What Is An Expat?

The Expats of Thailand

Expat, or to use its full term - Expatriate originates in the latin word ex-patria, which roughly translates to - 'out of the fatherland/country.' It is used to denote someone temporarily living in a foreign country. However its meaning amongst many expats is often varied.

Expats of Thailand, to some they are the lucky singletons of the Bachelor world, to others they are a source of envy and resentment.

The expat lifestyle can be cool way of life for some and its only right that it features here.

Thai-visa forum recently had several topics on this matter with one having the heading 'What Is An Expat?' it was pretty original and then another one followed, called 'The Expat Test.' This was good too, although it drew some flak from the socialists for being pro-capitalist.
In Thailand and many other countries high-flying executives of mega-corporations often send their employees away to capital cities to impart their wisdom on the local workforce. They tend to be the brightest, brainiest and some would say the luckiest as the fully inclusive expatriate packages are indeed lucrative. At the other end of the expatriate spectrum are the 'Desperado' expats! Men (and women) of mystery, they have come to Thailand often with a no plans for sustaining a level of income except a chunk of money and their wit and charm. Some may become teachers in Bangkok working both legally and illegally. Others may become dive instructors or divemasters on Thailand's many tropical islands. The mid-range of expats are those that have worked hard for a retirement-nest-egg and now look to settle down with a local girl in the farms of Isaan to raise a family. Then there are those who are semi-retired and periodically return to their country of origin to work for a short to medium period. E.g. 6 months in the USA and 6 months in Thailand.

In Thailand, among expats there is a 'black or white' mentality of either being considered an expat or being a tourist. A telling factor is usually the amount of time spent in Thailand at a time and the money you have to support yourself along with the lifestyle you lead. Most young expats do tend to return to their home country at least once a year if they are single. If they are not involved in business then this may be due to the 1 non-immigrant 'o' type visa renewal (although Penang has a shorter term option). Wise expats often stress that it is a fool that doesn't leave his bridges open so as to return home in a crisis.
Indeed a yearly visit home can settle any administrative matters that may need seeing to, not to mention 'out-of-the-blue' family emergencies. Married expats tend to be less likely to return home. As many have sold up lock-stock and barrel and have committed themselves to Thailand fully. Financially and emotionally tied to Thailand they often consider themselves 'true' expats in the static sense of the word. Savvy single expats may, however, point to the fact that the word expat actually means living in a country temporarily and a married, settled expat who does not wish to return home ever again is an immigrant. Expats are generally more mobile and ready to move on if the 'lure' of Thailand loses its appeal. Something they often point out to the married (immigrant) expats!

So us expats just do our thing and get along with our lives. Do we enjoy it? Sure we do!