Thread: How do illegal workers justify their actions?

Back in bournemouth I knew a few Asians and South Americans that were working illegally in restaurants and shops. They said that they did it because it was the only way to stay in the UK year after year, and they were desperate to avoid going home.

I can't understand the thought patterns of Westerners who come to Thailand and spend year after year here working illegally whilst building up a social life, business, renting a longterm condo etc. Are they not worried that their entire lifestyle rests on a knife-edge, and everything could collapse and be snatched away at any time?

All of us know the answer smeg.

Originally Posted by C13

All of us know the answer smeg.

Well then hopefully someone will share this info with me!

I hated working on a tourist visa, and made a priority of getting out of that situation. I can't understand how some people can carry on like that year after year, but then I guess they are no different to people back home who are happy to illegally claim benefits etc year after year.

Yeah, I can understand the appeal in that. In their homeland they were probably a below average paid ignored nobody, whereas here they can strut around as a highly paid (although less per hour than a Tesco checkout girl in their homeland) alien, attracting attention from the locals, and living in above average accommodation etc.

But the fact that the government has deemed that their job should be performed by a local (hence no visa, WP etc) means that they are "stealing" work and income from Thais. Its no real defence for them to say that "Oh, but no Thai could do this job, or my employer wouldn't want a Thai", because that is just their subjective opinion, and may not be the case if the employer had no actual choice in the matter.

The fact is that they are living here illegally and parasitically consuming local products and services.

bastards

^ Doh!

U just had to feed the troll didnt u!

(u gettin a reddie for that!)

Reading the first four or five posts was bit like walkin in on a couple fellas jackin' off together. Just shut the fuckin' door and leave 'em alone

Originally Posted by kingwillyhggtb

^ Doh!

U just had to feed the troll didnt u!

(u gettin a reddie for that!)

oh dear. I just did not have a cynical, sarcastic smiley to hand

by the way

Smeg is actually C13. he had to get someone to agree with him in his little obsession

Originally Posted by DrAndy

Smeg is actually C13. he had to get someone to agree with him in his little obsession

That is news to me.

It isn't an obsession, it is a healthy interest in current affairs; this particular government initiative could affect the "Thailand Lifestyle" (as referred to in the title of this forum) of a great many Westerners here.

But I'll guess that most of them will opt to stick their head in the sand and hope for the best.

Originally Posted by DrAndy

Smeg is actually C13. he had to get someone to agree with him in his little obsession

I don't see what's wrong with this thread myself.

Sure Smeg asks the trollish questions, but usually there's some truth or respectable argument as the basis.

I suppose the OP asks for an answer that Smeg doesn't really care about but, IMO, a good troll, or post for that matter, should act to stimulate debate, opinions and expression and on that I think it's OK.

Problem starts when the 'antis' reply with nothing but abuse and the thread loses its value quickly.
The anti Smeg'ers are becomming exactly what they accuse him of.


Pooly's thought for the day!

Originally Posted by poolcleaner

Sure Smeg asks the trollish questions, but usually there's some truth or respectable argument as the basis.

I suppose the OP asks for an answer that Smeg doesn't really care about but, IMO, a good troll, or post for that matter, should act to stimulate debate, opinions and expression and on that I think it's OK.

Actually I do care about the (on-topic) replies. Like I said, I couldn't live that way myself, so I'm interested in the psychology behind people that can. I doubting that I'm gonna learn much here tho....

Originally Posted by friscofrankie

Reading the first four or five posts was bit like walkin in on a couple fellas jackin' off together. Just shut the fuckin' door and leave 'em alone

yeah too right! - i actually opened this thread thinking it might be a meaningful discourse about Burmese aliens living in BKK and how they get along etc!

but should've known better coming from smeeg.

and as for his AKA C13 - he's juz trying to keep the thread goidn until some other ppl make the mistake of reading and replying to it.

Originally Posted by friscofrankie

Just shut the fuckin' door and leave 'em alone

What is the point in getting angry about it? Nobody has to answer or care, but I think its a useful debate to hold, and a lot more "Thailand Lifestyle" topical than discussing eye colour, for example...

Originally Posted by DrAndy

Originally Posted by kingwillyhggtb

^ Doh!

U just had to feed the troll didnt u!

(u gettin a reddie for that!)

oh dear. I just did not have a cynical, sarcastic smiley to hand

by the way

Smeg is actually C13. he had to get someone to agree with him in his little obsession

sorry - i needed my cynical saractic smiley too

**WHY DONT WE HAVE ONE DD???**

I realise Smeg is also C13

tho i did red u anyway

Originally Posted by Smeg

Originally Posted by friscofrankie

Just shut the fuckin' door and leave 'em alone

What is the point in getting angry about it? Nobody has to answer or care, but I think its a useful debate to hold, and a lot more "Thailand Lifestyle" topical than discussing eye colour, for example...

you actually have a point here - eye colour thread IS only light banter - its not meant to be a weighty issue on a friday arvo

but to read ur continual droll abt 'english teachers are scum blah blah blah'

is also boring - and worse yet ur using another nic to keep the thread going!

**damn i'm feeding this stoopid thread again, cannot help meself**

Originally Posted by DrAndy

Disagree Poolie

Smeg always asks questions that lead to him being able to slag off those people he seems to be obsessed with.

He is not interested in opinions that may prove him wrong.

As in this one, all he wants to do is let us know how bad these people are. The fact that he too worked illegally must give him some insight into their problem. OK eventually he did get a WP, but maybe some people find that difficult, and still want to continue to stay here.

His question just seems to be a platform for him to posture at how he is legal, and they are not. I might be wrong, of course, but I am just judging him on past performances

Yes, it is purely posturing. Smeg is obviously extremely proud of the fact that he is no longer an English Teacher and has a work permit. Therefore, all of you TEFLing illegals should show him some respect....

Originally Posted by DrAndy

Disagree Poolie

Smeg always asks questions that lead to him being able to slag off those people he seems to be obsessed with.

He is not interested in opinions that may prove him wrong.

As in this one, all he wants to do is let us know how bad these people are. The fact that he too worked illegally must give him some insight into their problem. OK eventually he did get a WP, but maybe some people find that difficult, and still want to continue to stay here.

His question just seems to be a platform for him to posture at how he is legal, and they are not. I might be wrong, of course, but I am just judging him on past performances

Of course his motives are not to accumulate personal experiences but I dare say if someone came backwith an honest reply his line of reply wouldn't be to slag them off. He would state his opinion and where he sees the pitfalls of their lifestyle.

Ultimately it turns into a slagfest but I ask "Who will throw the first turd?"

Too many people criticise him for posting inflammatory or argumentative posts but the over the top abuse he gets is where the nastiness begins and then these very same people call him names and request his posting rights be refused.

It is a little hypocritical IMHO.

I used to heap abuse on him at ajarn but now I see that my role in the whole 'Smeg' debate was as much to blame as his in turning threads into shitfights.

well Poolie, I would never ask for his posting rights to be withdrawn, that's for sure

he gives me some good entertainment. If he calls me rude names, never mind, I find it funny, not nasty.

I suppose I first noticed his own nastiness when he ran KK off, and that was totally unnecessary.

Anyway, I hope his girlfriends have recovered now and are back to real life

Originally Posted by DrAndy

He is not interested in opinions that may prove him wrong.

This is where you and kk have a lot in common. You both seem to have a bizarre arrogant belief that your opinions can prove things to be right or wrong!

Originally Posted by Blake7

Yes, it is purely posturing. Smeg is obviously extremely proud of the fact that he is no longer an English Teacher and has a work permit. Therefore, all of you TEFLing illegals should show him some respect....

Not "extremely proud". I believed that I performed a service by warning members of the forthcoming crackdown earlier this month, and yet a few bitter types seem to think that shooting the messenger was the best way to deal with the issue.

I believe that the vaste majority of people in the world would not opt to spend years of their lives working as an illegal immigrant, hence those that do could be described as being very unusual. I'm simply interested in what drives this "unusual" behavour.

I have to say that I am happy to have something in common with KK rather than yourself.

I was not talking about myself though, you always do try to make things personal. I was talking in general, although obviously that is just my opinion.

You may discuss it if you wish rather than attack any messenger

Well, sadly, KK doesn't post here any longer but this has at least led to that particularly unpalatable exchange finishing.

Since then, he's had to endure quite a lot of OTT abuse but hasn't lost it and most people would agree that his posts are now 'trollish' more than threatening.

By all means poeple should disagree with him. That's what he wants and that's the response most of his threads gain but if people don't slag each otter off it still remains a debate (of sorts).

Posters who go into a Smeg thread and launch into an abusive attack are worse than Smeg. The majority know his modus operandi. There's nothing different yet the reaction from too many is one of 'baiting', hoping to get an angry response from Smeg.
Perhaps he is too clever for some posters to deal with so they can only hurl abuse instead of using wit and guile to belittle the man.