Thai Student Nazi Dress-Up Day Causes Outrage

[philw]

It was a fancy dress parade, not a political statement.

Can you see the difference or more importantly, do you choose not to see, in order to follow your own agenda / preconception. ??

Somehow I doubt they were planning the invasion of Poland.

I wonder what the reaction on here would be if they were wearing PLO flags and uniforms ( if there is one )

What if they were expressing perceived support for Palestine ????

How would this thread sound then ??

Back to basics.

It was a stupid fancy dress parade, without motive or meaning organised by a group of14 yr old girls.

This is not exactly the resurrection of the Reich.

Wish TV could put as much energy into helping people instead of waving respective flags............

I guess you've joined this tread late...maybe it was innocent on children's part,but somebody sponsored that whole spectacle...WHO??!!

Right on cue.

What if they were wearing Burmese army uniforms ???

Israeli uniforms ??

That also is distaste full to several million people.

It was kids being kids and the reaction here is OTT.

No big deal i think. wrong though it was.

[lannarebirth]

It was a fancy dress parade, not a political statement.

Can you see the difference or more importantly, do you choose not to see, in order to follow your own agenda / preconception. ??

Somehow I doubt they were planning the invasion of Poland.

I wonder what the reaction on here would be if they were wearing PLO flags and uniforms ( if there is one )

What if they were expressing perceived support for Palestine ????

How would this thread sound then ??

Back to basics.

It was a stupid fancy dress parade, without motive or meaning organised by a group of14 yr old girls.

This is not exactly the resurrection of the Reich.

Wish TV could put as much energy into helping people instead of waving respective flags............

I largely agee with you, but it's an educational institution, yes? Are you suggesting they were educated wrongly but it's no big deal or that even if they attach some greater meaning to it it's still no big deal? If you were paying for that education for your child would you find this a good outcome? Just askin'

[kerryk]

I can only see holding the expat teachers responsible

I thought you said it wasn't an international school?

Well you thought and read wrong again as I never said it wasn't.

Does a Thai school teaching English (often done by expats) automatically make it an International School?

Post #883 Nisa wrote, (I)“suspect it is not an international school as we think of them typically in Thailand.”

[Kananga]

It was a fancy dress parade, not a political statement.

Can you see the difference or more importantly, do you choose not to see, in order to follow your own agenda / preconception. ??

Somehow I doubt they were planning the invasion of Poland.

I wonder what the reaction on here would be if they were wearing PLO flags and uniforms ( if there is one )

What if they were expressing perceived support for Palestine ????

How would this thread sound then ??

Back to basics.

It was a stupid fancy dress parade, without motive or meaning organised by a group of14 yr old girls.

This is not exactly the resurrection of the Reich.

Wish TV could put as much energy into helping people instead of waving respective flags............

I guess you've joined this tread late...maybe it was innocent on children's part,but somebody sponsored that whole spectacle...WHO??!!

And their motivation for such a sponsorship?

I personally believe the kids were solely responsible as all statements have indicated but if this is wrong then I still see any adult involved as innocent too as I am very confident nobody set out to offend anybody and am not going to hold anybody responsible for lacking knowledge about something they were never taught. You simply don't know what you don't know. I don't believe this to be the case but the only way I could see any negative motivation here was if somebody had an issue with the school and gave them the idea of using these costumes and accessories knowing it would put a bad light on the school by some. But even if this were the case, it would also become clear the kids were set-up by this person when the kids were asked why they chose this theme.

But all statements have not indicated the kids were solely responsible have they? And you very well know this don't you? There are statements which state that the foreign faculty warned the school adminstrators that this was in very bad taste and would lead to an almighty backlash. But they let it go ahead anyway, so are they blameless? Or they could have could have googled Hitler if they were so clueless as to what Nazism symbolizes, but they didnt do that either did they? So the school administrators either knew but didnt care or they are to dam_n stupid to be running any kind of school, let alone one populated with humans.

Either way, faces will be lost...

[Nisa]

I'm just drawing conclusions from your comment in #852 where YOU wrote "I can only see holding the expat teachers responsible'. So yes I do have comprehension problems, I have a problem comprehending why you continue to contradict yourself when there is a log of everything you have written.

Now you are clearly being dishonest since I clearly stated it would be a stretch to hold them responsible. Are you so out there that you don't realize you have no leg to stand on if you need to result to fabrications to try to make false points? How many times do you need to be corrected before you stop this nonsense?

Outside of addressing the Thai education curriculum (as I've already stated as a valid issue), I can only see holding the expat teachers responsible (but find this a stretch too) since they are aware of the offense some people might feel about the costumes.

Outside of addressing the Thai education curriculum (as I've already stated as a valid issue), I can only see holding the expat teachers responsible (but find this a stretch too) since they are aware of the offense some people might feel about the costumes.

[MaxYakov]

I see that every day. Swastikas on their t-shirts, Third Reich helmets and even swastikas tattooed on their arms or hands. When I ask them whether they know what it represents, they answer "fashion!"

They are not aware, not the children nor the parents. How can they be made aware? Very difficult IMO. It does need to be included in their curriculums, at school, but so do many other things.

Why does it need to be taught? In Europe they teach more about the Nazi party and the German/Russian part in the war, in America they teach about the Japanese and in Thailand they teach what the Japanese did in Asia. This is the same throughout the world, you learn more about what happened in your area. You need to stop being so elitist.

WWI & WWII were barely covered when I went to High School, let alone Junior High school. I think we just learned the basics (Pearl Harbor, Hitler bad and killed Jews and then we won). I don't even recall much being taught about us dropping the atomic bombs. Considerably much more time was spent on the revolutionary war and civil war as well as your particular states history. I think as another poster mentioned, most Americans (outside of History course at University) get most of their information from movies or history shows on TV or reading on their own when they get older.

I am personally of the opinion Thais should be made aware of who Hitler was and the sensitivity still felt by many in the west but then again, Thailand is not my country and I don't pretend my opinion means sh@t and I don't get offended by such trivial things as Thai kids unintentionally offending people. In fact, I don't get too upset over kids in the US who purposely try to offend people either.

I generally agree that was my experience except, being an aviation buff, I had read Subara Saki's Samurai (A top Japanese Ace Zero fightor pilot's WW II experiences) and God Is My Co-pilot (account of the American Volunteer Group aka Flying Tigers in SE Asia by the Group's Commander) as recreational reading by the time I was 15. They were not filtered through Hollywood and gave each side's account being written by people who participated, obviously. It still didn't make their accounts necessarily un-biased and historically accurate, but they were great reads anyway.

Edited September 29, 2011 by MaxYakov

[funcat]

It was a fancy dress parade, not a political statement.

Can you see the difference or more importantly, do you choose not to see, in order to follow your own agenda / preconception. ??

Somehow I doubt they were planning the invasion of Poland.

I wonder what the reaction on here would be if they were wearing PLO flags and uniforms ( if there is one )

What if they were expressing perceived support for Palestine ????

How would this thread sound then ??

Back to basics.

It was a stupid fancy dress parade, without motive or meaning organised by a group of14 yr old girls.

This is not exactly the resurrection of the Reich.

Wish TV could put as much energy into helping people instead of waving respective flags............

I guess you've joined this tread late...maybe it was innocent on children's part,but somebody sponsored that whole spectacle...WHO??!!

Right on cue.

What if they were wearing Burmese army uniforms ???

Israeli uniforms ??

That also is distaste full to several million people.

It was kids being kids and the reaction here is OTT.

No big deal i think. wrong though it was.

well...now it is a Big Deal...isn't it??!!...it was WRONG THEME TO DO ...!!

[Kananga]

I'm just drawing conclusions from your comment in #852 where YOU wrote "I can only see holding the expat teachers responsible'. So yes I do have comprehension problems, I have a problem comprehending why you continue to contradict yourself when there is a log of everything you have written.

Now you are clearly being dishonest since I clearly stated it would be a stretch to hold them responsible. Are you so out there that you don't realize you have no leg to stand on if you need to result to fabrications to try to make false points? How many times do you need to be corrected before you stop this nonsense?

Outside of addressing the Thai education curriculum (as I've already stated as a valid issue), I can only see holding the expat teachers responsible (but find this a stretch too) since they are aware of the offense some people might feel about the costumes.

Outside of addressing the Thai education curriculum (as I've already stated as a valid issue), I can only see holding the expat teachers responsible (but find this a stretch too) since they are aware of the offense some people might feel about the costumes.

So now you dont see holding them responsible? Still contradicting yourself...

[Jingthing]

It certainly is true that different countries are going to teach about WW2 differently. However, hopefully there aren't any countries teaching to glorify Hitler, though sadly I think there are some. In my American education based on later extensive exposure to WW2 information, the biggest hole of info was about the war between the Nazis and Russia (including of course the internal Stalinist stuff). Sure it was mentioned but I didn't realize until later how massive it was in every way, size, brutality, and number of deaths. In my case, we definitely learned about America dropping the A bombs. That was a big topic. In fact a childhood friend of mine's uncle actually dropped the bomb, as in literally.

Edited September 29, 2011 by Jingthing

[philw]

It was a fancy dress parade, not a political statement.

Can you see the difference or more importantly, do you choose not to see, in order to follow your own agenda / preconception. ??

Somehow I doubt they were planning the invasion of Poland.

I wonder what the reaction on here would be if they were wearing PLO flags and uniforms ( if there is one )

What if they were expressing perceived support for Palestine ????

How would this thread sound then ??

Back to basics.

It was a stupid fancy dress parade, without motive or meaning organised by a group of14 yr old girls.

This is not exactly the resurrection of the Reich.

Wish TV could put as much energy into helping people instead of waving respective flags............

I largely agee with you, but it's an educational institution, yes? Are you suggesting they were educated wrongly but it's no big deal or that even if they attach some greater meaning to it it's still no big deal? If you were paying for that education for your child would you find this a good outcome? Just askin'

I have 2 boys previously educated at Pattana school in BKK, now living in UK to avoid the inanities of the Thai educational system....

If they experienced the subject of this thread I don't think it would be very difficult to explain and make them understand the incorrectness.

I repeat, it's no big deal. unless one is intent on making it a big deal.

Seems there are many here who are.

Just answering.........

Edited September 29, 2011 by philw

[lannarebirth]

It certainly is true that different countries are going to teach about WW2 differently. However, hopefully there aren't any countries teaching to glorify Hitler, though sadly I think there are some. In my American education based on later extensive exposure to WW2 information, the biggest hole of info was about the war between the Nazis and Russia (including of course the internal Stalinist stuff). Sure it was mentioned but I didn't realize until later how massive it was in every way, size, brutality, and number of deaths.

History taught in schools (anywhere) can be biased or outright wrong. It can whet one's appetite though. Then you go and read dozens or hundreds of books over the course of the next 30 years. Maybe then we begin to get some perspective.

[funcat]

It was a fancy dress parade, not a political statement.

Can you see the difference or more importantly, do you choose not to see, in order to follow your own agenda / preconception. ??

Somehow I doubt they were planning the invasion of Poland.

I wonder what the reaction on here would be if they were wearing PLO flags and uniforms ( if there is one )

What if they were expressing perceived support for Palestine ????

How would this thread sound then ??

Back to basics.

It was a stupid fancy dress parade, without motive or meaning organised by a group of14 yr old girls.

This is not exactly the resurrection of the Reich.

Wish TV could put as much energy into helping people instead of waving respective flags............

I largely agee with you, but it's an educational institution, yes? Are you suggesting they were educated wrongly but it's no big deal or that even if they attach some greater meaning to it it's still no big deal? If you were paying for that education for your child would you find this a good outcome? Just askin'

I have 2 boys previously educated at Pattana school in BKK, now living in UK to avoid the inanities of the Thai educational system....

If they experienced the subject of this thread I don't think it would be very difficult to explain and make them understand the incorrectness.

I repeat, it's no big deal. unless one is intent on making it a big deal.

Seems there are many here who are.

Just answering.........

...so,as a parent,how would you feel to have your children parading as a Nazi ??!!

Edited September 29, 2011 by funcat

[lannarebirth]

It was a fancy dress parade, not a political statement.

Can you see the difference or more importantly, do you choose not to see, in order to follow your own agenda / preconception. ??

Somehow I doubt they were planning the invasion of Poland.

I wonder what the reaction on here would be if they were wearing PLO flags and uniforms ( if there is one )

What if they were expressing perceived support for Palestine ????

How would this thread sound then ??

Back to basics.

It was a stupid fancy dress parade, without motive or meaning organised by a group of14 yr old girls.

This is not exactly the resurrection of the Reich.

Wish TV could put as much energy into helping people instead of waving respective flags............

I largely agee with you, but it's an educational institution, yes? Are you suggesting they were educated wrongly but it's no big deal or that even if they attach some greater meaning to it it's still no big deal? If you were paying for that education for your child would you find this a good outcome? Just askin'

I have 2 boys previously educated at Pattana school in BKK, now living in UK to avoid the inanities of the Thai educational system....

If they experienced the subject of this thread I don't think it would be very difficult to explain and make them understand the incorrectness.

I repeat, it's no big deal. unless one is intent on making it a big deal.

Seems there are many here who are.

Just answering.........

I'm not making it a big deal. My sympathies lay with the students. While it's not a great school. many parents scrimped and saved to send their children there thinking it was better than a standard education available at the average Thai school. Maybe only the costumes are better, huh?

[Kananga]

It was a fancy dress parade, not a political statement.

Can you see the difference or more importantly, do you choose not to see, in order to follow your own agenda / preconception. ??

Somehow I doubt they were planning the invasion of Poland.

I wonder what the reaction on here would be if they were wearing PLO flags and uniforms ( if there is one )

What if they were expressing perceived support for Palestine ????

How would this thread sound then ??

Back to basics.

It was a stupid fancy dress parade, without motive or meaning organised by a group of14 yr old girls.

This is not exactly the resurrection of the Reich.

Wish TV could put as much energy into helping people instead of waving respective flags............

I largely agee with you, but it's an educational institution, yes? Are you suggesting they were educated wrongly but it's no big deal or that even if they attach some greater meaning to it it's still no big deal? If you were paying for that education for your child would you find this a good outcome? Just askin'

I have 2 boys previously educated at Pattana school in BKK, now living in UK to avoid the inanities of the Thai educational system....

If they experienced the subject of this thread I don't think it would be very difficult to explain and make them understand the incorrectness.

I repeat, it's no big deal. unless one is intent on making it a big deal.

Seems there are many here who are.

Just answering.........

...so,as a parent,how would you feel to have your children parading as a Nazi ??!!

On CNN

[Nisa]

It was a fancy dress parade, not a political statement.

Can you see the difference or more importantly, do you choose not to see, in order to follow your own agenda / preconception. ??

Somehow I doubt they were planning the invasion of Poland.

I wonder what the reaction on here would be if they were wearing PLO flags and uniforms ( if there is one )

What if they were expressing perceived support for Palestine ????

How would this thread sound then ??

Back to basics.

It was a stupid fancy dress parade, without motive or meaning organised by a group of14 yr old girls.

This is not exactly the resurrection of the Reich.

Wish TV could put as much energy into helping people instead of waving respective flags............

I largely agee with you, but it's an educational institution, yes? Are you suggesting they were educated wrongly but it's no big deal or that even if they attach some greater meaning to it it's still no big deal? If you were paying for that education for your child would you find this a good outcome? Just askin'

I have 2 boys previously educated at Pattana school in BKK, now living in UK to avoid the inanities of the Thai educational system....

If they experienced the subject of this thread I don't think it would be very difficult to explain and make them understand the incorrectness.

I repeat, it's no big deal. unless one is intent on making it a big deal.

Seems there are many here who are.

Just answering.........

I'm not making it a big deal. My sympathies lay with the students. While it's not a great school. many parents scrimped and saved to send their children there thinking it was better than a standard education available at the average Thai school. Maybe only the costumes are better, huh?

I bet they now will be getting a better lesson in WWII / Hitler than most any other lower school in Thailand.

[philw]

It was a fancy dress parade, not a political statement.

Can you see the difference or more importantly, do you choose not to see, in order to follow your own agenda / preconception. ??

Somehow I doubt they were planning the invasion of Poland.

I wonder what the reaction on here would be if they were wearing PLO flags and uniforms ( if there is one )

What if they were expressing perceived support for Palestine ????

How would this thread sound then ??

Back to basics.

It was a stupid fancy dress parade, without motive or meaning organised by a group of14 yr old girls.

This is not exactly the resurrection of the Reich.

Wish TV could put as much energy into helping people instead of waving respective flags............

I largely agee with you, but it's an educational institution, yes? Are you suggesting they were educated wrongly but it's no big deal or that even if they attach some greater meaning to it it's still no big deal? If you were paying for that education for your child would you find this a good outcome? Just askin'

I have 2 boys previously educated at Pattana school in BKK, now living in UK to avoid the inanities of the Thai educational system....

If they experienced the subject of this thread I don't think it would be very difficult to explain and make them understand the incorrectness.

I repeat, it's no big deal. unless one is intent on making it a big deal.

Seems there are many here who are.

Just answering.........

...so,as a parent,how would you feel to have your children parading as a Nazi ??!!

Depends on the context.

Peter Sellers did, as did Spike Milligan.

Depends on the context.

That's how I feel as a parent...............

Lighten up.

[MaxYakov]

It was a fancy dress parade, not a political statement.

Can you see the difference or more importantly, do you choose not to see, in order to follow your own agenda / preconception. ??

Somehow I doubt they were planning the invasion of Poland.

I wonder what the reaction on here would be if they were wearing PLO flags and uniforms ( if there is one )

What if they were expressing perceived support for Palestine ????

How would this thread sound then ??

Back to basics.

It was a stupid fancy dress parade, without motive or meaning organised by a group of14 yr old girls.

This is not exactly the resurrection of the Reich.

Wish TV could put as much energy into helping people instead of waving respective flags............

I guess you've joined this tread late...maybe it was innocent on children's part,but somebody sponsored that whole spectacle...WHO??!!

And their motivation for such a sponsorship?

I personally believe the kids were solely responsible as all statements have indicated but if this is wrong then I still see any adult involved as innocent too as I am very confident nobody set out to offend anybody and am not going to hold anybody responsible for lacking knowledge about something they were never taught. You simply don't know what you don't know. I don't believe this to be the case but the only way I could see any negative motivation here was if somebody had an issue with the school and gave them the idea of using these costumes and accessories knowing it would put a bad light on the school by some. But even if this were the case, it would also become clear the kids were set-up by this person when the kids were asked why they chose this theme.

Kids or adults. Set-up or not. People playing with satirical dynamite in the internet age. A lesson learned by all I wonder.

Edited September 29, 2011 by MaxYakov

[funcat]

I have 2 boys previously educated at Pattana school in BKK, now living in UK to avoid the inanities of the Thai educational system....

If they experienced the subject of this thread I don't think it would be very difficult to explain and make them understand the incorrectness.

I repeat, it's no big deal. unless one is intent on making it a big deal.

Seems there are many here who are.

Just answering.........

...so,as a parent,how would you feel to have your children parading as a Nazi ??!!

Depends on the context.

Peter Sellers did, as did Spike Milligan.

Depends on the context.

That's how I feel as a parent...............

Lighten up.

I'm cool...but I do have a problem with "the context"....they were not mucking Peter Sellers...

[witsawakorn]

I think I know where they got the idea from:-)

[funcat]

I think I know where they got the idea from:-)

1 more ignorant......citizen?

[cowslip]

there are some startlingly "unaware" posts on this thread that make it patently clear that it is not just Thailand that is perilously ignorant of the significance of Naziism and how that is so very relevant today - especially in a country that has only a tenuous grip on democracy.

[MaxYakov]

Well nisa might keep changing his story and viewpoint everytime he's backed into a corner, however there is one thing about this whole sorry episode that we can be sure of. The Sacred Heart English program has just had its ass kicked back to 1939

I'm not so sure. Their enrollment requests might just explode (pardon the expression) with kids screaming to attend such an exciting, creative and attractively edgy learning environment, Not to mention the stylish school uniforms they may have the opportunity to wear for special events.

[funcat]

Well nisa might keep changing his story and viewpoint everytime he's backed into a corner, however there is one thing about this whole sorry episode that we can be sure of. The Sacred Heart English program has just had its ass kicked back to 1939

I'm not so sure. Their enrollment requests might just explode (pardon the expression) with kids screaming to attend such an exciting, creative and attractively edgy learning environment, Not to mention the stylish school uniforms they may have the opportunity to wear for special events.

right on,Max...one never knows?!

[SteeleJoe]

Actually I did watch this strange move in English about a past famous Portuguese or Spanish explorer that was instrumental in Thai history but can't remember much more even though I found it interesting enough to see it twice.

Won't go off on a lengthy off topic tangent but that would be Constantine Phaulkon (who later became Chao Phraya Wichayen -- Chao Phya was an extremely high rank in the Royal Court) . He was Greek.

[siamiam]

I can remember seeing a Swastika badge on the shirt of a BTS station cashier/clerk a few months ago. You can see them on bags , T-shirts, Even on the painted company buses that are everywhere, Clearly WW2 was something missing from the ciriculum in Thailand

The swastika is a religious symbols, don't mix it up with the nazi swastika. See the link in my earlier post.

I haven't read every post in this long thread, but wanted to reiterate what Mario, and possibly others have said. The swastika is a symbol meant to denote good, which unfortunately was, and sometimes still is, used by people who are anything but good.

Here is the link that Mario provided at the beginning of this thread, please do read it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastika

The swastika has been around for at least 2,600 years. It can be found on the earliest Greek coins, dated to circa 625 BC. It is also found on 1500 year old coins from what is now S.E. Asia. For almost all of its history, the swastika has enjoyed a good reputation. You can see merchants today in India drawing swastikas on the ground in front of their shops to bring good luck to the day's business.

I also have seen what look like nazi style swastika armbands on people in Thailand. In every case I felt that the people were wearing their swastika as people have done in Asia for thousands of years, and that is with good intent. I have also seen Thais wearing shirts and being clueless as to what the English words printed on them mean. Sometimes it's humorous, sometimes embarrassing, and sometimes it's downright vulgar.

[funcat]

BTW,"The Schindler's List" is still playing on True(Thai) TV...catch on...channel 42

[StreetCowboy]

It was a fancy dress parade, not a political statement.

Can you see the difference or more importantly, do you choose not to see, in order to follow your own agenda / preconception. ??

Somehow I doubt they were planning the invasion of Poland.

I wonder what the reaction on here would be if they were wearing PLO flags and uniforms ( if there is one )

What if they were expressing perceived support for Palestine ????

How would this thread sound then ??

Back to basics.

It was a stupid fancy dress parade, without motive or meaning organised by a group of14 yr old girls.

This is not exactly the resurrection of the Reich.

Wish TV could put as much energy into helping people instead of waving respective flags............

I guess you've joined this tread late...maybe it was innocent on children's part,but somebody sponsored that whole spectacle...WHO??!!

And their motivation for such a sponsorship?

I personally believe the kids were solely responsible as all statements have indicated but if this is wrong then I still see any adult involved as innocent too as I am very confident nobody set out to offend anybody and am not going to hold anybody responsible for lacking knowledge about something they were never taught. You simply don't know what you don't know. I don't believe this to be the case but the only way I could see any negative motivation here was if somebody had an issue with the school and gave them the idea of using these costumes and accessories knowing it would put a bad light on the school by some. But even if this were the case, it would also become clear the kids were set-up by this person when the kids were asked why they chose this theme.

Kids or adults. Set-up or not. People playing with satirical dynamite in the internet age. A lesson learned by all I wonder.

I reckon it was a stunt by time-machine vendors.

Personally, I would have been more worried if they paraded in current Thai military costumes. Or paramilitary uniforms of no describable background.

To be honest, I'm not really scared of Hitler now, and no more of German nazis than nazis of any other nationality.

I am more scared of Orwellian group-think and suppression of public debate. If, in order to allow public debate, buffoons like me must be allowed to speak, then that is a price I am willing to pay. Others seem less willing to sacrifice so much for democracy.

SC

[SteeleJoe]

Why is anyone surprised?-- In February 1942 I stood to attention in the school playground to hear the list of those expupils from the school who had been killed or wounded fighting against the Germans and the Japanese -- at the end the headmaster announced that Siam had declared war on the side of the Japanese against Great Britain but that we would be victorious

The Thais declared war in January.

But if you can remember that assembly after nearly 70 years, I think you can be forgiven for being off by a few days!

[cmsally]

I largely agee with you, but it's an educational institution, yes? Are you suggesting they were educated wrongly but it's no big deal or that even if they attach some greater meaning to it it's still no big deal? If you were paying for that education for your child would you find this a good outcome? Just askin'

I have 2 boys previously educated at Pattana school in BKK, now living in UK to avoid the inanities of the Thai educational system....

If they experienced the subject of this thread I don't think it would be very difficult to explain and make them understand the incorrectness.

I repeat, it's no big deal. unless one is intent on making it a big deal.

Seems there are many here who are.

Just answering.........

I'm not making it a big deal. My sympathies lay with the students. While it's not a great school. many parents scrimped and saved to send their children there thinking it was better than a standard education available at the average Thai school. Maybe only the costumes are better, huh?

I bet they now will be getting a better lesson in WWII / Hitler than most any other lower school in Thailand.

I bet nothing of the sort will happen. It will be completely brushed under the carpet, that is my prediction.

[StreetCowboy]

Why is anyone surprised?-- In February 1942 I stood to attention in the school playground to hear the list of those expupils from the school who had been killed or wounded fighting against the Germans and the Japanese -- at the end the headmaster announced that Siam had declared war on the side of the Japanese against Great Britain but that we would be victorious

The Thais declared war in January.

But if you can remember that assembly after nearly 70 years, I think you can be forgiven for being off by a few days!

Maybe they didn't tell the headmaster straight away.

Maybe the point of the assembly was the listing of the sacrifices by former pupils, and the announcement of Siam joining the war was not the highlight.

SC