btwretail

I'm not saying those are not nazi swastikas, I'm saying that to Thais they probably have no idea of the nazi connotations, just the Hindu/Buddhist ones.

Oh they know. It is easier for everyone to attribute the behaviour to lack of education, culture etc. The sad reality is that the prominent display of Nazi type symbols is intentional. The Thais who sell the Nazi style tshirts here on the Hua Hin beach area don't give a sh*t. They've been told off by German tourists repeatedly, and still sell the garbage.

Or maybe they just think feeding their families are more important then the opinion of german tourists.

Well they for sure will not make money of the german tourists, by pissing them off. How smart is that????

I love Thailand and its people, but one thing I do not like is their ability many times just accept, what morally is wrong and lack the ability to actually discuss it without them "losing face". All Thais I know are very proved of their country, but at the same time they laugh or ignore things that makes their country look bad - like e.g. the nazi symbols and corruption.

Morally wrong to you might not be morally wrong to others or is it you that sets some kind of worlwide morale standard to us all? Same goes for what mite make thailand look bad.

Well, with the Swastika (Nazi-version) being internationally known as a powerful symbol of racism and hate, I doubt Thailand would improve it reputation towards e.g. tourists, if all Thais started wearing Nazi T-shirts.

If it did not hurt Thailand, then why did the schools here go out and say that they where sorry, for dressing up as Nazis? Could someone "smart" maybe had told them that they where on the wrong track?

When it comes to the Nazi-swastika, there are some international basic moral rules. People and countries respect these rules, because nobody wants history to repeat itself and also nobody (except neo-nazis) wants to promote racism and hate.

Anyone (who is not a neo-nazi) protecting the Nazi-swastika, are in my opinion unknowing of its real meaning. Printed on red and white, it has nothing to do with religion or anything else. It is a clear symbol of racism and hate... Nothing else. If that makes Thailand and Thais look good, then I would like to know how?

I'm not saying those are not nazi swastikas, I'm saying that to Thais they probably have no idea of the nazi connotations, just the Hindu/Buddhist ones.

Oh they know. It is easier for everyone to attribute the behaviour to lack of education, culture etc. The sad reality is that the prominent display of Nazi type symbols is intentional. The Thais who sell the Nazi style tshirts here on the Hua Hin beach area don't give a sh*t. They've been told off by German tourists repeatedly, and still sell the garbage.

Nobody likes the Germans... the British, French and Dutch don't. I know that for a fact. So it's not surprising if the Thais enjoy pis@ing them off as well !!

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Thais have no idea, if people are Germans, British, French or whatever... We are all just "Farangs" and they could care less, what country we are from.

I'm not saying those are not nazi swastikas, I'm saying that to Thais they probably have no idea of the nazi connotations, just the Hindu/Buddhist ones.

Oh they know. It is easier for everyone to attribute the behaviour to lack of education, culture etc. The sad reality is that the prominent display of Nazi type symbols is intentional. The Thais who sell the Nazi style tshirts here on the Hua Hin beach area don't give a sh*t. They've been told off by German tourists repeatedly, and still sell the garbage.

Exactly my point! They know what they are selling and they know that it offends many people...

Would we do the same? Where is the respect and understanding for others?

When Russian becomes the main language here, then I am out. So I guess, I have about 3-5 years left...

Dear BTW Retail... You need to know... that the Thai phrase 'Sawatdee' has the same Pali language root as 'Sawastika' - (this is a fact - research it)

It was only introduced to Thailand as a national initiative in the 1930's, if I remember correctly. (Just a timing coincidence?)

So when a pretty Thai girl says to you - 'Sawasdee Ka' - you need to know - that you are actually hearing 'Sawastika' !!!

(and that all Thais are secret Hitler-loving nazis on a special mission to cause all introspective, self centred, cultural self-superiorists, such as yourself, ....to make fools of themselves.)

Get a life and grow up.... or the other way around...

Okay, made me a lot smarter and now I totally understand...

On my way out to buy some T-shirts with Sawastikas on them and will give them to all my German Farang-friends here in Thailand. I am sure they will truly appreciate them and wear them with great pride... After all it is Thailand, so what does it matter :-)

you see this is the typical western aka "white" way of thinking that the rest of the world somehow needs to follow their norms and need to feel sensitive to them and take down what is offensive to them.

The nazis were notorious in the european and north african section of the world. In asia it was the japanese that were causing havoc. Thailand didn't even actually take part in the war and they don't even have ill feelings towards the japs why should they care what the nazis did since they didn't suffer anything from the nazis.

Actually consider this the imperial japanese flag is considered offensive. The one where there are rays of the sun coming out from the red circle. Now imagine a person from china telling a white person in the US how offensive it is cos his relatives and ancestors suffered under the japs. What do you think that white person would do?

OP are you jewish by any chance?

Yes, it might be a typical "white" way of thinking. However, I would like to see their reaction, if my country (who have many Thais living there), started hanging up posters that hit directly on their sensitive matters. I think, you would see that the reaction from the Thais would not be smiles, but something totally different. And the "Ohh sorry, it was just for fun or I did not know" would NOT be accepted. Also we would in my country actually care, if we offended other people. We would not just "smile" and come with stupid excuses, but take it serious.

This in my opinion has something to do with "respect" for other cultures and other peoples way of thinking. It can not be covered up and there are simply no excuses for it. I could think of several ways to offend the Thai people, but I do not do it because I respect them.

The question is... are THEY respecting my culture and way of thinking? I doubt it.

The problem about us "white people", is that we always try to make sense of things... There must be good a reason for them doing so. They are uneducated and do not see the big picture...etc. A lot of BS excuses, because we think we are the smartest of all.

Well, could the real reason be, that the Thais care shit about offending us and they keep doing it, because we just accept it. Could they be laughing at our weak values - that we can have shit thrown directly at us and we still just accept it? I think the Thais deep down could care less about our moral values or what offends us. As long as they can eat, can get our money and we do not offend them, then they could care less...

The biggest issue is... WE must NOT offend them - but the other way around, is a totally different thing...

Groundhog Day anyone? Surely this topic has been done to death on TV.

Well, sorry if this has been here before... This is my first post and I had no idea. This is just the one thing in Thailand that can truly piss me off. Especially because it makes Thai-people look extremely stupid - and when it comes to this, then they are!

I can see you're upset. And honestly, the only sensible solution is for you to get the heck out of Thailand, and right quick. No point spending the rest of your life being pissed off at something you cannot change.

I have lived in SEA for 7 years and I spend 99% of my time amongst thai-people, so I really do not see any point of leaving because of some Nazi-Symbols...

However, I reserve the right, although I am living here in a foreign country, to state what I believe is right and wrong, seen from my western mindset and perspective. I e.g. also think it is very wrong that rich people can get off with crime here, simply because they are rich etc...

I love Thailand and its people, but one thing I do not like is their ability many times just accept, what morally is wrong and lack the ability to actually discuss it without them "losing face". All Thais I know are very proved of their country, but at the same time they laugh or ignore things that makes their country look bad - like e.g. the nazi symbols and corruption.

It is the constant situation with... lets not talk about it - lets pretend it never happened and just smile. Well that approach to life is also very effective many times and we Farangs can learn a lot from that. But always pushing problems aside and cover things up, then it will in the end hurt - and that is what I think is the bad part of Thais and Thailand.

Most thais have not learnt to openly discuss, debate, express their opinion or understand that value of "learning from mistakes". This is a country, where people are purely obsessed with food, money and their own little world. And overall that is fine... but when people do not really want or can state their own opinion, then history shows us exactly what horrors can happen....

Considering the many years of influence by foreigners here in Thailand, I am amazed that that Thai-people e.g. do not see that displaying these symbols can make many people upset. I personally do not care about, if they know hitler or the nazi symbols or not. That is not the point. The point is, that they should be able to put themselves in the Farangs place and understand that this is a sensitive matter to many Farangs.

But what I see, is that Thais are not able to understand other peoples feelings or at least very few are. Thais have a very simply moral value set, that is completely focused on Thai-way of thinking. If they have food and money, then the rest world could be bombed or vanish without them really caring all (except the bargirls that have oversees sponsors sending them money). Now this alone is actually a dangerous way of thinking, because if empathy or understanding towards other non thai-people is non-existing then you are not far from the Nazi way of thinking.

I know, I am generalizing and not all Thai people are like that - but many (most) are and for me as a foreigner living here, I must of course accept that I can not change them all. I can however express my own thoughts, as I have learnt to do where I came from. This might sometimes make a thai-person "lose face" and I might even maybe get stabbed to death one day, because I do not want to change into a fake smiling thai-wannabe. However, I will not go away from my moral principles and just smile because I live in Thailand. I fully respect thai-culture and religion, but that does not mean that I will not comment on the things that I personally find wrong here.

When it comes to the display of Nazi-symbols the Thais ARE stupid. Not because they don't know anything about the history or meaning about it, but because they do not understand that it makes their beloved country and themselves look bad to many people. They are offending other people and do actually not care. That is worrying...

Living here, I have learnt to accept many things and just live life as the Thais do. I am grateful for them teaching me that, but there also are limits to what the Thai people should just accept and just smile at. We know from history, that It only requires one crazy person to make "followers" and "non-thinkers" do horrible things and that is precisely what the Nazi Symbols are all about.

In Thailand, we can shake our head and just smile, when a rich person gets of with killing another person. We can also just smile, when we see a nazi-symbol or hear about the police kidnapping foreigners for ransom. I wonder where we would all have been today if we had just all smiled, when Hitler tried to take over the world...?

To the OP ... btwretail ... we get you.

But that Thais don't care. I'm not say they should ... or should not care ... it's irrelevant what I think ... and fairly much irrelevant what you think also.

That comes from a News item not so long ago here on Thai Visa ... hitler-fashion-statements-confuse-offend-tourists-in-thailand/ just recently.

Starting a one man crusade to try and educate Thais and Thailand on how you perceive the atrocities of a megalomaniac half the world away and from a different generation will do nothing but give you migraines.

Many before you have tried.

If you would like to read any of the 20 or 30 threads about the same subject here on Thai Visa ... just click this link and it takes you to all the people who have written about this in the past. https://www.google.com.au/search?q=nazi+swastika++http://www.thaivisa.com+site:www.thaivisa.com&biw=1024&bih=461

Yeah, I know deep down, it helps nothing and Thais do not care...

It is like corruption, rich people getting away with crime etc... I just forgot for a moment I was in Thailand and got overrun by my western moral standards and upbringing :-) Need to get back into zombie-mode ;-)

Ohh... also miss bars and dance clubs, with NO prostitutes in... Have not found one of those here yet.

I have to agree on sanity sometimes (and family, friends and the food)... Being constantly around Thai-people most of my time, I tend to sometimes get a bit "crazy" and miss good long "deep" talks/discussions.

When I get that feeling, I go out drinking with my foreign friends here. That normally helps :-)

Groundhog Day anyone? Surely this topic has been done to death on TV.

Well, sorry if this has been here before... This is my first post and I had no idea. This is just the one thing in Thailand that can truly piss me off. Especially because it makes Thai-people look extremely stupid - and when it comes to this, then they are!

We prefer to say ignorant, not stupid. More polite, innit?

When it comes to the display and use of Nazi symbols, I prefer stupid! :-) ... If you are ignorant, you remove the items, when you are informed of their meaning and that they offend many people. You don't just smile or laugh - that is only for stupid people... Just my opinion.

Groundhog Day anyone? Surely this topic has been done to death on TV.

Well, sorry if this has been here before... This is my first post and I had no idea. This is just the one thing in Thailand that can truly piss me off. Especially because it makes Thai-people look extremely stupid - and when it comes to this, then they are!

I know the history of the swastika, but what I am seeing is not it being used in a religious perspective. I am seeing a complete ignorant use of it, with sometimes pictures of Hitler too.

What I do not understand, is that they can not get into their thick sculls that this offends many people.... That is what I do not understand.

Why is it that Nazi-symbols are so popular here in Thailand? And why do most Thai people not understand these symbols makes some people sick and upset? Do they not learn anything in school?

During this week alone, I first notice a T-shirt at Siam Park with a Nazi Symbol. Next I accidentally came across this picture on this Facebook profile.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=342982492499534&set=a.172914646172987.37304.100003633572739&type=1&theater

When confronting Thai-people I know about this, they do not seem to be specially bothered about it. I really get angry, when I see the ignorance in their eyes or their stupid smile, when asking if they do not understand that this symbol represents racism and hate. And furthermore it really is an insult to many people. Its like they just do not get it - even though they know their history and know who Hilter was.

They can deeply offend people and just laugh or smile... but if we do the same to them, they get very upset and angry. Its not like they don't know the feeling of getting offended, they just do not seem to really understand, that they are truly offending some people, by displaying Nazi-symbols.

I am sorry, but when it comes to this issue, I just totally do not understand Thai-people at all.