Dark Skinned Expats

[whatsoever]

Hi,

Is Thailand a fairly open minded country when it comes to race? I am a dark skinned Indian and obviously don't want to be treated any differently than lighter skinned farangs.

Thanks

Not a good mix in Thailand or anywhere really. And no thanks I dont want a suit

[zorro1]

My first post was partialy in jest to the Thai mind set , however , i have never seen an indian man sitting in a bar alone or anywhere with a Thai lady , but then , i am just one person .

For once I agree with you

Haven't seem them in a bar ever with any girl come to think of it

[roamer]

Not everyone you meet here will be an Issan taxi driver, not everyone will be prejudiced

And what is wrong with these inividuals exactly?

They are not the prejudiced ones here.

Try talking to them, and you'll find that they are some of the nicest, hardest-working people on earth. Oh, let me guess, they're not educated and are too lazy to speak your language Seconded, the taxi guys from Isaan are probably the most honest and hardworking poor buggers in Thailand!

I never said anything about their work ethic. And for the record I speak Thai with them, or Khmer come to that. And for the other poster who had lived in Bangkok for a number of years and didn't know there was an Indian area I suggest he gets out more, I was referring to Pahurat. I only stated what had been said to me, that they didn't like the smell of curry. I also stated that not everyone would be prejudiced. I stand by what I meant.

Edited October 27, 2008 by roamer

[bkkjames]

Not everyone you meet here will be an Issan taxi driver, not everyone will be prejudiced

And what is wrong with these inividuals exactly?

They are not the prejudiced ones here.

Try talking to them, and you'll find that they are some of the nicest, hardest-working people on earth. Oh, let me guess, they're not educated and are too lazy to speak your language Seconded, the taxi guys from Isaan are probably the most honest and hardworking poor buggers in Thailand!

I never said anything about their work ethic. And for the record I speak Thai with them, or Khmer come to that. And for the other poster who had lived in Bangkok for a number of years and didn't know there was an Indian area I suggest he gets out more, I was referring to Pahurat. I only stated what had been said to me, that they didn't like the smell of curry. I also stated that not everyone would be prejudiced. I stand by what I meant.

There is an indian area here - between suk soi 3 and 21.

[alantheembalmer]

Regretably there is every kind of discrimination in every country and community in the world, and even if we can't confront it on every occasion, the least we can do is not to participate in it.

[whatsoever]

A little bit of good old fashioned racism didn't harm anyone - it's the ruling classes number one weapon

Although nationalism sounds much nicer, sort of legitamizes it!

Edited October 27, 2008 by whatsoever

[mmushr00m]

how about a pinkish yellow skin expat???

...oh wait, they think Im japanese so they love me

I think its stereotyping, the general view of darker skin - indian- is that they are dirty and smelly, cheap and rude and pervy. However it depends on how you look and carry yourself. If you dress well, is charming and not rude (basically not act like a t.w.a. tea). You will be fine.

oh another stereotype/generalization....I have noticed that indian guys (from india) tend to go for Ladyboys. Noticed it afew times on the streets and shopping malls. A girl would be there and they would not even look at her but a LB, they are all flocking to the LB. Anyone else notice this phenomena????? a hijra thing????

[junki3korean]

a hijra thing???? +55555555!

[HorseDoctor]

I gotta call BS on that one. 8 years comeing back and forth and I was never even stoped to have my bag checked at customs. None of my family or fellow Black friends where ever harrassed in any way. hel_l not even my Iraqi friends where ever harrassed. In fact the only time I ever saw any discrimination against me because of the color of my skin here was from WHITE people not Thais. And even then it was only twice I can remember.

And thats it folks, 8 years of doing everything, going everywhere, being single, getting married, all that..Thats it for discrimination.

Yes The advertising is out there, but unlike America, where whites still drag Black people from the backs of trucks untill they are dismembered (Google Brandon McClelland, just killed this moth 10 years since the last lynching there in Texas just a couple hundred miles away) in Thailand the color issue is more of a profitible self hate. Yes profitable because it allows a handfull of people to control what is considered beautiful and its a immage that 90% of Thais need to invest serious money to attain, and most never will. So they devalue their sence of self worth the darker their skin gets. The key word being THEIR, I have never seen them put that devaluation on me or any Blacks I know.

I gotta disagree with you on this one.. I've worked in both the US and Thailand for many years and from my experience there is a LOT more prejudism against dark-skinned people here than the US. In the US, the subject is very taboo and you won't often hear white people making racist comments. However, here in Thailand you will quite often hear comments about Indians or Black people. The difference is that in the US it is a small minority that is very racist. Here in Thailand, it's not so much racism, but prejudism and fear of the unknown, however it is the majority of the people who feel this way.

I don't think that it's that a small minority in the US are racist, it's that it's politically incorrect to make racist statements so most people don't. It's not uncommon to hear Thais make racist statements, it's just that most of those statements are more akin to the those that a blue-haired septegenairan American women might make than to those of a Klansman.

Agreed I'd say in US at least half are actively, happily racist and another 20 % are but trying not to be .. So if 70 % in US .

is 90 % in Thailand a fair statement ?

And judging from whether Thai bar " girls" /prostitutes will entertain darker skinned folks isn't really an accurate poll of racism. I think they're in it for the money.

[Amir]

Yeah the pointy hoods come out when the guy mentions he's dark skinned. Pathetic really, so he's a "chump" because what? He's dark? He's Indian??? peasent bigot.

Anyway for the OP, I'm a Black American and probably as dark, if not darker than, you (though I have seen sone Keralites that got me beat by a long shot) and I'm pretty big too. However, all that being said I have a GREAT time here. If people look at me diffrently its not said to my face, and I don't see that I am treated negativly at all. I have some good Indian freinds here, and they seem to intergate much better than I do into the society as well. If your for real, and not just a Troll trying to make a bigot magnet post, then trust me when I tell you, you'll get along just fine. And if you do not its because of WHO you are, not the color of your skin or that of your passport.

[/quote]

You are black American, I suppose African-American? I remarked that Indians receive worse treatment and have it much more difficult to be integrated then African-Americans.

Edited October 29, 2008 by Amir

[Datsun240Z]

Hi,

Is Thailand a fairly open minded country when it comes to race? I am a dark skinned Indian and obviously don't want to be treated any differently than lighter skinned farangs.

Thanks

Oh dear....I don't exactly know how to put this.

Yes many Thais will show their dislike of "dark skinned foriegners"

The foriegner can't do anything about that, but his/her behaviour will make a big difference in the response.

It isn't racisim as much as it is that many Thai women find heavy or musty body odor a real turn off.

Therefore, for your friend, I reccomend that he is very careful about attention to body odor,

and definately use deoderent and such to cover up any body odor.

Thai's often have an opinion that anyone hairy is "crude", and heavy sweatting is frowned upon.

Yes, it's hot and humid, and you can't do anything about that, but if he is going out for a night of goodtimes with the Thai ladies, you will do a lot better if his body odor can't be detected and he is wearing cologne.

If he sweats heavily, have him buy those scented packets of moistend towelettes.

When going into an air-conditioned bar, on arrival break have him open one packet of towelettes and wipe down his arms and face.

It will make the bargirls think a lot higher of him.

I know this for a fact. I'm a large and hairy Farang who tends to sweat a lot. I know whereof I speak, on this subject.

Most Thai's think that ALL farangs stink. My girlfriend is always telling me I smell and I take about 3 showers a day. But if I mention her breath is bad after eating some really nasty fishy stuff, katy bar the door.

Gotta love this one....

[wineaux]

I find people are kinder if you aren't shy with the soap

[Birdman]

I return to Bangkok with a black friend of mine next month who always has a great time there. Having said that, there are people here who have a problem with Indians here and its not actually colour prejudice. If my wife and I go for a meal in the Indian district at night and she trys to hail a taxi they will invariably buzz past her, they don't do it anywhere else in Bangkok, if I hail a taxi, no problem they stop. The difference is that at night my wife can pass for Indian, I on the other hand am pasty white. As we have had explained to us by the drivers on several ocassions, they can't stand the smell of curry!!! Now thats the truth...many Thai's positively dislike those smells, in fact in one condo where we lived we got our own back on some very inconsiderate neighbours by cooking a Rogan Josh with the door open, they went ballistic, never mind that they stank the place out with their mudfish....that was ok cos that was "Thai" .

Not everyone you meet here will be an Issan taxi driver, not everyone will be prejudiced....or at least no more than they are at home !

where is this indian district you speak of? living in bangkok for a number of years i have never seen it.

also, many indians get on very well here, especially those who have gone to international schools, i know a number of lads who do very well indeed, but they speak the language.

Ever been out to a club and seen who is drinking from the five bottles some sikh guy has slapped down on the table?

Being an indian isn't the issue, presentation is.

Pahurat, right after Chinatown.

BTW Indians, who are mostly Sikhs, are an own community in Thailand. They are acknowledged by the Thais, but not excepted as their owns, even if they are born here.

[Ta22]

Don't listen to any silly talk from those old fart .

IS now the color of your skin , is how you carry yourself .

-

i had seen my fair share of people .

and some of the more respectable people i known is fairly dark skinned .

The head of state of the suppose world strong power is now . OBAMA

Edited November 29, 2008 by Ta22

[mgjackson69]

Hi,

Is Thailand a fairly open minded country when it comes to race? I am a dark skinned Indian and obviously don't want to be treated any differently than lighter skinned farangs.

Thanks

To a Thai, you are not a "farang"...you are a foreigner...not the same.

FWIW, you dark skin will likely cause you to be treated differently. As mentioned by another poster, Thais treat dark-skinned Thais differently.

[Birdman]

Thai seafood, aroy, aroy, best food worldwide, followed be Palak Paneer + Chapati.

[ajarnmark]

The fact that the Chinese have been able to pass themselves off as Thai (even whilst manipulating the economic system to the detriment of ethnic Thais) whilst Indians who've been here just as long are still classed as khaek says quite a lot about Thai attitudes. One example of prejudice: when in the past I've been giving advice to my students on where to study in England (and this is all post-grad students), the fact that a town has a significant Indian, Pakistani, or Bangladeshi population has been enough to rule out the university, however good it might have been. That being said, I certainly wouldn't expect open hostility but I think that it's unrealistic to anticipate that all Thais are going to treat you as they treat whites.

For the female Thai Chinese students, this is a simple a self control precautionary. They do not want to study in a school with many Indian or black males because they know that they will likely end up pregnant and will be unable to physically function in a classroom. As you know, Thai Chinese are very serious about their education and I really applaud them for not taking the American "spring break anything goes let me get rammed by three guys at once" college approach. No, they will get their education and then find a dark male to mate with later on.

Are you on weed or pot?

This is obvious from your post in bold.

Read this with me..... There is no such thing as Thai-Chinese girls want to be pregnant with an Indian or dark skinned guy.

Girls are girls, they like whoever they like, regardless of color of skin. I have seen many white Thai-Chinese girls have Pakistani/Iranian/Turkish/Farang/Indian BF. But the fact is that most Thai-Indians are Sikhs who prefer marrying a Sikh girls in general, so chances of girls hooking up with a Thai-Indian is very less. For the Indian from India, it is matter of how they behave, if they behave gently, they can get a nice girl. However, most of the cases I have seen, end up with disaster, which has nothing to do with skin color of nationality, but more to do with attitude towards relationship.

[ajarnmark]

The fact that the Chinese have been able to pass themselves off as Thai (even whilst manipulating the economic system to the detriment of ethnic Thais) whilst Indians who've been here just as long are still classed as khaek says quite a lot about Thai attitudes. One example of prejudice: when in the past I've been giving advice to my students on where to study in England (and this is all post-grad students), the fact that a town has a significant Indian, Pakistani, or Bangladeshi population has been enough to rule out the university, however good it might have been. That being said, I certainly wouldn't expect open hostility but I think that it's unrealistic to anticipate that all Thais are going to treat you as they treat whites.

For the female Thai Chinese students, this is a simple a self control precautionary. They do not want to study in a school with many Indian or black males because they know that they will likely end up pregnant and will be unable to physically function in a classroom.

Ok, enough drinking for tonight lifeisrandom...Go to sleep dude, you must be really tired...

:D :D

[Ta22]

as asian , all i can say is some weird guy here , just surf too much porn .

from the reply sometime you can see how sad some can be .

all i can say is i pity you

[ajarnmark]

My first post was partialy in jest to the Thai mind set , however , i have never seen an indian man sitting in a bar alone or anywhere with a Thai lady , but then , i am just one person .

For once I agree with you

Haven't seem them in a bar ever with any girl come to think of it

There are so many reasons why Indians are not seen with girls from bar etc.

1. They dont want to spend money on girls

2. They dont like dark skinned girls (opposites attract, heard that before)

3. Most Indians have either an Indian wife or a Thai GF, so they dont need to hang around in the entertainment area

4. For most Indians its more of a business than a pleasure trip to have a GFE

Indian mindset is much different than that of Farangs. Indian (means race not nationality, and including everyone from Pakistan, Nepal, Bengladesh, Sri Lanka etc) are as good in taking care of their husbands (seems to me that having a BF is kind of NO-NO), as any other your typical Isaan lady, so why to go for a used product when you can find a new one.

[Huey]

The fact that the Chinese have been able to pass themselves off as Thai (even whilst manipulating the economic system to the detriment of ethnic Thais) whilst Indians who've been here just as long are still classed as khaek says quite a lot about Thai attitudes. One example of prejudice: when in the past I've been giving advice to my students on where to study in England (and this is all post-grad students), the fact that a town has a significant Indian, Pakistani, or Bangladeshi population has been enough to rule out the university, however good it might have been. That being said, I certainly wouldn't expect open hostility but I think that it's unrealistic to anticipate that all Thais are going to treat you as they treat whites.

For the female Thai Chinese students, this is a simple a self control precautionary. They do not want to study in a school with many Indian or black males because they know that they will likely end up pregnant and will be unable to physically function in a classroom. As you know, Thai Chinese are very serious about their education and I really applaud them for not taking the American "spring break anything goes let me get rammed by three guys at once" college approach. No, they will get their education and then find a dark male to mate with later on.

Are you on weed or pot?

This is obvious from your post in bold.

Read this with me..... There is no such thing as Thai-Chinese girls that want to be pregnant with an Indian or dark skinned guy.

Typical ignorant bigot.

Then I guess my wife and my friend's wife must be figments of my imagination.

[ajarnmark]

The fact that the Chinese have been able to pass themselves off as Thai (even whilst manipulating the economic system to the detriment of ethnic Thais) whilst Indians who've been here just as long are still classed as khaek says quite a lot about Thai attitudes. One example of prejudice: when in the past I've been giving advice to my students on where to study in England (and this is all post-grad students), the fact that a town has a significant Indian, Pakistani, or Bangladeshi population has been enough to rule out the university, however good it might have been. That being said, I certainly wouldn't expect open hostility but I think that it's unrealistic to anticipate that all Thais are going to treat you as they treat whites.

For the female Thai Chinese students, this is a simple a self control precautionary. They do not want to study in a school with many Indian or black males because they know that they will likely end up pregnant and will be unable to physically function in a classroom. As you know, Thai Chinese are very serious about their education and I really applaud them for not taking the American "spring break anything goes let me get rammed by three guys at once" college approach. No, they will get their education and then find a dark male to mate with later on.

Are you on weed or pot?

This is obvious from your post in bold.

Read this with me..... There is no such thing as Thai-Chinese girls that want to be pregnant with an Indian or dark skinned guy.

Typical ignorant bigot.

Then I guess my wife and my friend's wife must be figments of my imagination.

Are you pointing towards me? If yes, then read the next sentence of my post, you would understand it better.

What I meant to say is that there is no such things as Thai-Chinese girls want to be pregnant with any particular nationality/skin color, as mentioned by the other posters. Girls like whoever they like, not based on nationality or skin color.

[Huey]

The fact that the Chinese have been able to pass themselves off as Thai (even whilst manipulating the economic system to the detriment of ethnic Thais) whilst Indians who've been here just as long are still classed as khaek says quite a lot about Thai attitudes. One example of prejudice: when in the past I've been giving advice to my students on where to study in England (and this is all post-grad students), the fact that a town has a significant Indian, Pakistani, or Bangladeshi population has been enough to rule out the university, however good it might have been. That being said, I certainly wouldn't expect open hostility but I think that it's unrealistic to anticipate that all Thais are going to treat you as they treat whites.

For the female Thai Chinese students, this is a simple a self control precautionary. They do not want to study in a school with many Indian or black males because they know that they will likely end up pregnant and will be unable to physically function in a classroom. As you know, Thai Chinese are very serious about their education and I really applaud them for not taking the American "spring break anything goes let me get rammed by three guys at once" college approach. No, they will get their education and then find a dark male to mate with later on.

Are you on weed or pot?

This is obvious from your post in bold.

Read this with me..... There is no such thing as Thai-Chinese girls that want to be pregnant with an Indian or dark skinned guy.

Typical ignorant bigot.

Then I guess my wife and my friend's wife must be figments of my imagination.

Are you pointing towards me? If yes, then read the next sentence of my post, you would understand it better.

What I meant to say is that there is no such things as Thai-Chinese girls want to be pregnant with any particular nationality/skin color, as mentioned by the other posters. Girls like whoever they like, not based on nationality or skin color.

What you supposedly meant to say and what you actually SAID were 2 separate things entirely. But whatever, everyone is entitled to their opinion, even bigots. But don't be surprised when you get called on it.

[Birdman]

as asian , all i can say is some weird guy here , just surf too much porn .

from the reply sometime you can see how sad some can be .

all i can say is i pity you

you misunderstood, honestly!

[Hairy]

Are you on weed or pot?

Duuude, they're the same thing!

Anyway, the OP should realize that even us white dudes get discriminated against in Thailand. Not nearly as much, but nevertheless. I was blocked from entering one of the Japanese places just off Sukumvit Soi 3 (near Bumrungrad, but opposite side of the road down a sidestreet); the Japanese don't want ANYONE else going into THEIR places.