Bangkok's 'Hitler Chic' Trend Riles Tourists, Israeli Envoy

[SNGLIFE]

I find it very amusing, incrdible, and ironic that everyone gets into an uproar over Thais displaying Hitler and Nazi "art" when many of those SAME people continue to be just fine with the picanniny and sambo "art" which continues to be displayed all over without so much as a peep of outrage...

Shoe hurts on the other foot, doesn't it?

That said, I agree with the poster about Thais hitting a homerun for ignorance. I do not think anyone else would have a chance at winning the title from them.

Edited February 27, 2012 by SNGLIFE

[newsweird]

I'm pretty sure you are all wrong about World War II, my Soviet history text clearly explains that the Russians won the war single handedly.

+2 and that was just before landing on the moon

[bendix]

Spare me the hyperventilating ranting about how aghast people are that only Thais could do this. You can walk into any tshirt shop in London/New york, Sydney etc and buy t shirts with Stalin faces on them (he only killed 15 million people mind you), or che guava (sic) etc.etc

Good point!

I bought a teeshirt at Temple Street Night Market in Hong Kong at the weekend.

It had a picture of Mao on it.

Would people stop being so freakin dramatic. These images are obviously ironic.

Do you know what the word "ironic" means?

Yes thanks. Stop being a drama queen.

[sparebox2]

I'm sure they mean no harm. Quite amusing nonetheless...

What is so amusing about the Holocaust?

Don't you know that million lost their lives?

[4.real]

Accusations of Hitlerite and Nazi have been used for decades by the British government to shut the white british workers up should they attempt to speak out against the vast numbers of illiterates imposed on their communities since the 1950's.

All done to destroy white british culture and power of the trade unions.

It has worked so well that to be named 'racist' is a bad as being named a rapist.

The Japanese were cruel during the war,No mention of the atrocities of the Mau Mau;Stalin was the worst criminal but only hHtler is used as an example.

[blows]

It is a big difference to watch Hogan's Heroes at home than running around with an Adolf Kitty printed on your shirt.

Speaking of kitty, nice pic

[onionluke]

As a German i feel ashamed. Sorry.

‘Lammbock’…..I don’t think you have anything to be ashamed off!

So your German, did you commit any of the atrocities carried out by the Nazis. This happened in a different time and it was not just Germans.

I have a friend, a German guy who tells me how as a child in school they were constantly battered about how bad the German people were, I think he also is affected by what happened and feel guilt.

I’m British, and we as a past nation have many skeletons in our closet, I believe we are responsible for the first concentration camp, among other thing. But when you finish on the winning side…….You get to write the history.

If the Axis powers had won the war……How would history have been written?

As far as all this Hitler thing now in Thailand, I think it’s funny, OK, it’s done out of ignorance for sure, but do you really think any Nazis that are lying in the wings and rubbing their hands and thinking the master plan starts with ‘Ronald Hitler’

What if Ronald Hitler and Lala Hitler and Hello Hitler et al get together to form a group ? Don't under estimate the power in numbers .

[soihok]

It is a big difference to watch Hogan's Heroes at home than running around with an Adolf Kitty printed on your shirt.

Over the last 15 odd years, I have seen some of the weirdest stuff printed on Thai's shirts. From a very dark-skinned lass wearing a White Power slogan to a reprint of a Hallmark Sympathy Card - In Deepest Sympathy followed by a truly awful poem. None of then realise how truly inappropriate their shirt is, or intend any offense.

I treat it with amusement.

So do I Mick.

Hung outside a ladies clothes shop on the main street through a small town near where we are, there was a ladies shirt with the words" People Are Sh*T" ( not edited ) across the front in big letters.

All very innocent really.

[slim]

7600 (0.04%) of the population of Thailand died in the Second World War - one of the lowest losses by country in the World.

Education is clearly the problem here and its why I moved back to the UK last Feb. after 7 years in NE Thailand so that my daughter would have a proper education.

I don't know what they teach in Thai schools but clearly world defining historical events are not on the curriculum.

[blows]

I'm pretty sure you are all wrong about World War II, my Soviet history text clearly explains that the Russians won the war single handedly.

They told me there were no russian posters on thaivisa?

[fred110]

As a German i feel ashamed. Sorry.

Why? What did you do? Get over it.

[blackthorn2005]

I was at a meeting where the Public prosecutor was speaking to foreign nationals, he enjoyed telling everyone how good a man Adolf Hitler was and how much he respected him! Went down like a lead balloon.

[ronthai]

Isreal should stop bugging Thailand and Nazi, and terrorism.

Could you try to rewrite that in semi-understandable English?

I hope that people who profit from the image of Nazi Hilter be punished, by re-incarnation, and be born again in a stick Jewish family.

So that they understand how much the Jew really suffered.

Your use of written English only serves to confim the veracity of your avatar.

Don't use difficult English words with spare.., he will not understand you.

[gbswales]

Interesting how Thailand is sensitive enough to be concerned about relious tattoos - http://www.cnngo.com/bangkok/life/thailand-calls-ban-tourists-getting-religious-tattoos-179071 in case it brings disrepute but at the same time are prepared to use a manic genocidal murder to promote hamburgers.

I know which is the worst image for me!

[bigbamboo]

I was at a meeting where the Public prosecutor was speaking to foreign nationals, he enjoyed telling everyone how good a man Adolf Hitler was and how much he respected him! Went down like a lead balloon.

Where was that?

Edited February 27, 2012 by bigbamboo

[Thai at Heart]

I was at a meeting where the Public prosecutor was speaking to foreign nationals, he enjoyed telling everyone how good a man Adolf Hitler was and how much he respected him! Went down like a lead balloon.

Where was that?

Presumably not Nuremburg

[NanLaew]

Accusations of Hitlerite and Nazi have been used for decades by the British government to shut the white british workers up should they attempt to speak out against the vast numbers of illiterates imposed on their communities since the 1950's.

All done to destroy white british culture and power of the trade unions.

...

Are you for real?

[Roj]

I`m afraid world history is low on the Thai educational agenda and what is taught bears little relation to fact - the second man to set foot on the moon behind Neil Armstrong was a guy called Buzz Shinawatra.

[DocN]

The most astonishing thing to me is (and I am German) the kind of p@ssing game that got started over who killed more and who is the greater despot or more evil: Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot or Jesus...?!

<deleted> has one to do with the other!

Do you kill someone, because somebody else killed someone?

This is not about what is "better" a Hitler or a Bin Laden T-shirt...

They are both dispicable crap IMHO.

This is solely about Hitler and just the fact that someone else, somewhen and somewhere might have killed mor or less people doesn't make him a good guy or a funny person.

As much as I have NOTHING against irony or sarcasm or parody...do you really think, that the Thais get it?!

Since when is irony a typical Thai trade?

Thai comedy consists (at least the usual TV crap) of fat guys dressing up as women or people being hit in the head with a pan or slipping on a banana skin.

Irony my @ss!

Huh? Who in the hell did jesus kill? muhammad yes, he and his followers admit and brag about it. But jesus nope, sure, some that claim to be his followers did, but not jesus.

I was being cynical!

[HowardH]

Who cares? Bet your the kind of people that would start a war over a bad joke. Give it a rest.

Did you see them riot over their founders cartoon?

Huh? what does that mean?

If people here put as much effort in helping those that need it as they do complaining about a teddy bear with a moustache then the world could be one step closer to being a better place. It's pathetic

[TechnikaIII]

Using the swastika image, as the Chiang Mai students did some time ago is one thing since it's an ancient religious symbol, but glorifying Hitler and using Ronald McDonald as a Hitler image is a bit much. I expect McDonalds Corp., to sue soon.

Thai ignorance of history is just stunning. No doubt some politicians will soon be seen sporting the Little Dictator moustache.

Perhaps some young ignorant soul with cash to splash here will open a slimming spa called Buchenwald Bodyworks. Pathetic.

"Thai ignorance of history ...."

Yep, that's what it's about and nothing else. But the thoughtless, knee jerk reaction of everyone of "us" who sees the Natzi stuff is no solution. Recently a young student had asked to add me on Facebook. His Avatar was simply the Nazi Swastika, in the WWII colours, the real thing. At first I was taken aback, but then took the parental, school teacher approach and explained that it was offensive most of the rest of the world, and he should be aware of this. He replied with an apology and, having changed it, I accepted his FB Friendship. Simple. (I was not offened by the sight of it, because I knew the use of it was innocent.)

My ex gf in Thailand displayed an extraordinary lack of knowledge of the rest of the world, even though she had tertiary education. One day as things weren't coming across well in a conversation, she said with a shy smile, "I though Australia was in Europe." (hmm...) "Australia and Austria are not the same place." I said. Well, it doesn't take too many hours of Thai television to realise that it is totally wasted as an information medium. Then down to the Internet cafes, and there you will 40+ young people, sitting with mouse in hand and access to the world via state of the art satellite communication technology, doing what? .. playing games and chatting on either Facebook or msn. Not one nanosecond anywhere, being devoted to anything resembling academic pursuit, nothing. Just chatting and shit-for-brain games. It is not their fault. They are the product of the previous generation.

Yes, it is tedious, but we have to simply send messages to various authorities, to the media and also to the Thai tourism authority. Keep it polite. Preaching to the converted, that is, simply mouthing off here, is nothing more than pissing into the wind.

Thai Tourism Authority contact form.

Copy your message to the media and education authorities. All universities have contact emails.

I am not lobbying anyone, just suggesting how you can make a difference if you want to.

That said, I am bored shitless with the monopoly on misery that the Holocaust has had. Yes it was a grotesque episode, but it is time to move on. It is actually a relief to be in Thailand and take a break from it. It's not as though there isn't enough crap happening in the world today that deserves attention.

Edited February 27, 2012 by TechnikaIII

[Nisa]

How do these folks blame Thailand for their people not knowing about 70 year old history in another part of the world when they don't even understand current Thai & Asian history. These same stories of Nazi symbols and Nazi Chic keep coming up every couple months for years and the same folks continue to act surprised and feign some personal attack on their person and ancestors is happening.

It would be great if people all across the world would and could be sensitive to everyone's wishes but instead of focusing on people who mean no harm and really don't care and will never care, as these folks do, about what they perceive as ancient history in another part of the world ... they should instead focus their attention on the many groups who actually do believe in similar genocide policies as Hitler did and not just against their own type of people unless they are willing to accept others not caring their people too.

Hitler was a monster and is viewed that way by many many people but I know few people, including Jews, who get worked up about an incidents like these. It almost seems like you need to have extreme views to let such things emotionally bother you. However, I can see groups trying to promote more awareness in countries like Thailand, if they feel it is important or helpful, but to get worked up about such things seems a bit extreme.

Edited February 27, 2012 by Nisa

[exeter]

They were selling Hitler European Tour shirts in central London 20 years ago. Thais aren't the only ones making profit off of shocking Hitler material.

Yes the England date was cancelled, remember it well, never got the money back for the tickets either! Edited February 27, 2012 by exeter

[Roj]

I asked my girlfriend if she new about the history of Germany and England, she said you won two world wars and one world cup, i said good girl.

And lost much of the uk empire. I don't think the brits won ww1 & 2, they were merely holding their own until the yanks joined in. Stupid yanks, should let Europe fight their own civil wars.

The British and Commonwealth offensive of 1918 consisting of British, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand forces managed to break through the formidable Hindenburg line and led to the Germans seeking terms for an Armistice. Hollywood obviously has it`s own slant. In WW2 the Americans bore the brunt of the war against the Japanese but In Europe they were one of a number of allies with the Soviet Union defeating the majority of the German field army. At sea the Germans were defeated by the British and Canadian navies.

[thaibeachlovers]

Thai people dont fancy communists or jews for that matter. Some time ago I was sitting next to Gen. Sayut during lunch, he was supreme commander of the thai armed forces when they defeated the last communist enclave in Khao Yai in the late 1960's, what he told me about what they found in Khao Yai its no suprise the Thais have no problem with killing communists.

Please do educate me as how "jews" fit into your comment. I was unaware that Thais don't fancy "jews". Please explain what makes you think this.

Maybe certain Jews figured out how to make the A bomb the were dropped on Japan

A team of some of the greatest minds of the time figured out how to make the atomic bombs. Some of them were Jewish.

Their discovery saved the lived of thousands of allied soldiers, and possibly millions of Japanese civilians. it was considered to be the right decision at that time.

Well that's the excuse they give for having used them. The Americans had total air supremacy over Japan and could simply have bombed them into the same solution. The crew of the USS Indianapolis would have appreciated it anyway.

I doubt that we will ever learn the real reason for dropping them though.

[michaelrayjackson]

I'm pretty sure you are all wrong about World War II, my Soviet history text clearly explains that the Russians won the war single handedly.

They told me there were no russian posters on thaivisa?

Yeah, well they told me there would be no more drugs in Isaan.

No, I'm not Russian but I had to learn the language since I'm a door to door vodka salesman in Pattaya.

[cdnvic]

Stay on topic please

[pastitche]

It is a big difference to watch Hogan's Heroes at home than running around with an Adolf Kitty printed on your shirt.

Over the last 15 odd years, I have seen some of the weirdest stuff printed on Thai's shirts. From a very dark-skinned lass wearing a White Power slogan to a reprint of a Hallmark Sympathy Card - In Deepest Sympathy followed by a truly awful poem. None of then realise how truly inappropriate their shirt is, or intend any offense.

I treat it with amusement.

So do I Mick.

Hung outside a ladies clothes shop on the main street through a small town near where we are, there was a ladies shirt with the words" People Are Sh*T" ( not edited ) across the front in big letters.

All very innocent really.

As you all know, at any major crossing with traffic lights, there will be vendors of those garlands to hang from your mirror; my favourite incident was the pretty young teenager selling these protective religious symbols while wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with the message "I fuc_ked your boyfriend"

Maybe Thais do have a sense of irony or maybe she didn't understand what it said

[sparebox2]

I was at a meeting where the Public prosecutor was speaking to foreign nationals, he enjoyed telling everyone how good a man Adolf Hitler was and how much he respected him! Went down like a lead balloon.

Sorry, but is the Public prosecutor you mentioned a German or an Austrian by any chance?

[Tanaka]

Seems it's OK for Che to be cool but not Adolf. Che was a despot too.

As for Hitler chic, it's just another round of the elder generation being upset with those crazy kids. The younger generation always pushed the boundaries and long may that continue.

Your grandparents probably shook their heads about rock n' roll the same way you are shaking your heads about this.

Storm in a teacup.

You sir, fit right in with the ignorant Thais. You are comparing the nazi politics with rock music. That just shows the level of your education and knowledge. Zilch. You do not even have more sense than parading your ignorance openly.

As for Guevara, whatever he was, he was not responsible for the killing of millions. Your ignorance shows again.