The post discusses the feelings of Thai people regarding Thais living abroad, indicating a mix of perceptions. While some Thais express a desire to migrate to countries like Australia or Canada, others may have unrealistic views of life overseas influenced by media portrayals. Additionally, there is mention of some who wish to return after experiencing life in foreign countries.
Richard **************
Some of my backyard
Richard ********
Thaï are not so crazy they want to live in Thailand and only flight overseas for 1 week to make some photos of the snow and of crazy farangs ( king Kongs or white chickens !!!!!) working all day long and drinking a lot of beer
Alan *******
I’ve never really heard Thais express feelings one way or another about Thais living in another country.
I suppose if a particular Thai wants to move to another country they probably see those who already are in a positive light.
I find most Thais don’t really want to leave Thailand. Some will say they want to but most aren’t really serious about it and have no idea what they’re in for if they do.
Most have a very unrealistic idea of what living in another country is like as their only real reference is movies and TV shows.
I did know one Thai girl who was absolutely chomping at the bit to leave Thailand.
She married a guy from Liverpool really just to move there. I told her she wouldn’t like it but she didn’t care.
Four years later and all she says now is once she gets her UK passport she’s leaving “this shit country” (her words) and moving back to Thailand.
Had to say I told her so.
By contrast I find Filipinos far more eager to move to places like the US and actually be serious about it, not just saying they’d like to move as a casual passing thought.
That's less about mindset and more about practicality. Thailand is a first world country already. Philippines is a third world hell hole, besides the unbelievably beautiful girls. Infrastructure is from the 1600's, healthcare is worse than africa and average incomes are lower, Philippines has overpopulation issues. Plus, Filipinos are more aligned with western culture and speak great English. Thais have a very strong Asian culture and were never colonised.
By the original meaning of that term (Being strongly aligned with NATO and the US against the Soviet Bloc) or the more modern meaning which relates to its human development index, Thailand is not a first world nation.
Filipinos being more westernized is part of their mindset.
I don’t think the infrastructure plays that much into it though as Laos has even worse infrastructure and doesn’t have anywhere near the culture of moving abroad that the Philippines does.
Same with Myanmar, Vietnam and even Cambodia.
A lot of the Cambodian and Vietnamese immigrants to other countries were a result of the Vietnam war and Pol Pot and not due to a long term tradition of expatriation.
I tend to agree with you. Thais seem more attached to their families than Filipinos. My lady friend here in Thailand is university educated and has a pretty good job in Bangkok (but as in most cases could earn more overseas), she speaks fluent English and loves travelling, we've been to UK and Australia several times and a few European countries. She loves the whole experience but ultimately she doesn't want to leave Thailand. She might be an exception to the rule, but some years ago I dated a Filipina and all she talked about was moving to Australia.
It's been a long history of Filipinos working overseas, not just nurses - Philippine government has used this opportunity to trade dollars in exchange of Filipino labour. And the media has been spreading a lot of negativity about how poor it is to live in the Philippines and so on, so mostly naive and idiots who have never lived outside the Philippines always think that other countries are better. Even though they are earning peanuts working in farm somewhere in Australia or Sweden while they are engineers or teachers in the Philippines. This has been the mentality that's why Filipinos plan seriously to move, live and become a citizen of another country.
I'm a Filipina, it's not because Thais are more attached to their families but any individual who are already married, with kids, still living with their parents will not think what's it's like outside. As for Filipinos, as you know we are known to have flexibilities on any hardships no matter where we are - Philippines has lots of calamities all year round - typhoons, earthquake and volcanic eruptions. Always on survival mode.
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JP **********
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Brandon ************
Every Thai person I know wants to leave Thailand and move overseas. Common goals are Australia, Canada, America.
I personally find it unusual that none of them say Europe.