Chinese, What'S Wrong With Them?

[geriatrickid]

I was under the impression that some of the resentment had to do with penis envy. I have it on good authority, based upon my research on the internet, that many people are obsessed with Chinese genitalia.

Jeez, why do these threads exist? If someone has an issue with local Chinese people then take it up with the local Chinese people.

[mca]

If someone has an issue with local Chinese people then take it up with the local Chinese people.

Come on GK. You know the golden rule

[Heng]

Apart from those tyrants running PTT who have pretty much phased out 95 gasoline and now are slow sneaking 91 off the market so that we have to "choose" gasohol at some point in the future ....I have no problem with them whatsoever.

Actually ,there is a valid reason for that. Thailand imports pretty near all its oil.So, they are or have legislated to ensure all petrol will be at least 5%gasohol.They may even raise it to 10%. The reason is , to save foreign exchange. The Thai is so strong, that their fuel bill paid in U.S. dollars is going even higher,causing stresses to the Thai economy.I must add ,that many Thai farmers are very happy, as the Main feedstock to produce Gasohol is Cassava, which has increased in price substantially this year.

I understand the reasoning, more than a few family members work for PTT (some of them not pumping gas!). I just dislike the "forced phase out" game plan. Most folks who don't care about the higher prices can still get their benzene at Caltex (for now anyway), but those stations are way fewer/farther between than all of those super convenient (and typically cleaner) PTT stations.

Edited November 10, 2010 by Heng

[JurgenG]

I was under the impression that some of the resentment had to do with penis envy. I have it on good authority, based upon my research on the internet, that many people are obsessed with Chinese genitalia.

Jeez, why do these threads exist? If someone has an issue with local Chinese people then take it up with the local Chinese people.

It's not about Chinese people but about people who have issue with them, to try to understand why.

Just take my remark about French and American. Why ? Just because I had an argument with a french couple who were smoking next to me at the terrace of a restaurant. Now I blame a whole nation just because of an argument with two individuals, very smart isn't it ? No American was involved but I guess I didn't want to sound too Europhobe ....

Now back to the Chinese. When I talk to my gf and I ask her what are the negative stereotypes associated with the "Chineses", I get similar answer to the one given by stickyrice : rude, loud, poor taste ... But it seems westerners have different issues. I just want to understand where they come from because it seems it's an imported problem, not a local one.

[JurgenG]

I also found that when quick financial success is achieved, the negative stereotype are more related to "New Money" than to the racial origin of the person.

From Wikipedia : "New Money" can also be used in a derogatory fashion, for the purposes of social class distinction, to describe persons with newfound wealth as vulgar—lacking the experience or finesse to use wealth in the same manner as old money—persons from families who have been wealthy for multiple generations.

We find the same stereotype that I mentioned in the previous post.

I think here too westerners have a very wrong perception of Thailand

[true blue]

A few years ago someone posted that a member of a venerated family in Thailand considered the Chinese as the Gypsies of Asia.

I fully agree. I had Hu Jintao come round my place a couple of weeks ago in a knackered Ford Transit offering to tarmac my drive. I bet his van didn't have any tax or insurance neither.

cheers mate,made me laugh and think of home,had my drive tarmac twice and its still crap,lol.

[h90]

I think I owe people an apologize, I probably overreacted based on a few isolated comments.

It's funny how people in opposite sides of the world can have similar stories. My mother's family has been living in the same place for generation, my great grand father name is engraved in the bell of the village church. My father family immigrated from Eastern Europe just after WWII.

My gf'smother family has been living in the same village as far as they can remember. On the other hand, her great grand father on her father side was a Chinese trader. His son, my gf grand father, settled down in Chantaburi and married a local girl. They had a successful business and were able to send their son to Bangkok where he studied engineering. As a young engineer my gf dad had to travel all over Thailand and one day fell in love with the waitress of the restaurant he had stopped for lunch. A couple of year later my gf was born ...

Weird, it's almost my family story ...

I am an immigrant myself, son of immigrants, that's why when I hear discriminatory comments about foreigners I sometime overeact

Sorry about it

:sleepy:

[xen]

It is not only the Chinese but the Indians that are also resented thru-out Asia and the Pacific. I think it has something with being successful with the aid of hard work and good business principals where the locals are content to sit around and enjoy the moment rather than have some consideration for the future.

It is also a similar situation in Malaysia where the Malays resent both the Chinese and Indians in a similar way , and in Indonesia ,Fiji Mauritius, Kenya etc. Here in Oz the Chinese were resented in the gold fields because they went thru the mine trailings and extracted as much gold as the Europeans had on what the European miners had discarded.

Personally they have many of the traits i admire .

[Moonrakers]

Stop making excuses and saying it's because of jealousy, it isn't. It is because of the downright rudeness and greed the many individuals from these nations display.

Sure there is a degree of prejudice involved but peoples experiences do little to allay that prejudice, it is unfortunate that the good guys are tarred with the same brush.

[maccaroni man]

if memory serves me correctly most of the chinese bashing i have read on this forum has come from men who have dark skinned wives or gf from issan. which leads me to believe that the issue is actually more about why white skin is regarded as more acceptable than dark skin. look at the soaps it is full of korean, japanese, maylay and chinese looking actresses. Also as the op said the majority of chinese parents put great importance in education, saving money and being self reliant which is not a common thread in non chinese thai culture. i find the chinese a refreshing breath of civility in los.

[evanson]

Good work ethic and positive attitude? No wonder some posters hate them

Bingo! You nailed it.

I once asked a Thai friend 'why the hostility toward the Chinese and she replied 'because they say we Thais are lazy and stupid. I said 'poot jing, nit noy?'

;-D

[Beetlejuice]

A few years ago someone posted that a member of a venerated family in Thailand considered the Chinese as the Gypsies of Asia.

No, they're the Jews of Asia... and like Jews everywhere, resented because they work hard and are generally successful. Nothing offends like success.

True, the difference is, there`s a lot more of them, but both were at the sharp end of nazi aggression during WW2.

Chinese is the most widely spoken language in the world, although soon I believe to be over taken by the Indian languges a race at the other end of the spectrum.

Edited November 11, 2010 by Beetlejuice

[evanson]

I was under the impression that some of the resentment had to do with penis envy. I have it on good authority, based upon my research on the internet, that many people are obsessed with Chinese genitalia.

Jeez, why do these threads exist? If someone has an issue with local Chinese people then take it up with the local Chinese people.

Are you talking abou male or female genitalia? Because they're all the same.

Having said that, it's not the shape of the ship, it's the motion of the ocean. Apparently.

ps Your post is <deleted>. No pun intended.

[canuckamuck]

I had a friend who was Chinese, he's better now.

[JurgenG]

white skin is regarded as more acceptable than dark skin. look at the soaps it is full of korean, japanese, maylay and chinese looking actresses. Also as the op said the majority of chinese parents put great importance in education, saving money and being self reliant which is not a common thread in non chinese thai culture. i find the chinese a refreshing breath of civility in los.

Skin color play a great role too, but it's it's a bit sad that luk kreung are popular just because of their fair skin complexion while chineses achieve success through hard work

[jackr]

it's really amazing to see how a poor noodle shop owner saves every penny to send his kids to university.

He does that so that one day his offspring will earn big and pull him out of the quagmire... not rocket science.

They are generally much more switched-on and hard-working, though.

[Heng]

white skin is regarded as more acceptable than dark skin. look at the soaps it is full of korean, japanese, maylay and chinese looking actresses. Also as the op said the majority of chinese parents put great importance in education, saving money and being self reliant which is not a common thread in non chinese thai culture. i find the chinese a refreshing breath of civility in los.

Skin color play a great role too, but it's it's a bit sad that luk kreung are popular just because of their fair skin complexion while chineses achieve success through hard work

Probably not as simple as light vs. dark. IMO a lot of people come to that conclusion because of politically correct conditioning in other countries where some folks would have you believe that all humans are exactly the same underneath 'except for their skin color.'

Simply having light skin will not take you from line worker to CEO. It might get you on the cover of the company magazine, or it might get you a desk next to the water cooler, but the rest is really up to you. It'll get you Nescafe Slim coffee ads (like that cute luk krung they brought in from Singapore to dance and primp around in tank tops... I don't think they are going to hand her the chairmanship though). Plenty of dark skinned (although yes, most are dark skinned Chinese) AND light skinned (also mostly Chinese) captains of industry.

[exterminator]

Thaksin is a Thai Chinese.

[JurgenG]

Thaksin is a Thai Chinese.

Your point being ?

Go ahead, make my day

[CarlBkk]

It's a tough one to work out...and my mind still isn't made up on them. The Chinese (pure blood) here in Thailand can have poor manners, queuejump, voice harsh opinion and speak to people badly no matter what their social and wealth standing. I actually way prefer the half Chinese/Thais...and most that I know have the best qualities of both being Thai (and think of themselves as Thai) and of Chinese (work ethic, morals, intelligence, class). They also tend to be much more open-minded and less controlled by culture, parents and beliefs.

[IanForbes]

You can talk in generalities or you can talk about specifics. The same holds true no matter where on the globe you visit. I have friends on several continents. Not all of them get along with each other. It's no different within my own family where my 3 siblings and I were raised by two parents who stayed married for over 60 years together until they died. Everyone looks at the same situation from a different perspective. I have several friends who like me but dislike each other. I've given up trying to be a peace maker. I don't worry about what others think or how they feel. I just treat everone with respect until they lose it with me. As a generality, Chinese are a hard working race. They save what they make and have close family ties. In Canada I can't recall any Chinese that is sponging off the easy welfare system that Canada provides. The same holds true for the Japanese Canadians. That is far more than I can say for most other races. Any time you put too many people in too close a proximity to each other without adequate education and financial funding, then there WILL be problems. The haves always take advantage of the have nots. There will always be jealousy when the have nots want what the wealthy have attained... whether through hard work or family connections.

[jackinbkk]

I'd like to mention the "Pareto principle".

It's like most societies around the Globe. Take England for Example.

Hypocrisy, injustice and corruption.

Me, I'm happy to just go fishing and let it all pass by me...

[nellyp]

As a generalisation, and having dealt with the Chinese in LOS and Uk, I think that they are self centred and selfish. They have lacked both concern, and compassion. but as most races I have met have had these faults amoung others it does not bother me. I met a very rude Thai Chinese the other day who refused to talk to me, as I would buy noting from his shop. I also think that the Thai's I meet who do not acknowledge me at all, seem to look suspiciously Thai Chinese. Again though, being from south Wales I have been to north Wales and had the same treatment....it goes on everywhere.

[Heng]

Yeah, those are two great examples of them clearly being self centered and lacking compassion. Didn't talk to you OR acknowledge you? Hey, I'm convinced. Reminds me of the time Chuan Leekpai left me hanging on a walk by 'wai' in Chinatown. Yep, clearly elitist.

[Ijustwannateach]

Ok, some positives first:

1. I've found many ASIAN Chinese (including Thai-Chinese) to be sweet, loyal, and yes, hard-working people in general. Nothing to complain about here.

2. They make good long-term relationship material if they are truly interested.

3. They tend to value education and the long view of things and this puts them in similar value-structures as many English-speaking foreigners.

4. Most of the time I've found Thai Chinese shopkeepers genuinely affable and easy to talk to and get along with (same with doctors, businesspeople, and other professionals too).

A few negatives:

1. The nouveaux riches- of which this group make a disproportionate number- truly have an attitude problem, but I think this is a problem for people in similar circumstances everywhere. They care too much about the money to the exclusion of all else, including their children, very unfortunately, who wind up simultaneously spoiled and neglected. Quite sad to see families like that.

2. The families are often (not always) less supportive of gay offspring even than Thai families (I think partly because of the cultural values placed on having children to pass on the family name).

3. Since many of them have been raised somewhat separated from mainstream Thai society, there seems to be a certain greater social dysfunctionality among some of them- seems to tend towards obsessions, though these can be useful for careers.

Overall:

I think they have some great advantages and also some problems as a group, same as any other group of human beings. I wouldn't say no to greater connections with such people, although it all winds up depending on the individuals in question.

[JurgenG]

3. Since many of them have been raised somewhat separated from mainstream Thai society, there seems to be a certain greater social dysfunctionality among some of them- seems to tend towards obsessions, though these can be useful for careers.

In Bangkok, more than 90% of the population has Chinese blood, so they are the mainstream Thai society. So maybe in the countryside ?

[sirineou]

Me, I'm happy to just go fishing and let it all pass by me...

Words to live by

[craigt3365]

It's a tough one to work out...and my mind still isn't made up on them. The Chinese (pure blood) here in Thailand can have poor manners, queuejump, voice harsh opinion and speak to people badly no matter what their social and wealth standing. I actually way prefer the half Chinese/Thais...and most that I know have the best qualities of both being Thai (and think of themselves as Thai) and of Chinese (work ethic, morals, intelligence, class). They also tend to be much more open-minded and less controlled by culture, parents and beliefs.

For sure these are some of the reasons they are not really liked here. That and they don't pay their workers well and treat them poorly. Many of the large rice processing plants in Issan are owned by the Chinese...

3. Since many of them have been raised somewhat separated from mainstream Thai society, there seems to be a certain greater social dysfunctionality among some of them- seems to tend towards obsessions, though these can be useful for careers.

In Bangkok, more than 90% of the population has Chinese blood, so they are the mainstream Thai society. So maybe in the countryside ?

My wife's grandfather was Chinese. That makes her 25%. She's still dark skinned, but 100% Thai...if you get my drift...

Maybe that's the big difference. The Thai/Chinese act more Thai?

[canuckamuck]

You guys are working pretty hard to come up with an acceptable generalization. Keep it up, it's entertaining.

[sirineou]

At least while busy beating up on the Chinese, you all give the Thai a rest.

Hey, what about the Indians?