Any Pressure On Luk Kreungs?

[bluegibbon]

I was born and raised in the US to a Thai mom and Farang dad. We visited and have lived in Thailand many times when I was young and stayed summers as I was growing up so I usually consider myself an American with Thai ancestry. So anyway, I finished high school and am now starting college in America.

I'm just wondering, are there any general unspoken (or spoken) pressures/desires for what Luk Kreungs should do that exist Thai society? I know in the US, it's different because we're usually regarded as Asians or just as Americans and people seem pretty open-minded (unless they're religious nuts). But what about in LOS?

I'm askin' this because I just got involved in a long-term relationship with a wonderful European honey and knowing that we may travel/go to LOS many times, I'm just wondering what the perceptions of us may be and I wanna make sure that no one hassles her. My Thai language skills aren't that good so I gotta brush up on that some.

Expanding on this question, are there any general pressures/plans for their futures that parents of Luk Kreungs tend to stress on their children?

Edited June 17, 2007 by bluegibbon

[Pepe']

Everything I have heard from Thai friends and relatives have been good.

I have several nieces and nephews that are "mixed."

They are always regarded as more good looking or more beautiful.

An overwhelming majority of current "superstars" are mixed.

The only problem you may have is someone mistakng you for a celebrity...

[Valjean]

As a father of a young Luk Kreung I'd agree that your biggest problem is going to be explaining why you aren't a superstar. You are probably past the age where having strangers come up and pinch your cheeks everywhere you go will be a problem however. Really you shouldn’t worry about this at all.

[chanchao]

Do you even look Thai.. My guess is that as a half Thai/American person AND likely to very much dress and act like an American, you won't seem overly Thai to people who don't know you; Perhaps you look like 'look krung', perhaps you just look 'somewhat Asian'..

It's impossible to say without having met you; chances are you will have a great time.

[TerryLH]

Would you be traveling here on a Thai passport? If so, you might be eligible for the Thai draft.

[Heng]

If you aren't on any local tabien baan (house registry), they don't have a place to send the draft letter.

I didn't get added to my family's Bangkok house registry until I was 21... no one has ever even asked about my draft status (and I'm 32 now) and I've never received any kind of draft letter. Any other inter-Thais or luk krungs out there get asked about it by officials?

[samran]

I'm half thai with dual Thai-Australian nationality. I live in Bangkok. My wife has blond hair and blue eyes. We have a daughter, also with Thai nationality (as well as a few others passports!), who has milk white skin (think Nicole Kidman), golden blond hair and blue eyes.

Our relationship is not seen in any unusual light, although my daughters Thai passport does raise some very suprised eyebrows!

[dr_Pat_Pong]

I'm half thai with dual Thai-Australian nationality. I live in Bangkok. My wife has blond hair and blue eyes. We have a daughter, also with Thai nationality (as well as a few others passports!), who has milk white skin (think Nicole Kidman), golden blond hair and blue eyes.

Our relationship is not seen in any unusual light, although my daughters Thai passport does raise some very suprised eyebrows!

It'd frighten the beejeezus out of the average immigration officer.

[Dakhar]

Yes, they will wonder why u r not a super star.

They will probably be more critical of your if you Thia is not awesome. They think Thai is something that you are born with, not learned.

Wow, your gf must be very attractive, to be willing to bring her to Thailand. A lot of European women can not hold a candle to the "hoties" pushing fruit carts in Thailand, let alone bank tellers.

[steveromagnino]

Yes, they will wonder why u r not a super star.

They will probably be more critical of your if you Thia is not awesome. They think Thai is something that you are born with, not learned.

Wow, your gf must be very attractive, to be willing to bring her to Thailand. A lot of European women can not hold a candle to the "hoties" pushing fruit carts in Thailand, let alone bank tellers.

Ah yes, but not every look kreung has the desire to shack up with fruit cart pushers and bank tellers.

:-)

No real pressure, you should work on your Thai as you are part Thai. The entertainment thing has been on the way out for a while now, now only fathers/mothers of bratty look krueng really notice any majority of look kreung in the entertainment industry, the reality is that the pendulum in that arena has swung heavily towards Thai and Thai chinese who can actually speak Thai properly. Plus most of the look kreung these days are mixed blood but without the looks of Mam, Willy Mac, Sam, etc etc; if you have the looks then for sure you will be asked to model, act, etc etc, but there won't be the obsessive girlies and agent types hanging around the whole time trying to get something from you like there was 10 years ago.

The draft thing, well one of my friends DID get picked up on this and had to go into the lottery, he actually ended up being drafted, but then there was someone who volunteered on that day, and they had too many so he was able not to have to do it. It happens, but he was born here, so that's how they got him.

[Heng]

Samran, Steve, have the local authorities (perhaps at the amphur or at the MFA when you renewed your Thai passport) ever questioned you on your draft status? Or did you guys go 'lor dor' or 'black card?'

[mellow1]

If you were born in the USA. You are an American.Use your American passport.You do not live here,you are coming on a vacation.I am an American of German decent.When I went to Germany,I didn't worry about being forced into the German Military.Enjoy your stay,but be careful,this isn't the US.

Yes, there are pretty girls here,just like you will find in any other country in the world.Its ignorant to imply otherwise.Ignorance, is something that you will definitely encounter.Most people here will not have a very good education,although the younger generation are much better off.Read the news, and things on this, or other forums.It will give an idea of where peoples heads are at.Good Luck mellow.

[keebone]

Would you be traveling here on a Thai passport? If so, you might be eligible for the Thai draft.

Not sure if this is true or not but I was told by my GF that Luk Kreung are not allowed in the military. She was told this by an ex BF who was an officer of some sort in the Army.

Posted this yesterday and it seems to have disappeared for some strange reason.

[cathyy]

I'm half thai with dual Thai-Australian nationality. I live in Bangkok. My wife has blond hair and blue eyes. We have a daughter, also with Thai nationality (as well as a few others passports!), who has milk white skin (think Nicole Kidman), golden blond hair and blue eyes.

Our relationship is not seen in any unusual light, although my daughters Thai passport does raise some very suprised eyebrows!

It'd frighten the beejeezus out of the average immigration officer.

I've been saying all along that in a generation or two you are going to be seeing blue-eyed and blonde-haired Thais with very fair skin. As the children and grandchildren and great grandchildren of Vietnam war era vets and expats marry and have children those genes get spread around and they are going to start showing up when they meet another set of those genes. It will be a minority, of course, but it will inevitably happen.

[Heng]

Would you be traveling here on a Thai passport? If so, you might be eligible for the Thai draft.

Not sure if this is true or not but I was told by my GF that Luk Kreung are not allowed in the military. She was told this by an ex BF who was an officer of some sort in the Army.

Not true at all as there are definitely luk krungs who got drafted I know personally. They usually all get stuck doing their duty in military intelligence pushing papers. These were all local luk krungs... not inter luk krungs... where like inter-Thais, their draft status is apparently a grey area.

[Heng]

I've been saying all along that in a generation or two you are going to be seeing blue-eyed and blonde-haired Thais with very fair skin. As the children and grandchildren and great grandchildren of Vietnam war era vets and expats marry and have children those genes get spread around and they are going to start showing up when they meet another set of those genes. It will be a minority, of course, but it will inevitably happen.

Unlikely, considering that both of those genes are recessive. For example if you look at Brazil (which is about 10-15 generations beyond and X times the scale of the race mixing going on in Thailand), you'll see that the standard result is cocoa skin, light to dark brown eyes and slightly kinky brown/black hair.... I recall on my last trip there out seeing exactly one blue eyed negro in a month there going out everyday and night.

[Dakhar]

Yes, they will wonder why u r not a super star.

They will probably be more critical of your if you Thia is not awesome. They think Thai is something that you are born with, not learned.

Wow, your gf must be very attractive, to be willing to bring her to Thailand. A lot of European women can not hold a candle to the "hoties" pushing fruit carts in Thailand, let alone bank tellers.

Ah yes, but not every look kreung has the desire to shack up with fruit cart pushers and bank tellers.

:-)

No real pressure, you should work on your Thai as you are part Thai. The entertainment thing has been on the way out for a while now, now only fathers/mothers of bratty look krueng really notice any majority of look kreung in the entertainment industry, the reality is that the pendulum in that arena has swung heavily towards Thai and Thai chinese who can actually speak Thai properly. Plus most of the look kreung these days are mixed blood but without the looks of Mam, Willy Mac, Sam, etc etc; if you have the looks then for sure you will be asked to model, act, etc etc, but there won't be the obsessive girlies and agent types hanging around the whole time trying to get something from you like there was 10 years ago.

The draft thing, well one of my friends DID get picked up on this and had to go into the lottery, he actually ended up being drafted, but then there was someone who volunteered on that day, and they had too many so he was able not to have to do it. It happens, but he was born here, so that's how they got him.

Apparently my point was lost. My point was there are many many beautiful girls, the can be seen essentially everywhere, pushing a broom to selling doughnuts. At least in the US, you will not find so many pretty women per capita. But hey, to each his own, some folks may find the rotund look to be attractive.

[samran]

I'm half thai with dual Thai-Australian nationality. I live in Bangkok. My wife has blond hair and blue eyes. We have a daughter, also with Thai nationality (as well as a few others passports!), who has milk white skin (think Nicole Kidman), golden blond hair and blue eyes.

Our relationship is not seen in any unusual light, although my daughters Thai passport does raise some very suprised eyebrows!

It'd frighten the beejeezus out of the average immigration officer.

I've been saying all along that in a generation or two you are going to be seeing blue-eyed and blonde-haired Thais with very fair skin. As the children and grandchildren and great grandchildren of Vietnam war era vets and expats marry and have children those genes get spread around and they are going to start showing up when they meet another set of those genes. It will be a minority, of course, but it will inevitably happen.

I believe that you are a doctor, so I'm not going to argue. But I don't think the horse has bolted yet, at least in my daughters case. My wife is of European heritage, and has no Asian background. My daughter for all intents and purposes, is 3/4 european, 1/8 Thai Chinese, 1/8 Thai-Burmese. She may as well be from Sweden though if you were to look at her.

[samran]

Apparently my point was lost. My point was there are many many beautiful girls, the can be seen essentially everywhere, pushing a broom to selling doughnuts. At least in the US, you will not find so many pretty women per capita. But hey, to each his own, some folks may find the rotund look to be attractive.

Definetly each to their own. I personally don't have 'Bamboo fever'. My lack of attraction to Thai girls for a time made me think that I was perhaps gay when I was young and single working here in my early 20's! However, a trip back home to OZ combined with some beautiful summer weather made me realise that it was that I preferred blonds, as all gentlemen do...

[steveromagnino]

However, a trip back home to OZ combined with some beautiful summer weather made me realise that it was that I preferred blonds, as all gentlemen do...

Senator Samran. I knew gentlemen. I have met gentlemen. And you sir, are no gentleman :-)

Edited June 20, 2007 by steveromagnino

[samran]

However, a trip back home to OZ combined with some beautiful summer weather made me realise that it was that I preferred blonds, as all gentlemen do...

Senator Samran. I knew gentlemen. I have met gentlemen. And you sir, are no gentleman :-)

Order! The member for Otahuhu shall resume his seat and refrain from pharaphrasing failed US Vice Presidential cantidates...

[kenk3z]

Thai people will be able to look at most half-Thai, half-caucasian people and INSTANTLY tell that they are not 100% Thai.

It seems generally true that the Thai people focus on the non-Thai characteristics. That is, they "see" the non-Thai part. To some extent the caucasians are going to see the Thai influence.

So, to give you a quick opinion, you will be seen as a tourist. This will suit your purposes of visiting Thailand just fine.

If you wanted to instead settle down in Thailand and raise your family here along with getting a job, then you may have some issues to deal with.

Just an opinion, your results may vary.

kenk3z

P.S. Just to add some equal opportunity here, I have also seen half-Nepali and half-Japanese Thai kids. You can clearly pick out the Nepali and Japanese influences. I suppose it gets a little harder with the Napali kids because some Thais look Indian/Nepali too. Probably the hardest half to pick out is half-Chinese. This is mainly because ALL Thais like to claim they are Chinese blood.

Edited June 20, 2007 by kenk3z