Frenchman reports sale of Nazi inspired goods to Pattaya Tourist Police

[nobodysfriend]

1 hour ago, ezzra said:

It's not the idiots that wear or sells that stuff i'm on about, it's the idiots that protect the right of the other idiots to do what is utterly offending to many people, nations and countries around the world....

 

[grkt]

Maybe he would like more to be speaking German, because this is what should have happened if things could have been perfect ! What an idiot ! hahahaha, can't he feel ashame to be so ridiculous ?

 

 

[GreasyFingers]

2 hours ago, missoura said:

For an upcoming project, I needed some old Thai wood and bought a few posts only to find this graffiti on one.  I hadn't planned on sanding these posts, but now it looks like I have to.

That is the reverse swastikas. I have even seen a very big one in a temple, Sukothai, I think.

[Megasin1]

I once saw an 8 year old ish girl wearing a swastika t-shirt and asked my wife if she had any idea that she could be possibly offending some people. I then discovered that to Thais it is just a T-shirt and they are naïve to Western history and symbolism and history. You can say they are poorly educated in the ways of the world if you want, that's your right or you can believe that in their 'matter of fact' attitude this naivety is in some way to be admired, as it frees them from having to worry about all the stuff that is giving people sleepless nights. I bought an English translated book from the JEATH museum, which went along the lines of the Thais having initially joined the Japanese, realised later that perhaps they had picked the wrong side. Although on face value this seems like an obvious statement to most of us, there is more to this than meets the eye, as politically prior to this the Thais had been manipulating their position and working very hard to avoid any form of colonisation, previously by the French and the British.

Unfortunately for the Frenchman, Thailand avoided French colonisation so I would recommend that he exercises his democratic right and doesn't buy from this shop and considers himself lucky that hey, no one is pointing a gun at his head and forcing him to buy anything and that it wasn't a taxi driver he was complaining to.

[Jingthing]

As someone that started a previous thread about the sale of Nazi glorification merch openly on the streets of Pattaya (has been going on for many years in various settings) I applaud Monsieur Alexandre Jandaeng for putting this out there in an official way with a report to the police.

 

Do I expect the police to actually do anything about it?

No. I don't. 

Because it's most likely not against the law here unless they can get the vendors on an unrelated technicality such as lack of permits. 

 

But I think it's a positive thing for the Thai authorities here in this most popular beach resort city in Asia to become more aware that this is an issue to many of their "guests" here and at the very least it's something that should be considered here for possible later regulation.

 

In other words, the Thai authorities should once and for all decide whether they are OK with open sale of Nazi glorification merch or not.

 

No, I don't think they will but this complaint is a step in the right direction.

 

The way it's been is that action is only taken when the Thai Nazi stuff becomes very embarrassing international news, damaging the face of Thailand to the world, such as the notoriously ignorant Nazi parade at the school in Chiang Mai.

 

So no more parades. Easy. But no change that would actually prevent such embarrassments future. 

 

Whatever the Thais decide, that is up to them, but I think they should go on record, once and for all. 

[Baerboxer]

3 hours ago, BuaBS said:

I see no problem selling these things here. This is Thailand not europe.

Doubt the Thai have laws against it like nanny state France.

 

France has to have laws against it because a great many French people collaborated with the Nazis. And not only in the Vichy part. If they didn't their far right would be up again and wearing it! Quite frankly, no here cares what the laws in France are.

 

The way to combat this is through education. History teaching throughout Asia often ignores the Nazis, Imperial Japan, the brutal regimes of Stalin and Mao and their significant roles in what is still fairly recent history. I doubt many would have a clue about the holocaust, the millions deliberately starved to death by Stalin and Mao, and the dangers of extreme politics and totalitarian regimes.

 

I do know a few who have read "The rape of Nanjing" which is harrowing. They consider that more relative because of the Sino/Thai population and the fact it was all Asians. And I don't recall seeing any Imperial Japanese regalia being used. 

 

I first saw zwastikas on the back of Benz, BMW's and VW's here in the early 90's. Perhaps they think this is a German badge and something Germans like? If they did this in Germany they'd be arrested!

 

 

 

 

[Denim]

2 hours ago, les Dennis said:

Hitler was a loser, literally. Who wants a losers memorabilia ! You wanna get Churchill stuff

Ah yes , but the German uniform was so smart :

 

 

 

[sanemax]

4 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Thailand to the world, such as the notoriously ignorant Nazi parade at the school in Chiang Mai.

 

Although it wasnt an actual "nazi parade" , it was just a school sports team that were the red colour used nazi red colours .

   It was an ill thought out ignorant act , but it cannot be described as a "nazi parade" because it wasnt done to show support for nazis

[Media1]

I must say. L was on a bus and a scooter went past in full army Hitler Nazi paintwork.

I was shocked and a Thai lady shrieked ohhh .... Yes it's wrong and it should be stopped. BUT Thailand lol no.

 

[Srinivas]

3 hours ago, Happy Grumpy said:

Those aren't swastikas. 

Yes these too are also swastika.

Thai Sawasdeeka(khap) orginates from sanskrit swastika.?

[Jingthing]

I don't actually have a strong opinion on what Thailand should do about the persistent virus of visible Nazi glorification here. 

As I'm from the U.S. where it's legal for actual Nazis to gather and parade around (as long as they have a permit) and I'm OK  with the concept of freedom of political expression in that regard, it would be hypocritical of me to suggest what a Thai policy should be. 

But as Thailand relies so heavily on international tourism, and a large portion of the tourists are from places where Nazi glorification merch will be seen as inflammatory, I think they should openly consider making a clear decision, yes or no. Having no policy either way is a cop out. 

[Bill Miller]

I believe it is purely rooted in ignorance, on the part of the vendor.
What I find disturbing is the probable target market.
Where was the set up? In Pattaya.
What is the greatest market for "souvenir" items?  Not Thai people.
Interestingly, perhaps, the Chinese sector is the most numerous, and Chinese folks are fond of that shade of red, and can be expected to be equally ignorant of european history. 
Eh?

[scorecard]

3 hours ago, BuaBS said:

I see no problem selling these things here. This is Thailand not europe.

Doubt the Thai have laws against it like nanny state France.

 

On the other hand if many Thais discovered stuff with images of revered monks and revered temples etcon sale on street markets in Europe they would quickly yell foul and expect the European authorities to quickly take action to stop such sales.

 

 

[Denim]

I can understand where the Frenchman is coming from.

 

A whole lot of Americans find this offensive and it has recently been banned in many states. 

 

 

[bkkgriz]

1 hour ago, phycokiller said:

no, hes a fashion icon, and I could accept that with hitler too if people werent actively trying to emulate his bigotry 

Yeah, it is fashionable to assassinate one's political foes. Do you really want to stick with that argument? Leftist hypocrisy is so galling.

[AGareth2]

The Thais were Nazi allies

[Jingthing]

3 minutes ago, Denim said:

I can understand where the Frenchman is coming from.

 

A whole lot of Americans find this offensive and it has recently been banned in many states. 

 

 

You are incorrect. It has not been banned in ANY state as far as the right of the public to buy, sell, and display it. Stop pushing misinformation. 

[Jingthing]

7 minutes ago, Bill Miller said:

I believe it is purely rooted in ignorance, on the part of the vendor.
What I find disturbing is the probable target market.
Where was the set up? In Pattaya.
What is the greatest market for "souvenir" items?  Not Thai people.
Interestingly, perhaps, the Chinese sector is the most numerous, and Chinese folks are fond of that shade of red, and can be expected to be equally ignorant of european history. 
Eh?

On the thread that I started (and I've observed myself) the majority of people stopping to have a look at the Nazi glorification merch appear to be white Eastern Europeans. I've not seen even one Chinese person stop at those stalls. 

[ChouDoufu]

amazing how many people leave their homelands behind, often due to overbearing government policies, yet "demand" that the foreign host government implement some of the same policies that caused them to leave their homelands originally.

 

think about how this progresses...

 

with the latest oil shale fracking technology,  the texas economy is booming.  won't be long before thousands of "redneck" oilpatch workers will be vacationing in pattaya.  should they be offended by ladyboys and public homosexual behavior, who here is going to agree the police should do something about it, else lose tourism money?

 

who here from europe would agree that new immigrants have a right to demand local governments institute various forms of sharia?  i'm sure the new arrivals in france find plenty to be offended by. 

[Denim]

20 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

You are incorrect. It has not been banned in ANY state as far as the right of the public to buy, sell, and display it. Stop pushing misinformation. 

https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/news/a35912/confederate-flag-banned/

 

This link is from 2 years ago. Have not bothered searching since.

 

I will concede a poor choice of words though. Perhaps not banned but certainly it is divisive and hated by many :

 

California

Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation last year prohibiting state agencies from selling or displaying items bearing the flag. (August 21, 2014)

[Jingthing]

6 minutes ago, Denim said:

https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/news/a35912/confederate-flag-banned/

 

This link is from 2 years ago. Have not bothered searching since.

 

I will concede a poor choice of words though. Perhaps not banned but certainly it is divisive and hated by many :

 

California

Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation last year prohibiting state agencies from selling or displaying items bearing the flag. (August 21, 2014)

Yes, your wording was awful and completely misleading which in my book is the same thing as broadcasting FALSE information.

 

You suggested the graphic was banned IN many states.

No.

It's been banned in NO states and it likely never will be because doing do would be unconstitutional. 

 

Your link is only about displaying in an official capacity.

[Rimmer]

Stay on topic please, the US confederate flag is not on topic

[Gandtee]

4 hours ago, missoura said:

For an upcoming project, I needed some old Thai wood and bought a few posts only to find this graffiti on one.  I hadn't planned on sanding these posts, but now it looks like I have to.

I think maybe that those signs on your wood are old Chinese signs of good luck. The Nazis altered it and used it for their own ends .

[ChouDoufu]

common buddhist symbols.

[sanemax]

Just now, ChouDoufu said:

common buddhist symbols.

Those are  not Nazi swastikas though , they are Buddhist signs

[HAKAPALITA]

28 minutes ago, Denim said:

https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/news/a35912/confederate-flag-banned/

 

This link is from 2 years ago. Have not bothered searching since.

 

I will concede a poor choice of words though. Perhaps not banned but certainly it is divisive and hated by many :

 

California

Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation last year prohibiting state agencies from selling or displaying items bearing the flag. (August 21, 2014)

Is Cali American.?.Ive seem American Enclaves there, but nothing like Texas, thats real America.

[impulse]

4 minutes ago, HAKAPALITA said:

Is Cali American.?.Ive seem American Enclaves there, but nothing like Texas, thats real America.

 

The rest of America wishes...

 

[ChouDoufu]

6 minutes ago, sanemax said:

Those are  not Nazi swastikas though , they are Buddhist signs

yes, was responding to the symbols on the wooden post.

[MeHere]

4 hours ago, Vacuum said:

Maybe if you use a mirror.

 

Look! No mirrors...

[impulse]

7 minutes ago, sanemax said:

Those are  not Nazi swastikas though , they are Buddhist signs

 

It's all about intent.  I can scratch my nose with my middle finger, as long as I don't wink at the guy or gal that's watching me.