Thai Xenophobia

[KiChakayan]

I know this has been debate at length here, but this study (2015) has the merit of being based on surveys made by reputable organizations.

Racism rising in the Land of Smiles.pdf

[Rhys]

An urgent program to reduce the causes of racism and xenophobia, whether they be inaccurate history books, ultranationalist radicals terrorizing the streets of Bangkok, regimented schoolchildren incapable of critical thinking, unrestrained forms of militarism used against ethnic minorities, or harassment of the foreign media (whose goodwill is crucial to a country’s economic situation) should also be immediately instituted by the NCPO.

 

The writer has lived and worked in Thailand for decades and comes to this conclusion?

 

Part of the culture.

[WalkingOrders]

Its not my culture. I am a guest here. I am treated overall  very well. I am aware of xenophobia. This is a mostly homogenous society. Perhaps the fear they have has served a purpose in keeping them from being colonized. Perhaps it keeps them from losing an identity uniquely Thai. Likewise some negative effects on their development. Regardless, its really not my business. So I don't care. If things ever got bad here... ie I felt I was treated poorly, or with contempt by people generally, I would leave. Having said this, I think that the xenophobia we are talking about applies to most asian countries, again in my view I am treated well here.

[brokenbone]

in my experience, the only 'thai xenophobia' that exist

is in delusional coffin dodgers mind,

likely an yet undocumented effect of senility.

tvf could be an interesting place for scientists to study

[Naam]

1 hour ago, brokenbone said:

in my experience, the only 'thai xenophobia' that exist

is in delusional coffin dodgers mind,

likely an yet undocumented effect of senility.

tvf could be an interesting place for scientists to study

[daveAustin]

19 hours ago, WalkingOrders said:

Its not my culture. I am a guest here. I am treated overall  very well. I am aware of xenophobia. This is a mostly homogenous society. Perhaps the fear they have has served a purpose in keeping them from being colonized. Perhaps it keeps them from losing an identity uniquely Thai. Likewise some negative effects on their development. Regardless, its really not my business. So I don't care. If things ever got bad here... ie I felt I was treated poorly, or with contempt by people generally, I would leave. Having said this, I think that the xenophobia we are talking about applies to most asian countries, again in my view I am treated well here.

Agree with a lot of that, and would opt for xenophobia any day if it meant losing that uniqueness.

 

Colonialism: Other than deft negotiation/deals through the powers that be of the time, nothing the general populace (or anyone else) could have done would have prevented colonization from GB/France if they wanted to adjust the balance.  

Edited July 31, 2019 by metisdead
Please do not modify someone else's post in your quoted reply, either with font or color changes or wording.

[Orton Rd]

On the whole Thais do not like Cambodians, the Burmese, Indians and really don't like 'chocolate man' tend to be wary and jealous of westerners with money and are not really keen on the Japanese

Edited August 1, 2019 by Orton Rd

[marcusarelus]

They like K-pop and J-pop and Korean and American movies and TV shows.

Edited August 1, 2019 by marcusarelus

[NanLaew]

4 hours ago, marcusarelus said:

They like K-pop and J-pop and Korean and American movies and TV shows.

And your money... or so we are led to believe.

 

Me? I am the consummate xenophile. I bought a t-shirt at Target in the US many, many years ago that had that simple word printed as a dictionary presentation. Didn't feel the need to wear it in Thailand 40 years ago but may be handy to wear when mingling with some of the delusional, senile, coffin dodgers that brokenbone mentions. Since there are so many empty bar stools, do they hang out in air conditioned shopping malls now?

xenophile

noun

xe·no·phile | \ ˈze-nə-ˌfī(-ə)l  

Definition of xenophile

: one attracted to foreign things (such as styles or people)

[from the home of CC]

4 hours ago, Orton Rd said:

On the whole Thais do not like Cambodians, the Burmese, Indians and really don't like 'chocolate man' tend to be wary and jealous of westerners with money and are not really keen on the Japanese

sounds like the Brits lol

[fusion58]

Ethnocentrism seems to be a bigger problem here than xenophobia.

 

Most Thais have no clue re: other cultures and have even less interest in finding out.

 

 

[Traubert]

Xenophobia is a word almost exclusively used by people who refuse to assimilate into the culture in which they live, or at least try.

 

Every time I hear a fat old wrinkly say 'what they should do,' 'why don't they?' or 'at home we..' I just want to punch him all the way to the border and boot him over it.

 

Is that just me? ????

[sunnyboy2018]

On 7/31/2019 at 4:39 AM, brokenbone said:

in my experience, the only 'thai xenophobia' that exist

is in delusional coffin dodgers mind,

likely an yet undocumented effect of senility.

tvf could be an interesting place for scientists to study

I have found the elderly to have the best education and due to life experience more inherent wisdom. When people use the disparaging term 'coffin dodger' its usually an indication of poverty and or jealousy.

[sunnyboy2018]

20 minutes ago, Traubert said:

Xenophobia is a word almost exclusively used by people who refuse to assimilate into the culture in which they live, or at least try.

 

Every time I hear a fat old wrinkly say 'what they should do,' 'why don't they?' or 'at home we..' I just want to punch him all the way to the border and boot him over it.

 

Is that just me? ????

Yes. And you dont know the difference between integration and assimilation.

[brokenbone]

36 minutes ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

I have found the elderly to have the best education and due to life experience more inherent wisdom. When people use the disparaging term 'coffin dodger' its usually an indication of poverty and or jealousy.

you got that 180 degree wrong, old people almost invariably

barely made basic school, around 8 years or so,

while most everyone below 50 has at least twice that education.

intelligence is destined to rise progressively as kids get more education,

as it has so far been proven.

wisdom can be said to be a memory reference bank, but if your memory

primarily consist of repeating the same monotonic motion over 50 years time,

for the purpose of earning a salary,

that same motion dont give much width

for reference in any other solution solving

Edited August 4, 2019 by brokenbone

[richard_smith237]

In general don't think the Thai Population express any Xenophobic tendencies. 

 

My experiences in Thailand are that more often than not I am treated more favourably than Thai's treat each other and when not I am treated with an equal indifference. 

What I have noticed is that more recently foreigners are 'less special' (and rightly so) and more commonly than not I am just treated with the same degree of indifference with which Thai's treat each other and everyone else.

 

This is not xenophobia, its simply a people who through modernization and development are slowly learning that they are equal and don't need to 'kiss ass' with false platitudes for no reason whatsoever. 

 

 

That said, I find that the both the Thai Government and Thai Media often trip over their own clumsiness and in many cases lack of global education and appear xenophobic to those their comments are aimed at. What we forget is our own governments and media behave in a similar manner; albeit in most cases with the government being a little more careful with wording, however, the Western media are far less careful. 

 

The growing multiculturalism of Thailand is being handled in a clumsy manner, I think that's all that can be said of Thailand, but then it [multiculturalism] is being handled in an extremely clumsy manner is most other nations too.

[Naam]

5 hours ago, Traubert said:

Xenophobia is a word almost exclusively used by people who refuse to assimilate into the culture in which they live, or at least try.

 

Every time I hear a fat old wrinkly say 'what they should do,' 'why don't they?' or 'at home we..' I just want to punch him all the way to the border and boot him over it.

 

Is that just me? ????

relax my good man. there are many of those who give a flying fart about alleged xenophobia and wet dreams about assimilation into the culture of a country in which they (due to various reasons) live.   

[BritManToo]

6 hours ago, Traubert said:

Xenophobia is a word almost exclusively used by people who refuse to assimilate into the culture in which they live, or at least try.

 

Every time I hear a fat old wrinkly say 'what they should do,' 'why don't they?' or 'at home we..' I just want to punch him all the way to the border and boot him over it.

 

Is that just me? ????

I'm trying to assimilate but am finding it hard to drink away the 10 years of education I endured after age 12.

(Which is the essential first stage)

I've already bought several pairs of 'elephant pants'.

Edited August 5, 2019 by BritManToo

[AnnaBanana]

6 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

In general don't think the Thai Population express any Xenophobic tendencies. 

 

My experiences in Thailand are that more often than not I am treated more favourably than Thai's treat each other and when not I am treated with an equal indifference. 

What I have noticed is that more recently foreigners are 'less special' (and rightly so) and more commonly than not I am just treated with the same degree of indifference with which Thai's treat each other and everyone else.

 

This is not xenophobia, its simply a people who through modernization and development are slowly learning that they are equal and don't need to 'kiss ass' with false platitudes for no reason whatsoever. 

 

 

That said, I find that the both the Thai Government and Thai Media often trip over their own clumsiness and in many cases lack of global education and appear xenophobic to those their comments are aimed at. What we forget is our own governments and media behave in a similar manner; albeit in most cases with the government being a little more careful with wording, however, the Western media are far less careful. 

 

The growing multiculturalism of Thailand is being handled in a clumsy manner, I think that's all that can be said of Thailand, but then it [multiculturalism] is being handled in an extremely clumsy manner is most other nations too.

Exceptionally good post.

It effectively counters the mindless Thai-bashing that has become so prevalent on the ThaiVisa forums.