Racism In Thailand

[ballpoint]

To assume that anyone with a different view from themselves has been "unable to adjust to Thailand" because they "can't fit in" is a bit delusional in itself.

I suspect the VAST majority of Westerners who have lived here for a few years believe the Thais to be v racist. Of course there's an awful lot of racism in our own home countries, but (in my experience) its not quite as obvious. Its not often at home that you hear all the whites talking about 'the black person' near them (within their hearing) - whereas here one cannot go anywhere without hearing 'farang' all the time.

There's an argument about whether or not 'farang' is derisory amongst the Thais, but its certainly not complimentary!

This doesn't excuse racism at home - a tremendous number of people (whilst not saying anything within the foreigners hearing) will be v racist otherwise. I found it v shocking at times that a (relative) stranger would suddenly start a rant about blacks! But, they were (nearly) always uneducated and ignorant.

I agree that it will probably take a long time for attitudes about foreigners to change here, but meanwhile find it funny that they desperately try to copy our looks.

Yes, you're right. We can safely ignore the fact that many expats are living perfectly happy lives here, and are fitting in well. If some are unable to be happy, and seem to spend more time moaning about it on TV than trying to adjust to living in a foreign country, then it must be the Thais at fault. Any expats who truely are happy here must be deluded. It may be cliched, but if you're really unhappy here, and truely believe that this is a racist country, there's nothing at all from preventing you from moving elsewhere. I certainly wouldn't live anywhere I'm not wanted. Although, there is a certain mindset that will find themselves complaining no matter where they live. I get a chuckle out of thinking of all these angry people, fuming into their beer, cursing everyone else for their misery, and doing nothing about it.

[Jingthing]

I certainly wouldn't live anywhere I'm not wanted.

Really? What if you are wanted nowhere? Anyway, I found your post a more polite rehash of the same old if you're going to talk about real problems here, just go home. Well, this is a Thai expat forum, of course we are going to talk about the dark side of things here as well as the fun parts. I think people insult our intelligence when they tell us to go home. We will go home if and when we bloody well feel like going home for our own personal reasons (or of course encounter unresolvable problems with immigration), which for many of us will be never.

As far as being welcome here, well personally I think the vast majority of us INVITED OURSELVES to Thailand. We weren't invited. Sure some of the individual Thais may love us and want us here, but on a societal level I think it is delusional to feel we are really wanted here as a class. But if it makes you happy to feel that way, be my guest. I prefer to face reality straight up, and yes, I still want to live here, warts and all. That may change, and if it does, I will of course get out of Dodge.

Edited January 22, 2010 by Jingthing

[carmine]

To assume that anyone with a different view from themselves has been "unable to adjust to Thailand" because they "can't fit in" is a bit delusional in itself.

I suspect the VAST majority of Westerners who have lived here for a few years believe the Thais to be v racist. Of course there's an awful lot of racism in our own home countries, but (in my experience) its not quite as obvious. Its not often at home that you hear all the whites talking about 'the black person' near them (within their hearing) - whereas here one cannot go anywhere without hearing 'farang' all the time.

There's an argument about whether or not 'farang' is derisory amongst the Thais, but its certainly not complimentary!

This doesn't excuse racism at home - a tremendous number of people (whilst not saying anything within the foreigners hearing) will be v racist otherwise. I found it v shocking at times that a (relative) stranger would suddenly start a rant about blacks! But, they were (nearly) always uneducated and ignorant.

I agree that it will probably take a long time for attitudes about foreigners to change here, but meanwhile find it funny that they desperately try to copy our looks.

Yes, you're right. We can safely ignore the fact that many expats are living perfectly happy lives here, and are fitting in well. If some are unable to be happy, and seem to spend more time moaning about it on TV than trying to adjust to living in a foreign country, then it must be the Thais at fault. Any expats who truely are happy here must be deluded. It may be cliched, but if you're really unhappy here, and truely believe that this is a racist country, there's nothing at all from preventing you from moving elsewhere. I certainly wouldn't live anywhere I'm not wanted. Although, there is a certain mindset that will find themselves complaining no matter where they live. I get a chuckle out of thinking of all these angry people, fuming into their beer, cursing everyone else for their misery, and doing nothing about it.

This topic has nothing to do with a foreigner being happy here. Some are, some are not. The topic is about racism, the answer is yes they are. Does it affect me? No, but it's still not right, and attitudes will not be changing in the near future.

[NALAK]

its not meant to be racist, i am a fat bloke and get called uan or moo uan (fat pig) all the time but i do not get upset about it. they do not like black skin as its a sign of poverty. you have to remeber most thais are not exactly well educated. been to South US many times never seen a white hotel cleaner yet all black. world war two even America banned blacks from fighting to start with and banned them from flying until reluctantly they allowed a squadran from carneegee to fly. they turned out to be the best squadran in wwII. more racism in the states than here. they are racist against whites with the pricing system but we all know where the airport is. god please save from ploitical correctness. your black be proud of it and forget what the Thais think

[F1fanatic]

To assume that anyone with a different view from themselves has been "unable to adjust to Thailand" because they "can't fit in" is a bit delusional in itself.

I suspect the VAST majority of Westerners who have lived here for a few years believe the Thais to be v racist. Of course there's an awful lot of racism in our own home countries, but (in my experience) its not quite as obvious. Its not often at home that you hear all the whites talking about 'the black person' near them (within their hearing) - whereas here one cannot go anywhere without hearing 'farang' all the time.

There's an argument about whether or not 'farang' is derisory amongst the Thais, but its certainly not complimentary!

This doesn't excuse racism at home - a tremendous number of people (whilst not saying anything within the foreigners hearing) will be v racist otherwise. I found it v shocking at times that a (relative) stranger would suddenly start a rant about blacks! But, they were (nearly) always uneducated and ignorant.

I agree that it will probably take a long time for attitudes about foreigners to change here, but meanwhile find it funny that they desperately try to copy our looks.

Yes, you're right. We can safely ignore the fact that many expats are living perfectly happy lives here, and are fitting in well. If some are unable to be happy, and seem to spend more time moaning about it on TV than trying to adjust to living in a foreign country, then it must be the Thais at fault. Any expats who truely are happy here must be deluded. It may be cliched, but if you're really unhappy here, and truely believe that this is a racist country, there's nothing at all from preventing you from moving elsewhere. I certainly wouldn't live anywhere I'm not wanted. Although, there is a certain mindset that will find themselves complaining no matter where they live. I get a chuckle out of thinking of all these angry people, fuming into their beer, cursing everyone else for their misery, and doing nothing about it.

You're missing the point. Most expats who have lived here a number of years manage to live quite happily whilst understanding that not everything is even close to perfect. There's lots to love here, but - lots to dislike.

Jingthing is spot on - everybody makes up their own mind when the negatives outweigh the positives. It doesn't mean they have to pretend everything is perfect to justify living here - that's a mistake made by the delusional.

But - good luck to you - everyone has the right to see (or not see) what they want. If you choose to believe that those of us who see things we don't like and actually mention it, are spending our time "fuming into their beer, cursing everyone else for their misery" - then go ahead. It obviously makes you happy to miss the point so spectacularly.

[ballpoint]

I certainly wouldn't live anywhere I'm not wanted.

Really? What if you are wanted nowhere? Anyway, I found your post a more polite rehash of the same old if you're going to talk about real problems here, just go home. Well, this is a Thai expat forum, of course we are going to talk about the dark side of things here as well as the fun parts. I think people insult our intelligence when they tell us to go home. We will go home if and when we bloody well feel like going home for our own personal reasons (or of course encounter unresolvable problems with immigration), which for many of us will be never.

As far as being welcome here, well personally I think the vast majority of us INVITED OURSELVES to Thailand. We weren't invited. Sure some of the individual Thais may love us and want us here, but on a societal level I think it is delusional to feel we are really wanted here as a class. But if it makes you happy to feel that way, be my guest. I prefer to face reality straight up, and yes, I still want to live here, warts and all. That may change, and if it does, I will of course get out of Dodge.

Let me simplify it. Do you, personally, believe Thailand is "easily one of the most racist countries in the world", where everyone is out to get you and rip you off? Would that be reason enough for you to get out of Dodge? If I ever truely felt that, then I know I would move away. I won't sit here complaining about it. However, wouldn't the fact that others do seem to be happy here give you reason to wonder what it is about where/how you live that makes things so tough for you, and see if there's anything you could change to improve your life here? Or is it easier to assume everyone else is as miserable as you, and those that do seem to be happy are simply deluded? No skin off my nose what others do and think, and I'm not telling anyone what to do, I'm simply wondering why some make quite serious accusations against all Thais in general yet continue to live here.

Most of the racist examples pointed out here aren't racist at all. Is it racist if I start looking down on fellow caucasians because of where they were born, or because they regularly sit in the sun and are browner than me? Is it racist for me to call someone of my own race a hillbilly, a redneck, a typical <insert nation of choice here>? It's ignorant, but not racist. As far as I'm aware, there are no laws in Thailand giving Isaan people, or Malay raced Thais living in the south, less rights than central Thais (although there are economic and social factors keeping the poor, from every part of the country, in their place). Compare with other countries in the region that actively do discriminate between the different races who are all natural born citizens.

When you really get down to it, pointing out the colour of someones skin is no more racist than pointing out the colour of their eyes, or that they're fat, or have an arm amputated, or have a big nose, or that they're very beautiful. It is usually impolite, but that's all most Thais are doing when they say farang, or fatty, or baldy. A few may have a greater agenda, but that in no way makes the country any more or less racist than average.

[ballpoint]

Really? What if you are wanted nowhere?

I think you put the wrong interpretation on what I originally wrote by assuming there are only two "states" to be in. That is: "wanted" - where many actively want you to be here, and "not wanted" - where many actively don't want you to be here, and is what the post I was replying to inferred. There is an inbetween state, where the majority don't really care if you're here or not, which is where I think most of us are. It's difficult to express in writing because of the different connotations of "not wanted" - they actively don't want you here, and not "wanted" - they don't invite you to be here, but don't care if you're here or not. I could live somewhere I am wanted, and where I'm not "wanted", but would never choose to live any where I'm "not wanted", and wonder why anyone would. Confused? You should be.

Edited January 22, 2010 by ballpoint

[richieudon]

A little off topic...

My friend came to stay with me here up in the boonies and brought his beautiful girlfriend with him who happens to be 45 years old and as black as the ace of spades.

My wife took her to the village to meet her mum and dad.

Everyone was struck by her beauty, they all thought she was in her mid twenties..

But the father-in -law kept saying "song san, song san"..... He felt sorry for her because she was black!!

If you're fat they call you fat, skinny is skinny, handsome (even if you're not) is handsome and so on.

I do think it's a breath of fresh air to not be so bloody PC. It's one of the main reasons I left the UK.

Some think tank bod changes the goalposts every week in UK. Coloured is a bad word, never used to be.... you have to watch what you say all the time....

[Huey]

Thailand is easily one of the most racist countries in the world. Racist against their own people, racist against foreign people, racist against anyone that doesn't sit highly within the rich social tapestry that fabricates their society. It will not change for hundreds of years. Those westerners, of whatever colour, that feel that they are 'fitting in' are simply deluding themselves. Racism is rife in Thailand.

After six pages of posts this is it in a nutshell

Agreed, NoBS about it. Right on target. That does not mean we are all non racists. As Jingting and others pointed out, racism is universal. But there are degrees of racism, and Thailand has to be near the top.

Have you lost your mind?

Since when did they mass lynch dark-skinned Thais like they did Blacks in the US? When did they make Issan Death Camps, like they did for Jews in Europe???

Near the top??? wow someone needs to pick up a history book. Thailand is NO WHERE NEAR the top of any racist chart.

[alien139]

Agreed, NoBS about it. Right on target. That does not mean we are all non racists. As Jingting and others pointed out, racism is universal. But there are degrees of racism, and Thailand has to be near the top.

With many ThaiVisa posters at the very summit.

There are so many threads on ThaiVisa that are downright offensive towards Thai people, I'm very surprised that the site has not been warned by the racist Thai people who always have it in for us foreign folks.

So many posts and threads here are aimed at putting Thai people down and trying to make westerners always the victims, always right, the Thais always in the wrong.

And the fact that so many people pour scorn on the people from the North East of Thailand is rather sickening, take a step back and realise just how hurtful this can be to the people you talk about, you are able to this on a forum , yes ?

I wonder how many of you would do it face to face with the people you abuse ?

God, I don't live in Thailand but so many westerners I know who do live there are married to or have GF's from the Issan Area, are you saying that your wives and GF's are also no good, or do no members here have GF's or wives from Issan?

The blatant racism on this site is amazing.

[dumball]

Huey , I think what people are talking about here happens to be in todays world not in ancient history , as it affects them , how they feel about it and freely passing comments on what others have posted . They all have points of interest , some sound wide sweeping encompassing all and sundry , but that is how people explain themselves , refering in fact to those with whom they have had experiences with , not the whole nation . Some posters here on Tv have tunnel vision to suit their own mode of thinking , but this tends to move the subject at hand off in left field , you know , that place where the grass appears much greener than it actually is . A word better suited would be 'Bigoted' , racism is far too deep and not easily explained or appreciated , but Thai sure have a lot to learn about being just plain old polite , they are inclined to be still "Rough around the edges ".

[rgs2001uk]

Agreed, NoBS about it. Right on target. That does not mean we are all non racists. As Jingting and others pointed out, racism is universal. But there are degrees of racism, and Thailand has to be near the top.

With many ThaiVisa posters at the very summit.

There are so many threads on ThaiVisa that are downright offensive towards Thai people, I'm very surprised that the site has not been warned by the racist Thai people who always have it in for us foreign folks.

So many posts and threads here are aimed at putting Thai people down and trying to make westerners always the victims, always right, the Thais always in the wrong.

And the fact that so many people pour scorn on the people from the North East of Thailand is rather sickening, take a step back and realise just how hurtful this can be to the people you talk about, you are able to this on a forum , yes ?

I wonder how many of you would do it face to face with the people you abuse ?

God, I don't live in Thailand but so many westerners I know who do live there are married to or have GF's from the Issan Area, are you saying that your wives and GF's are also no good, or do no members here have GF's or wives from Issan?

The blatant racism on this site is amazing.

Post gone MIA lets try again.

It aint racism its elitism.

Ask yourself why the mother of a certain sportsman would say she is from Bangkok and not Korat.

[Maigo6]

It aint racism its elitism.

Ask yourself why the mother of a certain sportsman would say she is from Bangkok and not Korat.

Is that the same type of elitism that encourages Farangs on Forums to deny they met their wife in a bar and that she is Thai Chinese from Bangkok instead of just a poor girl from Isaan ?

Edited January 22, 2010 by Maigo6

[dumball]

Some-one has been practising with his hammer , nail/head/hit _____________perfect .

[Maigo6]

Some-one has been practising with his hammer , nail/head/hit _____________perfect .

I had a 2 week holiday to work on my hammer skills.....

[Huey]

Huey , I think what people are talking about here happens to be in todays world not in ancient history , as it affects them , how they feel about it and freely passing comments on what others have posted . They all have points of interest , some sound wide sweeping encompassing all and sundry , but that is how people explain themselves , refering in fact to those with whom they have had experiences with , not the whole nation . Some posters here on Tv have tunnel vision to suit their own mode of thinking , but this tends to move the subject at hand off in left field , you know , that place where the grass appears much greener than it actually is . A word better suited would be 'Bigoted' , racism is far too deep and not easily explained or appreciated , but Thai sure have a lot to learn about being just plain old polite , they are inclined to be still "Rough around the edges ".

Fair enough, though the things I mentioned are not at all ancient history. There are millions of people alive today with 1st and second hand stories of such attrocities. But that being said lets look at today then and talk about bigotry and lets see where Thailand may rank.

The following in no particular order are countries that I think are more bigoted culturally TODAY than Thailand..

1) Israel

2) South Africa

3) India

4) Iraq (Sunni vs Shiite vs Yezidi Vs Kurd...ect)

5) Kuwait (vs Paki, Indian, Philipeno, Bangladeshi ect ect)

6) Saudi Arabia (same as above)

7) Qatar (same as above)

8) UAE (same as above)

9) Iran ( Shiite vs Sunni & Zoastarians)

10) Russia (Vs Russian speaking break away countries and Chechens)

11) Korea (go there)

12) Afghanistan (Pashto vs Dari vs Tajiks ect ect)

13) Malaysia ( Listen to the Indian Malays cry about how they are 2nd class citizens by law and how there are 2 sets of laws depending on what religion your parents were)

14) Indonesia (Bali, enough said)

And certainly more, I'm not even gonna get into Africa with the different Tribal bigotries and such. Thailand is WAY down on the list as far as I can see and I would challenge anyone to claim otherwise.

[Jingthing]

Stop this silliness already. The question isn't whether Thailand is the MOST racist or xenophobic country on earth. Who cares? We are talking about Thailand because a lot of us live in Thailand. There does exist racism and xenophobia here. It is very noticeable to most any foreigner who spend time here. Thais may not see it the same way we do, but that doesn't mean we can't see it, and see it clearly. Who cares if it is tops in the world or not? I would say obviously not the most, but again, is this some kind of Olympic competition?

Edited January 22, 2010 by Jingthing

[BangkokSkyline]

So what if Thailand is a 'racist' country? It has nothing to do with us visitors.

As always on thaivisa, its ok to have hundreds of posts pointing out how bad the Thais are, but any other 'racial' comments of other races are banned. A balanced argument is impossible here.

Can anyone give any examples of countries where multiculturalism has worked and benefited a country?

[PaulUSA302]

The term "Chocolate Man" is not offensive to me. Lets see it in use.

Kids playing and see me. Look. Chocolate man! (I may smile to myself because it would strike me as funny).

Bar girl. Hey Handsome Chocolate Man! (Oh yeah!)

Mad guy on the street. EF you Chocolate Man! (hahahahahaha!)

Sorry. I can't imagine a single situation where being called a Chocolate Man would hurt my feelings.

[shamus]

Maybe a question of Thai insensitivity and immaturity in the places you have experienced racism?

Like when you catch someone blatantly lying and they laugh as a response. At least us westerners would try to lie some more to cover up! I don't think most Thai racism carries the same weight, chocolate man has always sounded affectionate and been said with a smile when I've seen it. I can only speak of my experiences, the only 'real' racism I have witnessed has been bar girls towards Arabs. They are a unique breed, cant draw conclusions from this demographic.

[nasajsc]

It aint racism its elitism.

Ask yourself why the mother of a certain sportsman would say she is from Bangkok and not Korat.

Is that the same type of elitism that encourages Farangs on Forums to deny they met their wife in a bar and that she is Thai Chinese from Bangkok instead of just a poor girl from Isaan ?

thai guys from bangkok would not date isaan girls... they joke "leave the isaan girls

for the falangs"... must be some reason - i dont know, maybe you do?

[nasajsc]

So what if Thailand is a 'racist' country? It has nothing to do with us visitors.

As always on thaivisa, its ok to have hundreds of posts pointing out how bad the Thais are, but any other 'racial' comments of other races are banned. A balanced argument is impossible here.

Can anyone give any examples of countries where multiculturalism has worked and benefited a country?

in melbourne australia, multiculturalism has failed - the thais and vietnamese live in their own

suburb (oakleigh/springvale), the greeks and italians around north melbourne and sunshine, the jewish

are mostly caulfield and bentleigh, the russians are in st.kilda, the hi-so rich are in toorak and

kew, the nigerians and other africans are in springvale, i can go on, etc, etc.

everyone stays in their own communities, speaks their own language, and generally has their own

friends.

multiculturalism has failed big time in melbourne.

remember the race riots in sydney (cronulla riots 2005), between the ozzies and lebs (lebanese):

The 2005 Cronulla riots were a series of racially motivated riots and mob violence originating in

Cronulla, New South Wales and spreading, over the next few nights, to additional Sydney suburbs.

Keep them all segregated, that's what seems to work.

[IMA_FARANG]

Seems we have quite a few pages about the "racist' attitudes of Thais toward foriegners.

So now let's turn the discussion around.

Assuming you are a Eouropean born/U.S. born/Australian born Farang then answer these questions please:

How often have you referred to the Thais as "they".

Are "they" naturally inferior to you? Or is that just because "they" have an inferior education to yours?

Do you assume that all thais are "stupid" because they can't speak English properly (as you define it).

(Please consider...is it English English, American English, or Australian English that is your norm.)

Do you assume that Thais can't possibly operate a Nuclear Power facility...if one is built in Thailand...because they simply don't have the "common sense" that European/American Farangs have?

What is your honest answer to those questions? Think about it.

Is your answer 'racist"?

[junkofdavid2]

You ever wonder why this harmless fun was deemed unacceptable in so many western countries?

Because even when it's harmless, "certain people" like to make a big thing out of it.

How many thai teen idols can you show me with Dark skin?

None. And so? The people in this country don't find it aesthetically appealing. Shall we "force" them to pretend that they do?

How many thai news readers can you show me with Dark skin?

None. And so?

How many Air hostess?

None. And so?

How many Models?

A few. And so?

Ever seen a 7 11 without skin whitening deodorant?

Nope. Ever seen a shop in Hawaii without Coppertone Tanning Lotion?

So possibly this name calling leads on to less opportunity in later life? Or maybe all the dark skinned people are happier driving tuk tuks, farming and other endevours that will help keep them dark?

...and the military rulers of this country are dark-skinned as well. This is so unfair to the fair-skinned Thais ain't it!!!

Edited January 22, 2010 by junkofdavid2

[nasajsc]

Seems we have quite a few pages about the "racist' attitudes of Thais toward foriegners.

So now let's turn the discussion around.

Assuming you are a Eouropean born/U.S. born/Australian born Farang then answer these questions please:

--> Australian

How often have you referred to the Thais as "they".

--> if they refer to me as falang, i find that derogatory, so then i would refer to them as "they"

Are "they" naturally inferior to you? Or is that just because "they" have an inferior education to yours?

--> Some have an equal education to mine (MBA, PhD), but not many do... i generally don't classify people

as inferior on a human-to-human level, but in terms of academics, yes inferior. In terms of knowledge

and experience in my line of work, inferior. But I am inferior to them in rice farming, and cooking noodles,

and raising roosters for cock fighting, so each is superior and inferior in different endeavors.

Do you assume that all thais are "stupid" because they can't speak English properly (as you define it).

(Please consider...is it English English, American English, or Australian English that is your norm.)

--> absolutely not, i am an idiot when it comes to speaking thai, but thai is not an international language,

english is, and we dont learn thai in australia, but the thais have to learn english here in school, and all

educated thais who wish to learn and better themselves do speak english. If thai was a compulsory language

in australian schools, i am sure i would speak it better than the thais speak english (i speak english, russian, french

fluently and japanese at intermediate level). I would sure make an effort to speak english and improve, if i was

them, but then again, education is very important to me, but not to all. I am learning thai, hopefully in 12 months

i can speak at an intermediate level.

Do you assume that Thais can't possibly operate a Nuclear Power facility...if one is built in Thailand...because they simply don't have the "common sense" that European/American Farangs have?

--> i am sure they can, but they need significant education in nuclear physics (we are talking bachelor of science degree,

honours, certainly a Masters in Nuclear Physics, and for many, a PhD would be recommended). And of course specific

training for the technology, on the job training, etc, will take 10+ years to finish the education. In the US, there would

be a significant number of graduates each year qualified on the academics (I am thinking MIT, Stamford, etc). In

Thailand, I do not think you will find anyone qualified today. Common sense? That takes education and experience, since

they do not have that for nuclear technology, currently they dont have the common sense or experience to operate that

technology.

What is your honest answer to those questions? Think about it.

--> honest answers above

Is your answer 'racist"?

--> I dont think so, I think the answers are factual

Edited January 22, 2010 by nasajsc

[Yoknapatawpha]

It is not related to any major event on earth, but rather a cultural trait which is hard to change.

I must disagree with that, until you provide some data.

Here is a link to some data that bolsters my disagreement.

http://socialdistancesurvey.com/data/SDSU.pdf

"social distance tends to be a function of worldly events.

Bogardus (1926, 1946, 1956, and 1966) found that this trend

continued over time. In his 1926 study, the Turks were the most outcast of all groups

surveyed. This was attributed to the national and worldly headlines, detailing the Turks'

atrocities toward the Armenians. Bogardus' 1946 research had the Japanese at the

bottom of the list, probably due to the attack on Pearl Harbor. In the 1956 study. the

Japanese rose dramatically, and Bogardus attributed this to the newly democratized

Japan, under U.S. occupation (Bogardus, 1968). In the 1966 survey, Koreans were at

the bottom, while "Negroes" began their upward move in the rankings (Owen, et al,

1978). In the same 1978 study, Owen, et al, found that Southeastern Asians occupied

most of the lower rankings on the social distance scale."

In the same (May, 1993) study, of which that previous quote is contained in the lit. review, I found that

"social distance is a function of worldly events.The out-groups receiving the highest social distance scores were the Iraqis (M = 3.47,

SD = 2.14) and Iranians (M = 3.34, SD = 2.03). Overall, every group from the region wecall the "Mid-East" was ranked very low."

peace,

Yok

p.s.

feel free to participate in the survey :-)

http://socialdistancesurvey.com

[Jingthing]

It is totally irrelevant to the topic whether or not some westerners here hold racist feelings towards Thais and/or Asians in general. Of course some do. So what? Almost none of us are citizens here and very few of us are in a power position to cause harm or even bad feelings to Thai people with racism, here in Thailand, land of the Thais, for the Thais, which is fine, but please talking about western racism towards Thais in the context of this discussion is patently absurd.

Edited January 22, 2010 by Jingthing

[Fishbucket]

When you get a country full of people from so many different origins and cultures, all competing for a slice, very often the same slice, there are bound to be racial tensions that emerge at times.

[Pakboong]

When you get a country full of people from so many different origins and cultures, all competing for a slice, very often the same slice, there are bound to be racial tensions that emerge at times.

When the strong eventually overwhelm the weak, is government compelled to step in and balance things? The strong could be strong due to numbers or capabilty. Was Darwinian theory of natural selection applicable here? Do the less capable need a handicap? On the top news item in TV today there is something about Thailand becoming a welfare state. Do the Thais need a welfare state?

In my mind, the only question is when are things so bad that government is compelled to act on behalf of the less fortunate given that there will always be less fortunate. Or simply. can laws be established and enforced that keep racism under control to a tolerable degree?,

[kikoman]

I am the only "FARANG" living in my village, that along with my size 6'2", 250 lbs, make me stand out at the village market, one thing I alway hear is the word farang, much as all on this forum refer to locals as, They or Thais. I know the sensitivity of western (US) people to other languages spoken around them, as they have to be taking about me.

I have seen the way Westerners behave in their drunken state in Pattaya and Bangkok. demanding their rights in a country that is not theirs.

I have read the most Racist and Bigoted remarks about Thais on this forum, that seems to be the home where the real Bigots in Thailand reside.

I have been overcharged by a Western company that charged me double the price for an item my daughter (who is Thai) purchased, and the price of a certain low priced item as advertised, was quoted to her at 3 times higher than the advertised price, even when my daughter had their price list with the items marked on it as the items I wanted.

I called the owner and complained to him, He laugh and said it was an honest mistake as they sold the items in kilos before, and half kilos now and his staff must have forgotten to re-price the item. "He made no mention of giving back the extra money or ,the extra half kilo that I was scammed out of", He also said that the cheese price was a action by a new employee and he would make sure it never happened again. Needless to say I do not purchase from there any more.

He was not just a western company, but an advertiser on this forum!

You only feel you are the victim of racism because you think it is directed at you and you do not get the proper respect you expect by those, you (perceived) to be less important than you!

Cheers: