What is a real expat?

[chiang mai]

2 minutes ago, AbeSurd said:

What is a real expat?

A real expat is someone who's told the authorities back in his or her homeland that they're now living abroad?

 

I think that's an emigrant, not an expat, the difference being that an expat might return?

[billd766]

5 hours ago, Kinnock said:

You pass the 'True ex-pat' test on so many levels.

 

Red elastic bands - Check

Drinking straws - Check

Pick up truck - Check

Relaxed about being called a falang - Check

 

Now to see if you can achieve 'Master Expat' status .....

 

Do you have shop loyalty cards for more than three retail outlets?

Are there random pieces of agricultural equipment inside your home for no apparent reason?

Does your scooter have a bag clip?

Do you use brightly colored Mountain Dew bottles or old CD's as safety reflectors?

Can you sing the chorus to Yinglee's 'My Heart for your number' ..... in Thai?

 

 

Now to see if you can achieve 'Master Expat' status .....

 

Do you have shop loyalty cards for more than three retail outlets? Only two, BigC and Makro and they are 65km away

 

Are there random pieces of agricultural equipment inside your home for no apparent reason? No but there are in my shed/workshop.

 

Does your scooter have a bag clip? It used to but we got rid of the scooter last year.

 

Do you use brightly colored Mountain Dew bottles or old CD's as safety reflectors? Sorry no, but if there is a prize I will get some.

 

Can you sing the chorus to Yinglee's 'My Heart for your number' ..... in Thai? If you heard my singing in English you wouldn't ask that question. Even the dogs join in to try and drown me out.

 

Still 2 1/2 out of 5 isn't a bad score.

 

 

 

[tazly]

A bit more food for thought….

 

Expat Checklist

You are here during the winter months only- you are not an expat

You have a 30 day visa exemption or Visa on arrival – you are not an expat

You have a tourist visa- you are not an expat

You have a retirement visa/extension- you are not an expat

You have a marriage related visa – you are not an expat

You do not have a work permit – you are not an expat

You are a student- you are not an expat

You have a local conditions employment contract- you are not an expat

You are an English teacher- you are not an expat

You have tattoos- you are not an expat

You go to Full Moon Parties - you are not an expat

You hang out on Soi Buakheow – you are not an expat

 

That excludes about 99.9% of farang in Pattaya…….so in reality well less than .1% of foreigners in Pattaya are true expats.  If someone claims to be one, just read out the checklist above, and then get back to sipping your champagne and reading the Financial Times.

The discussion continues…..back to you….

[Kinnock]

14 hours ago, tazly said:

A bit more food for thought….

 

 

 

Expat Checklist

 

You are here during the winter months only- you are not an expat

 

You have a 30 day visa exemption or Visa on arrival – you are not an expat

 

You have a tourist visa- you are not an expat

 

You have a retirement visa/extension- you are not an expat

 

You have a marriage related visa – you are not an expat

 

You do not have a work permit – you are not an expat

 

You are a student- you are not an expat

 

You have a local conditions employment contract- you are not an expat

 

You are an English teacher- you are not an expat

 

You have tattoos- you are not an expat

 

You go to Full Moon Parties - you are not an expat

 

You hang out on Soi Buakheow – you are not an expat

 

 

 

That excludes about 99.9% of farang in Pattaya…….so in reality well less than .1% of foreigners in Pattaya are true expats.  If someone claims to be one, just read out the checklist above, and then get back to sipping your champagne and reading the Financial Times.

 

The discussion continues…..back to you….

 

What about the elastic bands?

[Deepinthailand]

15 hours ago, tazly said:

A bit more food for thought….

 

 

 

Expat Checklist

 

You are here during the winter months only- you are not an expat

 

You have a 30 day visa exemption or Visa on arrival – you are not an expat

 

You have a tourist visa- you are not an expat

 

You have a retirement visa/extension- you are not an expat

 

You have a marriage related visa – you are not an expat

 

You do not have a work permit – you are not an expat

 

You are a student- you are not an expat

 

You have a local conditions employment contract- you are not an expat

 

You are an English teacher- you are not an expat

 

You have tattoos- you are not an expat

 

You go to Full Moon Parties - you are not an expat

 

You hang out on Soi Buakheow – you are not an expat

 

 

 

That excludes about 99.9% of farang in Pattaya…….so in reality well less than .1% of foreigners in Pattaya are true expats.  If someone claims to be one, just read out the checklist above, and then get back to sipping your champagne and reading the Financial Times.

 

The discussion continues…..back to you….

 

Is this your idea of an Expat check list?.

[HooHaa]

10 hours ago, Deepinthailand said:

Is this your idea of an Expat check list?.

 

Didn't the underlined words Expat Checklist at the top give it away?

[NanLaew]

On 1/24/2017 at 9:42 PM, tazly said:

A bit more food for thought….

 

 

 

Expat Checklist

 

You are here during the winter months only- you are not an expat

 

You have a 30 day visa exemption or Visa on arrival – you are not an expat

 

You have a tourist visa- you are not an expat

 

You have a retirement visa/extension- you are not an expat

 

You have a marriage related visa – you are not an expat

 

You do not have a work permit – you are not an expat

 

You are a student- you are not an expat

 

You have a local conditions employment contract- you are not an expat

 

You are an English teacher- you are not an expat

 

You have tattoos- you are not an expat

 

You go to Full Moon Parties - you are not an expat

 

You hang out on Soi Buakheow – you are not an expat

 

 

 

That excludes about 99.9% of farang in Pattaya…….so in reality well less than .1% of foreigners in Pattaya are true expats.  If someone claims to be one, just read out the checklist above, and then get back to sipping your champagne and reading the Financial Times.

 

The discussion continues…..back to you….

 

If a person is living in a country that is not his/her birth or claimed nationality, he/she is an expatriate.

 

Taken singularly, all the stuff on your checklist are aspects that may apply to an expatriate. However, taken collectively, they are fairly irrelevant to the question in the OP.

[Kinnock]

1 hour ago, NanLaew said:

If a person is living in a country that is not his/her birth or claimed nationality, he/she is an expatriate.

 

Taken singularly, all the stuff on your checklist are aspects that may apply to an expatriate. However, taken collectively, they are fairly irrelevant to the question in the OP.

Strictly speaking yes ..... but languages evolve, and I think that the term 'ex-pat', in some circles, has evolved to mean a person who is sent on a salaried, long-term assignment by his employer to a country not of his/her birth, who can also remove elastic bands from food bags.

[Khon Kaen Dave]

tazly

I changed my name from 'Pat' to 'Dave' Does that make me an exPat?

[NanLaew]

2 hours ago, Kinnock said:

Strictly speaking yes ..... but languages evolve, and I think that the term 'ex-pat', in some circles, has evolved to mean a person who is sent on a salaried, long-term assignment by his employer to a country not of his/her birth, who can also remove elastic bands from food bags.

Point taken but what do you call person who is sent on a salaried, long-term assignment by his employer to a country not of his/her birth who has people to remove the rubber bands for him/her?

[billd766]

19 hours ago, Kinnock said:

Strictly speaking yes ..... but languages evolve, and I think that the term 'ex-pat', in some circles, has evolved to mean a person who is sent on a salaried, long-term assignment by his employer to a country not of his/her birth, who can also remove elastic bands from food bags.

 

Been there and done that 4 times in Thailand since 1993.

[The Deerhunter]

On 1/23/2017 at 6:03 PM, Deepinthailand said:

Does it really matter! Not in my book it doesn't Expat/Alien/Immigrant/foreigner/Falang.  Who cares if any one asks me now where are you from I reply Khon Kaen always gets a smile and a thumbs up.

 

Even more fun when you are asked by a taxi driver in BKK "Where you come from?" and you reply "Me bahn Roi-et!"  about 50% of taxi drivers in BKK seem to be from Roi-et. 

[rott]

On 1/23/2017 at 6:23 PM, possum1931 said:

Yes, that's right Ex Pat means you were patriotic to your home country, that's one thing I was not, so I am not an Ex Pat. I had no respect for anything in the UK, Royalty, governments etc. Respect has got to be earned, and they did nothing to earn mine.

And which country does earn yours?   The Vatican State?   Republic of Ireland?    Thailand?

[NoshowJones]

3 minutes ago, rott said:

And which country does earn yours?   The Vatican State?   Republic of Ireland?    Thailand?

The Republic of Ireland as the fought and died for their independence, while my own country Scotland can't even put a cross on a piece of paper for theirs.

[rott]

On 1/24/2017 at 9:42 PM, tazly said:

A bit more food for thought….

 

 

 

Expat Checklist

 

You are here during the winter months only- you are not an expat

 

You have a 30 day visa exemption or Visa on arrival – you are not an expat

 

You have a tourist visa- you are not an expat

 

You have a retirement visa/extension- you are not an expat

 

You have a marriage related visa – you are not an expat

 

You do not have a work permit – you are not an expat

 

You are a student- you are not an expat

 

You have a local conditions employment contract- you are not an expat

 

You are an English teacher- you are not an expat

 

You have tattoos- you are not an expat

 

You go to Full Moon Parties - you are not an expat

 

You hang out on Soi Buakheow – you are not an expat

 

 

 

That excludes about 99.9% of farang in Pattaya…….so in reality well less than .1% of foreigners in Pattaya are true expats.  If someone claims to be one, just read out the checklist above, and then get back to sipping your champagne and reading the Financial Times.

 

The discussion continues…..back to you….

 

There was an American who came on here with very strict views on the subject, who felt that anybody not on a time-specific work contract (i.e.not like him) could not describe themselves as expats.

 

To plagiarise the author Richard Gordon "he stood on his dignity like a young girl in her first pair of high-heels'.

 

As does anybody who insists on calling themselves an expat.

[rott]

9 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

The Republic of Ireland as the fought and died for their independence, while my own country Scotland can't even put a cross on a piece of paper for theirs.

Actually they did put a cross on a piece of paper. The majority voted to remain in the UK..

 

The Republic of Ireland did not fight and die for independence, a very small percentage paid the supreme sacrifice. And I mean no disrespect to any of them. But it was a lot less than died in the 36th (Ulster) Division on the first day of the battle of the Somme. And less than the number of Irishmen who died in WWI as a whole, and all were volunteers.

[NoshowJones]

This is going way off topic now, so I will just say "what was the Irish war of Independence all about"? Read the history books.

It was not all about the Easter rising. Now lets just finish this now. Their will be no more answers from me on this subject.

[Ace of Pop]

AReal Expat .?. One who leaves his own Country ,then posts here as if he cares about it .[emoji447]


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[Rimmer]

A couple of baiting and bickering posts have been removed, can we stay on topic please, thank you

[tazly]

On 2017-01-24 at 11:42 PM, Kinnock said:

What about the elastic bands?

The elastic bands definitely escalate you to uber-expat status!

[NanLaew]

5 hours ago, tazly said:

The elastic bands definitely escalate you to uber-expat status!

Rubber band dexterity is more a gauge of expat-in-Thailand and not the pan-galactic uber-expat.

 

For example I lived and worked in the US and Brazil where the rubber band criteria didn't exist. I guess buying a pickup validated my 'expat-in-Texas' status but it was just a regular pickup... OK, it was  4x4. A bloke from Birmingham working for the same company went the whole hog and got a 'dually' (double tires on rear axle) pickup and wore cowboy boots and bolo neckties. Still looked like a Brummie cowboy, especially when he opened his mouth. At least I learned to line dance. When I was in northern Brazil, the criteria there was taking hours to carefully select your rede (hammock) and then using it on every conceivable (and even some inconceivable) occasion. Couldn't master dancing in it though.

 

Back here in Pattaya, I have a pickup with a discrete Scottish saltire on the arse-end but the truck itself could be a sop to some subconscious Isaan expat claims (the Udon rego is only a giveaway to Thais and maybe those that can read Thai). Then again, it's hard to haul chooks in a CR-V. It's been a fair few years since I had to dance an Eightsome Reel but can anyone here safely claim that they can really ramwong?

Edited February 2, 2017 by NanLaew

[Ace of Pop]

Chooks is very Ozz[emoji213]


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[sandmike]

Yes, I do not think being an expat has to be related to working in another country; simply living in another country is being an expatriate.

 

/snip/

 

I always worked for American firms or had my own company and we used to refer to any workers who were not part of either the foreign contractor country or the local client country a TCN--Third-Country National.  When I worked in Saudi and in Iran, my companies had some British contractors. They didn't like it when we referred to them as TCNs, but TCNs they were.

 

Why is it a point of contention when a word or term is plainly defined?

 

 

When I worked in ARAMCO in the early 1980's TCN had a very distinct meaning ...

 

USA was 'First (world) Country', the rest of the western world was 'Second (world) Country', and Asian countries were Third (world) Countries.

 

So TCN, meaning 'Third (world) Country National' was very distinct. Someone who was from Asia .. Filipinos, Indians, etc. was a TCN in ARAMCO jargon

 

I'm not suprised your Brit contractors took exception to being called TCN's ...

 

BTW, I'm a Brit, and having lived and worked in my little sandpit in the middle east for the last 30 years, I very definitely consider myself an Expat(riate).

[smotherb]

10 hours ago, sandmike said:

When I worked in ARAMCO in the early 1980's TCN had a very distinct meaning ...

 

USA was 'First (world) Country', the rest of the western world was 'Second (world) Country', and Asian countries were Third (world) Countries.

 

So TCN, meaning 'Third (world) Country National' was very distinct. Someone who was from Asia .. Filipinos, Indians, etc. was a TCN in ARAMCO jargon

 

I'm not suprised your Brit contractors took exception to being called TCN's ...

 

BTW, I'm a Brit, and having lived and worked in my little sandpit in the middle east for the last 30 years, I very definitely consider myself an Expat(riate).

Well, under your definition the Saudis would be TCNs in Aramco. Perhaps, being a Brit, you preferred your definition, but that does not make it right.

 

I worked in Vietnam in the 60s and 70s, Iran in the 70s, Saudi in the 70s and 80s, the Philippines in the 80s and 90s. TCN (Third County National) meant any worker from any country other than the primary contracting country (the first country) or the local client country (the second country).    Which is more like the tern suggests..

 

However, you do not have to take my word for it. The Cambridge Dictionary says, Third Country National is

 

" a person who is employed by an international organization and who comes neither from the country where the organization has its main base, nor from the country where they are working: "

 

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/third-country-national

 

 

[sandmike]

OK .. I stand corrected. Thank you ..