Is This Improper?

[Thighlander]

There has been a lot of discussion here about foreign operated businesses. I was at a well known beach town over the weekend and here is what i saw. A bar (empty except for the owner) with two flags from his home country flying from poles mounted on the second floor. I'm not going to say which country (at this point). Meanwhile, another bar had a flag flyinging from the owner's country, and a Thai flag flying at the same height. I thought that sure did seem a lot more respectful. Are there laws in Thailand regarding the display of foreign flags? Was the first guy clearly in the wrong? and then onto another subtopic--Aren't these guys alienating themselves and their businesses from a lot of deep pocketed customers buy making their establishments appear to serve one nationality? Almost every business on the block was empty. Not one had any kind of sign out front describing any kind of "promotion." In fact, in the three days I was there; I saw more dead soi dogs in the street than I did beer/drink promotions. I actually love the rain, so the continual downpours didn't bother me (we only get 20cm per year in AZ).

I had a near perfect guest house room for 333 thb per night, with a/c, fridge, cable, but the restaurant farang scene was pathetic. The first place I went to, I was asked by the farang owner sitting on his rump drinking all day, "where are you from?" I said USA. He says "George Bush." When he stated he was from the UK; I surely didn't say BP! Give me a break and pull your head out of your <deleted>. The thirty baht ground pork sausage on 1 baht of rice was acceptable, but you really didn't have to cry when I didn't order a small Chang for 60 thb.

Sorry for the rant.

Edited October 5, 2010 by Thighlander

[Blinky Bill]

Amazing

[onnut]

I wanted to put a flag up once and asked my Police General while he was in for a drink and he said I can do it but would have to have the Thai Flag above and it should be bigger as well. just to show respect.

so you can do it if showing respect to the Thai flag as well.

this was in Bangkok.

Edited October 5, 2010 by onnut

[Soulwy]

I never thought of the flag importance before...

[elektrified]

I'll take a wild guess. Cha Am Soi 1 and the flags were that of Germany.

[richard_smith237]

In Bangkok on the same Soi as my In-laws lives an American (USA) fellow.

I know he's from the USA because he has the USA flag outside his house. No Thai flag. No one takes offense and when I first saw it I thought nothing more than 'the person in that house is from the USA'. That's all my In-laws think, they also like the Christmas lights he puts up come the end of the year.

I really believe that like the majority of things that us Westerners like to 'over consider' or 'Think too much about' that the Thai folk really don't think about or even worry too much about any of these issues unless in some way it impacts them directly.

Edited October 5, 2010 by richard_smith237

[jayinoz]

I seen many Thai places trying to cater to all nations by putting small flags up of all the nations they can find.... it always turns into a game of who can guess the most nations... I think no insult would be taken by most thais for having your own flag up- yet it respectful to have theirs as well. As you do live in their country...

On a slightly similar topic, we Aussies rant and rave about the migrants who come over and never bother to learn English and stay in their own groups- taking over full townships. I must say that are us Farang's no similar- not many of us can speak fluent Thai even though many I know have been here between 10-20 years. Not learning the language is more of an insult if you a long termer than silly flags I have been told... Thai are shocked to hear an old timer could not be bothered even though been living here over 20 years. Often the comments are Ohh he no good- lazy Farang kee nok.

Anyway all shouls make the effort to learn the language if you a LTer, even ST you gain more respect if you try. My 2 cents.

[jayjay0]

I wanted to put a flag up once and asked my Police General while he was in for a drink and he said I can do it but would have to have the Thai Flag above and it should be bigger as well. just to show respect.

so you can do it if showing respect to the Thai flag as well.

this was in Bangkok.

I agree. It amazes me the farongs who come over here and don't even try to show respect. Would they fly a Thai flag by itself in there home country. Or do they not respect it either.

Maybe they don't know but common sense would tell them to try to find out.

Edited October 5, 2010 by jayjay0

[WinnieTheKhwai]

I agree. It amazes me the farongs who come over here and don't even try to show respect. Would they fly a Thai flag by itself in there home country.

I would.

(On the unlikely premise that I would fly any flag. Flags are a pretty fascist concept.)

[uptheos]

I've never understood why some people get wound up tighter than a cuckoo clock over flags.

[Scrubber]

So much for tolerance when people are expected to fly a certain flag above their own. It amazes me when people get so wound up about it. England went the other way a few years back - in a borough of London, people were 'strongly discouraged' by the local constabulary from flying the English flag during the football world cup!

[Drew Aitch]

Hmm! Flapping flags aside for a moment, I've seen many a tasty Chrome Polisher over the years flaunting her Union Jack underwear. Yet I don't ever recall seeing skimpy and provocative lingerie made to represent the Thai national flag! What's good for the goose, should certainly be good enough for the gander, especially if the thread here is really on the issue of respect. Shouldn't it!

But surely such a chic flag design in naughty underwear is not disrespectful of GB, USA, or wherever else is it? After all, it's only fashion, and it does look eye-catching on the right type of figure!

Heck, doesn't the world need to lighten up a bit for crying out loud! Exhibiting one's own national flag on their little piece of real estate is harmless enough, and certainly doesn't send a message of disrespect in the same way as say torching some nation's cloth in a frenzied protest!

Aitch

Edited October 5, 2010 by Drew Aitch

[uptheos]

I think as stated earlier it doesn't really bother the Thai's, it bothers the wannabe Thai's.

The Thai's just accept that the farang has different customs, they like the Christmas lights etc; and I don't think anyone is offended if you haven't got pictures of certain people in your house.

[Mestizo]

Flags are a pretty fascist concept.

That's a somewhat strange statement to make and I fail to grasp your logic on this one.. Additionally, I am pretty sure the concept of flags pre-dates the ideology of fascism.

-Mestizo

[Beetlejuice]

I wanted to put a flag up once and asked my Police General while he was in for a drink and he said I can do it but would have to have the Thai Flag above and it should be bigger as well. just to show respect.

so you can do it if showing respect to the Thai flag as well.

this was in Bangkok.

This is what I have heard and believe to be the case.

But why anyone would want to publicly display a foreign flag in Thailand, beats me.

[rodcourt49]

So much for tolerance when people are expected to fly a certain flag above their own. It amazes me when people get so wound up about it. England went the other way a few years back - in a borough of London, people were 'strongly discouraged' by the local constabulary from flying the English flag during the football world cup!

..join two French flags and voila you have one Thai flag!

Edited October 6, 2010 by rodcourt49

[jackr]

I was asked by the farang owner sitting on his rump drinking all day, "where are you from?" I said USA. He says "George Bush." When he stated he was from the UK; I surely didn't say BP!

Given the fact that BP is almost as much Yank-owned as UK-owned and, more to the point, that the error was wholly down to a bunch of inept rednecks under a Yanky firm, I don't think that would have been a choice retort. You'd be far better with "your ass sucks canal water, buddy" or similar.

But yes, displaying one's flag outside one's abode is pretty sad. I notice a lot of cars here with the Euro flag on the plate and DE even wth Thais driving... now <deleted> is that all about.

[lukeskywalker]

Disregarding the flag situation, the reason there were no other tourists is that (for the beach destinations especially) it is the lowest of the low seasons right now. Go back to that same place in late Dec or Jan and it will be different story.

[trainman34014]

I see a lot of Thai men wearing England football shirts with the three lions emblem but I don't see any who have stitched a Thai flag above them!

Personally I don't see any harm in any flag outside of anyone's house or business but what makes me laugh with the English....and I am one of them....is that they like to put the Union Jack outside their Thai home when they would never dream of doing it at home in Blighty. After all; if you do it there you are considered 'Naff ' or 'A Poser ' by your neighbours and even your own kids who will beg you to take it down !

[Thighlander]

I wanted to put a flag up once and asked my Police General while he was in for a drink and he said I can do it but would have to have the Thai Flag above and it should be bigger as well. just to show respect.

so you can do it if showing respect to the Thai flag as well.

this was in Bangkok.

I had heard something similar to this, as well. And as another poster mentioned, it is nice when the businesses have small flags from many nations.

Unfortunately for them, they were without a beer promotion and customers, also. Surprised to see such a large crop of ladyboys at the bars. (hint: it wasn't Pattaya).

[uptheos]

I wanted to put a flag up once and asked my Police General while he was in for a drink and he said I can do it but would have to have the Thai Flag above and it should be bigger as well. just to show respect.

so you can do it if showing respect to the Thai flag as well.

this was in Bangkok.

I had heard something similar to this, as well. And as another poster mentioned, it is nice when the businesses have small flags from many nations.

Unfortunately for them, they were without a beer promotion and customers, also. Surprised to see such a large crop of ladyboys at the bars. (hint: it wasn't Pattaya).

No business? Obviously they haven't invested in chicks and connect four.

At least you could look at flags, most expect you to stare at the bottles on the shelf and pay premium prices.

[basinboy]

I wanted to put a flag up once and asked my Police General while he was in for a drink and he said I can do it but would have to have the Thai Flag above and it should be bigger as well. just to show respect.

so you can do it if showing respect to the Thai flag as well.

this was in Bangkok.

I had heard something similar to this, as well. And as another poster mentioned, it is nice when the businesses have small flags from many nations.

Unfortunately for them, they were without a beer promotion and customers, also. Surprised to see such a large crop of ladyboys at the bars. (hint: it wasn't Pattaya).

I googled Flag etiquette and the first reference was to Australian Flags, there seems to be a great deal of do's and don'ts, I expect the same sort of rules are applied by most nations.

Flag etiquette

[Sansai Sam]

I had a US flag on the back of my old motorbike and was told I should put a Thai one on also. In the US I am pretty sure you could fly any flag you like and nobody would notice or care.....I feel much the same way.

[uptheos]

I had a US flag on the back of my old motorbike and was told I should put a Thai one on also. In the US I am pretty sure you could fly any flag you like and nobody would notice or care.....I feel much the same way.

That's crazy, who told you Sam a Thai or farang?

[IanForbes]

Hmm! Flapping flags aside for a moment, I've seen many a tasty Chrome Polisher over the years flaunting her Union Jack underwear. Yet I don't ever recall seeing skimpy and provocative lingerie made to represent the Thai national flag! What's good for the goose, should certainly be good enough for the gander, especially if the thread here is really on the issue of respect. Shouldn't it!

But surely such a chic flag design in naughty underwear is not disrespectful of GB, USA, or wherever else is it? After all, it's only fashion, and it does look eye-catching on the right type of figure!

Heck, doesn't the world need to lighten up a bit for crying out loud! Exhibiting one's own national flag on their little piece of real estate is harmless enough, and certainly doesn't send a message of disrespect in the same way as say torching some nation's cloth in a frenzied protest!

Aitch

There is a thread in the Bedlam forum that aptly demonstrates why a flag on a knickers would be an impossibility, unless stitched in microscopic fashion.

[harrry]

I had a US flag on the back of my old motorbike and was told I should put a Thai one on also. In the US I am pretty sure you could fly any flag you like and nobody would notice or care.....I feel much the same way.

That's crazy, who told you Sam a Thai or farang?

http://www.ushistory.org/betsy/flagcode.htm

The US government does not seem to agree with you.

[uptheos]

I had a US flag on the back of my old motorbike and was told I should put a Thai one on also. In the US I am pretty sure you could fly any flag you like and nobody would notice or care.....I feel much the same way.

That's crazy, who told you Sam a Thai or farang?

http://www.ushistory...sy/flagcode.htm

The US government does not seem to agree with you.

Yes, well that's a bonus....can't say I agree much with them.

[Thighlander]

Disregarding the flag situation, the reason there were no other tourists is that (for the beach destinations especially) it is the lowest of the low seasons right now. Go back to that same place in late Dec or Jan and it will be different story.

There were thousands of Thais visiting the Beach for the weekend. I only saw one other farang at the beach, though. I thought word had gotten out about the "dick popper swimsuits"--apparently he didn't get it.