khunsanuk Posted March 26, 2011 Report Share Posted March 26, 2011 Hi, It's not just the poor that get quite a bit of cash from foreigners. Most of the foreigners working here pay taxes, which is more than can be said for probably 80% of the Thais. I actually think that a lot of the resentment from the upper layers of Thai society is due to us foreigners upsetting the status quo. Many of us improve the lot of people in the lower layers, paying for education for nieces / nephews for example. This helps create a larger middle class, and I don't think those in power want a middle class. Much better to keep the poor poor and ignorant. Sanuk! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted March 26, 2011 Report Share Posted March 26, 2011 The hill tribes in Vietnam liked the GIs because we paid them what were thought we fair wages to work for us, but what turned out to be FIVE times what the South Vietnamese Army paid them. And the communists would force them to work for nothing or get shot! Talk about upsetting the apple cart ... Thais also have an unbelievably ridiculous idea of what all Farangs get paid here. I can't count the times a Thai has asked me how many hundreds of thousands of baht I get a month, and then react in shock or disbelief when I tell them what my salary is. Some times they simply decide I am lying. In fact, some of my Thai colleagues have a higher salary than the Farangs. Thais get an automatic annual pay increase, either 5% or 10% for government employees. Foreign university lecturers get NO increases. I never once had one unless it was across the board. Some of my older colleagues say they got them 15 or 20 years ago, but that was before certain department heads came in who refused to give any pay hikes to the foreign devils. (Even if you got one, it was only around 500 baht a month.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coss Posted March 26, 2011 Report Share Posted March 26, 2011 And what with foreigners, inventing automobiles, computers, jeans, t shirts, television and all the other trappings of modern Thai life, me-thinks there's serious penis envy going on, oh yeah, and that too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted March 27, 2011 Report Share Posted March 27, 2011 Most Thais act as if they invented them. Thais nowadays are so in love with their cars. Everyone has to have one - 5 people in a family means 5 cars required! That's why Bangkok traffic is so gawdawful. When Thais start going on about their wonderful cars, I sometimes inform them that I have photos of my great grandparents driving cars 90 years ago - when the Thais were still riding around on buffaloes. Gets me some really dirty looks. After my Mrs had been in the US a few days, she said to me in all seriousness - "Why did you want to marry someone from an uncivilised country?" Even ordinary things like automatic garage door openers amazed her, and she is city-raised, university educated. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doxx Posted March 27, 2011 Report Share Posted March 27, 2011 Most of the foreigners working here pay taxes, which is more than can be said for probably 80% of the Thais. In a recent class on Taxation, we found Thai government data that said, only 11% of Thais pay income tax... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dingsbumst69 Posted March 27, 2011 Report Share Posted March 27, 2011 you would think Thailand would be a wee bit more grateful. for the revenue generated by tourism Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kamui Posted March 27, 2011 Report Share Posted March 27, 2011 you would think Thailand would be a wee bit more grateful. for the revenue generated by tourism Actually they like tourists, especially because they just pay and leave. But those pesky Farang who speak the language and ask questions or even have a opinions about LOS which are not sponsored by the TAT, they are not welcomed at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bangkoktraveler Posted March 27, 2011 Report Share Posted March 27, 2011 you would think Thailand would be a wee bit more grateful. for the revenue generated by tourism Actually they like tourists' date=' especially because they just pay and leave. But those pesky Farang who speak the language and ask questions or even have a opinions about LOS which are not sponsored by the TAT, they are not welcomed at all. [/quote'] I was once told to go home. A Thai store owner overheard the comment and tried to smooth over the situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pasathai1 Posted March 27, 2011 Report Share Posted March 27, 2011 it a matter of face I think. "farangs" out preform thais in almost all bunsinesses ( with the exception of bar girls ) and that pisses off the thais to no end Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizardKing Posted March 27, 2011 Report Share Posted March 27, 2011 Most of the foreigners working here pay taxes' date=' which is more than can be said for probably 80% of the Thais.[/quote'] In a recent class on Taxation, we found Thai government data that said, only 11% of Thais pay income tax... That's probably about right and even unsurprising given the income disparity here. Even given that the per capita income in 2010 was stated at ~B141k/yr, the rich make so much that it skews the numbers badly. How many Thais do you know making B15k/mo in a *legit* job (not P4P or mia nois or what-have-you underground/cash businesses like food stalls)? That's the income tax threshold: B150k/yr + B30k deduction. And we know that most rich Thais skirt the income tax laws from that old Bangkok Post bit the ran years ago and never did again for obvious reason -- it was the top 20 taxpayers in the country and most were farangs, with some very conspicuous Thai names absent LOL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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