Anti-foreigner sentiment runs high

[Guest]

for a lot of the jobs which could be interesting for westerners like legal work there are lots of loopholes in the law. i do know some lawyers whose workpermit is somewhere in the "consultant" field. also, guessing from the huge amount of expats involved in the construction field there must be some kind of loophole too.

 

 

 

in my country, germany, it is very difficult for a foreigner from outside the european union to get a workpermit in many professions unless married to a german.

 

try to get a workpermit in the states? i guess not easy.

 

not to justify those practises, but i think that thailand is not that unique in putting lots of rocks in the way of prospective immigrants.

 

the institutionalised racism my missus had to go through when we stayed in germany once for longer than a normal tourist visa was an outrage, i have never been treated so badly here in thailand by any authority as she was treated in germany. in one official letter she was even accused to try to stay in germany as an illegal immigrant, and we had to pull some strings there and throw weight around before they had issued a letter of apology.

 

with all the trouble here i am still convinced that it is a lot easier for a western foreigner here in thailand than for thais anywhere in the world.

 

 

 

we just get a bit of our own medicine back, and a comparatively light dose too.

 

 

[Guest]

"also, guessing from the huge amount of expats involved in the construction field there must be some kind of loophole too"

 

 

 

There are quite often legal or illegal ways to get round rules in thailand.May be one the last things against wich I will complain though

 

 

 

"in my country, germany, it is very difficult for a foreigner from outside the european union to get a workpermit in many professions unless married to a german."

 

 

 

Many here and in other threads are complaining that in Thailand even after marying a local,one still doesn't get similar rights

 

 

 

"with all the trouble here i am still convinced that it is a lot easier for a western foreigner here in thailand than for thais anywhere in the world"

 

 

 

Pretty much agree,basically it's easier for an average foreigner than for an average thai anywhere in the World,because the first group is wealthier,but I don't think it's very relevant with the thread

[Guest]

>Pretty much agree,basically it's easier for an average foreigner than for an average thai anywhere in the World,because the first group is wealthier,but I don't think it's very relevant with the thread <

 

 

 

well, that is my problem, hardly anyone sees those points relevant to this thread here, but i do prefer to look at things in a less isolated perspective.

 

the world is far from perfect, thailand is far from perfect, our homecountries are far from perfect as well. people demand perfection here in thailand as if it would be their birthright as a westerner, but forget that comparatively we have a very easy ride here. very easy compared to even average thais, like a paradise compared to the average indian, bangladeshi or burmese immigrant. the attitude some of us westerners show here stinks of cultural arrogance, and i think that is a huge factor towards our loss of respect here.

 

taking these factors into consideration we have a very good life here in thailand, should think a little bit more about the difficulties fellow humans are having instead of constantly complaining.

 

some friends of mine not from western countries do envy me about the position i am in here. i would be very embarrassed if i would start whining about my little problems here. those problems i am having here pale in comparism to theirs.

[shygye]

>>

 

try to get a workpermit in the states? i guess not easy.

 

<<

 

 

 

You would guess wrong. The hard part is getting an immigration visa. Preferences are given to certain occupations, like nursing, and for family unification. Once in they can get a green card and can work in most any profession. A lot of people that come in on student visas, stay and can change their status while in the US. A lot of nurses have come over to the US from the PI.

[Guest]

A few points have become lost or twisted here as this thread takes on a life of its own. I think a little grounding would be helpful.

 

 

 

First, I brought up the point about restricted professions. My point had nothing to with which professions are or are not on this list - although Notbutforu does a good job of pointing out that the list is much more expansive than some have suggested - but the fact that the law restricts certain professions to persons of both Thai nationality and Thai race . The law specifically refers to race as a characteristic separate from nationality. That is what is most disturbing.

 

 

 

Second, Flyzonthewall?s earlier claim that I ?bullshit[ed about] of "farangs do not get residency permit" since thaksin took over.? is simply untrue. Many months ago I said the government was not taking the final step of signing approved applications. That was true. And now permanent residency applications are finally being signed. As many of you will recall, many months ago bars were closing at midnight in NEP, and many people wrote posts about bars closing at 12 midnight. Are those posts written months ago ? when bars were closing at 12 midnight ? now ?bullshit? because the situation has changed. Of course not. Can someone who attacks another?s credibility on the basis of such a ridiculous argument be believed? You make your own call.

 

 

 

Third and finally, shyguy is exactly right. It is not hard to get visas and work permits in the U.S. This is a good thing because the U.S. benefits from this policy. There is a net surplus of talent flowing to the U.S., and the U.S. prospers as a result. What I have a hard time understanding ? here and in the U.S. - are the nationalistic types that feel threatened by ?foreigners? and favor harmful and restrictive nationalistic laws. I have no beef with anyone here, but I do have a beef with nationalistic ideas and policies, and I will call them, without apology, for what they are ? harmful, dangerous and stupid.

 

 

 

P.S. This seemed like a good point to interject this point; it is not directed at nobutforu.

 

 

[Guest]

excuse my naivety here, but does that not amount to something very similar in practise.

 

nurses, by the way, also have a very easy road to a workpermit in germany, simply because there is a need for nurses.

[Guest]

>A few points have become lost or twisted here as this thread takes on a life of its own. I think a little grounding would be helpful. <

 

 

 

and other points have so conveniently not been answered...

 

 

 

 

 

 

[shygye]

I am not sure what you mean. In the US you can open up a business and there is no requirement on the number of US citizens you must employ per green card. Or how much money you must bring from abroad. We are talking about over a 100000 people each year entering the US.

 

 

 

Plus it is easy to become a US citizen.

[Guest]

if it would be so easy, why are so many iranians, chinese, mexicans etc. trying illegally to get into the states to work there?

[JJsushi]

Plus it is easy to become a US citizen

 

[color:purple]

 

 

 

That is very far from the truth, US citizenship is difficult to obtain outside of marriage or birth.

 

 

 

Heck even birth to a US citizen carries no guarantee. You have an entire generation of Vietnamese and several generations of Filipinos who are the offspring of US soldiers yet are not even recognized by our State Dept.