Racism in thailand

[stumonster]

i wish to gain some insight into racism in thailand, who looks down on who, who is top of the rung(ie what area), maybe what is their thoughts on different breeds of farengs.

please post anecdotal stories

are there many rural thais in goverment positions, senior police/army posts?

[WilliamIV]

IMO

The Ordinary man in the Street:

does not like Blacks

does not Trust Indians Resident in Thailand

Bill

[Guest IT Manager]

All Thai people show respect for police. When you sit and talk in a village setting, with no police present, the attitude seems to be a little different. I don't believe my village is any different to others. What they say and do in the face of the police seems a little twisted when you discuss actual feelings adn views of the corruption etc.

That is my view of what I have experienced but I agree about Indians and Black Folk as well.

[taxexile]

perhaps the "respect" shown to police is more fear than respect. some monks and famous religious leaders seem to get proper respect.

indians and africans seem to get least respect, but then again,if a thai was talking to an indian and an african,then the indian and african may get the impression that the falang is at the bottom of the heap. very few people of any nationality will openly criticise another to their face purely on racial grounds, so its hard to know what anyone is thinking.

in thailand, only the king gets universal and total respect.

[Edward B]

in thailand, only the king gets universal and total respect.

I would also add the Princess to that, maybe not all 3 but one in particular. And also the Queen perhaps.

[KevinN]

If you happen to be a farang married to a Thai lady, just get around where thai men are,maybe a barber shop,and specially where they are drinking, and if you understand even a little Thai and they do not know that you do,you will soon learn what they think of farang.

And I agree that they only show police respect thru fear,but why shouldn't they? the cops are worthless in this country and do take a lot of graft,same as in all 3rd world countrys. They enforce no laws,even the PM said that he cannot get the police to enforce laws that protect the people. I read this on his website.What about the pedophile sex establishments that run wide open,and tours are brought here to indulge in the sex with juveniles,and no one sees it.

[fox]

Hi,

In Asian countries, most people don't like cops..... they don't trust cops.....they will keep away from them..... have nothing to do with them. The word " respect " is more of out of fear than anything else. The people who love to go near them, are those dealing with illegal activities. The reason is obvious.

I know.... I was a volunteer cop in an Asian country for 13 years. In conclusion, I personally don't like cops. Of course to be fair, I wish to say that they are some who are sincere, fair, helpful and dedicated and not corrupted. Good for them.

???

[aryanation]

never been to a place where the cops are so universally disliked

most places you usually get their not that bad

you need to have them a few bad apples

but not here

or something happen in your life and the police helped you out

you changed your attitude but not here

one hotel i stayed the where always hanging around the lobby outside cops convention never worked it oustayed their a few times always the same not say 1or 2 but 4 or 5

[kwiz117]

Interesting subject..

I am a Sri Lankan national, and looks like from India due to my skin color.

The above posts are correct. The Indian’s gets the least respect in Thailand and sometimes I feel that they do deserve it. Unfortunately myself and my Thai GF is also getting categorized into that due to my skin color. But with upper middle class Thai families, I have never experienced any difference. They respect me coz they are aware, from where Buddhism came to Thailand.

If I get some respect, it is simply due to the fact of Buddhism and otherwise, unless I have money to show off myself, we will not have any future in Thailand.

If they have some technique to change the skin color, irrespective of the cost, I will do it and become white.

For me I am not sure whether I can call this Racism. I think the basis of judging a Foreigner in Thailand is “how rich he is?”.

Also they like to see Foreigners spend money. The problem with Indian’s who come to Thailand is, they are not ready to spend money for entertainment. They are very focused on Earning the maximum and go back to India or buy Assets and make the family rich. This has some similarities to what Thai-Chinese think except for the fact that spending money for entertainment. Specially Thai-Chinese people do not go well with Indian People due to this reason.

Indian’s who come to Thailand, always stay together and try to build a community of Indian’s than mixing with Thai People. Actually this is the case even when they live in UK, Australia, US etc..

The actual situation is they themselves do not like Thai People due to the Living together culture and the way they are addicted to sex etc. I have heard that they are saying Thai People are like Animals. [excuse me]

In total, if my estimation is correct over 100,000 Indian’s live in Thailand.  All I know is non of them do not care what Thai People think about them. They know it and they stick together and trying to get the maximum from Thailand.

I think the number of buildings and prime property they own in Sukhumvit and Silom area is a good example of the intentions of Indian's living in Thailand.

I think they dislike Thai People more than Thai people dislike them.

:cool:

[plachon]

That's a bit harsh on the one billion Indian nation, plus 100,000 in Thailand, ain't it Kwiz? All i know is I felt very sorry for an Indian-looking lady and her daughter one day on a "rot tour" from Isaan down to BKK, when the bus driver subjected her to a torrent of racial abuse. It was "kaek this" and "kaek that" to his busboy and hostess, and she just politely ignored it (showing admirable restraint). If she was in UK, she'd have given him an earful and been straight round the race relations office and he'd have been out on his ear, before you could say Rajesh Patel.

Other internal racism is the way central Thais look down on Isaan people ( khon Lao), both in terms of their Thai language ability (butt of jokes) and skin colour. I'm sure the same applies to Southerners, though Northerners are praised for their fair skin, polite nature and pretty faces. A Thai Isaan friend who studied for an MSc in Japan said he was teased and excluded by his central Thai peers on the basis of where he came from. Is this racism or "regionalism" I wonder? Whatever, central Thais tend to be more racist and snobbish than most.

[Rambutan]

What you say is true Plachon!

I have yet to meet a people more arrogant and snobbish and racist than central Thai. On some occoasions one comes to feel how deep rooted this arrogance actually is.

[KevinN]

KWIZ, You will find what you face in many country's,Racial profiling,and you have to prove your self different than the race that you resemble and then people that know you will be OK.

It is the same as being American,you have to prove your self,everyone thinks "The ugly American" until proved wrong.

But you can not really blame the people,Indians and blacks most usually deserve the things they get by the way that they treat people and act in general, In the USA most people hate Indians by the way they act and do business,very rude and inconsiderate people.and the same with blacks,between the two,I do not know which is the most racist,and they are the first to scream RACIST at others.

I think that China was the easiest place to be accepted as an American,everyone was really friendly and no one looked down their nose at me,everyone tried to talk to me,and I know not one word of Chinese,but most could say "Welcome to china", but I did not expect to be accepted here as an equal,#### good thing too.

I find most Thai people to be very self centered,ill mannered,inconsiderate people,that only think of what they want to do and show no consideration for others,be it Thai or fa rang, Whether it is standing in the middle of the isle at the stores or in the middle of the sidewalk on a cell phone or parking and leaving their car in the middle of the road while they go bullshit with someone,to having drunken noisy party's and plugging up the streets. and when you put one in a motor vehicle,you have created a self centered ,inconsiderate  maniac with homicidal tendency's.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Deep down all Thai's know they are better than all other races. Even the poorest of the poor, still want to be reborn Thai.

[Guest IT Manager]

I find most Thai people to be very self centered,ill mannered,inconsiderate people,that only think of what they want to do and show no consideration for others,be it Thai or fa rang, Whether it is standing in the middle of the isle at the stores or in the middle of the sidewalk on a cell phone or parking and leaving their car in the middle of the road while they go bullshit with someone,to having drunken noisy party's and plugging up the streets. and when you put one in a motor vehicle,you have created a self centered ,inconsiderate  maniac with homicidal tendency's.

I may get a different handle than many, but I would like a feedback from others who live in rural villages. I am not not and don't try to be "assimilated" into my village. I have a level of respect which is an earned thing, and certainly wasn't there when I first moved here several years ago. I try to do things in the village, and generally succeed, that they either don't know how to do, or physically can't/won't.

Example: on Thursday night was eating in a restaurant and felt the cold slip across my feet. I leaned down and after getting over hving the shit frightened out of me, asked the owner to bring me a rice sack, then picked up a four metre Burmese Python, which had decided to make itself at home. He went in a rice bag, and today sometime is going to his new home at the Zoo.

Thais think I am nutty for having done that ("aroi, aroi" was whistledf or a while), but last night we had about 15 people come around to look at him. He is dangerous to the locals, and they would have killed him and cooked him up. The fact of picking him up and bagging him got a few respectful looks, but it's really "nutty farang", and that's fine.

I don't seek assimilation, but I think not being assimilated into the village isn't really a problem. I don't keep my distance and my friends don't keep theirs, we work together, we drink together, we go to funerals and weddings together, and I love that part of it.

Going into town is a bit different, where I have to deal with wealthy Thais, who can't find one of their own to make a network go properly without formatting drives (first course of action, usually), I don't get respect. But I get paid.

IMHO the "city" Thais are so used to getting their own way, and just paying for privilege, that they don't even see their behaviour as being rude. Give me a village anytime.

[KevinN]

I have no problems in the village.

We live next door to my inlaws and most everyone in the village is either an inlaw or a cousin and this a large village. My father in law is an X headman,and we asked the head man if he would go to amphur to verify my residents here,no prob,he went into town the next morning instead of his fields to work.I am well recieved here,but what I was talking about earlier was the way most thais act in the towns and phetchabun is not a real large city.but also in the whole country there seems to be a lack of consideration for anyone. and they had a computer game shop here, they had to close it because the young kids was spending all their time there instead of study and homework,so they forced them to close instead of the parents taking responsibility for desipline of their own kids,so it looks like the next generation will grow up with the same manners as the present one. #### hard for a country to climb out of the pit when no one knows how to work together,take orders, and respect his fellows.

[kwiz117]

That's a bit harsh on the one billion Indian nation, plus 100,000 in Thailand, ain't it Kwiz?

I am not sure.

I expressed my views from the basis of the Indian Families known to me in Thailand.

Why I said “SOMETIMES, I feel they deserve it” mainly due to the fact of the way they look at Thai People.

I mean, for you to get respected in any society, first you should be prepared to give some respect to others. I know they are not mixing with Thai People like Farang in Thailand.  So that is the main reason why they get this level of acceptancy in Thai Society.

What IT has said above is correct. If you mix with Thai people and if you have a good intention of doing some good to them, irrespective of expecting anything back, then you will get the respect from a respectable Thai Person.

If you try to take work from Thai People without thinking of how they live from the money you pay, if you stop the Thai Holidays by thinking that it is not a Holiday in India , if you lend money and then try to get the ownership of property belongs to Thai People, if you always want to eat only Indian Food and you make expressions that you dislike Thai Food, if you act like that you have come from the most civilized and cultured country in this whole planet; then you deserve it.

It does not matter whether the individual is involved in above or not, when you live in the society. One drop of poison, will spoil the entire soup and we can not separate what part s good to drink and what part is good to throw away. That is what has happened to the Indians living in Thailand.

For me, when I get discriminated for simply having a skin color similar to Indians, I feel it is sad and sometimes hard to accept it. But when I think, I do feel that if Thai People come and act like the way they do in India, then they will treat them in a more worst manner than the way Thai people treat them now.

This discrimination is not only between Indian’s living in Thailand and Thai people. It is even common among Indian’s living in Thailand. They have grouped according to the Cast, the Province they come from, and the Religion. I know that they have several Indian Societies formed on this basis. Actually no Indian Society in Thailand represent India as a Country. They all have “South Indian Association”, “Karnataka Association”, “Seek Associations” etc.. Whenever they group, they will group on that basis and always think on that line.

Now, after reading above, tell me if you still think that I have made a bit harsh statement on 1 Billion Indians or not.

Actually if any of them see this reply and if they can find me, some of them will even go to the extent of protesting against this reply in front of my Apartment.      

[sbk]

As for the regionalism, I live in a rural southern thai island, most people are locals (including my husband and his entire family --41 cousins, 20 odd aunts and uncles etc etc) and they look down on first: non-locals (I'm ok, I'm married to a local), second: non-southerner, thirdly: big city person, fourthly, non-thai. of the fourth one it doesn't matter what color the person is because the first one is the most important. either you are from here, or you are not from here. and if you aren't from here, oh well, too bad.

when we leave the island and head up north my husband often gets comments like: "lots of killers from surat thani" but mostly, once they realize he is Thai and not Philipino, Malaysian or Burmese,  he gets the wink wink nod nod "how do I get me a farang wife too" look. He is pretty dark but other than local people who give him a hard time for being dark(he loves to fish), noone has ever treated him badly because he is dark .

[Heng]

indians and africans seem to get least respect, but then again,if a thai was talking to an indian and an african,then the indian and african may get the impression that the falang is at the bottom of the heap. very few people of any nationality will openly criticise another to their face purely on racial grounds, so its hard to know what anyone is thinking.

I'd say this is pretty much spot on.    That's why you have falangs, negros, Indians, etc. etc.... who think that Thais (especially those in the tourist oriented "trades") love them.*  We (those of us who are racist and discriminate... which certainly isn't ALL of us in any case) generally practice a non-overt (I'd even call it polite) form of racism/discrimination and tend to apply it to issues that truly matter (such as land ownership, job opportunities, matters of commerce, and so forth).   Otherwise, I'd say that most of us do attempt to be civil and welcoming to people of all races.   That's MORE than one can expect in a lot of places in the world where racism/discrimination is overt and even violent.  

*naturally, these kinds of beliefs will sometimes fade for SOME people (maybe if you're trying to get into particular fields of work for example).   For some, they may go through their entire lives here and still feel completely welcome (if you're a somewhat well off foreign retiree, for example).

[francois]

Deep down all Thai's know they are better than all other races. Even the poorest of the poor, still want to be reborn Thai.

sure right 1000%  

for so many telling to their kids to frighten them " take care the farang will come and eat you "

how do we call this?

ignorance?

obscurantism?

or simply a massive lack of education"?

so many Thais don't even know where are the other countries on the world map  

" we are Thai, and no one knows better than us "  

hum ... who brought enough technology to build trains, telephone, hospital and medical knowledge, etc etc ...

amazing Thailand  

[Heng]

^ The locals rarely say anything like "we're superior"... it's in fact your conclusion.   Yes, undoubtedly ya'll can probably sense that there are a lot of locals who are quite content in who they are (but I'd say it's a mistake to translate that into a feeling of superiority).        

The "they think they're superior" argument is a common "first step" falang argument.   Almost invariably an attempt at a "No! We're better" follow up is next (as in the case above).    The falang (often in his English classroom or on a barstool), when feeling his ego wounded (because of any of a thousand reasons), will often "lash out" and proclaim that he (representing all western origin technologies and telecommunications interests and pitting them against one particular sliver of a local culture which in itself is a part of Eastern Asian culture) invented mobile phones (in fact saying "why don't you accept me?  I made that phone for you."), a most curious feat of logic from those who claim logic as a natural strength.    

A more appropriate comparison (if we insist on playing a cultural comparison game) would be to Eastern Asian,  African, or Persian origin culture.  

Some Chinese inventions: the horse collar, wheelbarrow, moldboard plow, paper money, cast iron, helicopter rotor, propeller, the decimal system, the seismograph, matches, mapping the circulation of the blood, paper, brandy and whiskey, the rocket and multi-staged rockets, the abacus....  

But it'd be SILLY to look at the present (or past or future) and say (or take credit for) "no one would be able to calculate anything if we didn't invent the first counting machine," "you'd be using beads or wompum tokens in the BTS ticketing machines if we didn't invent paper money," "you'd still be using oars to propel boats..."etc.     Just as ridiculous to say that Africans are the most advanced/enlightened culture because they were to first to try brain surgery.

For those who like to compare "vs." cultural achievements, it's usually more accurate to compare (in the present of course) family and individual status/achievements of those of relatively similar age, education and experience.   Say... Thais (or any culture) that have left their own country to another country.    In other words, compare YOURSELF with someone who is your equal (but of a different culture) and compare how each of you do OUTSIDE of your home environment.   Compare their success with your own... and try to do it without attributing the relative difficulty of survival and/or lack of personal prosperity on the local environment being too dissimilar to "home" or the locals way of NOT doing things "the right way." (as you know them).

[marquess]

In reference to Kwiz's rather astute observations concerning Indians living in Thailand: Having been brought up in England, primarily in London. It has been my observation that Indians born in Britain on the whole tend to stick together and don't take well to outsiders. I had a friend who was Sikh, we  knew each other for over 10 years, but I rarely met any members of his family and I can never once recall him mentioning any of his brothers or sisters by name. In general Indians seems to get the brunt of racist abuse. I suspect that is because they really make no attempt to intergrate. Has anyone seen any Indian Thais, married to Thais?

[Axel]

marquess, I fully agree to what you say and, no there are hardly any inter-marriages.

Racism as such is IMHO a fear of the unknown and the different. The ethnic Chinese integrated themselves into the Thai society the ethnic Indians stick to their habits so they stick out from the average Thai, albeit they do speak the language.

There is the same problem in Europe, Africans in France, people from the sub-continent in England, Turks in Germany and Austria, even Switzerland has a situation with the Tamils.

So the Thai 'racism' is against the others, but not necessarily against tourists, who, we all know, stay as visitors.

Different it (I say) 'might' be with farangs who do all sorts of business and perhaps sucessfully. Maybe no racism but jealousy.

[Heng]

I'd say it's more like territoriality.   Xenophobia and jealousy are terms used from the point of view of those discriminated against.

[penelope]

Deep down all Thai's know they are better than all other races.

....and I'm sure that Orangutans also feel superior to Gibons, but the reality is that the Lion is the king of the jungle.

[kwiz117]

marquess, I fully agree to what you say and, no there are hardly any inter-marriages.

Racism as such is IMHO a fear of the unknown and the different. The ethnic Chinese integrated themselves into the Thai society the ethnic Indians stick to their habits so they stick out from the average Thai, albeit they do speak the language.

There is the same problem in Europe, Africans in France, people from the sub-continent in England, Turks in Germany and Austria, even Switzerland has a situation with the Tamils.

So the Thai 'racism' is against the others, but not necessarily against tourists, who, we all know, stay as visitors.

Different it (I say) 'might' be with farangs who do all sorts of business and perhaps sucessfully. Maybe no racism but jealousy.

Fully agree with both of you. That is the main reason that Thais and Indians in particular are not going well with each other. I have not come across any Indian married to a Thai, in Thailand. But I have heard from one of my friends of such a situation.

Let me update little more about why they are not getting mixed up with other cultures. In India, majority [99.9%] are getting married by Proposals. I know a guy lived in Thailand, who went to India to get married to a Girl that he has spoken only from Telephone around 10-20 times [to save the cost].  

Normally the Parents fix the Partner and they simply accept it sometimes even without seen her face or not hearing her voice. It works in many cases as both the Man and the Woman are in that frame of mind. At the time of getting married, both of them think of doing the same to their children in the future. You may get few Indian’s falling in love with a Thai girl etc. But very few will go against the wishes of their Parents. I think this way of thinking always leads to Racism.

[ThaiAdventure]

Deep down all Thai's know they are better than all other races.

....and I'm sure that Orangutans also feel superior to Gibons, but the reality is that the Lion is the king of the jungle.

FANTASTIC. .Oh my aching ribs!

[plachon]

Quiz, I appreciate there's some tensions and issues between Thais and Indians living in Thailand, but the same would be true for Indians and Sri Lankans, huh? You always sound a pretty reasonable guy, but in that particular posting, it seemed more like tarring all Indians with the same brush, even to the extent that you'd like to change your own racial make-up to avoid being confused with the Sub-continentals. Be proud of who and where you were born, man, and not let others' racial bigotry get you down (in this case the Thais). I wouldn't envy being an Indian in Thailand, purely for the fact, that they do get such racial abuse heaped on them, often for no good reason. Yet look where half of Thai culture, religion and language originates from!

I used to get a bit peeved, but now i just laugh, when I invite Thais round to my house and make some Thai food, perhaps a farang dish, and a curry. I like making curries and love Indian food. I love Thai food too, but think variety is the spice of life. If I just say the curry is "gaeng curry" most people usually just eat it and like it, but if I said it was "curry baeb India", people would turn their noses up and ignore the dish. That's how deep the psyschology is ingrained in Thai people about the inferiority of things Indian compared to Thai. Similarly look at the clientele of most Indian restaurants in Thailand, compared to farang-style "fart-food" restaurants, despite the love of chilli and aversion to "ahaan jeut". It's comical really, if you think about it (unless you're an Indian restuarant owner outside farang areas or little India).

[kwiz117]

Quiz, I appreciate there's some tensions and issues between Thais and Indians living in Thailand, but the same would be true for Indians and Sri Lankans, huh? You always sound a pretty reasonable guy, but in that particular posting, it seemed more like tarring all Indians with the same brush, even to the extent that you'd like to change your own racial make-up to avoid being confused with the Sub-continentals. Be proud of who and where you were born, man, and not let others' racial bigotry get you down (in this case the Thais). I wouldn't envy being an Indian in Thailand, purely for the fact, that they do get such racial abuse heaped on them, often for no good reason. Yet look where half of Thai culture, religion and language originates from!

I used to get a bit peeved, but now i just laugh, when I invite Thais round to my house and make some Thai food, perhaps a farang dish, and a curry. I like making curries and love Indian food. I love Thai food too, but think variety is the spice of life. If I just say the curry is "gaeng curry" most people usually just eat it and like it, but if I said it was "curry baeb India", people would turn their noses up and ignore the dish. That's how deep the psyschology is ingrained in Thai people about the inferiority of things Indian compared to Thai. Similarly look at the clientele of most Indian restaurants in Thailand, compared to farang-style "fart-food" restaurants, despite the love of chilli and aversion to "ahaan jeut". It's comical really, if you think about it (unless you're an Indian restuarant owner outside farang areas or little India).

This is for Chon..

You always change lines..

Have I defended where I come from and only criticised Indian’s?  Let me clear one of your myths. Sri Lankan’s and Indian’s do not have any problem. Not at all. You are totally out of your mind here and first find the actual facts and then put your points rather than just making bold statements about me.

India, Sri Lanka and even Thailand has very close ties and all these 3 countries do not have any problem among them.

You read my post again. I have highlighted why Thai People do not like Indian’s and even the way I look.

Hello..The conflict in Sri Lanka is nothing to do with Indians. It is between LTTE [a terrorist group] and Sinhalese people. LTTE is demanding to control part of the Sri Lanka. Tamils do live in Colombo, India and all over the world and they do not have any problem with Sinhalese.

Also you have advised me to be proud of where I come from.. Hello, I am proud of where I come from but not proud of every thing we do. I am proud for the History of over 2000 Yrs we have and the contributions we have done to Buddhism in general and many other good things. If I think anything we do is not correct, then I say it. If I think that we have not changed according to the changes in the world and we are in dark when it comes to religious believes, then we should highlight it.

For example:

If an “Indian women have to jump to the fire when her husband is dead” it is not fair for her [This is called "Sathi Puja". So that is what I am trying to say. Thai people do not like that type of a culture.  Did you understand now?

Oh..the racial make up thing...

You know why it is not still possible to do? Normally guys who are capable of discovering this type of Colour changing formulas are all White. So when all of us, Black people change to White, then all gets equal rights and they will have to then compete with us. [just joking]

All what I have said above is, why Thai People do not like Indian’s.  It is not only me. Majority of replies from European and US nationals above has stated the same.  But no one was sure why they do not like Indian's. I have given my contributions with some reasons why I think; “Thai people do not like people looks like myself?”

:cool:

[plachon]

Quiz, I appreciate there's some tensions and issues between Thais and Indians living in Thailand, but the same would be true for Indians and Sri Lankans, huh? You always sound a pretty reasonable guy, but in that particular posting, it seemed more like tarring all Indians with the same brush, even to the extent that you'd like to change your own racial make-up to avoid being confused with the Sub-continentals. Be proud of who and where you were born, man, and not let others' racial bigotry get you down (in this case the Thais). I wouldn't envy being an Indian in Thailand, purely for the fact, that they do get such racial abuse heaped on them, often for no good reason. Yet look where half of Thai culture, religion and language originates from!

I used to get a bit peeved, but now i just laugh, when I invite Thais round to my house and make some Thai food, perhaps a farang dish, and a curry. I like making curries and love Indian food. I love Thai food too, but think variety is the spice of life. If I just say the curry is "gaeng curry" most people usually just eat it and like it, but if I said it was "curry baeb India", people would turn their noses up and ignore the dish. That's how deep the psyschology is ingrained in Thai people about the inferiority of things Indian compared to Thai. Similarly look at the clientele of most Indian restaurants in Thailand, compared to farang-style "fart-food" restaurants, despite the love of chilli and aversion to "ahaan jeut". It's comical really, if you think about it (unless you're an Indian restuarant owner outside farang areas or little India).

This is for Chon..

You always change lines..

Have I defended where I come from and only criticised Indian’s?  Let me clear one of your myths. Sri Lankan’s and Indian’s do not have any problem. Not at all. You are totally out of your mind here and first find the actual facts and then put your points rather than just making bold statements about me.

India, Sri Lanka and even Thailand has very close ties and all these 3 countries do not have any problem among them.

You read my post again. I have highlighted why Thai People do not like Indian’s and even the way I look.

Hello..The conflict in Sri Lanka is nothing to do with Indians. It is between LTTE [a terrorist group] and Sinhalese people. LTTE is demanding to control part of the Sri Lanka. Tamils do live in Colombo, India and all over the world and they do not have any problem with Sinhalese.

Also you have advised me to be proud of where I come from.. Hello, I am proud of where I come from but not proud of every thing we do. I am proud for the History of over 2000 Yrs we have and the contributions we have done to Buddhism in general and many other good things. If I think anything we do is not correct, then I say it. If I think that we have not changed according to the changes in the world and we are in dark when it comes to religious believes, then we should highlight it.

For example:

If an “Indian women have to jump to the fire when her husband is dead” it is not fair for her [This is called "Sathi Puja". So that is what I am trying to say. Thai people do not like that type of a culture.  Did you understand now?

Oh..the racial make up thing...

You know why it is not still possible to do? Normally guys who are capable of discovering this type of Colour changing formulas are all White. So when all of us, Black people change to White, then all gets equal rights and they will have to then compete with us. [just joking]

All what I have said above is, why Thai People do not like Indian’s.  It is not only me. Majority of replies from European and US nationals above has stated the same.  But no one was sure why they do not like Indian's. I have given my contributions with some reasons why I think; “Thai people do not like people looks like myself?”

:cool:

Hey, I'm no expert on Indian-Sri Lankan affairs and am first to admit it. However, I do know the general vibes i got from most (Sinhalese) Sri Lankans to Indians and India wasn't too positive when I visited your country several years ago, And wasn't it a Tamil who assassinated Rajiv Ghandi, so there must be something going on between the Tamils and Indian govt. too (at least back then)? And don't feel the need to patronise me on the Tamil-Sinhalese civil war - those are your personal opinions you're posting and not everyone in the world sees the LTTE as a "terrorist group". (similarly, most Americans thought of IRA as "freedom fighters" til Sept. 11th)

But as this subject was supposed to be centered on perceived Thai racism, I wanted to focus on that side in my anecdotes, not on the wider region. However, I may have strayed and touched a raw nerve, and I'll stick to what I know and see on this issue from now on.

I think there is an issue of "moneyism", in the racism debate in Thailand too, but for ordinary Thais, skin colour is far more of an issue in who they decide to fraternise with or reject out of hand (even running to the extent of rejecting curries!). After all, most ordinary Thais, have been stereotyped from birth that white is "suay" and dark skin "mai suay". Rather than rueing your own skin colour, why not make a positive effort to engage Thais (or anyone else) on confronting their own stereotypes and see if it can make a difference. Otherwise, go and see Mike Jackson for advice on lightening up.

::  

[francois]

but the reality is that the Lion is the king of the jungle.

in real ... the lion is afraid of the elephant  

... somehow it is still the old fear of the stranger, " the colonialist" .. it has been like this for centuries and there is no reason for a " so good reason" to stop going on  ???

Thailand had never been colonized, and Thais feel proud about this, look at their history, they have build some gods out of warriors and great victories, men as well as women.

in the other side ... Japan were there ...America were there ...

but we will always hear "dipomacy is better than war".

which remains true in any case.

it's a big part of the reason why french got laos at the time.

may be that with a lot better education, Thais would be more open to other nationalities ... may be  ::