Body Size Fascism By Thai Clothes Vendors

[Jingthing]

Maybe you have noticed but there is a recent new wave of popular shirts directed at the Thai market.

Two classes.

The green City name shirt.

Street sign with Thai city name in English and Thai.

Then there are the unification political shirts. We love Thailand. Together We Can with Thai colors.

The first set would probably have a market among foreigners as well.

The trouble is --

THESE SHIRTS ONLY COME IN SMALL SIZES!

Especially the second set and also the first are directed at Thais by Thais. Thai rak Thai and all that jazz. It is a blatant act of BODY SIZE FASCISM that they are excluding all Thais of a larger body size from wearing these popular shirts.

Year after year, Thais get bigger and fatter, especially Thai youth. It's like they are saying, if you can't fit into our small size shirts, you aren't Thai enough to wear them. Thais of larger size, where are your cojones, there needs to be a political movement to include body size diversity in the Thai fabric of life.

I am sorry, but this body size fascism is just wrong.

BTW, I would really like to buy some of those city name shirts. I think a lot of other foreigners would also, but the majority of us can't fit into them.

Edited July 23, 2010 by Jingthing

[Beetlejuice]

Maybe it is to do with sales and demand.

Could be the company is testing the market and if there is a demand for larger sizes, the companies will produce them.

[Jingthing]

You are way too sympathetic. I would bet serious money they will not produce those styles in larger sizes. The political shirt situation is the most offensive. They talk about unification and Thai unity, but leave out a huge segment of the Thai population, pun intended.

BTW, I think some people may see this thread topic as a joke or even a troll. But, really, it is not. This cultural tendency to leave out larger people is a major diss.

Edited July 23, 2010 by Jingthing

[Millard]

Lose weight. We've seen your food reviews!

[Jingthing]

Lose weight. We've seen your food reviews!

Too true, but the focus of this thread is about the way Thais are dissing other Thais. If they only had huge shirts, would you tell people to gain weight to fit into their clothes?

[TAWP]

They producer what the majority wants, that is market economy.

If you want other size, tell the vendor, start your own buisiness or inform the producer the benefit of including more sizes in their range.

Easy.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

This may be the topic where Jingthing finally jumps the shark. But let's see if anyone takes the topic serious.

[Jingthing]

They producer what the majority wants, that is market economy.

If you want other size, tell the vendor, start your own buisiness or inform the producer the benefit of including more sizes in their range.

Easy.

Not easy. You don't get the core of my point. There is something about Thai society and the education that Thais get that leads to this kind of body size fascism. The producers make what is the propagandized ideal of what size Thais are which does not gel with the actual reality in the real world in today's Thailand. Those green shirts, only on small size Thais, never on even medium sized Thais. It is a kind of insanity that expats like me can see clearly, but socially conditioned locals don't even acknowledge as a problem. I reckon it is also "unThai" for Thais who this impacts to COMPLAIN about it!

Edited July 23, 2010 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

This may be the topic where Jingthing finally jumps the shark. But let's see if anyone takes the topic serious.

You like the topic then?

Edited July 23, 2010 by Jingthing

[dvdlock]

Major conspiracy I say...... bet if you dig deep enough all the world leaders are in on it !

Seriously, perhaps they are available from the manufacturer/wholesaler in the larger sizes but the retailer/seller has decided, that in their experience the smaller sizes sell best. Period.

I would do the same. I would want my stock to turn over as quickly as possible. If for me, the larger sizes prove slower to sell, I wouldn't bother. I would rather put the money in the sizes I know will sell.

[Ulysses G.]

Major conspiracy I say...... bet if you dig deep enough all the world leaders are in on it !

Dick Chaney and Haliburton have large holdings in Thai clothing companies.

[Lammbock]

Thais kinda racism at fat people. Calling them "Pum Bui" or "Uaan" Not nice at all.

Saw it many times. As soon as a Thai or Falang is overweight they call him/her with those names and total ignore

the real name.

Thais can think only as far as they can spit. (Not all ofcourse but most of them)

[Scully]

Hardly Body size fascism more sizeism.

sizeism

- 1 dictionary result Main Entry: sizeism Part of Speech: n Definition: discrimination against someone on the basis of their physical size Example: When someone says "he has a Napoleon complex", that is sizeism.

[robblok]

Thais kinda racism at fat people. Calling them "Pum Bui" or "Uaan" Not nice at all.

Saw it many times. As soon as a Thai or Falang is overweight they call him/her with those names and total ignore

the real name.

Thais can think only as far as they can spit. (Not all ofcourse but most of them)

But when your fat old ugly and farang (with money) they will call you hansum man. So its kapitalism.

[mrtoad]

Terrible JT, the fact that the shirts are only smal in size rules out the vast majority of Farangs, which I am sure is the real reason.

It's another nail in the coffin.

[mrtoad]

Thais kinda racism at fat people. Calling them "Pum Bui" or "Uaan" Not nice at all.

Saw it many times. As soon as a Thai or Falang is overweight they call him/her with those names and total ignore

the real name.

Thais can think only as far as they can spit. (Not all ofcourse but most of them)

Nice generalisation.

[zzaa09]

You are way too sympathetic. I would bet serious money they will not produce those styles in larger sizes. The political shirt situation is the most offensive. They talk about unification and Thai unity, but leave out a huge segment of the Thai population, pun intended.

BTW, I think some people may see this thread topic as a joke or even a troll. But, really, it is not. This cultural tendency to leave out larger people is a major diss.

Perhaps it's intentional. Conspiratorial, even....I'll leave it up to you to further the research and investigations. And get back to us, if you would.

[harrry]

But Jingthing you live in Pattaya. Oveerweight large farangs there do not wear shirts they just walk round showing the hairy chests....

ps wish some of the natashas would too.

[NanLaew]

We need to see if these 'City' shirts are undersized throughout Thailand. The OP resides in Pattaya but hasn't mentioned if he has looked for these shirts elsewhere. Personaly, I have never heard of 'em despite being so popular. What retail outlets are touting them? Or is it street vendors? Maybe a picture of the offending garment can be sourced and linked? Bring a bit of color to the thread... I do like green!

BTW, a popular high street retail clothing store in the UK had these cool orange-checked beach shirts that I really wanted. I grabbed the XL off the shelf and paid without trying it on. When I got home, I tried it and it was "Thai XL". Obviously made in an Asian sweat shop and imported in bulk for skinny teenager skateboard boi's.... not that I was trying to emulate that look. Not in any way at all.

[SomTumTiger]

Can't believe i wasted 5 minutes of my life on this nothing thread.

[harrry]

Can't believe i wasted 5 minutes of my life on this

Slow reader? or did you have to think about it?

[mazeltov]

BTW, I would really like to buy some of those city name shirts. I think a lot of other foreigners would also, but the majority of us can't fit into them.

There is an I AM TOO FAT forum at this board, you can find it under 'Health, Body and Medicine'.

[robblok]

BTW, I would really like to buy some of those city name shirts. I think a lot of other foreigners would also, but the majority of us can't fit into them.

There is an I AM TOO FAT forum at this board, you can find it under 'Health, Body and Medicine'.

Its not all about being fat... i have a lot of trouble fitting into clothes too.. but that was my choice and i am certainly not fat.

You can be big without being fat.

[dumball]

'NanLaew' timestamp='1279939112' post='3769290']

We need to see if these 'City' shirts are undersized throughout Thailand. The OP resides in Pattaya but hasn't mentioned if he has looked for these shirts elsewhere. Personaly, I have never heard of 'em despite being so popular. What retail outlets are touting them? Or is it street vendors? Maybe a picture of the offending garment can be sourced and linked? Bring a bit of color to the thread... I do like green!

BTW, a popular high street retail clothing store in the UK had these cool orange-checked beach shirts that I really wanted. I grabbed the XL off the shelf and paid without trying it on. When I got home, I tried it and it was "Thai XL". Obviously made in an Asian sweat shop and imported in bulk for skinny teenager skateboard boi's.... not that I was trying to emulate that look. Not in any way at all.

Funny you should mention that about sizing , the first thing I purchased was a m/cycle race shirt I had seen the like of in Canada , it was marked 'L' , my son e-mailed me on receipt to tell me it would fit 2 of him , could I please send him a small as he liked the shirt . Since that time , I insist the vendor remove clothing from the package (used to be sealed) for me to check size , I always got the response " Size here sir " , moved on to the next obliging vendor , rarely found an item of clothing that had the correct sizing for the item .

[DP25]

Thais kinda racism at fat people. Calling them "Pum Bui" or "Uaan" Not nice at all.

Saw it many times. As soon as a Thai or Falang is overweight they call him/her with those names and total ignore

the real name.

We need more of that attitude in the US

[Jingthing]

BTW, I would really like to buy some of those city name shirts. I think a lot of other foreigners would also, but the majority of us can't fit into them.

There is an I AM TOO FAT forum at this board, you can find it under 'Health, Body and Medicine'.

Its not all about being fat... i have a lot of trouble fitting into clothes too.. but that was my choice and i am certainly not fat.

You can be big without being fat.

Totally agree. This is definitely not a too fat forum topic. This is about body SIZE. People can be larger than a tiny t-shirt for many reasons other than fat, such as genetics, better nutrition, muscles, etc. Look on the streets if you have known Thailand for a long time. Thais really are BIGGER.

Fat also, of course. That is a fact of life now with the increases in wealth and especially fast food/junk food. Are the fat Thais not Thai? Don't they deserve to buy the same trendy shirts as the idealized tiny Thais? Don't they deserve a chance to show their love of Thailand, their desire for Thai political unity with a We Can Do It TOGETHER t-shirt, just like the tiny Thais?

Edited July 24, 2010 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

Hardly Body size fascism more sizeism.

sizeism

- 1 dictionary result Main Entry: sizeism Part of Speech: n Definition: discrimination against someone on the basis of their physical size Example: When someone says "he has a Napoleon complex", that is sizeism.

What do you mean hardly body size fascism? Of course it is. It is sticking a propagandized false ideal of what size Thais are down ALL of their throats. That is a kind of fascism. Your term works also, but that doesn't mean the way I have characterized it is inaccurate.

I am sorry so many people can't see the truth behind the issue in this thread. Thailand is NOT a pure free market in any sense of the concept, and anyone with eyes can see that. Example, the beer market here.

Body size reference in definition of fascism --

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/fascism

fascism [ˈfæʃɪzəm]

n (sometimes capital)

1. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) any ideology or movement inspired by Italian Fascism, such as German National Socialism; any right-wing nationalist ideology or movement with an authoritarian and hierarchical structure that is fundamentally opposed to democracy and liberalism

2. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) any ideology, movement, programme, tendency, etc., that may be characterized as right-wing, chauvinist, authoritarian, etc.

3. prejudice in relation to the subject specified body fascism

This link is about sports culture, but some of the same concepts apply when a larger society promotes impossible body size ideals that go against the actual reality of the population, as is now clearly happening in Thailand --

Triumph of the body fascists

The search for supreme physical perfection starts this week in Atlanta. Hitler was right - the Olympic idea is essentially fascist in inspiration and Leni Riefenstahl's film Olympia stands as the abiding Olympic image. The very idea of producing a human 'best', a peak of physique, leads to a perverse and eugenic view of mankind. It does not celebrate the pleasures of human variety, it celebrates sameness, every set of games narrowing and refining the ideal human frame.

Edited July 24, 2010 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

'NanLaew' timestamp='1279939112' post='3769290']

We need to see if these 'City' shirts are undersized throughout Thailand. The OP resides in Pattaya but hasn't mentioned if he has looked for these shirts elsewhere. Personaly, I have never heard of 'em despite being so popular. What retail outlets are touting them? Or is it street vendors? Maybe a picture of the offending garment can be sourced and linked? Bring a bit of color to the thread... I do like green!

It's small shophouse stalls mostly. The shirts are white t shirts with a large green sign on the front, with a direction sign and the name of various Thai provincial cities in Thai and English. The design is attractive. I think many Thais buy them to show where they come from in Thailand. I don't have a picture.

Edited July 24, 2010 by Jingthing

[Travel2003]

I would believe a local producer and vendor would target locals, and not the visitors.

I saw these shirts up in Karasin area a year ago.

Anyhow, Just be patient, since this country is gaining momentum towards what we can call an obese nation. Thus bigger shirts will be produced.

[TAWP]

Thais kinda racism at fat people. Calling them "Pum Bui" or "Uaan" Not nice at all.

Saw it many times. As soon as a Thai or Falang is overweight they call him/her with those names and total ignore

the real name.

Not at all, unless you are obese, girls seem to prefer a guy slightly overweight/chubby over a slim or athletic guy. Which is really odd for us that are used to the other way around...and are suddenly told to eat more, not to train and get bigger muscles...

Just look at the look of most girls faces when a really beefed up guy walks past them...they are not impressed.