Red Shirts At The Bar (in Jomtien)

[Jingthing]

Today being Thaksin money D day, I was a tad reticent about venturing out on the meanie streets of Jomtien, but what the hey, had to get some food.

The day didn't start out well. On a crowded elevator, a Thai in a red shirt shoved me hard TWICE to move out of the elevator faster. I was just a bit slow to allow the people in front of me to get out, without shoving. The red shirt, a coincidence? I don't know but shoving people forcefully without cause is not a good way to win friends and influence people.

Then walking around I noticed a popular open air gay bar (one I never go to but couldn't help noticing) was staffed with all the men wearing RED shirts. Not bar staff uniforms, clearly red shirts to show solidarity with the political red shirt movement.

What were they thinking? Is the workplace a proper place to make a political statement like that? Don't they realize that a lot of people, including lots of gay people, do not support the red shirt/Thaksin movement, not to mention the anti-gay activities of the red 51 group in Chiang Mai?

I can't say they lost my business because they didn't have it in the first place. But I found this political display very odd and in very bad taste.

[britmaveric]

^Oh I'm sure they care Jing. I guess if they were all wearing yellow then you would have stayed?

[Jingthing]

^Oh I'm sure they care Jing. I guess if they were all wearing yellow then you would have stayed?

Thanks for bringing that up. Personally I don't like the PAD agenda either and would have found it just as distasteful to see an entertainment workplace taken over by that divisive political movement. Also do you actually bother reading the posts you reply to? I said I never go there at all. It is a very visible place so of course I look in.

To be objective I did think about how I would feel in the US if a bar was staffed with everyone wearing Obama shirts, who I support. While the political statement wouldn't offend me, I would not like the idea that there was a political litmus test to work in that bar.

Edited February 26, 2010 by Jingthing

[JimmyTheMook]

It may have been a safety ploy just in case the shit hit the fan tonight.

[britmaveric]

Well unfortunately people express themselves, if you do not like it then as you did you go elsewhere.

[Jingthing]

Well unfortunately people express themselves, if you do not like it then as you did you go elsewhere.

At a workplace? Don't you see that is simply not appropriate, not to mention bad for business? Do they think all foreigners are so stupid they don't know about the red shirts and what they mean?

[britmaveric]

^well you are a foreigner, so you do not matter!

[SeanMoran]

Well unfortunately people express themselves, if you do not like it then as you did you go elsewhere.

At a workplace? Don't you see that is simply not appropriate, not to mention bad for business? Do they think all foreigners are so stupid they don't know about the red shirts and what they mean?

Let's make gays wear red tattoos on their foreheads in future, so we don't get confused with the politics.

---o0o---

Really JT, don't you think that gay blokes have the same right as normal people to stand up for their political beliefs in this mad world?

Edited February 26, 2010 by SeanMoran

[Phil Conners]

^well you are a foreigner, so you do not matter!

Maybe the owner will change his mind about that when his bar goes bankrupt from foreigners staying away.

Then again, maybe not. Thai's seem to have a way with ignoring facts.

Edited February 26, 2010 by Phil Conners

[britmaveric]

Or maybe he will not?

[Jingthing]

Well unfortunately people express themselves, if you do not like it then as you did you go elsewhere.

At a workplace? Don't you see that is simply not appropriate, not to mention bad for business? Do they think all foreigners are so stupid they don't know about the red shirts and what they mean?

Let's make gays wear red tattoos on their foreheads in future, so we don't get confused with the politics.

---o0o---

Really JT, don't you think that gay blokes have the same right as normal people to stand up for their political beliefs in this mad world?

Of course gays have every right to express their political opinion. However, what I saw today may possibly be an early sign of a real civil war starting here. If people at the workplace feel they need/want to wear a shirt to show their side, that is distressing. To be clear EVERY worker was wearing these shirts. I think the boss made them do it. What other reason could there be? As far as normal, this is the gay forum, dear, you are the weirdo here.

If this civil war escalates people who do NOT wear a red shirt will be under threat for not wearing the shirt. What I saw today is a really bad sign. Remember Berlin in the early days of Hitler. This country may possible be entering a very scary phase.

Edited February 26, 2010 by Jingthing

[britmaveric]

^let me buy a red shirt for you, you'll feel better.

[Jingthing]

It may have been a safety ploy just in case the shit hit the fan tonight.

That is possibly another explanation.

[Jingthing]

^let me buy a red shirt for you, you'll feel better.

Thank you very much, but NO thank you very, very much!

[elshaheen]

From my experience in Bangkok between the yellow / red shirts.

Yellow are more common sense, educated, polite and smarter.

Red shirts = country folks, less educated, not polite and can be quite stupid.

[paulfromphuket]

From my experience in Bangkok between the yellow / red shirts.

Yellow are more common sense, educated, polite and smarter.

Red shirts = country folks, less educated, not polite and can be quite stupid.

Lets not forget who occupied the airport and government house.YELLOW. how stupid was that!

[Jingthing]

From my experience in Bangkok between the yellow / red shirts.

Yellow are more common sense, educated, polite and smarter.

Red shirts = country folks, less educated, not polite and can be quite stupid.

Lets not forget who occupied the airport and government house.YELLOW. how stupid was that!

This thread is not about red vs. yellow (and to mention for the millionth time, not being supportive of the reds does not mean yellow support, in fact the vast majority of Thais do not support EITHER color). It is about this troubling sign I saw yesterday of taking uniform political actions to the public workplace. Imagine if some of those workers was actually not supportive of the reds, which was very likely, but forced to wear the red shirt anyway, to fit in at work. I think this kind of thing crosses a very bad line. I wonder if it was an isolated case, or much more widespread, and possibly spreading. It is one thing making a free will choice to attend a political rally or even take part in an illegal political action. It is another thing to take this to the everyday public workplace and force everyone who works there to make a uniform (and very divisive) political statement.

Edited February 27, 2010 by Jingthing

[rixalex]

^well you are a foreigner, so you do not matter!

Nationality doesn't come into it in this case. He's a potential customer. They matter.

[Ijustwannateach]

The gay forum is NOT the place to engage in Thai political discussions (where it does not concern sexuality except as a flimsy excuse for said political discussion).

Thread closed.