Asian Indians in Thailand as permanent residents

[calbear09]

Anyone know what the history is with the large Indian population in Thailand in terms of gaining permanent residency? It seems as though many are permanent residents and according to some statistics there are 60k plus who were actually born in India

[CodyB]

I cannot say much about those born in India, but the local Indians here are Ethnic Punjac Sikhs who have been in the country for 4-5 generations.   

 

A notable fun fact is that some were 'granted' land in Sukhumvit during the 40s and 50s when it was a backwater and swamp.  It's some of the most valuable realestate in Thailand now and many of them have become multi millionaires just on the land that they own.  

[nisakiman]

5 hours ago, CodyB said:

I cannot say much about those born in India, but the local Indians here are Ethnic Punjac Sikhs who have been in the country for 4-5 generations.   

 

A notable fun fact is that some were 'granted' land in Sukhumvit during the 40s and 50s when it was a backwater and swamp.  It's some of the most valuable realestate in Thailand now and many of them have become multi millionaires just on the land that they own.  

The Sikhs always were a canny bunch. Good businessmen and usually straight dealers. It doesn't surprise me at all that they have been successful in Thailand. They tend to make a success of things wherever they go.

[cheapskatesam]

What about the millions of Indians walking around selling nuts? and the ones selling dodgy watches in soi cowboy? Where do they get work permits for that?

[seancbk]

18 hours ago, CodyB said:

I cannot say much about those born in India, but the local Indians here are Ethnic Punjac Sikhs who have been in the country for 4-5 generations.   

 

A notable fun fact is that some were 'granted' land in Sukhumvit during the 40s and 50s when it was a backwater and swamp.  It's some of the most valuable realestate in Thailand now and many of them have become multi millionaires just on the land that they own.  

 

More likely billionaires.

I heard that Bangkok is owned by 4 groups.  The Royal Property Bureau, Native Thais, Chinese Thais and Thai Indians.

 

[seancbk]

12 hours ago, cheapskatesam said:

What about the millions of Indians walking around selling nuts? and the ones selling dodgy watches in soi cowboy? Where do they get work permits for that?

 

It isn't only rich Indians that have been here for generations.  

Where do you see 'millions' of Indians selling nuts?  Definitely not 'millions' or even 'hundreds' of them.  
 

 

[LC 100]

I tried to get into BKK last Friday for a few beers but couldn't get near the place due to millions of Indians selling nuts, something really must be done about them.....

[Thongkorn]

Nakosetermarat, Think thats how you spell it, Thats where the first Indian population came to Thailand a long time ago, A lot of people around there look Indian but are not they are Thais,

[Centrum]

14 hours ago, cheapskatesam said:

What about the millions of Indians walking around selling nuts? and the ones selling dodgy watches in soi cowboy? Where do they get work permits for that?

Selling nuts, electrical equipment, you name it. I don't know why, but Indians have special rights when it comes to working here. I used to live in Pratunam and when I asked about the number of Indians selling over the counter in the Indra shopping centre, I was told they get a visa and accommodation and a Thai ID card and then have to pay it off.

They certainly weren't born here.

 

[seancbk]

38 minutes ago, Thongkorn said:

Nakosetermarat, Think thats how you spell it, Thats where the first Indian population came to Thailand a long time ago, A lot of people around there look Indian but are not they are Thais,

 

At what point does a person who's family emigrated from somewhere else cease to be 'from' there?

I know Thai Chinese people who can trace their great grandparents back to places in China, but the family adopted a Thai name and married into Thai families.   The grandparents were 100% Chinese, the next generation half Chinese / half Thai, then married into other Chinese families or perhaps Thai Chinese so the next generation are still 50% or more Chinese.  

Same can be said for the Indians, they adopted Thai names but they've kept their Indian bloodlines pretty pure.  Relatively few Indian families have diluted significantly with Thai blood, if anything it's more likely to be Thai Chinese they've married with.

The fact is aside from a Thai name, Thai language ability and having lived here for generations, they are still ethnically Chinese or Indian.

If a Westerner has a half Thai half Western child, what is the chance that kid marries a Western woman or a Thai Chinese woman or a Thai Indian.   How long before little Luk Krueng Johnny Smith's kids and grandkids are no longer 50% Caucasian and can be thought of as Thai?    

[elgordo38]

16 hours ago, cheapskatesam said:

What about the millions of Indians walking around selling nuts? and the ones selling dodgy watches in soi cowboy? Where do they get work permits for that?

From dodgy officials. 

[bangon04]

1 hour ago, seancbk said:

 

At what point does a person who's family emigrated from somewhere else cease to be 'from' there?

I know Thai Chinese people who can trace their great grandparents back to places in China, but the family adopted a Thai name and married into Thai families.   The grandparents were 100% Chinese, the next generation half Chinese / half Thai, then married into other Chinese families or perhaps Thai Chinese so the next generation are still 50% or more Chinese.  

Same can be said for the Indians, they adopted Thai names but they've kept their Indian bloodlines pretty pure.  Relatively few Indian families have diluted significantly with Thai blood, if anything it's more likely to be Thai Chinese they've married with.

The fact is aside from a Thai name, Thai language ability and having lived here for generations, they are still ethnically Chinese or Indian.

If a Westerner has a half Thai half Western child, what is the chance that kid marries a Western woman or a Thai Chinese woman or a Thai Indian.   How long before little Luk Krueng Johnny Smith's kids and grandkids are no longer 50% Caucasian and can be thought of as Thai?    

The Chinese were invited by King Rama V to come and run the commercial infrastructure of Siam (probably because the local Thais were not making a very good job of it.)

They were obliged to take Siamese names to prove their commitment to their new country. They often tried to keep a Chinese name as part of their Siamese name eg SHIN-awatra, LIM-thongkul, YOO-vidhya, and still may see themselves as superior to the peasant Thais.

[SteveB2]

There were many Indian Applicants for PR at CW BKK during the 2016 interviews for Dec 2015 applications I attended. I spoke to a few in the waiting areas.

 

All were polite, well educated, multilingual, smartly dressed and obviously well financed - IMHO, I consider they would be considered model citizens in any country they chose to settle in. 

[elgordo38]

2 minutes ago, bangon04 said:

The Chinese were invited by King Rama V to come and run the commercial infrastructure of Siam (probably because the local Thais were not making a very good job of it.)

They were obliged to take Siamese names to prove their commitment to their new country. They often tried to keep a Chinese name as part of their Siamese name eg SHIN-awatra, LIM-thongkul, YOO-vidhya, and still may see themselves as superior to the peasant Thais.

They own most of the gold shops does that tell us something. 

[seancbk]

1 hour ago, SteveB2 said:

There were many Indian Applicants for PR at CW BKK during the 2016 interviews for Dec 2015 applications I attended. I spoke to a few in the waiting areas.

 

All were polite, well educated, multilingual, smartly dressed and obviously well financed - IMHO, I consider they would be considered model citizens in any country they chose to settle in. 

 

What I have been unable to figure out is why you hardly ever see young Indians out partying.  In HK they are out drinking and mixing socially with the Western expats and overseas educated Chinese all the time.

I've only met one Indian guy in the entire time I've lived here, yet in HK Indians made up probably 15-12% of my friends.  I even dated an Indian girl for 7 years.

I'd love to get into the Indian community here and date myself another Indian princess.

 

[malt25]

What I don't understand is all the Indian tailor shops. Most have the same stock displayed in the window year after year. A lot of the shirts & jackets are decades out of fashion. Seldom see a customer in any of them. Most are in relatively high rent areas.

Must be a front for something very profitable .... you think ?

[mike324]

3 hours ago, malt25 said:

What I don't understand is all the Indian tailor shops. Most have the same stock displayed in the window year after year. A lot of the shirts & jackets are decades out of fashion. Seldom see a customer in any of them. Most are in relatively high rent areas.

Must be a front for something very profitable .... you think ?

A front for factories which are very profitable..... known a couple of indians who are in the textile industry. Many own the shops which were purchase long time ago, so most are not paying rent. Back then many of the tailor shops making a killing selling suits to tourists, nowadays not so much. Townhouses back in the day were pretty cheap.

[pigeonjake]

is that jealousy again,,lol

why can they stay and i cant

[smokie36]

Many of them are descendants of those who arrived after partition to start a new life here.

 

Yes they already had money when they arrived and opened businesses and made a success of their lives....shrewd and with a strong work ethic makes it little surprise.

[chrisandsu]

On 2/12/2017 at 11:08 AM, cheapskatesam said:

What about the millions of Indians walking around selling nuts? and the ones selling dodgy watches in soi cowboy? Where do they get work permits for that?

You have not lived in thailand long have you ? Do you really think they can make a living selling nuts ? They are loan sharks collecting debts . The nut selling is a front . Why do you think the Thais despise them ?

[Naam]

1 hour ago, chrisandsu said:

Why do you think the Thais despise them ?

because they are generally more successful than the average Thai. as simple as that.

[Naam]

23 hours ago, LC 100 said:

I tried to get into BKK last Friday for a few beers but couldn't get near the place due to millions of Indians selling nuts, something really must be done about them.....

are you sure there were only millions, not billions?

[JHolmesJr]

Soi 11 largely belongs to an indian family….the president group….the same group has so many other properties in every other soi.

[oxo1947]

7 minutes ago, JHolmesJr said:

Soi 11 largely belongs to an indian family

There you are then it can be done----just save all your pennies up---sell a few nuts on the side, & you could own Soi 11.....and be a millionaire, not that this will make any difference to the girls in Thailand.................

Edited February 14, 2017 by oxo1947

[Jingthing]

My perception which may be wrong is that currently migrating Asian Indians are technically subject to the same immigration laws as Europeans. But that there was a major wave of Asian Indians in the past before the current Thai immigration laws meaning of course that there are many Asian Indians as established as Thai as any other native Thai.

Edited February 14, 2017 by Jingthing

[HooHaa]

14 minutes ago, JHolmesJr said:

Soi 11 largely belongs to an indian family….the president group….the same group has so many other properties in every other soi.

 

yes, they also built many apartment buildings on 11, 13, 10, 12, 19, 15 etc.  

huge rooms, great value for money if you can get in to one. 

 

As for the guy who says he never sees em out partying, i know quite a few from my many years on soi 11. look for the guy at the club surrounded by thai women with about 5 bottles on the table and the accompanying mixers. 

they are out there, you may just be looking in all the wrong places. Levels, beam, cest la vie, higher end night clubs.

[chrisandsu]

6 hours ago, Naam said:

because they are generally more successful than the average Thai. as simple as that.

Thais tend to drool over people with money right ? No one likes a debt collector . 

[seancbk]

13 minutes ago, chrisandsu said:

6 hours ago, Naam said:

because they are generally more successful than the average Thai. as simple as that.

Thais tend to drool over people with money right ?

 

And rightly so.   The only people worth admiring in this world are the ones who've made themselves rich, or have inherited wealth.

Who would want to aspire to be a poor person?

[chrisandsu]

2 minutes ago, seancbk said:

 

And rightly so.   The only people worth admiring in this world are the ones who've made themselves rich, or have inherited wealth.

Who would want to aspire to be a poor person?

How do you measure wealth ? im

sure no one aspires to be poor but I for one won't matsurbate over some guy that drives a Porsche . That was not even the point I was making , Thais are normally swayed by money, but still see Indians as the bottom of the barrel in the same way we see bankers / realtors in the west as parasites . I think it's more to do with the chosen professions . As I said in the post above many started as loan sharks .

[seancbk]

56 minutes ago, chrisandsu said:

How do you measure wealth ? im

sure no one aspires to be poor but I for one won't matsurbate over some guy that drives a Porsche . That was not even the point I was making , Thais are normally swayed by money, but still see Indians as the bottom of the barrel in the same way we see bankers / realtors in the west as parasites . I think it's more to do with the chosen professions . As I said in the post above many started as loan sharks .

 

I worked for Morgan Stanley and for Goldman Sachs in the mid 90's.  I certainly don't view investment bankers or realtors as parasites.  They are some of the smartest people you'll meet and they make a lot of money for their clients.  The fact they also get paid a lot is how capitalism works.  If I turned 100 million into 200 million for you, I would expect at least 10 million for my efforts.

I think you'll find that Thais understand the difference between smart, well educated, wealthy Indians and the ones selling nuts and loan sharking.