snake24

The Chinese are a superior race right? I mean if a half Chinese is so much better than a pure Chinese then a pure Chinese one from china would be miles better right? Oops waiting to see some angry responses now

How dare the OP call thais asians that's racist.

Im going to the USA next week and my GF mentioned she wanted to go to the Temple while Im gone. I asked the reason why she was going to the Temple, expecting the answer to be along the lines of:

to reflect on my life, find inner peace, gain enlightenment or just for the quiet and solitude.

Instead she told me "I want to get luck for the lottery".

I think the meaning of religion is much different to the average Thai vs Falang.

Do christians pray to get luck for the lottery?

On the issue of thaksin being chinese yes we can see it from here how he has chinese ancestors but how chinese is he?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thaksin_Shinawatra

Thaksin's great-grandfather, Seng Sae Khu, was an immigrant from Meizhou, Guangdong, China, who arrived in Siam in the 1860s and settled in Chiang Mai in 1908. His eldest son, Chiang Sae Khu, was born in Chanthaburi in 1890 and married a Thai woman named Saeng Somna. Chiang's eldest son, Sak, adopted the Thai surname Shinawatra ("routinely appropriate action") in 1938 because of the country's anti-Chinese movement, and the rest of the family also adopted it.^[4]

Seng Sae Khu had made his fortune through tax farming. Chiang Sae Khu/Shinawatra later founded Shinawatra Silks and then by moving into finance, construction and property development. Thaksin's father, Lert, was born in Chiang Mai in 1919 and married Yindi Ramingwong (a daughter of Princess Jantip Na Chiang Mai). In 1968, Lert Shinawatra entered politics and became an MP for Chiang Mai and deputy leader of the now-defunct Liberal party. Lert Shinawatra quit politics in 1976. Lert Shinawatra opened a coffee shop, grew oranges and flowers in Chiang Mai's San Kamphaeng district, and opened two movie theatres, a gas station, and a car and motorcycle dealership. By the time Thaksin was born, the Shinawatra family was one of the richest and most influential families in Chiang Mai.^[4]

Thaksin was born in San Kamphaeng, Chiang Mai province. He lived in the village of San Kamphaeng until he was 15, then moved to Chiang Mai city to study at Montfort College. At 16, he helped run one of his father's cinemas.^[5]

Thaksin married Potjaman Damapong in 1980. They have one son, Panthongtae and two daughters, Pintongtha and Peathongtarn. They divorced in 2008.^[6] Thaksin's youngest sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, entered politics in 2011 at her brother's request as leader of the pro-Thaksin Pheu Thai Party and was elected prime minister on 3 July 2011.

His great grandfather is chinese and based on that write up his great grandmother should also be from china cos there is no indication that his great grandfather married a thai woman unless you guys can confirm it.

His paternal grandfather Chiang Sae Khu married a thai woman so now the chinese lineage isn't so strong. His eldest uncle took up the surname shinawatra. His own father married a thai princess so the chinese lineage is even smaller.

So let's establish this. We all have 2 parents, 4 grandparents and 8 great grandparents. From the wiki thaksin only has 2 great grandparents of chinese heritage so this means the other 6 were northern thais. Not only that his chinese ancestors took up a thai surname so they became thai and not chinese. In fact the amount of chinese-ness in thaksin is very very minute and mind you this isn't the BS one drop rule for black ppl in the US.

This is to counter how some TV members claim that thaksin is selling out the country due to the fact that he is racially chinese but the amount of chinese in thaksin is so small. Thaskin wouldn't even be considered a white man at all if we replaced the chinese with whiteness. He's not even 1/4 chinese.

Why are ppl still bringing up the chinese-ness of thaksin? Cos of his physical appearance. Thaksin does look rather chinese doesn't he? This is because the thai heritage of his look chinese too cos they are oriental thais and don't have that dark skin malay look. Many ppl just cannot get pass the fact that there are many thais that look chinese it just doesn't register. They are trying to make it look like thaksin is selling out thailand due to his very very minute chinese heritage.

Your post is without merit. When it comes right down to it, religion forces nobody to fight a war. It is men (perhaps utilizing religion in the wrong way) that start war. Whether America started the idea that God and Religion are a good basis for war, is ridiculous. That was started long before .....Talk to the Holy Roman Emperors during the dark ages about all that muck. Europeans and the British were horrendously involved in that crapola. Christ never once said war was the only way to go. So now you guys, all of a sudden, say America is using God as a reason to kill people....... Thats pretty childish..

When i hear of this utlizing religion in a wrong way i am also curious about the religion involved. Like it's kind of difficult to get these thai buddhists to fight in the name of buddha or the elephant headed god.

Religion is a personal matter...no one has the inside scoop as to which one is number one...the Holy Grail of Religions...although the Christian, Muslim, and Mormons would argue this point...all thinking they are favored by God...more than the others...

If religion works for you...good...if it does not...try not to judge the ones who receive some inner peace in praying to and worshipping another entity...it is quite popular for those professing no religious affiliation...to worship oneself these days...

It appears to me that the Thais use mantra meditation...praying to different size images of Buddha...animal figures...trees...and so on...are asking for blessing for their families and themselves...for future prosperity...a good life...good health...and happiness...I believe they are sincere...

"judge not...that ye be not judged"..."pray without ceasing"...

It's true that religion is a personal thing for everyone but what is rather curious to me is why does thai religion still have some sort of stranglehold or rather a hold unto the thai people. I think i am correct when i can safely say that there are more thai ppl that visit the temples and say their prayers compared to the western ppl some of who have totally given it up. Was there some sort of brain washing when thai kids were growing up?

I wasn't commenting on the Chinese thing at all - in fact I stated that I have no problem with it. So, yes my bias came out - none.

I was commenting that we have the right to comment, to criticise and to complain as we live here and the people we care about also live here. We would not be able to stop the landlord doing what he wants (well ignoring the courts for now as that is not analogous), but that doesn't stop us complaining to him, or about him to other residents. I am not sure if you are intentionally trying to be obtuse in your understanding of my, and others posts on the right to opinion or not, or you really believe that the "owner" has the right to do anything they want anytime without analysis or critique unless by other "owners", howsoever it affects others. In which scenario would that actually be true? I can think or none that involves adults that have not lost their rights to incarceration.

I can not really understand what you mean when you suggest we are doing more than just jabbering about it - how have people here actively attempted to physically change anything? What have they done? welded shut Chinese airplane doors or something? It is all hyperbola; people who are affected that moan about their predicament, and those predicting given a political decision/portend or some sort.

And again...I couldn't care less if Chinese tourist come here en masse. I quite like the Chinese personally (my kids are 1/4 Chinese from their maternal-paternal great grandparents) - Scottish too (as I'm a descendant ).

"I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it." (Voltaire)

Yes you are correct that we should all have an opinion but it's rather the self righteousness behind that opinion that causes the offense. There really isn't any logical explaination for foreigners residing in a country to somehow get offended that their host country is welcoming foreigners from another country.

Taking action doesn't really come into picture at all.

Here's another example. Let's take the UK. Now there are foreigners or immigrants from muslim countries that want to impose say sharia law unto the country. Needless to say the natives of the UK aren't too pleased with it but i am sure they are even more incensed by those that push for those laws cos it goes against the logical laws of human nature and the sense of self righteousness behind it. The muslims or rather the fanatics feel it is perfectly fine for them to impose these foreign laws but even 3rd party ppl not from the country feel that's just ridiculous. They are furthered angered by the self righteousness of these foreigners to try to impose their own rules when they are the visitors like how dare they even think of that and many of the immigrants themselves think that's unreasonable and you will agree that they have no logical reason to call for it.

The post above, by Snake24, essentially agrees with what I mentioned prior. The poster just chooses to take umbrage at a farang pointing it out, and chooses to be contrarian. Anyone can support anything, if they so choose. There are Bible thumpers who support burning witches at the stake. To each his own.

BTW, my mention of a dirt poor laborer (living in a 4 sq.M grass hut) getting Thai citizenship in 8 years with just a one-time pay-off to his Chinese-Thai clandestine organization, is a MICROCOSM of what happens every day. It's harder for a poor laborer to gain citizenship than anyone else who is higher on the social ladder. So multiply the laborer by how ever many hundreds of thousands, then add hundreds of thousands (or perhaps millions) of Chinese of comparatively higher classes, who want to clandestinely immigrate to a country with free speech and bevies of available women, ....and you start to get a picture of the continuing Chinafication of Thailand.

As it related to the topic: By fast-tracking and increasing Chinese numbers coming to Thailand, it can only increase numbers who are doing what I'm claiming is happening (in above blurbs).

The 2nd part is what i find really curious too. It actually borders on racism that is you're specifically focusing on the fact that they are chinese that's it. Isn't it good that higher classed chinese are migrating or staying in thailand rather than dirt poor laborers? Also what is the problem of chinese men getting say thai women or the bevies of available women? It's this really curious case that is so puzzling to me. It would make more sense if they were migrating to your country which would be some farang country and getting your nation's bevies of available women then i could see how you would feel offended. Yet aren't you yourself and your country men going to thailand and taking their bevies of available women?

Chinafication of thailand? Are thais starting to speak mandarin/chinese more often? Actually i feel that the anglofication of thailand and china where they speak english and the setting up of american fast food places like macdonalds is even more worrying. I mean it's so apparent and in your face compared to the chinafication of thailand in which i cannot really see at all. Those thais that you see that look like chinese ppl aren't really chinese. Many thais from chiang mai for example look chinese.

Re; Thailand's tourism industry: The two factors which most motivate how Thai planners think are: MONEY and CHINA.

The money aspect needs no articulation. The 'China' aspect is a reflection of the Chinafication of Thailand. It's been going on for over a century, and the Chinese-Thai Shinawatre clan (and their Chinese-Thai buddies on high) are now planning to accelerate it. Only a bit of prodding by Beijing, gets an astute response from Bangkok. In the near future, Bkk won't even need prodding, just a directive from HQ.

Yes it's money. It's the same for other foreigners too. Unless you mean to tell me somehow a foreigner like you deserves to stay in thailand despite not contributing any money but due to the intrinsic nature of you somehow being superior maybe in a racial manner.

China is a more powerful nation and mind you not only in the region but the world stage it has been that way for thousands and thousands of years. Go back over 500 years and you will see the kings of siam paying respect to the ming emperors of china.

Btw i noticed that when the US president visited thailand the US secret service took over all the security in thailand despite the fact that they were the visitors. Did you find any offence to that? I doubt it cos the US is a western country and due to that somehow they are intrinsically superior to the thais since thais are asian and have every right to dictate how the thais run security. Yet you know another curious thing? If china were to do the same exact thing you would be offended by it. In short US does it it's fine, China does it it's offensive.

Re; Thailand's tourism industry: The two factors which most motivate how Thai planners think are: MONEY and CHINA.

The money aspect needs no articulation. The 'China' aspect is a reflection of the Chinafication of Thailand. It's been going on for over a century, and the Chinese-Thai Shinawatre clan (and their Chinese-Thai buddies on high) are now planning to accelerate it. Only a bit of prodding by Beijing, gets an astute response from Bangkok. In the near future, Bkk won't even need prodding, just a directive from HQ.

Thailand's culture is originally from china. Their number system comes from the chinese. The numbers are pronounced pretty similar to chinese and not only that many foods are also chinese. Kway tiao is chinese for example.

I do find it odd though. Take russians in pattaya is that the russianification of pattaya? Well probably yes but you know for some odd reason that's fine for these TV posters cos russians aren't chinese.

I'm just curious why do some of you have no problems if the tourists come from the UK but the minute they come from china you have some offense to it and mind you you don't own thailand.

That's like person A going into a different neighbourhood and staying in some person's house and suddenly isn't happy when that person invites another person B to stay at his house. Person A definitely has no right to say anything cos he doesn't own the house and he's also an outsider staying in the house just like person B.

Yes, and Thais use over 500 words taken from English (a.k.a. 'tap sap').

I think one aspect of the new Thai policy that irks farang, is the favoritism expressed by the Chinese-Thai Shinawatre government (who unabashedly take orders from one man) to cater to Chinese visitors. The Shinawaters are, by their own admission and actions, fast-tracking policies to that end.

Farang visitors and residents, who individually contribute, on average, between half and 2 million baht annually to the Thai economy, are treated somewhat like (or worse than) the Afrikaaner gov't treated blacks in S.Africe prior to the banning of Apartheid. We are required to carry ID at all times, we're required to get and pay high prices for visas, we can't own property in our own names. Thais can own property in their own names in our home countries. Plus it's much easier for Thais to get nationality elsewhere than for farang to get nationality (or even just residency status) in Thailand. Similarly, Chinese are coming over every day, and it's relatively easy for them to get residence and eventually Thai nationality.

I hired a Chinese laborer from Sichuan. He never had more than 40 baht in his pocket. After 8 years residing illegally in Thailand, he got an Official Thai ID card. He showed it to me. There are strong clandestine (under the radar) organizations in Thailand whose purposes encompass: facilitating Chinese getting residency and citizenship here, plus they assist with getting loans for Chinese businesses. You don't hear about them, but just in my one small city here in N. Thailand, there are at least two. I could show you the building facades, if you're interested. But we couldn't go inside.

Oh crap a farang complaining of racism by the thai govt and actually pissed off about some chinese laborer getting an official thai ID while he's racially discriminated cos in his own words he needs to carry his passport with him at all times and you know how damn racist that is cos i suppose the police stop him everywhere and asks to check his ID. All foreigners cannot own land in thailand regardless of their race or nationality unless you mean to tell me only farang foreigners cannot own land while chinese foreigners can own land. Last time i checked i see how soi cowboy for example caters more to the english speaking foreigners rather than the chinese ones or are you jealous that somehow more thais are learning to speak mandarin and invite these china tourists into massage places. One of these days who knows there might be a soi tanniya for the chinese too. Probably piss you off even more when the thais ignore you and call out to the chinese ones instead.

If you don't like it go home, you mean ????

I don't really mean posts of that nature cos anyone can say that. Like i'm not in brazil but let's say i speak to a friend who is in brazil and he tells me how it sucks over there i could tell him to just simply go home and i wouldn't be wrong nor would it appear that i'm acting like i'm a citizen of brazil.

This came to mind when thailand announced some sort of visa less restriction to china citizens and also the attraction of a few million high caliber chinese citizens and some of these TV posters were going on how thailand shouldn't do that and so on when they themselves are foreigners so it's really so odd for them to have such an opinion because it's just like the analogy i gave of a guest in someone's house telling the owner how he shouldn't invite someone else over or how he should arrange his furniture etc.

The analogy is not accurate though - How about if you rented an apartment in a block - you don't own it. Now the landlord wants to paint the lobby shocking pink, put up neon lights and open a disco on the ground floor. Do you have no right to complain? Do you have not right to a opinion at all because you do not own the building?

Your analogy may be closer for a tourist here for two weeks, and Thai politics is unlikely to concern them at all - as expected! Unless it impacts them directly - riots etc. However, we live here - we PAY to live here. I am sure if they made it easy to become Thai citizens a lot of us would take the option too - I know I would. Those policies affect us and our Thai families. THIS gives us the right to an opinion. It is not because we think we are better than them - it is because we care about the country, the people, the culture and our loved ones - truly, those that do not are the ones that should go home !

Firstly on the landlord wanting to change the appearance of the building into say a club house well think about it do you actually have the right to tell him not to do it? Actually no none at all. You probably only have the right to change how your own apartment is like how the furniture should be arranged etc. What is done outside is actually none of your business and if it was a condo in which the residents have a say in the management perhaps you could get a few more residents with power to do something but that's not the case at all. You stay in an apartment complex and you only have the rights to do what you want with your apartment that's it. You do know there is a difference between an apartment and a condo in which residents can have a say in managing the condo but that's not the case for thailand cos non thais don't really have a say in managing anything.

Secondly your analogy on chinese citizens visiting thailand and trying to equate it to the landlord drastically changing the appearance of the apartment block or in another TV poster's example of inviting in biker gangs is rather silly. I can see why you would want to use such ridiculous over drawn examples though which is to push your point through. In reality it's just plain biasness probably even bordering on racism. The tourists from another country aren't biker gang members while the tourists from your country are all exemplary members of society. It really is plain biasness and it's more along these lines. You rent an apartment in a block you come from let's say region A of the country. You hear that ppl from region B of the country are going to rent the apartments in your block and you're unhappy cos you don't like ppl from region B but the ppl from region B are just like ppl from region A they aren't gang members or anything. If let's say there were ppl from a place say scotland and they were visiting thailand enmass and living in a certain part of thailand and i happened to live there and i complained of them would you feel for me or would you say i was being an arse? Scotland mind you now you can see your biasness come out.

just like the analogy i gave of a guest in someone's house telling the owner how he shouldn't invite someone else over or how he should arrange his furniture etc.

If I were already renting the house, and the owner invited someone else to live there too, I would be royally pissed off.

OK, so you're a bludger that contributes nothing, but most of us aren't living here like that.

youre renting a room, not a house

You might be renting a room, I can afford the house and garden.

Just had a new lawn put in, and I'm cutting it the way I want.

Seriously you think you actually own a huge portion of thailand?

How many acres of land do you own?

Do you feel that you being a foreigner and investing a huge amount makes you having a bigger say compared to another foreigner?

Actually i find it ironic cos if some chinese invested heavily in thailand you certainly wouldn't think that they had a bigger say in things compared to you.

I can safely say that most of you aren't thai but were born in a foreign country and most likely residing mid to long term in thailand probably married or in some sort of relationship to some thai female.

Well suffice to say you aren't actually a citizen of thailand so don't you just find it funny that you would make comments when the thai govt makes rules like say the visa thing with china and then you are somehow offended by it when you're not even a thai citizen. Would you stay in someone else's house and then try to teach him how to mow his lawn, arrange his furniture?

If you were a paying oap group guest in a 4 star hotel on a year deal and you heard that the plan was for it to take in biker gangs on long term contracts at huge discount mightn't you think the management had lost their mind?

Wrong. Yes in a way the other guests might be alarmed but here's the fact. The hotel is a business, if the biker gangs could somehow pay to stay there and mind you that's probably how they are going to stay long term in a hotel especially a more upmarket one is by paying just like the other guests who are you to find offence to it?

You see you obviously see yourself as higher up compared to say some biker gang members. The hotel management doesn't see it that way. You pay your hotel bills like the room you keep to the minimal rules like no loud noises for example and you and everyone else is allowed to stay in the hotel. You probably cannot stand the presence of the bikers when let's say you are out at breakfast in the buffet line but the fact of the matter is those bikers have every right to be in the hotel and at the buffet just like you and it's not up to you to pass judgement as to them not being able to stay there.

This is the same exact thing that some of you feel when writing about the china tourists visiting thailand. In some demented way or rather delusional way thinking your presence in thailand is somehow more welcome compared to the vistors/tourists from another country.

Yeah there's nothing wrong with his OP but this bloke always has to include references to most of us TV members being with Thai females, which in fact has got nothing to do with what he is saying. I think he is a jealous person with a chip on his shoulder about his pathetic existence

WTH? I was making a suggestion that probably some of you or maybe a majority was in some sort of relationship with a thai female hence that was the reason for your staying in thailand which is true in a sense unless you can prove to me otherwise and you are saying that i am jealous? The bar girl cum wife or rather the highly hi-so intelligent thai wife that chose to be with you instead of with some other native thai guy sure makes for jealousy.

This thread is useless without pictures and a video.

If you don't like it go home, you mean ????

I don't really mean posts of that nature cos anyone can say that. Like i'm not in brazil but let's say i speak to a friend who is in brazil and he tells me how it sucks over there i could tell him to just simply go home and i wouldn't be wrong nor would it appear that i'm acting like i'm a citizen of brazil.

This came to mind when thailand announced some sort of visa less restriction to china citizens and also the attraction of a few million high caliber chinese citizens and some of these TV posters were going on how thailand shouldn't do that and so on when they themselves are foreigners so it's really so odd for them to have such an opinion because it's just like the analogy i gave of a guest in someone's house telling the owner how he shouldn't invite someone else over or how he should arrange his furniture etc.

I agree. Human nature is always going to take precedent.

But the fact remains that people use religion to justify or advance their evil intent.

If people want to believe in a virgin birth, or that Mohammed flew into heaven on a winged horse...etc, then that's their decision. My mind is based more on logic and reason.

But again, to each his own.

I wonder how is an evil monk going to use thai religion to futher his intents? Maybe get them to donate more money but many thai ppl already donate money to various temples. How to get them to donate even more?

I wonder how did those monks get so rich in the first place. The corrupt monks.

I can safely say that most of you aren't thai but were born in a foreign country and most likely residing mid to long term in thailand probably married or in some sort of relationship to some thai female.

Well suffice to say you aren't actually a citizen of thailand so don't you just find it funny that you would make comments when the thai govt makes rules like say the visa thing with china and then you are somehow offended by it when you're not even a thai citizen. Would you stay in someone else's house and then try to teach him how to mow his lawn, arrange his furniture?

Hurrah! Finally Thailand will soon be officially colonised by the Chinese. Though in actual fact, the Chinese already colonised Thailand decades ago and that is why the whole country is run by the Thai-Chinese while the Thais are "indirectly groomed thru poverty and lack of education and opportunities" to be the supporting menial classes to serve their colonisers and while the Chinese colonisation brought with it drugs,organised mafia, prostitution and corruption(tea money) into the Thai Culture, Thailand will soon be officially colonised by the Chinese.

All businesses, land etc will be under the control of the Chinese while there will be greater emphasis on the development of Chinese Cuture here , already we have top echelons of the country frequently visiting China and promoting Chinese Musical Instruments instead of Traditional Thai Musical Instruments.Even fair yellow skin is being promoted as the criteria for being rewarded a status in society here.

And we have thousand of overstays here of Chinese origin who blend in without the authorities checking on them.

To all you Thais on non-Chinese origin here, your days are numbered. You and all your offsprings and future generations will be condemmened to serve your new masters for generations unless you do something about it now to seize back your land and businesses.

Dude get your facts straight. The thai chinese like chinese all over the world manage to work hard and build businesses and gain economic and political power. This is very very different from western colonization which is basically using military might to colonize the country and the westerners have done it to many countries and probably to thailand although not in the conventional sense. In fact if you want to call chinese tourists visiting thailand as colonization then we can jolly well say thailand has long been colonized by farangs but for some odd reason you don't see it this way.

So you admit Thailand has been colonised?

The issue with colonisation is that policy is not set with the needs of the local population paramount. The policy is set to benefit an outside agency, so it makes little difference how the colonisation takes place, the results are largely the same.

No i didn't admit to it. Visiting a country as a tourist does not mean you are colonizing it. If not would you say the many tourists from western countries are colonizing thailand?

Yet the minute the tourists are chinese you say they are colonizing thailand. What a big joke.

Re; Thailand's tourism industry: The two factors which most motivate how Thai planners think are: MONEY and CHINA.

The money aspect needs no articulation. The 'China' aspect is a reflection of the Chinafication of Thailand. It's been going on for over a century, and the Chinese-Thai Shinawatre clan (and their Chinese-Thai buddies on high) are now planning to accelerate it. Only a bit of prodding by Beijing, gets an astute response from Bangkok. In the near future, Bkk won't even need prodding, just a directive from HQ.

Thailand's culture is originally from china. Their number system comes from the chinese. The numbers are pronounced pretty similar to chinese and not only that many foods are also chinese. Kway tiao is chinese for example.

I do find it odd though. Take russians in pattaya is that the russianification of pattaya? Well probably yes but you know for some odd reason that's fine for these TV posters cos russians aren't chinese.

I'm just curious why do some of you have no problems if the tourists come from the UK but the minute they come from china you have some offense to it and mind you you don't own thailand.

That's like person A going into a different neighbourhood and staying in some person's house and suddenly isn't happy when that person invites another person B to stay at his house. Person A definitely has no right to say anything cos he doesn't own the house and he's also an outsider staying in the house just like person B.

Do Thais pay different prices to enter London zoo?

When my wife first arrived to live in the UK we did all the touristy things; London Zoo, The Tower, Hampton Court etc..

Same when her son came to visit and again when her sister did.

Every time we went somewhere that charged for entry she was shocked that I had to pay the same price as she, her son and her sister did.

"But it's your country, your history! Why do you have to pay the same as me?"

As part of my taxes subsidise many of these places, a good question!

Most state owned museums are free in the UK; paid for out of taxes. There are many in the UK who feel that they should be free to UK residents but tourists should pay.

Yup why does your govt charge the same prices?

Anyway what the UK govt does doesn't affect other countries policies. It's just like how if the neighbours the jones for example mow their lawn on saturday morning doesn't mean you have to mow yours on a saturday too.

Anyway some posts mentions how foreigners pay more for studying in a UK college or something so maybe they don't pay more for a visit to a zoo but that doesn't mean the UK citizen doesn't have benefits.

There's no such thing as racism in Thailand - you're either Thai or you're an Alien

Race doesn't come into it

Yes, and in the UK you are either British or an alien.

In France you are either French or an alien.

Etc., etc., ad nauseum.

From the OED

Alien, noun:

1 a foreigner, especially one who is not a naturalized citizen of the country where he or she is living

I doubt that any other country in the world but Thailand uses the word Alien, and use the word foreigner instead, which is in imo a more human expression.

The US does it. All non US citizens in the country are aliens the only difference is that the US is a western country and a supposed superpower so i suppose it's fine if they do this.

i dont know about your country , but in mine foreigners have to pay more for fishing and hunting. and i'm sure we are every bit as educated as you

What country are you from?

Do Thais pay different prices to enter London zoo? alt=biggrin.png width=20 height=20>

This prompted a memory of mine from a visit to Chicago in June, where once a month local residents get free entry - http://fieldmuseum.org/visit/field-museum-discount-days

Similar concept.. sure that this happens in the UK too.

seniors from my province get free pass on ferryboats. all others must pay.

So it goes to show even the UK is discriminatory but as usual do the person that complains of thais doing it and i can bet it's a farang he totally ignores how his own country also does it and chides others for doing the same exact thing.

Taxi from where ? Maybe people who stay at hotels in this part of town want to be in this part of town.

From say the rest of town like ratchada, maybe the middle of sukhumvit etc. I'm just curious why is this region of bkk considered upmarket like what's the reason for it? Is it cos it's close to the river? It's far from the airport, both airports.