Speaking of Thailand, the Chinese are familiar with it because Thailand has been a popular country for Chinese people to travel abroad in recent years. In 2012, "囧囧" with a box office of over 1.2 billion set off Thailand fever. Speaking of unfamiliarity, in fact, apart from Thailand’s transvestites, tropical fruits and gorgeous temples, most Chinese people know very little about Thailand’s history, culture and economy.
▲For Thai people, religion is sacred and inviolable, and monks have a very high status in the hearts of the people.
Thailand is a Buddhist country, known as the "Yellow Robe Buddha Country", and more than 95% of the country's population believes in it. Buddhism. Every adult man must become a monk once in his life, ranging from three months to several years. No one, from kings and nobles to common people, can be exempted from this.
At the same time, Thailand is also one of the first countries in Asia to develop the tourism industry. Since its establishment, the Tourism Authority of Thailand has continuously worked hard to strengthen Thailand's tourism industry and become one of the most popular tourist countries for tourists around the world. Thailand is considered the best tourist destination with diverse tourism products, a shopping paradise and great value for money.
Among the relations between China and many neighboring countries, there are almost no other relations that can be compared with the friendly relations between China and Thailand. Since there is no hostile relationship between the two countries, the two peoples have maintained communication and help each other for thousands of years like brothers and sisters.
China and Thailand have a long history of friendly non-governmental and official exchanges. According to Thai historical records, the exchanges between China and Thailand began in 1277 AD during the Sukhothai Dynasty . During the reign of King Rammogan, the third generation of the Sukhothai Dynasty, During the reign of King Heng, Chinese people began to immigrate to Thailand. In the hundreds of years since then, most of the Thai dynasties have welcomed Chinese people and treated them well. Many Chinese people have been attracted to come to do business, work, and farm. And live in Thailand for a long time.
▲ Sukhothai Heritage Park, Sukhothai was established in Thailand's most powerful period and was the origin of Thai civilization. Siam was the first capital in history
In the second half of the 14th century, Sino-Thailand relations were affected by the domestic influence of the two countries. The great influence of the political situation was that when Thailand's Ayutthaya Dynasty unified the entire territory, China was also changing dynasties, with , the Ming Dynasty, and replacing , the Yuan Dynasty, and . At this time, the number of envoys sent by Thailand to China increased significantly compared with the previous generation.
The most important event in the development of Sino-Thailand relations during this period was the establishment in 1579 of the Ming Dynasty, the Siamese Pavilion, an agency specializing in Siamese translation. Its purpose was to handle Siamese affairs more effectively. At the invitation of the Ming Dynasty, the Ayutthaya Dynasty also sent some teachers to Beijing to teach in the Siam Pavilion located under the Siyi Pavilion.
With the development of trade with China, the Siamese royal family established a special agency to operate and manage trade with China. The Ayutthaya Dynasty's agency responsible for managing trade with China is generally called the "Zuogang Office" (Secretary of Chinese Civil Affairs). It is directed by a Chinese in Siam. The staff in the office are all Chinese and speak Chinese.
In the Qing Dynasty , China and Siam still maintained friendly relations. However, because the Qing Dynasty limited the number of foreign tribute missions, the number of Siamese missions to China during this period was less than that of the Ming Dynasty. Among all foreign missions, the Siam mission was the most favored by the Qing government and was given the most privileges and preferential treatment. During the period when Emperor Kangxi implemented the ban on navigation in Southeast Asia, trade between China and Siam continued as usual.
▲ After the demise of the Ming Dynasty, Ayutthaya Dynasty took the initiative to establish tributary relations with the Qing Dynasty
Non-governmental trade between China and Thailand developed rapidly during the Qing Dynasty, driving many Chinese immigrants to Thailand. In the late 19th century, approximately 1.5 million Chinese had settled in Siam, accounting for approximately half of the Chinese population in Southeast Asia at that time. From 1700 to 1900, Chinese immigrants and Chinese businessmen regarded Siam as the best overseas trade and immigration area.
In China before the end of the 19th century, both the government and the people believed that Thailand was the most friendly and tolerant country. After the end of the 19th century, Western influence in Thailand increased day by day, Thailand's economy became more and more internationalized, and the traditional trade relations between China and Thailand gradually cooled down.In 1882, Bangkok announced that it would only recognize diplomatic relations with the West and would no longer recognize tributary relations with China.
The changes in the political relations between the two countries have not had much impact on the people-to-people exchanges between the two countries. At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, trade between the two sides became increasingly prosperous. Steamships became the main means of transportation in southeastern China and Thailand, bringing a large number of Chinese immigrants to Thailand and promoting the development of Thailand's economy. In 1946, Thailand and the Republic of China signed a friendship agreement, establishing diplomatic relations and reaffirming the traditional friendship between the two countries.
During the Cold War, relations between the two countries fell into a low ebb. On July 1, 1975, China and Thailand resumed normal diplomatic relations, opening a new chapter in bilateral relations. In 2000, Queen Sirikit of Thailand visited China for the first time as a representative of King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
The increasing number of Chinese immigrants has also injected new vitality into the further development of Thailand's politics, economy and culture. Today, the Chinese, as a minority, have not only become an important force in Thailand's economic development, but have also made many political achievements.
Due to similar culture and religious beliefs, Chinese people are easily accepted by Thai society. Chinese immigrants and their descendants adapted to Thai customs and religious beliefs, especially by marrying Thai women, starting families, and successfully integrating into Thai society. Most Chinese people believed in Buddhism before immigrating, and religion was not an obstacle in their marriage or life.
Another obvious difference between Thai Chinese and Chinese in other Southeast Asian countries is that in other Southeast Asian countries, the second and even third generations of Chinese immigrants still tenaciously maintain their Chinese consciousness, and even strongly believe that they are still Chinese.
In Thailand, after a Chinese married a Siamese woman, his living habits changed from those of the Siamese. The children of the first generation of wealthy overseas Chinese can still adopt Chinese customs and education, while the children of the poor may have been Siamese. After two or three generations, whether rich or poor, most people are no different from Siamese. For hundreds of years, Chinese immigrants in Thailand and their descendants considered themselves Thai first and Chinese second.
In 1955, China abolished the dual nationality policy. In 1956, the Thai government revised the " Nationality Law ", relaxing the naturalization conditions for overseas Chinese and canceling the political and economic discriminatory policies against the first and second generation Chinese. As a result, the number of Chinese naturalized people continues to increase. In the late 1950s, 95% of overseas Chinese in Thailand had acquired local nationality, and the political identity of the Chinese gradually shifted from their country of origin to Thailand.
Thai Chinese mainly live in large and medium-sized cities such as Bangkok, Chiang Mai , Hat Yai , among which Bangkok has the largest number, and the majority are Chaozhou people. The Fujianese Chinese mainly live in southern Thailand, and the Chinese in Phuket Prefecture in southern Thailand account for about 60% of the total population. Most of the 17 prefectures in northern Thailand have their ancestral places in Yunnan, Guangdong and Hainan provinces. Chiang Mai Province is an area where Chinese people live together. The majority of Chinese are from Chaozhou and Yunnan, followed by Hakkas , Hainanese and Guangzhao people.
In addition, northern Thailand is a distribution center for new immigrants from China. Especially the new Chinese immigrants who go to Thailand by land, all stay in northern Thailand, and then wait for opportunities to flow to various parts of Thailand and even other Southeast Asian countries. Since the mid-1980s, northern Thailand has been one of the important transit points for new Chinese immigrants heading to Europe and the United States.
Compared with Malaysia, Indonesia and other countries, Chinese people in Thailand basically enjoy full political rights, and their political status is equivalent to that of aborigines. It can be said that in Southeast Asia, the Thai Chinese have been the most successful in integrating into local society, and the political rights of the Chinese have always been well protected.
Nowadays, it has become a trend for Chinese people to invest in Thai real estate. Thailand is currently developing at a rapid pace. The government is vigorously building infrastructure and improving traffic conditions, thus promoting the development of the real estate market. When many people invest in Thai real estate, in addition to simply aiming to increase their wealth, many people also want to live there because they like Thailand very much. And a large number of these friends will choose to use the elite visa to settle in Thailand.
Thailand elite visa
Thailand elite visa is promoted by the Thai government and Tourism Bureau and created to attract elites from all walks of life around the world through national club membership. This visa is the world's first visa program that allows foreigners to live in Thailand for up to 20 years, launched by the Royal Thai Government in November 2003. The visa is issued by Thailand Privilege Card Co., Ltd. (TPC), which is the Tourism Authority of Thailand (" TAT") is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Sports. Holding a Thai elite visa can enjoy the top national membership program services and exclusive privileges.
This visa is the world's first and only residence program that includes distinguished membership and enjoys various VIP-level treatments. It is designed to attract more high-end elites, high-net-worth individuals , investors and entrepreneurs, making it Move to Thailand and enjoy high-quality life .
Suitable for people:
- People who often travel to Thailand for business, if you have business in Thailand, or often have to transit in Thailand;
- If you like Thailand and hope to live in Thailand for a long time in the future, especially retired people;
- If You already have an overseas passport and hope to use this visa with your overseas passport to achieve global travel.
Project advantages:
- Fast processing time (about 2 months);
- The process is simple and straightforward;
- No need to apply for a visa during your stay in Thailand;
- html Multiple entry visas for 15 years, 10 years, and 20 years, and the maximum stay period for a single entry is 1 year;
- can renew the five-year multiple-entry visa;
- The cost of living is low;
- Enjoy VIP services and other privileges for free;
- Tax incentives, only tax on income in Thailand, overseas income is not earned in the same year Remittances are tax-free;
- income within Thailand can obtain a tax number.
Visa privileges:
- Airport services (EPA, electric cars, VIP fast lanes, airport lounges);
- Limousine service;
- Golf and spa;
- Health check;
- 0-day report and one-year residence renewal;
- 4 hours customer contact Center (with Chinese service);
- work permit/bank account and credit card/driver’s license.
Application conditions:
- holds a foreign passport;
- has not been convicted of criminal responsibility in any country (excluding crimes committed due to negligence);
- has not been judged bankrupt;
- has not been judged to be a person of unsound mind or body, or has no autonomy. Capable people;
- are allowed to stay in Thailand in accordance with the immigration law or relevant Thai laws;
- pays a membership fee of 600,000-2 million baht (approximately 110,000-370,000 yuan).
Visa type:
With this Thai elite visa, you are a real VIP whether you live or travel in Thailand. A true one-card, everything you need. It is very easy to move to Thailand with an elite visa. The visa process is also relatively simple and there are very few documents to prepare.
