Thai Student Nazi Dress-Up Day Causes Outrage

[cowslip]

"the pupils of Sacred Heart Catholic School " - yet again the Catholic church fails to educate and fails it's students!!!!

THis is an appalling testimony to the standard of education in Thailand.

If students are going to dress up as Nazis they should have been encouraged to research more than just the uniforms before plunging headlong into their howlingly embarrassing execs in bad taste.

THe parochial nature of Thai education throws up this sort of thing time and time again and this time it's a CATHOLIC - christian - school that really should have known better.

It is a sad thing that anyone who has visited Kanchanaburi and spoken to the loal traders that they really have no clue as to what happened there and elsewhere in Thailand during WW2.

Furthermore a quick glance at history will show that many important families and cliques in Thailand were in fact very pro-Nazi and many of these groups show little sign of having changed their opinions.

[StreetCowboy]

Gott im Himmel !!!!!

For me, the war is over.

Tommy

[Thai at Heart]

I wonder if in the west, say the USA, if some students made light of Chairman Mao, would it be such a uproar? Yet 10 died under his regime for every 1 who Jews claimed died in the Holocaust. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mao_Zedong

Respect should work both ways. Not to mention how Hollywood has portaied the monarchy in such films like the King and I, and the more recent one with Chao Yun Fat, drooling over the white woman like some amorous lap dog.

It was banned in Thailand for a reason, because it was offensive to Thais. Delegations? No, just banned. Now these same western nations who think it's cool to mock the values and people that Thais hold dear, want to bitch and complain when Thais make light of what they value???

Hypocrisy at it's ugliest I say.

You are missing one crucial element, the Chinese and Thai systems deny that the stories accusations attached to Mao or Ann Leonowens are true. I have never understood being offended by the truth, but then some have a lot to lose if enough people know the truth.

Germany doesn't deny the holocaust occurred.

[eTiMaGo]

*shrug* as offensive as it is to us westerners, I'm pretty sure the kids meant no harm... Is there anything in Thai history that they could relate to, a local ethnic cleansing of some kind, to help explain what a sick bunch of people was running Germany at the time? Closest thing I can think of is a bunch of foreigners parading around in ancient Burmese military uniforms? Let's try that someday

Anyway, the holocaust must be a completely foreign concept, Nazis are bad guys like they see in the movies and that funny looking Hitler dude is the Big Boss that the American soldiers had to defeat... So they really have no way of grasping the horribleness of it all... Yes, the teachers should have known better, that's for sure, but this is just a cultural misunderstanding, not something meant to be offensive...

[janderton]

The annual summer sports day had a long tradition of fancy dress..

what that parade match with SPORTS?

[Kananga]

My goodness expats...relax..oh oh outrage! At what? What are you outraging about?

Let me guess, you're a product of the Thai education system?

[Kananga]

*shrug* as offensive as it is to us westerners, I'm pretty sure the kids meant no harm... Is there anything in Thai history that they could relate to, a local ethnic cleansing of some kind, to help explain what a sick bunch of people was running Germany at the time? Closest thing I can think of is a bunch of foreigners parading around in ancient Burmese military uniforms? Let's try that someday

Anyway, the holocaust must be a completely foreign concept, Nazis are bad guys like they see in the movies and that funny looking Hitler dude is the Big Boss that the American soldiers had to defeat... So they really have no way of grasping the horribleness of it all... Yes, the teachers should have known better, that's for sure, but this is just a cultural misunderstanding, not something meant to be offensive...

Which is fine until you try explaining its just a cultural misunderstanding when a tourist accidentally raises the sole of his foot to an overreacting Thai.

[scorecard]

i'm sick of reading this, i'm a 1960 generation, now we have 2011.

get over it.

Have some respect.

[Gers1873]

Be reminded before you post further comments -

The topic at hand is not about the Roman catholic church or members of the British Royal family.

Thank you

/Admin

This took place in the SACRED HEART CATHOLIC SCHOOL --- doesnt that open questions abot what the kids are being taught???

What it is not about is Budhism......... this was not a Budhist school.

[quasimodo]

I can't really see the big deal. The fact that they are unaware of the holocaust means they are pretty much unaware of the political beliefs of the Nazis so this is no more than a simple fancy dress. I'm sure fancy dress suppliers in the west provide Nazi uniforms for those who want them. Also although the Nazi regime was clearly an evil regime would everybody be equally appalled if they had shown up as British Redcoats given the atrocities committed by British during their worldwide campaigns. How about the US cavalry? Was the massacre of native Americans and the establishment of concentration camps sorry Reservations any different. How about the Roman Legionares or NATO forces or Russians. Fancy dress would be restricted to fairy story characters because in reality nobody is a saint once they get power. So why not let the kids enjoy their innocent bit of fun and maybe discuss how to overcome the Burmese junta or the cruel regimes in Africa and worldwide, which preside today and still continue to oppress and murder innocent people.

Edited September 27, 2011 by quasimodo

[Neonben]

Haha pretty funny but not that surprising.

All Europeans are appalled by what happened because it was on our, (Europe's) doorstep, and it's quite likely might know someone who was involved fighting the Nazis.

Fact of the matter is Thailand is the other side of the World and during 1940's other side of the world is even further than it is now, Thailand was also under Japanese occupation which led to Thailand declaring war on U.K. and America, what was going on in Europe probably seemed insignificant.

You will probably find as little knowledge about Nazis/ Hitler in any other S.E. Asian country, i mean in 2005 Prince Harry (3rd in line to the British throne) dressed as a Nazi at a fancy dress party and just made an apology, what do you expect from a school in Chiang Mai, lets just get over it.

Girls pose in 1st pic is spot on though.

[Soutpeel]

South Africa under apartheid had four racial classifications: white, coloured, Asian (meaning Indian Subcontinent people) and black. There is a large community of Malays, mainly in Cape Town, who came, not from Malaysia, but from Indonesia and the Philippines as bonded labour and they were classified as coloured, along with mixed race people. Similarly local Chinese descended from imported bonded labourers were also classified as coloured, despite the fact that many had become very wealthy.

Rubbish..... I went to school (all whites school) and was friends with a Chinese lad who was neither Taiwanese or Japanese or Korean and I can assure you the person concerned was "classified" as "honorary white" and his family had descended from imported bonded labourers and had become very wealthy in import and export.

[somchai jones]

*shrug* as offensive as it is to us westerners, I'm pretty sure the kids meant no harm... Is there anything in Thai history that they could relate to, a local ethnic cleansing of some kind, to help explain what a sick bunch of people was running Germany at the time? Closest thing I can think of is a bunch of foreigners parading around in ancient Burmese military uniforms? Let's try that someday

Anyway, the holocaust must be a completely foreign concept, Nazis are bad guys like they see in the movies and that funny looking Hitler dude is the Big Boss that the American soldiers had to defeat... So they really have no way of grasping the horribleness of it all... Yes, the teachers should have known better, that's for sure, but this is just a cultural misunderstanding, not something meant to be offensive...

Which is fine until you try explaining its just a cultural misunderstanding when a tourist accidentally raises the sole of his foot to an overreacting Thai.

How would you 'accidentally' raise your foot?

In all the years I've been here, never seen this scenario.

[Thai at Heart]

I can't really see the big deal. The fact that they are unaware of the holocaust means they are pretty much unaware of the political beliefs of the Nazis so this is no more than a simple fancy dress. I'm sure fancy dress suppliers in the west provide Nazi uniforms for those who want them. Also although the Nazi regime was clearly an evil regime would everybody be equally appalled if they had shown up as British Redcoats given the atrocities committed by British during their worldwide campaigns. How about the US cavalry? Was the massacre of native Americans and the establishment of concentration camps sorry Reservations any different. How about the Roman Legionares or NATO forces or Russians. Fancy dress would be restricted to fairy story characters because in reality nobody is a saint once they get power. So why not let the kids enjoy their innocent bit of fun and maybe discuss how to overcome the Burmese junta or the cruel regimes in Africa and worldwide, which preside today and still continue to oppress and murder innocent people.

Well, either they were completely ignorant of what they were doing, or they did it knowingly.

Either way, not a very good result for a school.

[Kananga]

*shrug* as offensive as it is to us westerners, I'm pretty sure the kids meant no harm... Is there anything in Thai history that they could relate to, a local ethnic cleansing of some kind, to help explain what a sick bunch of people was running Germany at the time? Closest thing I can think of is a bunch of foreigners parading around in ancient Burmese military uniforms? Let's try that someday

Anyway, the holocaust must be a completely foreign concept, Nazis are bad guys like they see in the movies and that funny looking Hitler dude is the Big Boss that the American soldiers had to defeat... So they really have no way of grasping the horribleness of it all... Yes, the teachers should have known better, that's for sure, but this is just a cultural misunderstanding, not something meant to be offensive...

Which is fine until you try explaining its just a cultural misunderstanding when a tourist accidentally raises the sole of his foot to an overreacting Thai.

How would you 'accidentally' raise your foot?

In all the years I've been here, never seen this scenario.

Ok, badly written I'll admit. I meant accidentally cause offense by raising one's foot.

[pumin]

In the same way that western curriculum doesn't generally teach Thai history, eg. kings riding horse fighting with sword in the old days, Thai kids doesn't know much about Nazi. Those kids probably wear those uniforms just to look cool for the sports day.

Same thing when farangs taking photos of Buddha head with girls in bikinis, they just don't know about Buddhist's believes.

[blabla1]

Take off the Swastika and give him a whistle and what have you got?

[cowslip]

i'm sure the students didn't mean offence - but that only makes matters worse. - I would think it would be quite appropriate for the teachers - who must bear the ultimate responsibiliy - to be disciplined or resign, they clearly haven't done their job.

When punks dressed up as Nazis was to shock - a deliberate attempt at bad taste to get a reaction....they had knowledge and disapproved of Naziism.

These ignorant Thai students knew no better - which is a reflection on the appalling education they are receiving at the hands of both the government and Catholic schools.

The fact that they don't appear in the least concerned about who the Nazis were does not bode well for a country still trying to establish democratic institutions

Edited September 27, 2011 by cowslip

[MaxYakov]

These students are either pitifully ignorant or trying out some macabre, black humor for the shock effect. I'm voting for the latter and, if so, is it a rebellious statement against authority, school and parents both?

On the otherhand, it was advertised as a fancy dress day and the Nazis had some pretty slick threads. Maybe the kids are more perceptive than we give them credit for.

FYI my cable Thai-language Nat Geo channel has been playing a lot of WWII documentaries lately with at least two of them focusing on Hitler, specifically.

Edited September 27, 2011 by MaxYakov

[globalmenace]

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.

The ancient symbol you are referring to is not set at an angle. The Nazis took it and set it at an angle so it's corners are at the top and sides. There is a very clear distinction between the two.

It's like the difference between a Catholic/Christian cross and and inverted one. Different meanings.

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

So if they are sporting the Nazi version then it's not the same as the Sanskrit version. But bottom line is, most Thais are ignorant of it's meaning and that it offends some people and this is a 95% Buddhist country so if they piss off a few Jews or people who are overly politically correct, tough shit. Is it in bad taste? Sure but so is half of modern pop culture. I find Lady GaGa more offensive than a bunch of Thai school children wearing Nazi uniforms.

I find all the idiots riding around Patts on stupid loud choppers in lame attempts to draw attention to themselves and make up for their small penises offensive. I find the mass influx of rude Russian and Middle Eastern tourists that have no regard for others whatsoever offensive. Let's ban the Nazi swastika along with the chopper riders and third rate tourists and make everyone happy. We can work on getting rid of Lady GaGa later.

Some great suggestions there in that last paragraph. If you add Issan males in Patts to the list, I'll co-found a community action group with you.

[Kananga]

Take off the Swastika and give him a whistle and what have you got?

:D An official tea money collector?

[blackout]

Haha pretty funny but not that surprising.

All Europeans are appalled by what happened because it was on our, (Europe's) doorstep, and it's quite likely might know someone who was involved fighting the Nazis.

Fact of the matter is Thailand is the other side of the World and during 1940's other side of the world is even further than it is now, Thailand was also under Japanese occupation which led to Thailand declaring war on U.K. and America, what was going on in Europe probably seemed insignificant.

You will probably find as little knowledge about Nazis/ Hitler in any other S.E. Asian country, i mean in 2005 Prince Harry (3rd in line to the British throne) dressed as a Nazi at a fancy dress party and just made an apology, what do you expect from a school in Chiang Mai, lets just get over it.

Girls pose in 1st pic is spot on though.

kinda agree with this. how many of you learn about French and British when they try to split Siam?

[ivowatson]

It's sad that these children had no idea of the implications of these costumes, nor were aware of the acts committed by the Nazis. But we should ask ourselves, before we condemn the Thai educational system, how many secondary school pupils in the UK or anywhere in the west are aware for example of the Japanese actions in China throughout the 1930s?.

Also. the original report was in the Daily Wail! Try this:www.qwghlm.co.uk/toys/dailymail

I hope you don't suggest Thai school children have ever heard about those Japanese atrocities in China.

But you can bet they all know that Thailand 'conquered' Burma time and again. And the wars they lost, Burma just cheated...

[blabla1]

Hmmm,kinda wondering the reaction if he had of dressed in a klu Klux Klan uniform??

[WarpSpeed]

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.

But it has to be asked if they were not told about the Nazi's and WWII then where did they get the idea in the first place? I see it as more sinister and insidious then just "not knowing". Clearly they knew something they had to do the research to even get the costumes right how can one not gain some perspective in researching such facts?

I think the problem runs far deeper then just being able to claim ignorance..

[Thai at Heart]

Just don't mention the war

[cowslip]

In the same way that western curriculum doesn't generally teach Thai history, eg. kings riding horse fighting with sword in the old days, Thai kids doesn't know much about Nazi. Those kids probably wear those uniforms just to look cool for the sports day.

Same thing when farangs taking photos of Buddha head with girls in bikinis, they just don't know about Buddhist's believes.

If you think that not teaching Thai history in the West is equivalent to disregarding the issues of Naziism in Thailand then I think you probably missed too much schooling.

THe forces that lead to the Nazi regime are similar to those in many other countries (e.g. Cambodia) - I suppose you were taught nothing about that?

the fact is that even Thai history is not taught in schools - all they receive is a mishmash of jumbled stories of myth legend and heroes - this is not history.

[SAffer]

South Africa under apartheid had four racial classifications: white, coloured, Asian (meaning Indian Subcontinent people) and black. There is a large community of Malays, mainly in Cape Town, who came, not from Malaysia, but from Indonesia and the Philippines as bonded labour and they were classified as coloured, along with mixed race people. Similarly local Chinese descended from imported bonded labourers were also classified as coloured, despite the fact that many had become very wealthy.

Rubbish..... I went to school (all whites school) and was friends with a Chinese lad who was neither Taiwanese or Japanese or Korean and I can assure you the person concerned was "classified" as "honorary white" and his family had descended from imported bonded labourers and had become very wealthy in import and export.

And the Cape Malays are of mixed blood, not pure Malays... therefore Cloured. They don't even speak Malay.

Gary Pong, classmate, from China went to an all white school with me too.

Noone defended apartheid... just don't call the Afrikaaners brothers of Hitler 'cos it is not true.

[cowslip]

Just don't mention the war

Highly facile post - as you are aware almost everyone on this thread will know this episode so what is the point of putting here?>

[pacovl46]

I saw a Thai Nazi at the mall in Bang Kapi complete with Bomber jacket, swastika T-shirt, the steel-cap boots with white laces, short hair and I thought to myself, would he still be wearing all this shit if he knew that he would've made it like 2 minutes in Nazi Germany at the time? It's amazing!!! Also the nazi shit they sell everywhere, helmets T-shirts etc. They're completely oblivious, BUT the first thing I hear quite often when I tell people I'm from Germany is HITLER.