Racism in Koh Samui from thais against white people

[awesome dude]

I am a white Australian that has been to Koh Samui probably over ten times and am currently here now.

 

This time around I am stunned at how a lot of the Thai people here treat tourists. Probably every two or three days I have a bad experience with a Thai person. These bad experiences all revolve around these Thai People having a fixed negative mindset towards westerners. Its as if as soon as they encounter you they think "Another scumbag farang" .

 

Unless you are staying at a high end resort or dining in a high end restaurant where the Thais are trained and paid to smile at you I think you will encounter the above problems often. Not all Thai people are like this obviously but there is definitely a growing culture here of this. I am trying hard to not let these people ruin it for the good thais but unfortunately I am never coming back here because of it.

[Kwasaki]

26 minutes ago, awesome dude said:

I am trying hard to not let these people ruin it for the good thais but unfortunately I am never coming back here because of it.

G'day mate there other places in Thailand other than Koh Samui.  

[Berkshire]

Wow OP, so much conjecture.  Firstly, what are these "bad experiences" you speak of?  The guy ahead of you not opening the door for you?  A pretty Thai girl refuses to give you her phone number?  The 7/11 cashier not smiling as she takes your money?  

 

But the real question is how do you jump to the conclusion that these "bad experiences" had anything to do with racism?  Often we have some farangs in Thailand who can't accept that they get treated badly because they themselves treat people badly.  Something to do with karma... 

[MisterTee]

28 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

G'day mate there other places in Thailand other than Koh Samui.  

So true... and some of them are even worse.  Pattaya and Lower Suky in Bangkok for example.

Get away from all the tourist traps.

Mass tourism is a disaster on so many levels. It destroys the environment and turns the locals into mercenary hypocrites who rip you off with a smile.

That said, the points that Berkshire makes should be considered as well.

[petermik]

Funnily enough I,m in Samui at this time (first ever visit) and I have yet to see/feel any racism towards westerners....perhaps my attitude to Thai folks is different to yours

[OJAS]

1 hour ago, awesome dude said:

These bad experiences all revolve around these Thai People having a fixed negative mindset towards westerners

In exactly the same way, of course, as there are elements back in our home countries who have fixed negative mindsets towards Thai people and others whose skin colour is other than white and/or who don't speak the local lingo without a trace of accent.

[awesome dude]

25 minutes ago, OJAS said:

In exactly the same way, of course, as there are elements back in our home countries who have fixed negative mindsets towards Thai people and others whose skin colour is other than white and/or who don't speak the local lingo without a trace of accent.

Yes there is racism in Australia but mainly towards Australian aboriginals. Asians get treated very well.

 

I honestly think there is a growing culture in samui of the thai locals all talking to each other bout how much they hate farangs. The whole island is dead and has been for the last few years. I think this is why.

 

I honesty couldn't care if thais want to be racist towards me good luck to them. But I'm not coming back here and giving them my money due to this growing element.

 

Edited December 18, 2017 by awesome dude

[seajae]

while there are some thais that have a thing about farangs most are ok, smile at them and 99% smile back. Maybe you should try somewhere else, I have never enjoyed  Koh Samui, then again I dont really like places are generally packed with holiday makers, much prefer more relaxing, quiet destinations without the crowds where you can actually have a space to yourself with being pushed around, Australia was very similar as is most countries, avoid tourist destinations and you find much better places to enjoy yopurself

[Aussieroaming]

I'm still trying to figure out why you said "white Australian". Do you think you would have been treated differently if you had a different skin tone? Just spend your dollars where they are appreciated, then it will be happy days for you and the vendors.

[thaibeachlovers]

Given the way some tourists behave I'm not at all surprised that SOME Thais loathe every tourist they see.

[awesome dude]

9 minutes ago, Aussieroaming said:

I'm still trying to figure out why you said "white Australian". Do you think you would have been treated differently if you had a different skin tone? Just spend your dollars where they are appreciated, then it will be happy days for you and the vendors.

Australia is a multicultural society. I am a white Australian. There are many Asian Australians and I think they would get better treatment then me here in samui.

[thaibeachlovers]

28 minutes ago, awesome dude said:

Australia is a multicultural society. I am a white Australian. There are many Asian Australians and I think they would get better treatment then me here in samui.

I don't know about that. Some Thais are very racist to Asians not Thai.

[Youbloodybeauty]

1 hour ago, awesome dude said:

Yes there is racism in Australia but mainly towards Australian aboriginals.

I bet the majority of "Australians" have never even interacted with Aboriginals.
 

Random story ...my Thai wife who has worked 20+ years in a hospital in Sydney with patients and staff from many countries. She finds by far the most racist are English/England/British whatever :)

BUT that is just her, next person will tell another story.

[RickG16]

In my experience there are two prevalent attitudes in people who come to Thailand (longer than a short holiday), which influence how they are treated, or they perceive they are being treated by Thais. I don't believe it comes down to language or race....

 

Some westerners talk and act exactly the way they would do back home, and expect to be treated in the same way. This to them can be very polite, and they expect the same politeness that they would do back home. But they fail to appreciate this is a different country and people who do not speak English as their first language won't always be able to communicate with them on the same level. Things are not going to be the same as back home, and it seems even some long term expats never get their head around this.

 

Then the other group pull their sleeves up, and realise that if this is a country they want to stay in for any length of time, they need to come a bit closer to their hosts. This can mean anything from a smile, to simplifying their English in order to become better understood. It can actually involve being less polite than they are accustomed to in the Western sense of the word. That means sometimes it is more effective to be direct and to the point, rather than beat around the bush. I find these kind of people roll with the punches of living in a foreign country better, and are less likely to become offended or suffer a bad experience.

 

All comes down to having a realistic attitude imo. 

 

EDIT: I see OP is a tourist rather than longer term resident, so a slightly different case. All depends where you go I guess, I have found Koh Samui to be a very friendly place when I visited, but not to say everywhere is like that. 

Edited December 18, 2017 by RickG16

[Aussieroaming]

3 hours ago, awesome dude said:

Australia is a multicultural society. I am a white Australian. There are many Asian Australians and I think they would get better treatment then me here in samui.

I see, you were differentiating between Caucasian and Asian Australians. Anyway, as I said go elsewhere to a place where your tourist dollars are appreciated.

[Berkshire]

4 hours ago, awesome dude said:

Australia is a multicultural society. I am a white Australian. There are many Asian Australians and I think they would get better treatment then me here in samui.

Let's be truthful here: you have no idea how Asians are treated in Australia because you're not Asian.  But I've been told by Asians (Chinese in particular) that Australia is very racist towards Asians.  So get off your high horse already. 

[awesome dude]

2 hours ago, Berkshire said:

Let's be truthful here: you have no idea how Asians are treated in Australia because you're not Asian.  But I've been told by Asians (Chinese in particular) that Australia is very racist towards Asians.  So get off your high horse already. 

I am Australian but I don't no something that has to do with Australia ? Haha. Asians in Australia generally have a reputation for being hard workers and being overall decent people. They have gelled well with the white Australians and will continue to do so.

 

Indians on the other hand have not mixed well with the white Australians. They have a very bad reputation in my country and no one wants anything to do with them from a business perspective. They are very hard to deal with.

 

 

[Aussieroaming]

2 hours ago, Berkshire said:

Let's be truthful here: you have no idea how Asians are treated in Australia because you're not Asian.  But I've been told by Asians (Chinese in particular) that Australia is very racist towards Asians.  So get off your high horse already. 

I think it's improved a lot over the last 20-30 years. When I was a kid there was still a lot of racism against Asians, because the Vietnam conflict was still a bit raw and Aussies seemed to lump all Asians in one basket. Now there are so many Integrated Asians that their presence is common and well accepted. My wife has never had any dramas there.

[Kwasaki]

15 hours ago, MisterTee said:

So true... and some of them are even worse.  Pattaya and Lower Suky in Bangkok for example.

Get away from all the tourist traps.

Mass tourism is a disaster on so many levels. It destroys the environment and turns the locals into mercenary hypocrites who rip you off with a smile.

That said, the points that Berkshire makes should be considered as well.

Funny you saying that been thinking the same for quite sometime the local management and organisation of tourism here is total incompetents.

 

The ridiculous fantasy of which  " We can make lot's money from tourism "  has ruined our village over the last say 4 years with a building boom IMO.

The locals moan about outsiders pouring in also the excessive heavy traffic and so many more motorbikes. 

The amount of restaurants that have sprung up, side of road food places, guest houses,  resorts and hotels has become nothing but a joke.

40 new small restaurants places have been built next to the historic park my wife has one but doesn't bother with it anymore,  there's about 9 to 10 open at any one time mostly because they have nothing else to do l guess. 

 

They've even spent money on organizing a walking street which is dying death already, the only thing that does any good is 7-11 there's 2 fair size ones now.

 sad

[Gruff]

9 hours ago, awesome dude said:

I am Australian but I don't no something that has to do with Australia ? Haha. Asians in Australia generally have a reputation for being hard workers and being overall decent people. They have gelled well with the white Australians and will continue to do so.

 

Indians on the other hand have not mixed well with the white Australians. They have a very bad reputation in my country and no one wants anything to do with them from a business perspective. They are very hard to deal with.

 

 

I witnessed gross racism on a couple of occasions when i was in Oz for just a few weeks. It was directed from White skinnned Australians to Indian shopkeepers. Bad reputation or not what i witnessed was despicable and ignorant !

[Berkshire]

On 12/18/2017 at 10:59 PM, Aussieroaming said:

I think it's improved a lot over the last 20-30 years. When I was a kid there was still a lot of racism against Asians, because the Vietnam conflict was still a bit raw and Aussies seemed to lump all Asians in one basket. Now there are so many Integrated Asians that their presence is common and well accepted. My wife has never had any dramas there.

Hmmm, I hope you're right.  But I don't think the below is an isolated case....

 

http://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/crime/chinese-woman-subjected-to-severe-racial-attack-in-burwood-sydney/news-story/9f7cbf64cbaf38c028e6bc3584096b33

[zoza]

a good friend of mine attended a wedding on Phuket and was referred to as

birdshit by the local Thais, he said most of the other European guests commented

about the bad attitude of the locals towards the white people.

in the last eighteen years there I have felt a big change in attitude of a lot of Thai people towards foreigners in tourist area's, but they still seem to dislike the Burmese even more.     

[Nowisee]

RickG16 has some good valid points.  

 If I chose to live or stay in an area (any where in the world) that is predominately tourist funded, I only expect to be treated like a tourist and what ever that entails and possibly by people that have become cynical and unpleasant.  

 

Some people just don't have the personality for travel, living in or visiting foreign countries and dealing with different cultures and language barriers.    

The key is to have that self-observation skill to identify if thats you.  

Anyone traveling internationally really should leave the thin skin, high expectations and entitlement at home.  It can save you from a ruined vacation.  

 

The job people do and who they encounter and have to deal with every day can turn many peoples normal positive behavior in a negative way.  

 

After my few visits to the south, I have no desire to return there and it has little to do with how I perceived I was treated.  I just don't find it has value for me.

 

 

 

[evadgib]

This is either a troll thread or the blinkered (in)experience of someone who never set foot outside Chaweng.

[stevenl]

On 18/12/2017 at 10:48 PM, awesome dude said:

I am Australian but I don't no something that has to do with Australia ? Haha. Asians in Australia generally have a reputation for being hard workers and being overall decent people. They have gelled well with the white Australians and will continue to do so.

 

Indians on the other hand have not mixed well with the white Australians. They have a very bad reputation in my country and no one wants anything to do with them from a business perspective. They are very hard to deal with.

 

 

So Asians are appreciated, Indians are not?

[NanLaew]

14 hours ago, zoza said:

a good friend of mine attended a wedding on Phuket and was referred to as

birdshit by the local Thais,

Maybe he or she was.

[Arth]

I came to Samui 18 years ago, back here for the 2nd time since. ... they're no more or less racist, but Samui is 1000 times more dull and i cant wait to leave.

 

I booked 8 days in a high end hotel where the servers (Thai or not i dont know) are too thick to get a coffee for breakfast 2 breakfasts out of 4. I doubt the ones in lower end hotels think differently being as they all go back to the same places at night.

 

I will add i believe the way of thinking of poorer Thais is partially due to the fact that whilst whoever owns my hotel is making an absolute fortune for building a shoddy building with good marketing, he/she/they then put sweet FA of the vast sums they earn from this place into training the staff in ways such as speaking better English so they just end up wai'ing all day like nodding donkeys or training people up to better themselves.

 

Whilst the poorer Thais may not like you and have a prejudice, the Thais with a few baht have far more contempt for their fellow countrymen/women.

Edited December 23, 2017 by Arth

[kaorop]

On Mon Dec 18 2017 at 3:09 PM, petermik said:

Funnily enough I,m in Samui at this time (first ever visit) and I have yet to see/feel any racism towards westerners....perhaps my attitude to Thai folks is different to yours

 Just cause you either dont recognize it or havent experienced it yet doesnt give you the 'all knowing best atitude' crown..(added pointless smartass emoti?)...hey but slagging on someone with a legit issue is fun right?

[samran]

In life, you come across all sorts of people who complained they are hard done by due to the actions of others. It’s always someone else’s fault and they will give you a raft of reasons why they are the victim.

 

Then you look at their situation objectively and realise that most things that have happened to them is basically because they are a dickhe@d. 

 

Sounds like the OP falls into that category. 

[StayinThailand2much]

On 12/18/2017 at 5:27 PM, Youbloodybeauty said:

Random story ...my Thai wife who has worked 20+ years in a hospital in Sydney with patients and staff from many countries. She finds by far the most racist are English/England/British whatever :)

Brit-bashing for a change... 

Edited December 25, 2017 by StayinThailand2much