Adolph Welomes You To Pattaya

[sgunn65]

I am not sure whether this has been mentioned yet but as I drove into Pattaya on sunday the first thing that greeted me after the Sawasdee to Pattaya sign was a massive billboard with Hitler giving the Nazi salute. There was some Thai writing on it which my gf said mentioned something about him being alive. Although she did say she had not taken too much notice so could be wrong.

There was no English writing so I have no idea why Hitler is promoting Pattaya, presumably some waxworks. But what were they thinking??????? AM I the only person who finds it offensive or is that the huge jewish chip on my shoulder!!!

This is Thailand!!

[Alfonso]

I wouldn't take a picture of Hitler too seriously... after all this is Thailand.

I imagine the reason for advertising is to attract attention. In this case it did... I'd take another swing around to check out the ad... You'll probably learn that it is nothing to be concerned about... My-pen-runs-dry.

Cheers

[Spoonman]

Yeah i pass that billboard daily, i chuckle.

[angiud]

Can you take a pic?

[ace]

Yes, its like the first thing! Then they have Jacko and some other dead celebs so must be for waxworks like you say, but I'm pretty sure that 99% of Thais have no idea of the history.

[Phil Conners]

^ Probably not, otherwise why would some Thais drive around on motorbikes wearing Nazi SS helmets complete with swastika and all, knowing that the Nazi doctrine consider them animals.

Edited October 7, 2009 by Phil Conners

[Beacher]

^ Probably not, otherwise why would some Thais drive around on motorbikes wearing Nazi SS helmets complete with swastika and all, knowing that the Nazi doctrine consider them animals.

I believe the swastika pre-dates the Nazis by a long shot. It's been a Buddhist symbol for ages. Here's a bit of info:

The swastika is an ancient symbol found worldwide, but it is especially common in India. It can be seen in the art of the Egyptians, Romans, Greeks, Celts, Native Americans, and Persians as well Hindus, Jains and Buddhists.

The swastika's Indian name comes the Sanskrit word svasti, meaning good fortune, luck and well being.

In Buddhism, the swastika signifies auspiciousness and good fortune as well as the Buddha's footprints and the Buddha's heart. The swastika is said to contain the whole mind of the Buddha and can often be found imprinted on the chest, feet or palms of Buddha images. It is also the first of the 65 auspicious symbols on the footprint of the Buddha.

The swastika has also often been used to mark the beginning of Buddhist texts. In China and Japan, the Buddhist swastika was seen as a symbol of plurality, eternity, abundance, prosperity and long life.

The swastika is used as an auspicious mark on Buddhist temples and is especially common in Korea. It can often be seen on the decorative borders around paintings, altar cloths and banners. In Tibetan Buddhism, it is also used as a clothing decoration.

Anyway, I'm afraid you're right that most Thais are oblivious to the horrible association it has to Nazi Germany.

[PattayaParent]

It's part of an ad campaign for Louis Tussaud's Waxworks who probably thought it would have more appeal to Farangs than to the locals who probably don't konw who Hitler was.

[LennyW]

The same sign advertising the Louis Tussauds Wax Works was carrying a picture of Barrack Obama a couple of weeks ago, they must have thought Hitler was less offensive??!!

[Jingthing]

The same sign advertising the Louis Tussauds Wax Works was carrying a picture of Barrack Obama a couple of weeks ago, they must have thought Hitler was less offensive??!!

Oy vey, uncover any rock and you'll find a teabagger. Yeah pushing for health care reform makes Obama a real Genghis Kahn.

So its an ad for the wax "museum", no biggie.

Edited October 7, 2009 by Jingthing

[britmaveric]

Agreed the swastika is a good luck symbol and predates any Nazi association. As for Thai(s) most do not know much history about WWII, so Hitler prob means nothing to them.

[OxfordWill]

Pretty sure the nazi swastika was the buddhist symbol in reverse

[syd barrett]

When I first came to Pattaya, many years ago, several hairdressing shops had a large cardboard window display 'model hair-doo' image of:

That famous police mug-shot of Myra Hindley with a bleached blonde coiffure.

Tasteless or what?

[britmaveric]

The symbol has an ancient history, appearing on artifacts from Indo-European cultures such as the Indo-Aryans, Persians, Hittites, Slavs, Celts and Greeks, among others. The earliest consistent use of swastika motifs in the archaeological record date to the Neolithic. The symbol was found on a number of shards in the Khuzestan province of Iran and as part of the "Vinca script" of Neolithic Europe of the 5th millennium BC. In the Early Bronze Age, it appears on pottery found in Sintashta, Russia. Early Indian swastika symbols were found at Lothal and Harappa, on Indus Valley seals.[11]

Swastika-like symbols also appear in Bronze and Iron Age designs of the northern Caucasus (Koban culture), and Azerbaijan, as well as of Scythians and Sarmatians [12]. In all these cultures, the swastika symbol does not appear to occupy any marked position or significance, but appears as just one form of a series of similar symbols of varying complexity.

Swastikas have also been found on pottery in archaeological digs in the area of ancient Kush. Swastikas were also found on pottery at the Jebel Barkal temples.[13]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastika

[Jingthing]

Swastika, Schmastika (always wanted to say that) when you display the Nazi logo, same design and color as used by the Third Reich, its still a Nazi logo.

Edited October 7, 2009 by Jingthing

[NanLaew]

In reply to the OP: yes, so far you are the only one with your politically correct panties showing (but Jings skirt is getting shorter).

Oh yes, it's Adolf, not Adolph.

PS. What does 'Welomes' mean?

Edited October 7, 2009 by NanLaew

[Jingthing]

Hitler is a historical figure after all. They had better guard his dummy well though, some people may want to test what it takes to MELT his wax. He is also still in the news. It seems most any world political figure is at one time or another compared to him.

Edited October 7, 2009 by Jingthing

[Phil Conners]

Why is everybody trying to justify the wearing of a black swastika in a white circle on a red square. That is how the Nazi's used it, nobody else, and that's how it's displayed on German WWII style helmets and t=shirts here.

[Ulysses G.]

I have no objection to Hitler's likeness being used as an ad for a museum, but isn't the Nazi swastika facing backwards to the original?

[cudaproject]

I am not sure whether this has been mentioned yet but as I drove into Pattaya on sunday the first thing that greeted me after the Sawasdee to Pattaya sign was a massive billboard with Hitler giving the Nazi salute. There was some Thai writing on it which my gf said mentioned something about him being alive. Although she did say she had not taken too much notice so could be wrong.

There was no English writing so I have no idea why Hitler is promoting Pattaya, presumably some waxworks. But what were they thinking??????? AM I the only person who finds it offensive or is that the huge jewish chip on my shoulder!!!

This is Thailand!!

No, you're not the only one who found it extremely offensive. To publicly advertise, for whatever reason, a man who single handidly was responsible for 50+ million deaths is disgusting. Thinking of the people affected: Most Germans really want to avoid this subject for obvious reasons, the Japanese too. Obviously the French, British, Russians (who lost absolutely millions), Australian and almost any other country would surely not appreciate it.. The Thai, Chinese and other Asian women who were subjected to disgusting rape and torture.. The list goes on..

I don't think they meant to make offense but clearly a few history lessons wouldn't go amiss.

[Jingthing]

I get your point, but think of it this way, 500 years from now Hitler will be just another historic monster, like Genghis Khan. Nobody today would be offended by an ad depicting Genghis Khan, and that's where Hitler is headed, so perhaps they are just a little ahead of their time? That said, there are still some living German tourists in Pattaya who were actually Nazis, but not so long from now, they will all be gone.

Edited October 7, 2009 by Jingthing

[Dave the Dude]

I get your point, but think of it this way, 500 years from now Hitler will be just another historic monster, like Genghis Khan. Nobody today would be offended by an ad depicting Genghis Khan, and that's where Hitler is headed, so perhaps they are just a little ahead of their time? That said, there are still some living German tourists in Pattaya who were actually Nazis, but not so long from now, they will all be gone.

Fair comment.

I was a little suprised to see it in such a Rightious city

[moo9]

I am not sure whether this has been mentioned yet but as I drove into Pattaya on sunday the first thing that greeted me after the Sawasdee to Pattaya sign was a massive billboard with Hitler giving the Nazi salute. There was some Thai writing on it which my gf said mentioned something about him being alive. Although she did say she had not taken too much notice so could be wrong.

There was no English writing so I have no idea why Hitler is promoting Pattaya, presumably some waxworks. But what were they thinking??????? AM I the only person who finds it offensive or is that the huge jewish chip on my shoulder!!!

This is Thailand!!

His name is Adolf.....anyway.

Wanted to send a pic to my friends in Germany, where you probably would go to jail for showing a pic like this in public.

Yeah....Amazing Thailand.

I think Adolf is in line with Ghandi and a few other who deserved to be shown.

TiT...next one on display will be Khun Toxin or what?

Cheers

[anothertorres]

50 million? dang.

[Belgarath]

A few years ago a girlfriend in Thailand came one day with a t-shirt with a big pic of Herr Hitler. She did not have the faintest idea of who the guy was - I just told her not to use the thing in Europe, and more or less succeeded in explaining the reason. Never saw her use it again thou we are now married.

[JSixpack]

I get your point, but think of it this way, 500 years from now Hitler will be just another historic monster, like Genghis Khan. Nobody today would be offended by an ad depicting Genghis Khan, and that's where Hitler is headed, so perhaps they are just a little ahead of their time? That said, there are still some living German tourists in Pattaya who were actually Nazis, but not so long from now, they will all be gone.

Fair comment.

. . .

Irrelevant comment. You see, we aren't living 500 years from now.

And we aren't living in "Neolithic Europe of the 5th millennium BC" either.

What's w/ all the time traveling and historical blah blah? Get real: the current and modern meaning of swastika should preclude it from being used on a billboard on the highway leading into our international Fun City here in the Land Of Smiles. Ignorance really isn't an excuse.

[Xangsamhua]

For those who want to know more about Hitler and what he and his cronies did and why, Richard J. Evans' The Third Reich at War has recently come in to the bookstores. This the third part of his trilogy on the Third Reich. Evans was the chief expert witness in David Irving's trial in Austria.

[raro]

Being a German myself I have no problems about having Hitler on display in a museum next to other historical figures, provided that a proper historical brief/context is given.

Having Hitler advertising his display at the wax museum in Thai only is not appropriate as foreigners not understanding what it is all about might rightfully take offense.

//edit: just looked up the Swastika history on Wikipedia. Interesting how widespread its use was until the Nazis gave it a bad name and it more or less disappeared.

[waza]

I think Chairman Mao and Stalin both beat Adolf's record and their pics are considered less offensive. I guess its subjective.

Edited October 8, 2009 by waza

[raro]

I think Chairman Mao and Stalin both beat Adolf's record and their pics are considered less offensive. I guess its subjective.

They are all in a class where it doesn't matter anymore to ask who comitted most atrocities. But you are right that it is taken much less offense when Mao or Stalin are depicted.