 minutes.

Entrance fee for westerners will be 500 baht, 10 baht for Thai citizens.

7 minutes ago, BuaBS said:

Sounds kind of desperate .

Arrival numbers going down ?

Nah, actually according to a media release yesterday they are still going out of control and through the roof, records still being smashed.

 

If Thailand wishes to encourage more EX Pats to come to live in Thailand : there needs to be an easing of the immigration regulations .

I'm British , but lived in Italy for a number of years .  In Italy I had to register with immigration by three months ; all being well with my finances , given a 5year probationary permission to stay .  At the end of 5years i had to reapply and was given residency in perpetuity .  Malaysia offers EX Pats a much better deal than Thailand .

I, like many other EX Pats love Thailand , but even after 10yrs living in Thailand , am caused terrible stress each year coping with the ever increasing documentation and demands of Immigration .

Thailand, before the coup, was a wonderful refuge.  Today, not so much.  With regards to doing business, Thailand is one of the most restrictive in Asia.  Its a shame too.  They could be more competitive.  More inclined to look at parts of China, Indonesia and Cambodia.

TAT:

easing up on the yearly visa paperwork may have a good start, also if an expat has been in thailand five or ten years, how about a bi yearly visa? having been here so long you would think that the expat does have a desire to live here.

Okay TAT: As Toccano mentioned:

 

1: Better/easier visa rules for expats.

2: Not 10 times fees at National parks, many pensioner expats are by no means rich as most Thais believe they are. There should be some kind of rules that expats over 60 get Thai prices all over.

Thailand is however still a nice place to stay and I choose it over Malaysia any time.

EU citizens have options in South Europe if they are just a bit well off, visa very easy to obtain. I am still dreaming of be able to stay somewhere in EU during the summer month and then spend the winters here in LOS, but are not sure I can afford it when retirement kicks in, in about 10 years time. 

And why shouldn't we return the gesture. They already state 1 expat is worth up to 10 Thais,  at least as far as the dual pricing goes.  

 

36 minutes ago, dg1980 said:

 

Or maybe those members who feel that the economy would collapse without their economic contribution should be invited?

Well, collapse it will not, the economy I mean.

But if only half of the retirement expats would disappear, I am certain it will make quite a dent in the economy.

The number of jobs directly related to number of expats seem to be 2:1.

Quite a dent, I say.

As the average retired farang brings into the country 50,000 baht a month, I do wonder if the powers in Thailand ever did the sums and after that decided immigration rules and laws need some amending.

But that is out-of-the-box long-term thinking.

 

They don't want us here, they just want our money.  Let them clean up their acts with dual pricing in National Parks to start with and then maybe I will start to believe it.  Until then, TIT

As of 2 October I will no longer be an expat in Thailand.  Can't explain how thrilled I am to be leaving.

Andrew Biggs and Jonas Anderson on the same stage, your 'average Farangs' - time to move to the next thread......

This is sooo TIT...lol..555

Another surface show, but the substance that we all know well is anti falang.

Sure, you can just feel the love in the pace PR applications are processed in here, as well as the really simple application process.

Love the banner in the background: Food Truck and dancing.  Not sure what to infer from that?

2 hours ago, webfact said:

They also hope that the more expats come the more they will inspire top end tourists to come and spend their money here.

And this sentence sums up the TAT's thinking. 

Will the Expat Fair have any stalls selling this merchandise ? If so I know several Thai ladies who would like to go shopping there.

" The Expat Fair 2016 will be held at Fragrant Park in Sukhumvit Road Soi 36. "  Good choice of venue. Something smells funny here.... I imagine army of real estate promos, law firms and some clever women looking for the next hansum man.

39 minutes ago, guzzi850m2 said:

Okay TAT: As Toccano mentioned:

 

1: Better/easier visa rules for expats.

2: Not 10 times fees at National parks, many pensioner expats are by no means rich as most Thais believe they are. There should be some kind of rules that expats over 60 get Thai prices all over.

Thailand is however still a nice place to stay and I choose it over Malaysia any time.

EU citizens have options in South Europe if they are just a bit well off, visa very easy to obtain. I am still dreaming of be able to stay somewhere in EU during the summer month and then spend the winters here in LOS, but are not sure I can afford it when retirement kicks in, in about 10 years time. 

In some places (Nong Nooch Gardens, Pattaya is one) showing a Thai driving license will get you Thai prices.  Good move.  We have taken several lots of people there