Readers' reactions often state that we should comply with Thai rules and customs and therefore should not complain because we are guests in this country. I absolutely disagree!
My opinion is that you are a guest if family, friends and acquaintances invite you to visit their home for a short or longer period of time. Then you are a guest. They offer you (free) accommodation and hospitality. You then have to adapt to the habits in their house.
What personally makes me sick is that many people think that this is also the same as living in Thailand. Most foreigners who have lived here for years only spend money and have never asked or cost a Baht for Thai society. In addition, we support a Thai partner and children (often not even our own children). We get little or nothing in return from the Thai government. So we have no right to property. Always only spent money in Thailand.
So don't come up with the story that we are guests here, that is utter nonsense.
Submitted by Cor van Kampen
Do you agree or disagree with Cor? Then respond and join the discussion about the statement of the week.
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Totally agree.
Also the so-called beautiful nature, where is that?
I have been wintering here for thirteen years and I am sometimes amazed at how dirty it is here.
But to stick to the facts many thai have already told me that they hate foreigners and others
that they do it for the money.
I could go on for a while, but if you don't want to take off your rose-colored glasses, you have to do it yourself
but know.
Gy here guest, forget it or they have to interpret the word guest differently as wy.
I also completely agree with this answer.
And as "posted" by others before, the smile still exists, but is a fake smile for a very high percentage of Thais. The good Thai can be counted on one hand: the people from whom we rent retail space, for example, are real treasures and I can ring them for anything and everything, he goes with me to get materials with me, she brings tasty snacks and are an excellent landlord. But when I spot the suspicious falsehood in the streets here, well….. But I always smile back and say hello! Driving behavior of Thai men: the best egos have unfortunately not developed into adulthood after their 1th birthday, that also applies to their behavior!
I am a guest in this country, I behave as a good guest, then I also want to be treated and seen as a guest, not only by the people but certainly also by the authorities!
Marcel I don't know where you are staying, but there are beautiful nature reserves there. Have you ever been to the Phu Kradeng, Phu Rua, Pai, Mae Hong Son, Doi Inthamon, Khao Yai National Park and can name more.
Don't understand why you've been coming here for 13 years if you find it so filthy.
How much tax have you paid to the Thai government lately 😉
If you live here , you pay taxes anyway .
If you buy something in the store or eat at a restaurant, you pay taxes.
Ruudje
Dear,
How is it possible that you have been in that for so long
inhospitable land spends your winters.
MVG
When I read your interpretation of being a guest, I agree with you, I think that many farangs also feel deeply disappointed and do not really feel welcome in Thailand. They spend all their money, there is even a fairly high income requirement (many Thais will never reach that monthly amount)!
By the way, you will get something in return, your mate, as long as the cash flow lasts…
There are farangs who have a problem with the fact that alcohol may not be sold on certain days, these are matters that you know in advance or can find out! So I find that nagging, you should adapt to such points!
Cor, this has finally been formulated properly, briefly, concisely and truthfully. Totally agree. I think the same about all your other comments on other topics. A man after my own heart: the truth, like it or not. Class! Regards, Danny.
You are definitely a guest in Thailand if you do not have Thai nationality !!
You expect a tourist who comes to visit your country to also adapt to the elementary customs or customs. courtesies, or not? If they are used to peeing on the street in their country of origin, can they also do that in your country? I can name even more things that are not possible here (the Netherlands) but are possible in various other countries.
No beautiful nature? If you have been wintering in Thailand for 13 years, where are you?
In general you are treated the way you treat the Thai is my experience. The farang that is not treated well does not do it to Thai itself.
Greetz, Cees
There is another meaning of "guest" than what you describe, Cor.
When I stay in a hotel I am also a guest. I pay for that and will nevertheless have to comply with the house rules. If I don't like them, I can protest to the management, but that will help a lot. The only way is to find another hotel. The same applies to Thailand.
Furthermore, I don't really care if I'm called a guest, Farang, foreigner or whatever.. I live here and do exactly what I feel like. Sure, there are obligations, but don't forget that the same obligations also entail a right. For example, if I fulfill the obligation to renew my retirement visa every year, I have the right to enjoy the beautiful country for another full year.
Totally agree with this
What a shortsighted idea.
As if Thailand should be happy that we allow them to support children there.
If you are not Thai, you are a guest.
Just as many compatriots also believe that immigrants are guests in the Netherlands.
I'm going back for another three weeks, and after my retirement I'll stay in Thailand.
Only if I had children in Thailand would they be able to say that they are not guests.
I feel like a guest, but I also feel welcome.
Gerrit
Being a guest, a visitor or however you want to phrase it means that you respect the rules, norms and values of that country.
Whether these are rules that you agree with, annoy or find ridiculous does not matter.
Every country has a culture, way of life and history.
As long as you do not have Thai nationality, you have no say in wanting or being able to change this.
Of course you don't have to agree and you can have your own opinion.
However, if there are so many minuses, the question is, of course, what are you looking for in Thailand?
There are so many other countries with a diversity of rules that are very different from Thailand.
If you feel like a guest, there is probably something wrong, even though you don't have the Thai nationality.
I just feel like a person living in Thailand. Just a person who is respected by the thai people and doesn't feel unwelcome.
I am not a guest, I am not a visitor I am just myself.
And as the mayor of Rotterdam said if you don't like this, you can fuck off.
Being happy in Thailand depends on your own doings.
Treat the Thai as you would like to be treated.
And of course there are times when you think why does the Thai react like that, but if you delve into it you will understand. And mutual understanding leads to respect.
So I am not a guest in Thailand. I don't have this feeling and won't get this.
Nobody is forced to go to Thailand on leave, just as nobody is forced to start a pensionado life here. And I also didn't think anyone could force you to raise other people's children and support them financially.
These are all things that you decide for yourself,
So I do not understand the negative reviews, while you still come to Thailand on leave and still live there.
I have been coming to Thailand for over 30 years and have been living here permanently for 6 years now, and I have never experienced any negative reaction to my presence here, not from the people, not from the government, or any other authority.
So I agree 100% with the statements of Theo, Cees,Gringo, gerrit and Kees.
absolutely agree!
I live in France myself and before I decided this more than 20 years ago, I realized that there are different customs in France than in the Netherlands and I have accepted them.
why, because as a foreigner you should behave like a good guest, because one remains that way, even if one pays for different things, so “a paying guest”
There is a big difference when one goes to it as a tourist
Thailand comes, or if one lives here!
In my case the 2nd.
I pay more tax than one here in Thailand
average thai!
My daily shopping, living expenses, etc
I buy in the supermarket and/or department store.,
I pay 7% VAT on that.
On the other hand, a Thai buys the most on the market
or along the public road…so tax-free!
Can I also have a say in this country?
I have been living here for 18 years now with a
house registration and a thai ID Number…
So definitely no tourist!!!
Being and feeling like a guest does not depend on whether you have money. You can't achieve anything with money, especially if you think you have rights because you pay taxes.
Legal inequality does not exist.
Money does not give rights. Money gives duties just like someone who has no money.
And luckily there are many stalls to eat.
This is exactly why Thailand is Thailand.
As mentioned, if you think you have created rights by paying taxes, you feel more than the one who did not pay taxes and therefore would have no rights.
Fortunately, society consists of dissenters.
Of course we are guests here! And we should behave like this: respect the Thai people and their culture!
If you respect the Thai yourself, you will get respect back!
Many here behave like here and master and expect if you wave money, that the Thai will crawl before them. I do not think so! The Thai also has his / her pride, and rightly so!
I have been living in Thailand for many years, with great pleasure. And every day I enjoy the climate, the friendly helpful people, the food, and all the beauty that Thailand has to offer in terms of culture, nature, etc.
Anyone who thinks it's dirty and dirty here, and can't find beautiful nature, is either blind, or lying alone on the beach, or hanging out alone in the pub! Thailand has beautiful natural beauty, beautiful forests and nature parks, beautiful islands, beautiful beaches, beautiful old cities ... Those who are not willing to visit them, should not complain!
The Thais are "messy" and everything is not as clean and tidy as in NL. But it is their country, their culture and their way of life… And you should learn to understand and certainly respect them.
If you want to find Dutch culture and customs here in Thailand, stay in NL!
Beautifully explained and of course respect Thai culture. We are guests here and they are your friends. I speak Thai fluently and never any problems, but you should not come to drink every day: That's another life, but it is also possible. Then that's another dream that you can fulfill here.
totally agree with you Alex. I've also written a comment to the same effect.
Just like you, I experience Thailand as a very hospitable country and enjoy every time I'm there. Thailand has so much more to offer than the Netherlands. Hans
Largely AGREE with the statement Cor van Kampen! , but…..
Adapting to the norms and values of the country where you reside is required ALWAYS and EVERYWHERE and belongs to normal and civilized . It is true that the longer you stay here, the "pink glasses" disappear! Have the idea that at the moment our money is no longer needed here, we will no longer be tolerated either! I think there is a lot slumbering here behind the mask of smile!
Hi Thailand bloggers,
For the 14th time I've been there as a holidaymaker, and I think it's only normal that we have to comply with their rules and customs whether you live there or not (you know what you're getting into) right!
Thailand is a beautiful country that I always long to return to, sometimes I have that feeling
that I am there as a guest who spends his money there and maybe that is the case for part of the
Thai people.
But come on people you also have another part of the population that is very
being helpful and which I personally have already been helped with (several times) that I gave them money and that it
gave me back with a smile or refused and told me we help each other.
What I don't understand is if it's dirty why do you stay there, there are plenty of places where it isn't.
And don't forget, the dirt from whom does it come the most, I don't think I need to go into it.
I myself have been invited a few times to join them (Thai) at the table to get there
to taste their dishes, then I feel a little more than a guest.
I will go back in October, plenty of nature to see and a place where it is not too dirty!
Regards, David
Unfortunately I have to agree with Cor, a beautiful country? They managed to turn a country with beautiful nature into a kind of concrete desert in record time, plus the garbage everywhere, the open sewers they call rivers in here. I know some people see everything through rose colored glasses but the truth has her rights. Now comes the clincher then go back to Belgium. I have been living in Thailand constantly for 5 years now, I have yet to encounter the first wild mammal, apart from feral dogs, you don't see anything here, 500 meters away without any house or building is not possible
Louis49.
You really should get out more. When I drive from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, for example, along Utaradit, I sometimes don't see a single house for 50 km. Driving from Mae Sot to Umphang I don't see a house for tens of kilometers
.
you can do a trekking of 14 days in Thailand, straight through the jungle, namely from Sangklaburi to almost Mae Sot, in this nature reserve, there are still hundreds of tigers and panthers around.
In Bangkok there are dozens of beautiful and well-kept parks, where you don't put paper on the ground, where it is bursting with activities in the early morning hours, and you will find these types of parks throughout Thailand. They even have very nice and well-kept public toilets there, yes with European toilets + sprinkler.
But strangely enough you very rarely meet a Westerner there. But the sporting Thai of all ages, sometimes even 3 generations together, or colleagues who come to work out before office hours at 05.30 am.
Your comment makes me curious about where you live in Thailand.
.
Dear Louis,
totally disagree with your statement and statement of “Concrete desert”. You have apparently only been to large cities and they are, just like in your home country, filled with concrete. Go a step further than your nose is long and go to the "flat country", then you will get to know and see a different Thailand.
Lung addie
Thailand is a dream country for me: Much better than Belgium and the Netherlands. Foreigners have to adapt to the Thai rules and have no rights, but it is a paradise here: Nature, beautiful beaches, super nice weather and, in my opinion, friendly people, but you also have to be like that. Should be like this in the Netherlands and Belgium with foreign emigrants who exploit the country and a government that allows it: So-called human rights ???
You are welcome in Thailand and you must adapt to the Thai mentality and rules and if you are not up to it then get up. Living at their expense and exploiting the country and making your demands about faith and religion certainly does not exist. The Netherlands and Belgium still have to learn there. Foreigners have to adapt to the local laws of the country and not the other way around. At least that is now a country that is not exploited by migrants who set their own laws. That's how it should be and out. But there are always foreigners who complain about a Thailand but always stay there ???? I have been married to thai for 38 years and am very happy with it and family is partying more for me than for her and not being exploited for money at all. Am like family.
I partially agree with cor if you live here permanently, you are no longer a guest, I think you can respect some customs of the Thai culture, but I completely adapt to their culture. not-
<Ik woon 7 jaar in thailand in een thais dorp midden in de isaan respecteer hun gewoontens maar pas me daar niet volledig bij aan ik ben nog steeds een nederlander met een eigen cultuur..
Of which I try to teach my Thai daughter-in-law some things, such as washing dishes to dinner and keeping a kitchen clean, teaching my grandson that I take care of the norms and values as I taught them to my kids, luckily my daughter-in-law knows a lot about the way of thinking of a farang so we never have problems or disagreements about both cultures.
And that you get respect back from a Thai here in the Isaan, but in the tourist places that time has really passed, you are still only an ATM machine here they do not charge Thai prices there they will always try to cheat you as is it only for 10 bath.
For example, in chiang mai you pay 500 bath without a helmet here in the isaan for the same 200 and there are more examples.
My opinion respect their culture but not at all costs
I totally disagree with the statement. I definitely feel like a guest in Thailand and of course you have to adapt and respect their customs. Take off your shoes when you enter the house, wear appropriate clothing at temples, don't point your feet at anyone, try never to lose face in public, respect the king and the monks, etc. Normal rules, which take little effort for me to take that into account. That doesn't seem normal to me. When I read some comments I think, wow, they are so negative about Thailand. Would that tell more about the person in question than about Thailand? I think you get the respect back from the Thai that you radiate yourself to them. If you live in Thailand with a woman (with or without children), you have a certain duty of care, don't you? Or am I wrong. You would like to live with a Thai woman, who you know has little money, at least a lot less than you. If you don't have the money for that, you can still live alone behind the window with the geraniums (orchids in this case). What do you expect from the Thai government, that they will give you money or something? The government barely has money for their own people, who cannot work. Always spending money in Thailand; you do that in the Netherlands anyway. Hospitable Thailand? Well, for me anyway. Just got back and lived with a good Thai friend in her house for 1 week. I'm a good friend of hers and she doesn't want me to rent an expensive bungalow, but to stay in her house with many other Thai friends. Making dinner together, playing the guitar, laughing, crying together. I feel more than just a guest, I feel warmth and friendship and cosiness and the famous smile is 100% real. It is a pity that many foreigners do not have the experience that I have. Maybe take a critical look at yourself and observe your own behavior, that may be a learning point for yourself. Thailand is still a very hospitable country for me and fortunately I do not share the negative experiences that many others have. Hans
Hans what I understand is that you do not live here but come on vacation, yes then you are a guest.
If you live here forever, it's a different story
A guest or not a guest, sense or nonsense?
For me, being a guest means being invited somewhere and staying, eating and drinking for free!
But from the moment I pay I also wish to be able to ask or say something, just be a resident like the other residents of the country to which I have moved! Not excessive or abnormal wishes, of course, but the ordinary things of life to which we are supposedly entitled! What usually annoys me are the different prices for the same items, Thai prices and farang prices or the high differences to get access to something, also Thai prices and farang prices, I call this outright discrimination! I am an ordinary workman with not too big a pension, but with a pension that many Thai people can be jealous of!
And the next thing that bothers me is, and by this I don't mean that there are many bad Thai people, but there are many Thai people with very bad habits like: everyone is always welcome and my beautiful Thai wife and I have guests every day over the floor, invited guests and uninvited guests, because this is also a bad habit in Thailand, you ask one or two couples to come and eat and drink something and half an hour later your garden is full of people you have never seen and (fortunately) probably never will see again! Because your guests bring their children, grandchildren, parents, close and distant relatives and sometimes also the neighbours, those uninvited guests go to your cupboards to see what you own, open the fridge and take something to drink, the pot with ice cream and eat it empty, if there is a bowl of fruit on the table then you can also say bye bye to your fruit, afterwards you have two hours of work to clean up the peels and the seeds, they take the remote control and settle in comfortably the sofa to watch their favorite program. Your good dog has to be chained because they are afraid, at the end of the evening, it lasts until you no longer supply them, those guests get up straight and without boo or bah, they leave without a word of thanks or a good evening or it was nice to say, no they are gone leaving the garden gate open. Then you are very lucky that not too many have been pissing between your roses or other flowers, sorry waters! These are all things I wanted to have more say in, that's why my Thai wife has now hung cards with the text: KEEP OUT! LEAVE!! And such! This may seem ridiculous but it helps, of course they ask stupid questions but then I let my wife answer that I shouldn't drink or eat anyone's stock anywhere because they don't have any! These things bother me and for the rest I adapt, in fact I don't care how the others live, that they do what they want but want in their own house and I have to say something!
I've been here for six years now and everyone is my friend, I don't have any problems with anyone, not a single vehicle passes that doesn't sound its horn or cyclists wave at me!
My Thai wife and I like to go out for dinner and then we invite the nieces, sisters and aunts, but they know the conditions, don't bring anyone, for the price you shouldn't leave it because for my company of about ten people they can eat well and drink for the price of what I pay in Ostend for a pot of mussels with fries, some tartar sauce and two Jupilers, so that was my opinion on hospitality again, I hope you enjoyed the second egg I laid!
Greetings from Rikky van Oostende from Phet Chompoo.
What you describe shocks me. My wife and I would never accept such conditions.
If you are unable to tell people, who may or may not be invited to consume your belongings, how to behave in your home, then they are not your guests and you are not the host. Seems like a situation that you should discuss with your beautiful Thai wife. No wonder people shout and wave at you, after all there is enough to get. You can name hospitality if you like, but if you are attacked in your house, your guests will have a different attitude. Is disrespectful to you, I think. I don't have to work with notes, nor give my Thai wife directions how to answer other people's questions.
A tourist is a guest and as such welcome to the Thai government.
Foreigners who live here are only tolerated by the government, but not wholeheartedly. That is why after many years of residence in Thailand you are obliged to report every 90 days, to apply for an annual visa every year and to buy re-entry visas for trips to another country.
The Netherlands does the same with the Thai who come to visit, doesn't it?
Also have to get a visa, and show a lot more papers than we do in Thailand.
Integration etc.
Just compare.
If you have been living in Thailand for several years, you are not a guest but a resident. What I also expect from my fellow residents in the Netherlands is that they know the customs and concepts of the country in which they live.
That means learning the language both verbally and in writing. We call that customization. In the Netherlands, every future Dutch citizen must take an exam. In Thailand you have to if you want to become Thai. Not easy, but it is possible and with a Thai passport (so you are Thai) you can also have property.
Joseph,
You are not a real resident here even though you live in Thailand. Maybe for the Thai people, but not for the government. You must have a residential address to get an annual visa,
You will also not be integrated and becoming Thai is almost impossible, especially if you have passed the age of 65. That was once easier as well as a permanent residence
Completely agree with Alex, that accusation that the people in Thailand are different.
Many men came here to find a younger partner,
which would never work in the Netherlands.
It didn't matter then that people are different.
then come back to Rutte, Samson and the other pocket fillers
Rikky, you say this,” In addition, we support a Thai partner and children (often not even our own children). We get little or nothing from the Thai government there ” Usually the lady brings at least 1 child, all too often more, sometimes even from the family, under the guise that they are her nigd or children. And most dumbasses fall for that too. What do you mean?!? We are not going to mess things up here!!!! Greetings.
Right to a polite answer!
Hi Dear Joseph, and no I am not talking about my own or someone else's children, I am only talking from my own experiences, I have never written about a Thai partner with children, I do not know and cannot find where I would have written this! Are we guests, yes and no, being a guest means being maintained by the people who receive you as a guest, I maintain myself and my Thai wife and once a week all the ladies are allowed to go to the restaurant with me, no more no less And do you know why? Because otherwise those girls and women never get the opportunity to go to a real restaurant and learn something that they otherwise would never experience, we leave with two or three cars, have a nice quiet meal, have a drink and everyone goes home to their own sweetheart or husband! I don't "free" things up, on the contrary I eat and talk nicely with a fork and knife!
Many greetings back from a happy Ostend resident with a beautiful and very sweet 20 year younger Thai female with many nieces, sisters and aunts who treat Uncle Eric with great respect as I also treat them with respect, no one can object to that!
That you take a Thai with children is your own choice, you choose that yourself, then you also know that you have to maintain them, then you should not blame yourself later for being eaten.
I interpret the word Guest as you follow the rules and customs of the country
where you stay.
I don't think that's normal. Whether you like the country or not.
That has nothing to do with it.
And yes if you don't like the country and don't like the people then I don't understand what you do
there then does. And it has nothing to do with the statement
We have a huge problem in the Netherlands.
Which is mainly caused by foreigners who do not comply with the rules and laws of the Netherlands
want to keep. Who tell us how to live. (to lay down the law)
Like if there are still some expats in Thailand who think it should be their way
Thailand is a beautiful country with many nice things and less nice things and if you live there you will have to accept that. If you don't want that, you shouldn't sit and complain but leave.
Whatever Cor brings in that he takes care of a wife and children and nothing there
gets in return. A Thai does not get that either
To be a guest in a country (Host country) Used in reference to a tourist.
And not on an emigrant.
Sincerely, Kees
Typically Dutch actually; They just adapt to me. Ultimately, I come from the Netherlands and we know how to adjust and stuff there… What an arrogantly submitted piece, the Old Dutch frustration is dripping off. Of course, the entrant does not speak a word about the border, so the Thai will have to learn Dutch for that too, because adjusting by the entrant is not an option.
It strikes me that every time there is a point of discussion (e.g. politics), the argument that you are a guest here is used to try to silence you. Particularly as a member of the Thai community, it is good to bring a different opinion to the fore and to express it to your Thai acquaintances. I have noticed that many Thais think strongly conformist and are therefore not very critical. Also notice that a certain fear comes over them, evasive behavior, not having an open mind. That is why it is good that outsiders hold up a different mirror to them, that they then opt for the old image, which is their responsibility and freedom, which we as outsiders must respect. That is my contribution to Thailand. Do not convince, but broaden your view.
I feel like a guest in the same sense as when I am seen as a guest in a restaurant.
I'm not invited. Well after encouragement.
The rule seems to be that the one who invites pays.
So there are invited non-paying guests and uninvited paying guests.
Cor van Kampen limits his definition of 'guest' to the first category.
That is why he disagrees with people who also call the second category of guests 'guest'.
In a restaurant I have to adapt. Much more than when a good friend invited me.
The uninvited paying guest adapts the most.
That's how it should be. Also in Thailand.
Of course we are guests in Thailand and any other foreign country, we should also comply and behave accordingly, but what matters to me is why many compatriots do not allow you to criticize or have an opinion about what is happening in Thailand that you do not like or like.
Soon many people utter the well-known tune 'this is the country of the Thai, you are a guest here', often supplemented with 'if you don't like it here, go back'.
Funny because that should also apply to the Thai who have settled in the Netherlands or have never heard that said by a compatriot to his Thai wife when she has a negative opinion about a typical aspect that concerns the Netherlands.
Have I ever taken the liberty of saying that to a Thai wife of a compatriot who was constantly grumbling about the Netherlands, well they don't want anything to do with me anymore, oh so be it!
For those who do not feel like a guest here, think Thai people are stupid, are much better at driving their own car, have never been drunk, think they are smarter than the locals, ….
I ask the question:
What are you actually doing here?
Dirkphan,
I think exactly the same!
Acidification is becoming international.
Let Thailand close its borders to that.
We wish you a nice time in this specific country with its own people and customs.
We are very happy here!
Jan and Supana
Hello. I can agree with many people for and against.
Like nature and filthy. Take Pattaya or Phuket. Sometimes so nasty to walk on on some stretches of beach. But there are many beautiful places under Phuket or further away from the center of Pattaya. Of course, one should not be so in the big cities. Sometimes it is very dirty there.
But all in all It is a beautiful country and a pleasant country.
Then the ones who complain about just paying. I wish the Netherlands was like that. Then there wouldn't be many foreigners/unemployment. But this is now politics for large Multinationals. People complaining so much here in this piece. Are you short of money, perhaps AOW or Pension. When everything diminishes. Complain to the Dutch government. Rutten and Samson and associates. They decide about your money and accrued pension. And if you haven't built up enough yourself, don't complain about just paying in Thailand. It was your own choice. Just like if you still want sex with a Thai woman and then take her child or children. You make all the choices that people make here yourself and if this costs money later, don't start complaining. Then go back to the Netherlands.
I myself have yet to emigrate and I intend to do so for sure. But I make a choice that I only go, that I have everything done. Money is the main thing. I don't want to flip every bath. So with everything happening with Euro economy worse and worse. This means that my buffer must be large if something happens. So I make this choice myself, so that I don't have to complain later.
Isn't it true that the rules already existed before you went to Thailand?
And yes I think that people should respect their habits and even do so.
You are a proper guest in their country. They didn't ask you to come. You have
even decided to go to Thailand. You know I don't respect the people of this
different culture, who want to change everything in the Netherlands into a Muslim country with everything
on and on. When I go to Thailand I know what their rules are for me. So I
hold me to it.
If I read correctly you think Thai people are cheaters. That's what I get from your story.
Don't have Thai friends? I do and all have enough money and have
I don't need anything. You know in the Netherlands you will be seen, because they look more at this
money than in Thailand. In Thailand, neighbors help each other when needed. You live in one
bad neighborhood if not.
So if you're complaining, think again. It's your own decisions if
you have little money. Then you have not accrued any Pension or you started working too early
stopped and now you want to blame the Thai government and Thai people. Come on and
take a good look in a mirror.
of course we are guests there.
only we think that because we have more money than the thai themselves that we have something to say .
how much we are annoyed by the speed or slowness with which a Thai does something, especially if they don't do it as we say it should be done.
but wasn't that just the beauty we fell for
Isn't it true that here in the Netherlands we are annoyed by drunken Poles and noisy Englishmen
Isn't it the case that we, as Geert Wilders calls, that everyone who comes to the Netherlands must learn Dutch
and how many of the guests who have been in thailand for years do not speak a word of thai?
check bin sawadee tight do not count.
I still come as a tourist so far, but I also want to stay there after my retirement
and i will have to adapt to thailand and not thailand to geert van der louw
and if you think thailand is too dirty maybe you could start keeping track of your own street or try new zealand
thailand is thailand and that is the beauty that attracted us to settle there
so I strongly believe that we are guests and should behave as such
geert
You are and will remain a resident alien.
Here you are dealing with a country, laws and customs that are written for residents, including resident aliens.
And if that doesn't suit you, you'll have to look elsewhere for your 'salvation'.
You receive cordiality here, you learn what makes people REALLY happy. THAT which has been overshadowed for a long time in nl, for example! by regulations that hinder people.
Civil servants in the Netherlands have learned during training that they should 'be at the service of the citizen', but they did not pay attention and turned it into 'we call the shots'. No, this is not meant to be funny.
Is pure reality. Why do over 400 people leave NL EVERY day? Partly for that reason. Basic life and making sure people are happy is not a topic. IS already far too far from targets.
So we are guests here. Be happy. And behave accordingly.
Yes you will never own 1 m2 of land. They have arranged that perfectly here.
It belongs to the born people of the land.
We are all a product of the soil we grew up on.
If you think the country is filthy, start setting an example yourself.
Will last a generation. Believe me.
But make an effort, enjoy the good things in the meantime. Go to sleep satisfied, and wake up with the one you love, talk together,
The grumbling gangrene about this beautiful country, (with its shortcomings) of the strip of dunes between Germany and the North Sea, is not appreciated here. Partly because it has NEVER had and will NEVER have added value.
For all those people who think you are not a guest here and have all kinds of comments about this country, I have only one word: Shame on you! All foreigners in the Netherlands (and I am one of them) must abide by all the rules whether they like it or not. Rules are rules is the motto. Why do you think this is different in Thailand.. The Thai have not asked you to come and live here. You came of your own free will, because you can live cheaply here.
I myself come from a country where the greed of foreigners, illegal immigrants, criminals and economic refugees is regulated by law and, if necessary, protected.
My country is hospitable and tolerant. Anyone can change their nationality at any time and inappropriate. traditions, norms and values are adjusted if necessary.
Yes, Thailand can learn a lot from the Netherlands in that respect. Or could it be that we have gone a bit too far in the Netherlands.
The “away with us”, MENTALITY is a Dutch invention.
The fact that you support a woman and her child(ren) is a choice that you voluntarily entered into yourself, do not understand why the Thai government should give you an allowance for this. 🙁
I sometimes agree about behaving in the host country. If you come to someone's home in Thailand as a guest, you must comply with the rules that prevail there ("Discipline")
@ dirkphan and supporters: Yes, everyone has chosen to settle in Thailand, but that doesn't mean keeping your mouth shut and sticking to your duties! What about our rights as a guest/immigrant, because that is what Cor also means: you have many (monetary) obligations here, but very few if not no rights! What if your loved one passes away, what are your rights with regard to your visa, your real estate, etc.? The love must come from 2 sides (on the one hand the guest, on the other hand the Thai and the Thai government). And we cannot ignore the fact that in Thailand, the people and governments, it is only about the money of the farang and that in return the government has no rights for the guest/immigrant!
One half of Thailandblog has long since taken off the rose-colored glasses and look at the facts, the other still have them on and find everything oehhhh and ahhh just like the Thai do in general: Sanook, Sieuw and Aroy.
You wonder what your rights are.
Why do you assume that Thailand should grant you rights?
Anyone who wants to live in Thailand or another country does so under the conditions that that country sets.
The fact that you spend money here does not give you any right, because Thailand did not agree with you when you came to live here.
You may not like that and you may find it unreasonable (that includes me), but those are the conditions under which you came to live here.
But if you want to invest 10.000.000 Baht in Thailand (your new homeland) you will receive a permanent residence permit.
So it's not completely impossible.
In the Netherlands, the situation is not very different.
You can't just live there if you don't have money.
Completely agree . After 3 years of residence in Belgium, my (Thai) wife has obtained Belgian nationality (with all the benefits that entails), as well as her 3 daughters.
Here in Thailand you can only dream of it.
Ruudje
Have a look at the term “GUEST”. All according to Wikipedia. Other dictionaries do not deviate from this.
A guest is a visitor, invited or not. Visitors to a hotel are referred to as guests.
According to this description, we are too “GUEST” when we are in Thailand, for example.
Behaving like a “GUEST” is, of course, part of that.
I totally agree with that, of course you are a guest in some form, only countries like Malaysia and Singapore are among others. a much better host than Thailand on a business level then. Because I wonder who can only view Thailand through pink sunglasses if he knows a lot of stories, there is a lot wrong and it will only get worse for the farang.
I agree 100% with this statement. You are a guest if you are invited somewhere which we were not. We are also considered a tourist here, no matter how long you have been hanging around here, for me more than 40 years. Report every 90 days as a criminal to the Thai Probation Service, sorry I meant Thai Immigration. Guest in this country? Don't make me laugh or cry.
The statement has already provoked some reactions. Positive and negative, but mostly more or less negative. I stopped reading the comments because it made me depress.
There are quite different views on the term 'guest'. There are various explanations of the word circulating. In my humble opinion, a guest is someone who is invited, who is received, welcomed and pampered. But a guest can also be someone who is "spoiled" against payment. In my opinion, a very negative explanation for guest is the “guest worker” brought to the Netherlands in the sixties.
When I go on holiday to another country, I feel like a guest. So I behave accordingly. I do not adapt, but I do take into account the habits and customs of the inhabitants of the host country. Even if I live in another country (I have lived in Spain for eleven years now), I behave like a guest, although that is a bit more nuanced.
Everything also more or less depends on how I am received by the local population and government. As an example I give Thailand because of this topic. I have been coming to Thailand for about a month every year for nine years now. Upon arrival at customs, I do not feel like a guest because of the inhospitable reception, but otherwise I am treated as a guest. When I arrive with my Thai wife, more doors suddenly open. Then I am not a guest but I am “one of them”.
When we are with my parents-in-law, the house is also my home. I have become one of them and I am also being pampered there, without bringing a bag of money (because I don't have any).
Many Farang (original nickname for the former French settlers) live in the tourist areas of Thailand, especially Pattaya. Such places are dominated by immigrants. The media shows that where many foreigners stay there are also many excesses and some people do not know how to behave as a guest. This has repercussions on the Thai population. But Pattaya is not Thailand. Let's face it, foreigners cannot own land in Thailand (which is seen by many as discriminatory), but the government of Thailand is more hospitable than the Netherlands. Any foreigner can easily get a visa to visit Thailand. For the Thai it is much more difficult to visit the Netherlands, let alone live there.
My opinion is: “treat the Thai as you would like to be treated yourself and you are their GUEST.”
Although I recognize Cor van Kampen as a very good blogger, I assume that he only wanted to provoke a discussion and does not even support the stated statement. If the writer does support his statement, then I have to revise my opinion because I personally find the statement very short-sighted and poor. Or he does not know the meaning of the word "guest" and gives it his own interpretation. Finally, do not lose sight of the fact that everyone here comes from FREE CHOICE and knows in advance or should know what he/she stands for, decides for himself how he wants to live. If someone comes to live in Thailand, after being married to a woman who already has children from a previous marriage, who has a poverty-stricken family, then he knows in advance what is expected of him and that has nothing to do with Thailand. The fact that the Thai government gives little or nothing in return is also a short-sighted position, after all, the Thai government has not asked anyone to come and live here, to spend the winter or to come on holiday. People who feel cheated here have contributed to this themselves and cannot blame the Thai for it, only question their own stupidity.
People who cannot conform to the cultural customs, the regulations of the country ... I can only give one piece of advice: stay where you used to be, stay away from here or return from where you came. Thailand is a free country and will not stop you from doing so.
What do you do in your position with the bachelors who live here and have no children or family to support?
So I totally disagree with the author's statement.
Lung addie, permanent resident and bachelor
Those statements that the Thai only care about the falang money. I think a few still need to be helped out of the dream. 95% of the falang I know hardly have a nail to scratch their ass. Pattaya and Phukett may be a different story, but otherwise the economy is really not kept afloat by the falang who come to live here. In that respect, Thailand prefers the tourist who spends 2-5000 baht every day for 10.000 weeks as the farang who is here permanently.
Financial obligations? What are they in Thailand? Pay a little rent, some electricity and water. A few more costs for a visa and then you're done. Possibly road tax for a car or motorbike. Something different from, for example, the Netherlands where you pay 52% IB, 21% VAT, 75% excise duty on petrol, municipal levies and you name it all. That your wife costs some money, that is no different in the Netherlands if you take a wife with a much lower income than yourself. And you will also have to provide yourself with a living in the Netherlands.
Is the falang who comes to live in Thailand an asset for Thailand and the Thai people? Many think they are. Personally, I think that if you look at the big picture it is quite disappointing and it is more likely not to be the case than it is.
Personally I see it this way, the knife cuts both ways. You can have a nice life here in Thailand as a falang, you can fill that in a lot of ways, single, start a family, you name it. But you also know that it has a downside. That the traffic here is less than in Europe, you know you are not moving to a Western country. The laws regarding buying houses etc are also all clear in advance. Furthermore, you find yourself among a different people with different customs, of which you know in advance that they will accept you, but you will never become fully established. That is not necessary, because you live in Thailand does not mean that you have to become 2% Thai. A Thai who emigrates to the Netherlands will not become one, even though he can get a passport. A Nigerian who goes to live in Urk, so to speak, will never fully settle there either, it is simply a choice of the profession.
Henry, I have traveled about 50.000 km by bicycle and motorcycle in 4 years, answer the question, have you ever encountered 1 mammal outside wild dogs or semi-wild monkeys in Thailand. I mean outside the national parks. That km without houses what you talk about, yes in those parks because they are not allowed to build there, they do it illegally too, hundreds of tigers and leopards in Thailand, where do you get them. Did you count them personally or something? Henry I live in muang chonburi and from there I went to sukothai, surin, cambodia and burriram with my pcx and sometimes do 120 km a day with my racing bike, I get out more than enough, don't worry
I think wherever you live in the world you have to adapt to the laws and regulations of that country. We go to Changmai every year for a longer period of time and have never had a bad experience with Thai people. On the contrary, we are treated everywhere treated kindly, but we also treat the Thai in a friendly way. We are even sometimes invited for a dinner or something. In short, friendly people. You will encounter unfriendly people everywhere, including in the Netherlands. other cares.
Thanks everyone for their comments and opinions. We are now closing the discussion.