A Big White Man On Thai Soap Opera

[SillyMan]

SillyMan here. In keeping with my promise to talk only of silly subjects, I have found my topic to end the week. After an attempt at enlightenment though literature, my ever curious girlfriend, as silly as me, decided that reading books and acquiring knowledge of the world was a bit laborious and went back to watching Thai soap operas this week.

Never mind the breathe of her attempt at learning was Animae from Japan, she still found it a bit much.

So on goes the one-eyed shampoo seller and she started flipping through the channels with her remote as deftly as Luke Skywalker handles a light saber, until her eyes spotted something so strange, she hit the back button to settle on Thai television station 3. I find this out when I am suddenly awakened to come and review her find of a huge white man scampering about on a show playing at being a boxing teacher or some such thing. Now, being SillyMan, I too was curious.

The girlfriend said the big white man spoke pretty good Thai. Since I speak none, I took her word for it. Anyway, as silly as I am, I'm not sure even I could look as silly as this fellow did, cavorting about in some kind of Thai costume pajama looking thing, being every bit the SillyMan as much as me. By the way, I salute him too, his inner self being secure enough to be so silly.

But it did have me wondering a few things?

- Does this mean our occupation of Thailand is complete and successful? Heck, a white man being a player on a Thai soap opera, speaking Thai? What will they think of next?

- Is it a step up from his teaching job with his Khao San credentials? By the way, I salute those folks as well, who toil with the children of Thailand, teaching them useful English phrases and grammar. I just now it doesn't pay the same as most would like form countless years of having toiled there myself. So is this chap making some good dosh doing this? Am I wrong thinking they pay peanuts? If I am, they have a seat at Berlitz waiting for me to learn some language and make some easy dosh being my usual silly self.

- Is he simply, and by proxy, all foreigners, being marked as silly and displayed like some kind of pet for all the Thais to see and realize there is no reason to fear the big white men that come here to settle and live peaceful lives amongst the locals? 'See, the white man is harmless and silly, so get on with things and quit being afraid of him,' might be the subtext watching this man cavort about.

- Do Thais see all us white men as being as huge and overweight as this one? I am, I know, but I bet a lot of you folks are quite fit. The girlfriend defers opinion on this.

- On a more sober note, though only briefly, did he have to get a work permit?

- Do you think he will be killed off?

- Do you think he actually knows anything about boxing from watching the show?

- Do you think perhaps this is the beginning of the end for all Thai television as we know it? Heck, that might be a good thing, and if so, Huge Silly White Man, I salute you.

SillyMan

[tijnebijn]

What a silly thread !

[Stephen Cleary]

This is shocking. Yet another Thai soap opera portraying Farangs in such a negative light.

I think that us Farang ought to unite and demonstrate our views in front of the soap opera's production house. Then, again following in the footsteps of THAI air-hostesses we should contact the Min of Culture and ask them immediately to take this awful show off the air....or, at least, cut out any scenes which seem demeaning of Farang people.

Steve (Shocked in Suphan)

[mellow1]

^ Let's not get sillier.

[naka]

This is shocking. Yet another Thai soap opera portraying Farangs in such a negative light.

I think that us Farang ought to unite and demonstrate our views in front of the soap opera's production house. Then, again following in the footsteps of THAI air-hostesses we should contact the Min of Culture and ask them immediately to take this awful show off the air....or, at least, cut out any scenes which seem demeaning of Farang people.

Steve (Shocked in Suphan)

Where/When will we meet ... Any dress code or uniform ?

Naka.

[bruceboy]

Waiting with baited breath for the next episode...

[Jimjim]

Been farangs on soap operas for many years now. Roles are often one-dimensional. I know one who doesn't speak great Thai at all but just memorizes his lines syllable by syllable with his wife's help. Takes him a long time but evidently his lines are delivered correctly.

[britmaveric]

[Payboy]

there now.....bored white man also became an animated gif.....

[WAERTH]

Rumour has it that one of the big movie companies is preparing to make a movie about 4 farang men and their Thai (Isaan) wives. The story will play in a Buriram village (there you have it for stereotyping )

Actually the rumour is firsthand as I went to cast for it yesterday.

Waerth

[tso310]

I remember a comedy skecth on Thai TV a few years ago. The central theme was that the farang was poor. The Thais thought that the concept of a poor farang was hilarious. We probably have the same concept with Gulf Arabs.

[soundman]

Welcome back .... umm errrrh - Weho!

[Chang_paarp]

Welcome back .... umm errrrh - Weho!

Soundman,

The esteemed Weho lives in Pataya and is VERY unlikely to have a GIRL friend.

I think we have a new contender for his crown.

[disgruntled]

It's funny how there are plenty of Leuk kreungs on Thai TV but very few white parents of them.

[JetsetBkk]

It's funny how there are plenty of Leuk kreungs on Thai TV but very few white parents of them.

Wow! That deserves some kind of award. I can't remember seeing ANY white parents in the soaps. So how do the Thais explain this away? Perhaps in the story they're not supposed to be leuk kreungs - just normal Bangkok Thais lucky enough to be born with nice long thin noses and whiter than average skin.

[surface]

It's funny how there are plenty of Leuk kreungs on Thai TV but very few white parents of them.

Wow! That deserves some kind of award. I can't remember seeing ANY white parents in the soaps. So how do the Thais explain this away? Perhaps in the story they're not supposed to be leuk kreungs - just normal Bangkok Thais lucky enough to be born with nice long thin noses and whiter than average skin.

The mothers probably aren't bar girls on the shows either.

[TheDon]

They are probaly just showing the average farang in Thailand i would say.

Also the ladies on the soapies are great for my eyes