Discriminated Against.

[RogueExpat]

What would you do?

Ok - Here's the background:

Motoring around yesterday afternoon in Satahip, after taking the family away for a short vacation before school starts again, looking for something to do. Decided to visit the naval ship yard where the Royal Thai Navy has an Harrier/Helicopter carrier open to the public.

You guessed it - no foreigners allowed, period. (Not even those who live, and pay taxes in Thailand.) Fair enough, security issues and all that.

At the end of the day, who's going to argue with a man holding a gun?

Both my lads really wanted to go onto the boat, so I decided to wait on the pier while wife, three kids & nannys boarded the vessel.

And then it hit me like a brick to the back of the head.

Both my nannys are not Thai, they are Laos. Easy (for Thai's) to tell too. I looked around at all the other families with nannys/staff in tow. At a rough guess, more than half were either Laos, Cambodian or Myanmar. None of them were getting kicked back from the queue.

So what would you do?

Ignore it, write a letter requesting clarification from the appropriate Navy department, write letters to online media sections of major newspapers and see what reponses come in.......

[jdinasia]

Exactly how is it "easy" to tell a Lao from a rural Isaan Thai?

[Nawtier]

ersonally...I'd don a sandwich board and march around out front naked claiming unfair discrimination.

[Eff1n2ret]

I was turned away from there a few years ago. In the end. it's no big deal. If the Thais are stupid enough to give Cambodians the run of their military installations, that's their funeral.

[DP25]

A couple months ago they had about 1000 westerners on board when they took them from Koh Phangan, shoulda told them you left something onboard

[ronz28]

Don't make waves...its the Navy.

[Soutpeel]

I personally would ignore it...Its navys right to decide who gets on and who doesnt......while your at it down there go and ask the yanks who are tied up along side the other jetty to let you on-board their vessels to look around and then I am sure you will see "discrimination" as well.

Irrespective of what you think Sattahip is a navy port not a commerical port and they are within their right not to let you into the port without proper authorisation, they are pretty relaxed at Sattahip as regards getting onto the jetty

[QED]

Don't make waves...its the Navy.

Yeah, wouldn't want to rock the boat....

[RogueExpat]

Exactly how is it "easy" to tell a Lao from a rural Isaan Thai?

Do you ever have anything constructive to add to a topic, rather than scepticism, cynicism, or sarcasm?

.........................................

In this particular case, all adults entering had to show their ID cards......

[DP25]

Irrespective of what you think Sattahip is a navy port not a commerical port and they are within their right not to let you into the port without proper authorisation, they are pretty relaxed at Sattahip as regards getting onto the jetty

That's true, but you'd think given that there is the possibility of Thailand going to war with any of their neighbors and very little with a western country, they'd want to keep out Cambodians, Burmese etc

[Tonto21]

Like you at the time I was told, Thai only, I would have been a little miffed, but I would have seen the funny side, I think very quickly ……I'd let them have their day in the sun. The guy that turned you away …he must have had a chubby on!

Security issues, please, this ship would be, (I suspect) a sell off froma ship building nation, I would assume obsolete technology and any details of weapon systems could be found on the web.

Do you have the name of the ship, you could goggle it andfind out its history, please post it if you have.

[RogueExpat]

I personally would ignore it...Its navys right to decide who gets on and who doesnt......while your at it down there go and ask the yanks who are tied up along side the other jetty to let you on-board their vessels to look around and then I am sure you will see "discrimination" as well.

Irrespective of what you think Sattahip is a navy port not a commerical port and they are within their right not to let you into the port without proper authorisation, they are pretty relaxed at Sattahip as regards getting onto the jetty

Completely fair enough comment, and it was exactly what I had decided when saying to my family - go aboard without me.

and then to see foreign nationals of neighbouring countries, who probaly represent more of a security risk than someone from half way accross the globe aboard just got me thinking.

[IanForbes]

It's a simple case of people in uniforms exercising their power. People with badges and guns and uniforms ENJOY having power over others. That is why they joined in the first place. Give them their day in the sun and enjoy your freedom to do what you wish and not having to follow orders from above.

[RogueExpat]

Do you have the name of the ship, you could goggle it andfind out its history, please post it if you have.

Ship No. 911

ร ล จักรีนฤเบศร (R. L. Chakrinarabet)

Just google the above for all sorts of history incl. wiki pages.

[Soutpeel]

I personally would ignore it...Its navys right to decide who gets on and who doesnt......while your at it down there go and ask the yanks who are tied up along side the other jetty to let you on-board their vessels to look around and then I am sure you will see "discrimination" as well.

Irrespective of what you think Sattahip is a navy port not a commerical port and they are within their right not to let you into the port without proper authorisation, they are pretty relaxed at Sattahip as regards getting onto the jetty

Completely fair enough comment, and it was exactly what I had decided when saying to my family - go aboard without me.

and then to see foreign nationals of neighbouring countries, who probaly represent more of a security risk than someone from half way accross the globe aboard just got me thinking.

I think a lot of posters are missing the point here..all that has happened is that you have made a Thai "security" guards day thats all....he has "f*ukced off" a Farang, he has shown he has power ..not much fun stopping Cambodian's or Lao citizens is it..?

[sarahsbloke]

Did you show them your Thai driving licence?

[JurgenG]

The last time I suffered some discrimination was when we went to visit some fish tanks in Pattaya.

At the counter they asked me to pay the "falang" price. Instead of being upset, I insisted to pay the "falang" price for all my relatives.I made really loud and clear that as someone from the first world I completely understand I have to pay more that people from poor countries.

But what really upseted my gf, it's when I started to give money to other people in the queue.

[RogueExpat]

I think a lot of posters are missing the point here..all that has happened is that you have made a Thai "security" guards day thats all....he has "f*ukced off" a Farang, he has shown he has power ..not much fun stopping Cambodian's or Lao citizens is it..?

I hear you, but don't agree with you.

The "gatekeepers" were some 20 - 24 year old marine grunts. They actually appeared fairly competent unlike your usual security detail. They couldn't go to the toilet or wash their hands afterwoods without asking for permission, so would assume that entry policy is tightly controlled by their superior officers/policy makers. Not at the whim of the "gatekeeper".

[RogueExpat]

Did you show them your Thai driving licence?

Yes, but they were not interested.

[jdinasia]

Exactly how is it "easy" to tell a Lao from a rural Isaan Thai?

Do you ever have anything constructive to add to a topic, rather than scepticism, cynicism, or sarcasm?

.........................................

In this particular case, all adults entering had to show their ID cards......

Yes, I do. I do tend to be skeptical of many things posted particularly when they are whinges about being "discriminated against" .... but since the thread isn't about ME ....

Your addition of showing ID cards in this post doesn't match my experience there, (BF went aboard, wasn't asked for ID that I recall) but hey ...

[lovelomsak]

Just wanted to mention it is the smallest aircraft carrier in the world also. I was allowed on it about 3 years ago. But wasnot allowed on the submarine. Go figure huh?

[onionluke]

I think you may have been played as a decoy whilst your covert nanny snuck aboard .

A slip of the lips might sink a ship .

[jimbeam1]

They must have some really sophisticated equipment on board, that they don't want western eyes to see. They probably fear military strikes from the west.

I really wouldn't bother. It must make them seem so important.

jb1

[zzaa09]

Exactly how is it "easy" to tell a Lao from a rural Isaan Thai?

He can't.....

[SlyAnimal]

Rather than being worried about a security risk, maybe they were more worried that if a foreign expert were to inspect the ship, they would be able to see the poor condition etc of some of the equipment, and maybe that would be influential in future bargaining on price for new equipment, since foreign nations might then know how badly Thailand needs particular upgrades etc.

Or maybe they have some super awesome modifications which they've made and didn't want to share with western countries, but only a western expert would be able to tell from a glance what some of these awesome modifications were (Since Lao / Cambodia / Myanmar aren't exactly known for their awesome ship building capabilities)

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Exactly how is it "easy" to tell a Lao from a rural Isaan Thai?

Do you ever have anything constructive to add to a topic, rather than scepticism, cynicism, or sarcasm?

.........................................

In this particular case, all adults entering had to show their ID cards......

So how did the Lao people get in then? They were exempt from showing their ID?

It really WAS a constructive question by JDinAsia, no need to get all nasty about it. It's an obvious question when you claim that Lao and Cambodian nationals are very welcome.

[harrry]

Rather than being worried about a security risk, maybe they were more worried that if a foreign expert were to inspect the ship, they would be able to see the poor condition etc of some of the equipment, and maybe that would be influential in future bargaining on price for new equipment, since foreign nations might then know how badly Thailand needs particular upgrades etc.

Or maybe they have some super awesome modifications which they've made and didn't want to share with western countries, but only a western expert would be able to tell from a glance what some of these awesome modifications were (Since Lao / Cambodia / Myanmar aren't exactly known for their awesome ship building capabilities)

Anti sinking mod....top secret.

[jackdawson]

"So what would you do?"

have another plate of kao mun gai tawt , a heneiken , probably a large one , and fah git ah baht it

[RogueExpat]

So how did the Lao people get in then? They were exempt from showing their ID?

Easy, wife was asked for her ID card, nannies were asked, wife replied that they were the nannies, and didn't have them with them. No more questions.

Feel free to draw your own conclusions.

I observed another two or three families with nannies/child minders go through exactly the same process, before moving off to do some shopping in an adjacent "tourist" outlet that sold all sorts of military paraphanalia.

It's an obvious question when you claim that Lao and Cambodian nationals are very welcome.

Extra-polating to this assumption is a strech of the imigination, perhaps even trollish. Maybe "tollerated" would be a better word than welcomed, no?

[Wallaby]

Why didn't you get your wife to say that YOU were a nanny?