Thais Only: Bus companies, Bangkok temple bans foreigners citing COVID-19 restrictions

[wensiensheng]

Frankly, as far as I am concerned, seen one temple, seen em all and since they are Thai temples, they can do what they want with them.

 

as for bus services, thai roads are dangerous enough when I am driving myself in my own car and utilizing my own defensive driving skills. Thais are very welcome to kill themselves off in the death traps that are Thai buses.

[rasmus5150]

19 minutes ago, connda said:

But it is racism. 

I've lived here for well over a decade without leaving the country.
I'm a Theravana Buddhist.  I "give their time, provide daily food for the monks and have functions and collections for the upkeep of temples."  And yet I'm made to pay should I visit a temple like Wat Po, Wat Doi Suthep, and Wat Chedi Luang among others.  For myself?  I don't visit these temples any longer because I don't consider them to be practicing Buddhism.  They have truly lost the Dhamma.

You're repeating and propagating the xenophobic nonsense that is the basis of Thai racism.  That "All non-Thais are only 'overseas visitors'" which is their official policy even for long-term stay Non-O holders who have families and are integrated into the Thai communities including being practicing Buddhist. 

There is no place for racism in Buddhism.  The temples which now embrace racist policies including charging foreigners entry fees and excluding foreigner based on their ethnicity have lost the Dhamma and really should be avoided. 

Many churches in Europe charges fees that are 10X higher for tourist entrance.

Not saying that it makes the Thai policy correct.

 

What is Theravana Buddhist? Is it some special branch of Theravada Buddhism that you practice in the north of Thailand?

 

If you are a true Buddhist, you should let go of the anger in your mind.

[arun1]

On a side note, I tried using the new DLT APP. I couldn't get it  to work to make an appointment to renew my licences. Went to my local licencing department, was told not for foreigners. Thai Nationals only. Come back when it's open to everyone. 

[SteveB2]

7 hours ago, jonclark said:

Thailand really is very good at shooting itself in the foot. With BLM / racial discrimination being so high on the global agenda - and as a country that relies on tourism, this becomes high on the agenda of Thailands customers. These actions are clumsy at best and paint Thailand in a poor light, opening the proverbial barn doors to Thailand being seen as an unfriendly country to foreigners. 

I don't think for even a moment, that the Thai government or even the TAT is concerned that their attitude will cause a fall in tourism numbers from either Afro-American or tree-huggin entitled rabbit-kissin beg-packin hippy members of the American far left.

 

For anyone who has ever lived in central Bangkok and bumped into some of the more colourful tourists who live around the Sukhumvit 1-30 area, or perhaps had a dodgy after hours drink in that nasty downstairs bar in 'The Grace Hotel', you can't help but associate a large number of these folks with drug dealing and scamming. 

 

The Thai don't want them here and see no problem in calling a spade a shovel. The Thai do their own thing and, go their own way. They don't care what the rest of the world's agenda is - often, the way the rest of the world does things is wrong - just look at the COVID-19 figures in European countries in comparison with Thailand...

 

Finally, Thailands major tourism groups would nod their heads in tacit approval of the Thai's attitude. 

[Spock]

6 hours ago, franzs said:

Dear Mr. Barrow, nice that you inform the world about something, you may call racism, or discrimination, but you should also information the world about the COVID-19 rules this country.

 

The government set very clear rules and we as foreign guest in this country we have to respect them and not complain like many members in this forum, because they think it is their given right to complain about everything here.

 

Wile the Thais are very strict on wearing face mask in public, foreigners think this rule is not written for them. Very often I see foreigner on the street or in malls without mask or pulled down to the throat.

In the last three months I have seen that foreigner lost a lot of respect from the Thais.

There was an incident months ago where the health minister distributed mask to the public and some foreigners rejected them.

 

Since then no good reading in the papers about the foreigners, the Thais think that the foreigners make them sick and put them in danger.

Just yesterday I see one of them in a shopping mall behind me, mask down at the throat,

I am a 30-year resident in this country, have a Thai family and they keep me up to date.

If you think the health minister is a paragon of virtue and knowledge then you truly are an idiot. As for face masks, almost no one in Australia or New Zealand wears them and the virus has all but been eradicated. You and the Thai people have allowed yourselves to be deluded by misinformation and propaganda. 

[djayz]

So their Chinese cousins bring the disease here by the plane load on their zero dollar travels, but those of us foreigners living here have to put up with this racist behaviour?! 

[GAZZPA]

3 minutes ago, SteveB2 said:

I don't think for even a moment, that the Thai government or even the TAT is concerned that their attitude will cause a fall in tourism numbers from either Afro-American or tree-huggin entitled rabbit-kissin beg-packin hippy members of the American far left.

 

For anyone who has ever lived in central Bangkok and bumped into some of the more colourful tourists who live around the Sukhumvit 1-30 area, or perhaps had a dodgy after hours drink in that nasty downstairs bar in 'The Grace Hotel', you can't help but associate a large number of these folks with drug dealing and scamming. 

 

The Thai don't want them here and see no problem in calling a spade a shovel. The Thai do their own thing and, go their own way. They don't care what the rest of the world's agenda is - often, the way the rest of the world does things is wrong - just look at the COVID-19 figures in European countries in comparison with Thailand...

 

Finally, Thailands major tourism groups would nod their heads in tacit approval of the Thai's attitude. 

Seriously? So they target black people because they are more likely to be drug dealers? Is that what you are saying? Do you know any black people, I suspect that is a stupid question.

 

Some information for you, black people are the same as any other nation, they are normal people just like you with good and bad members of their society. 

 

There are plenty of white people who deal drugs and Thai people, Chinese etc, take your pick. Saying that a nation of people (which you are not even saying, your just saying black) are more prone is utter nonsense and an attitude that thankfully is dying with your generation.

 

[connda]

6 minutes ago, GAZZPA said:

Agree my friend called me this morning regarding this note. He is mixed race, and said something similar to you, except the sign he mentioned was Dogs, negro and Irish. However that was over 50 years ago when he was a young boy, it was his parents that endured that. It has no place in todays world...

Actually, yeah.  My Scot-Irish grandparents endured that too. 
Dogs, Negroes, and Micks.

[unamazedloso]

i been in lockdown with wife and kids since before the lockdown. Thais havent given a hoot about the curfew, wearing masks and such where i live. Thais need to have better access to real info about things. Can someone invent a dumb phone so they can use it?

[GAZZPA]

2 minutes ago, connda said:

Actually, yeah.  My Scot-Irish grandparents endured that too. 
Dogs, Negroes, and Micks.

shocking when you think about it. Even more shocking Thailand are putting signs like this up today.

[JCP108]

19 minutes ago, arun1 said:

On a side note, I tried using the new DLT APP. I couldn't get it  to work to make an appointment to renew my licences. Went to my local licencing department, was told not for foreigners. Thai Nationals only. Come back when it's open to everyone. 

The app isn't working for foreigners or the license branch is open only to Thai people?

[krobert6]

Green bus company has a Thai's only Covid policy - stupidity

[mark131v]

4 hours ago, connda said:

You're an apologist for racial segregation.  That's not good.

There is no difference between me, a non-Thai Theravada Buddhist, and a Thai Theravada Buddhist - Except: 
The Thai Theravada Buddhist can enter the temple "to pray, to make merit etc."
This American Theravada Buddhist can not enter the temple "to pray, to make merit etc."
I'm not allowed in because of my skin color and ethnicity.

 

The Thai government does nothing to address this racism meaning they explicitly condone the racism.

Before Covid many of these same temples allowed Thais Buddhists to freely enter their temples "to pray, to make merit etc." but foreign Buddhist must pay "to pray, to make merit etc."
I must pay because of my skin color and my ethnicity.

Nowhere in the Buddhist scriptures does the Buddha condone racism.  Had he condoned racism then Buddhism would have died out in Northern India long, long ago as a religion limited only to the race of people inhabiting Northern India.

Thai racism is extremely ugly and vile;  Apologizing for this systemic racism is condoning the racism and is equally as vile. 

"Foreigners can not enter (Wat Po) for their own safety" is a lie which is breaking a core Buddhist precept.  If it was for 'safety' reasons then no one other than construction workers and monks could enter.  None of the general public would be allowed in if it was truly about 'safety.'  "Foreigners can not enter" because foreigners are seen as dirty, Covid-carriers - a fiction that seems to have gained momentum via the rants issued out of the Health Ministry. 

That is the ugliness of systemic racism:  Non-Thai - Dirty; Thais - Clean. 
Vile.  Ugly.  Disgusting. 
There is no place for racism in Buddhism, yet, here it is!

Bravo sir!

 

That completely and utterly hits the nail on the head!!

 

There is absolutely no other explanation and the apologists can say what they want but this behaviour is abhorrent and condoned at the very highest levels

 

It's utterly breathtaking a country that relies on tourism as much as LoS does have the lack of intelligence and foresight to allow this and do nothing about it, breathtaking but not at all surprising...

[Aussieroaming]

6 hours ago, Ventenio said:

100% wrong.  I've seen thousands of people not wearing masks, even at the market.  You are seeing what you want to see....which is fine, and next time take pictures of only those absolutely horrible, disgusting farangs who we hate even more than ourselves (lol, not possible for some).  yes, I KNOW what foreigners think as well....they think they can be the worst people, break laws, destroy culture, destroy the world, ruin it for me....

 

oh, those farangs.  i'm glad i'm a buffalo.

 

oh wait

Damned right, plenty of people not wearing masks and they aren't all westerners. 

[robbioff]

8 hours ago, jonclark said:

Thailand really is very good at shooting itself in the foot. With BLM / racial discrimination being so high on the global agenda - and as a country that relies on tourism, this becomes high on the agenda of Thailands customers. These actions are clumsy at best and paint Thailand in a poor light, opening the proverbial barn doors to Thailand being seen as an unfriendly country to foreigners. 

Farang Lives Matter!

[Cranky]

Farang Lives Matter. ????????????????

[473geo]

1 hour ago, connda said:

But it is racism. 

I've lived here for well over a decade without leaving the country.
I'm a Theravana Buddhist.  I "give their time, provide daily food for the monks and have functions and collections for the upkeep of temples."  And yet I'm made to pay should I visit a temple like Wat Po, Wat Doi Suthep, and Wat Chedi Luang among others.  For myself?  I don't visit these temples any longer because I don't consider them to be practicing Buddhism.  They have truly lost the Dhamma.

You're repeating and propagating the xenophobic nonsense that is the basis of Thai racism.  That "All non-Thais are only 'overseas visitors'" which is their official policy even for long-term stay Non-O holders who have families and are integrated into the Thai communities including being practicing Buddhist. 

There is no place for racism in Buddhism.  The temples which now embrace racist policies including charging foreigners entry fees and excluding foreigner based on their ethnicity have lost the Dhamma and really should be avoided. 

Prior to covid how many Temples banned foreigners?

Overseas visitors paying for tourist attractions is not unusual

 

You post is just a jumbled up ramble of entitlement

 

[dpcjsr]

This <deleted> is getting old fast. I have always understood the racist nature of Thai society but not letting me ride a bus is a step too far for me. Tired of this <deleted>! I am constantly torn between staying in the <deleted> hole with a wife I love and getting the hell out of dodge. It is a nasty position to be in with no good solution. 

[snoop1130]

Wat Pho explains ban on foreign visitors

By The Nation

 

 

Authorities at Wat Pho temple say foreigners have been banned from visiting the Bangkok landmark in order to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

 

The temple placed a sign outside its entrance with a message reading “Open for Thais only” and “Now not open for foreigners”, as reported by the Associated Press.

 

Wit Artchinda, an official at the temple, explained that Wat Pho’s committee had responded to the Covid-19 crisis in other countries and decided to follow the government’s preventive measures.

 

However, the government has made no announcement banning foreigners from entering public places as part of disease control measures.

 

Wit added that some areas of the temple are under repair, and the committee was afraid that foreign visitors might be disappointed if they paid Bt200 and saw nothing.

 

Wat Pho Temple is among the oldest and largest temples in the country and also one of Bangkok's most popular tourist attractions.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30389528

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-06-12

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

[ttrd]

8 hours ago, Pilotman said:

All fine with me.  I don't use their buses and I wouldn't set foot in one of their over blown temples. 

Right - no need at all especially if your presence in Thailand is of a spiritual nature - through TV ... 

Edited June 12, 2020 by ttrd

[cheapcanuck]

Clear case of racism in the LOS.

Thailand's new slogan "Land of Racists."

[Burma Bill]

8 hours ago, cyril sneer said:

I expect the Chinese will still be allowed in

Exactly my thought - how do you distinguish between an ethic Chinese Thai and a Chinese visitor to the temple - by showing a Thai ID card????  Photos (from internet) - ethnic Chinese Thai girls left, mainland Chinese girls right.

 

 

[Stevemercer]

It's like the old joke when the Thai school teacher asks her students what they are afraid of most: ghosts or farang?

 

FARANG the students all shout back!

[JCP108]

31 minutes ago, dpcjsr said:

This <deleted> is getting old fast. I have always understood the racist nature of Thai society but not letting me ride a bus is a step too far for me. Tired of this <deleted>! I am constantly torn between staying in the <deleted> hole with a wife I love and getting the hell out of dodge. It is a nasty position to be in with no good solution. 

I'm in the same position. Tough choice.

[ttrd]

6 minutes ago, Stevemercer said:

It's like the old joke when the Thai school teacher asks her students what they are afraid of most: ghosts or farang?

 

FARANG the students all shout back!

During these times farangs are most likely associated with ghosts ...

[sambum]

"Richard later tweeted that a message posted on the Wat Pho Facebook page that said foreigners had not been permitted entry for their own safety and that the temple had been closed to tourists due to restoration work which is currently taking place."

 

So it's perfectly "safe" for Thais to enter, but not foreigners or tourists?

 

That shows that the amulets are working, then! ????

[sambum]

Just now, JCP108 said:

I'm in the same position. Tough choice.

Same, same! 

[thairookie]

What about Roong Rueng from Suvarnabhumi to Pattaya ?  Or Ekkamai to Pattaya ?

 

Does that mean that taxi drivers can charge higher rates since the buses will not take the foreigners ?  Motorssai rap jang should follow suit.

[terje johnsen]

Boycot all Company that refuse foringer to enter or travel.Thailand will never get back to the way it was before if they continue this harasment of foringer.

[sambum]

Just now, Greg O said:

My Buddah if you have to take the bus then you obviously made some bad career decisions ....don't little brown spinners lives matter ? 55 

So tourists don't take buses in the UK or the rest of Europe, and if they do, they are "cheap charlies" or "bums"?

 

Off topic, but maybe the people/tourists/farangs that go on buses are maybe fed up of being ripped off by taxi drivers - half of whom won't take you to where you want to go anyway?