The position I provided reflects the commonly accepted assessment of integration, and while it may be my "opinion", it is based on the measurements and assessments used to determine the level of integration in a society. It is also common sense. There are two components to integration; One is how society treats the person and the other is how the person is part of the society. The first component is more easily measured through things like access to social services including health care, equal treatment by the judiciary and law enforcement, and equitable treatment by society in general. A farang who is subject to double pricing or unfair treatment in the courts because he/she is not Thai has not integrated. It may not be the person's doing, but it reflects the society's reluctance to accept the foreigner as an equal. The second component, is how how the person has become part of the community. Some believe that if they wear an amulet, or go to a wat and wai that they have integrated. Integration is more than that. It is demonstrated by participation in local governance and administration. It is also demonstrated by social participation in governnce activities. The concept of integration in a local community is evident and measurable. The use of terms such as "degree of integration" are not helpful and are used to excuse or to justify exclusion. Integration means that one has become part of the social construct of the host society. One does not have to be an immigrant to be excluded. Examples are the mentally ill, the physically impaired, and people of lower socio economic positions who can be excluded from society. Integration of foreigners in Thailand is neither easy, nor common. The exclusion is attributable to the intentional obstacles and the social culture that does not accept most foreign cultures, especially non regional. Thank you for your unsolicited suggestions on writing technique. In respect your view that I should have structured my comment into paragraphs, I ask if you know what a paragraph is? It is usually a construction of 3-5 sentences. The first sentence introduces the main point or key issue. The next component sets out the information that supports the point made. The paragraph then ends with a sentence that ties the aforementioned together. The paragraph you criticized was 5 sentences, and followed the format described.
