Racism Against Farangs

[David48]

Speaking of caring, my 91 year old Uncle, (no kids, wife died about 5 years ago) just had a total hip replacement 2 days ago and it's up to the hospital to cut up his food and generally cheer the old guy up.

Uncle Geoff

It's the fragility of life sometimes that makes us value what we have and sometimes what we have lost.

Maybe we can rediscover some empathy for the OP and read her story from her eyes.

Carry on ...

[connda]

Oh Pleaseeee! I live a frugal life because I'm on a limited pension. I use public hospitals, I shop at the local markets, I live in an inexpensive Thai apartment building (I'm the only farang), I eat almost all my meals at Thai restaurants that cater to Thais ( I get my meals for 30 baht instead of 80 baht at the "tourist" restaurants"), and I take public transportation when I'm not driving my motorcycle (I don't own a car). I've taken the time to learn enough Thai to converse with most Thais at their places of business. I find that the majority of Thais are friendly enough and are willing to engage me in conversation especially when I'm speaking Thai.

And there are some racist jerks out there -- so what? You're only a victim if you choose to act like a victim. Thai racists don't bother me because I really don't care what they think.

You really have a, "Oohhh, Poor meeee!" attitude there OP. You probably approach the Thais around you like you're something special. In your home country, your whining and sniveling probably gets you results from like minded, Eco-conscious, tree-hugging, organic only, diversity loving liberals. So it's no wonder the Thais play you like a cheap fiddle.

Here's a suggestion: You're not going to save all the dogs in Thailand, so pick one and take care of it. 20K in vet bills? Learn to take care of yourself first, not your pack of dogs. You live the way you live by CHOICE. So stop the whining. Learn Thai and use it daily. If you want someone to smile at you, smile at them first. If they don't smile back -- stop taking it personally. I'm just guessing here, but you probably come across as a pompous ass to most Thais. That's how I read you.

I just don't have the problems you say you have. Why is that? I get along pretty dam_n well with most all the Thais I know and meet. Why can't you?

Don't blame it on the Thai people. Try looking inside yourself -- that's where the problem is. If you can't fix it -- go home!

Edited March 29, 2012 by connda

[arthurwait]

I'm not very good at empathy, can we all just buy her a drink at Vertigo bar instead and the on to the bed and supper club ?

[connda]

Not all soi dogs "can take care of themselves". I've adopted two soi dogs (that I really didn't want/need) 'cos they were dying on the street...

F1fanatic ... you have a good heart.

I wonder if f1 would adopt me if she found me lying in the street.

I wonder where she lives?

If I found you lying on the street ... off to a Thai orphanage for you, young Scotsman!

Or a kind lactating Mother ... what would you prefer?

Only option #1 available ... this is TVF, I forgot.

Option two only works if the kind lactating Mother is lactating single-malt Scotch!

[F1fanatic]

An interesting thread has turned into a 'bash fest'.

Of course most Thais are racist - as are most people in other nations!

Read the anti-immigration comments in UK newspapers... And, before anyone says this is 'cos the UK is being 'swamped' (which to a certain extent I agree with - they are certainly pushing wages down), those racist sentiments were there a couple of decades ago - if not longer.

The racists in the UK do not make up the majority. The Daily hate and racist portion of Sun readers don't make up the majority of the population and Uk wages ( along with most the wests ) and land prices need to go down if the UK ever wants to compete with where the jobs are going.

Edit: but that's another thread.

In my experience most in the UK are racist. Even though they declare otherwise they are more than happy to enjoy a racist joke.

You think UK wages need to go down? That has been happening for a long time for the bottom and middle, only the top percentile has been increasing - hence the gap between rich and poor getting larger....

[StreetCowboy]

An interesting thread has turned into a 'bash fest'.

Of course most Thais are racist - as are most people in other nations!

Read the anti-immigration comments in UK newspapers... And, before anyone says this is 'cos the UK is being 'swamped' (which to a certain extent I agree with - they are certainly pushing wages down), those racist sentiments were there a couple of decades ago - if not longer.

The racists in the UK do not make up the majority. The Daily hate and racist portion of Sun readers don't make up the majority of the population and Uk wages ( along with most the wests ) and land prices need to go down if the UK ever wants to compete with where the jobs are going.

Edit: but that's another thread.

In my experience most in the UK are racist. Even though they declare otherwise they are more than happy to enjoy a racist joke.

You think UK wages need to go down? That has been happening for a long time for the bottom and middle, only the top percentile has been increasing - hence the gap between rich and poor getting larger....

I reckon that income diverity creates jobs for those with lower skills. Poorly paid jobs, but jobs all the same, and working is the best way to get a better job. Its a lot easier to climb a ladder if the bottom rung is within reach.

SC

[F1fanatic]

By the way, and right on topic, I have an acute sense of empathy, I have an even more acute sense of who deserves empathy.

The OP apparently thinks that soi dogs are more worthy of help than humans.

We are all in the main animal lovers, but we can tell the difference between animal and pest.

Misplaced empathy makes problems worse.

The OP should consider as suggested earlier, spending more on humans than on pests.

The truly humane know when it!s right to put a dog down.

Quite, which is why I posted earlier that animal lovers can understand those that put people first - whereas others cannot understand the opposite.

Some of us have an innate sympathy for animals and children that have no power.

[theblether]

By the way, and right on topic, I have an acute sense of empathy, I have an even more acute sense of who deserves empathy.

The OP apparently thinks that soi dogs are more worthy of help than humans.

We are all in the main animal lovers, but we can tell the difference between animal and pest.

Misplaced empathy makes problems worse.

The OP should consider as suggested earlier, spending more on humans than on pests.

The truly humane know when it!s right to put a dog down.

Quite, which is why I posted earlier that animal lovers can understand those that put people first - whereas others cannot understand the opposite.

Some of us have an innate sympathy for animals and children that have no power.

Beware of very high horses with shaky legs f1.

[F1fanatic]

An interesting thread has turned into a 'bash fest'.

Of course most Thais are racist - as are most people in other nations!

Read the anti-immigration comments in UK newspapers... And, before anyone says this is 'cos the UK is being 'swamped' (which to a certain extent I agree with - they are certainly pushing wages down), those racist sentiments were there a couple of decades ago - if not longer.

The racists in the UK do not make up the majority. The Daily hate and racist portion of Sun readers don't make up the majority of the population and Uk wages ( along with most the wests ) and land prices need to go down if the UK ever wants to compete with where the jobs are going.

Edit: but that's another thread.

In my experience most in the UK are racist. Even though they declare otherwise they are more than happy to enjoy a racist joke.

You think UK wages need to go down? That has been happening for a long time for the bottom and middle, only the top percentile has been increasing - hence the gap between rich and poor getting larger....

I reckon that income diverity creates jobs for those with lower skills. Poorly paid jobs, but jobs all the same, and working is the best way to get a better job. Its a lot easier to climb a ladder if the bottom rung is within reach.

SC

If the increasing gap was resulting in better wages for those at the bottom, I'd agree with you.

Instead the UK is looking at the lowest wages going ever downwards, whilst those at the top are enjoying salaries that are beyond defensible.

Its the old story - the lowest need to understand that they are 'pricing themselves out of a job' whereas those at the top need to be paid ever higher salaries 'to attract the right staff'. Amazingly, despite being paid those higher salaries, the UK is going down the drain...

[bendix]

Its the old story - the lowest need to understand that they are 'pricing themselves out of a job' whereas those at the top need to be paid ever higher salaries 'to attract the right staff'. Amazingly, despite being paid those higher salaries, the UK is going down the drain...

It's a truth universally acknowledged that every country has been 'going down the drain' throughout history. This must be a very long drain.

And yet, curiously, people's living standards around the world have never been better. The industrial world's working classes and unemployed live lives that few could have dreamt of decades ago, and while progress could always be quicker, poverty levels are shrinking even in the developing world.

If the world is, in fact, going down the drain, I welcome it.

[connda]

By the way, and right on topic, I have an acute sense of empathy, I have an even more acute sense of who deserves empathy.

The OP apparently thinks that soi dogs are more worthy of help than humans.

We are all in the main animal lovers, but we can tell the difference between animal and pest.

Misplaced empathy makes problems worse.

The OP should consider as suggested earlier, spending more on humans than on pests.

The truly humane know when it!s right to put a dog down.

Quite, which is why I posted earlier that animal lovers can understand those that put people first - whereas others cannot understand the opposite.

Some of us have an innate sympathy for animals and children that have no power.

I personally really have an affection for animals. And I feel bad for the Soi dogs that are infected with mange and suffer daily with intense inching. I feed animals around my home. Some are friendly, some are scared and skiddish. I just try to show compassion. I've taken animals to the vets before, but here's the limit: I do things within my power and within my budget. The humans in my family come first. Actually, once I decide to take an animal into our family unit, it will receive all the care that I can afford. I simply have priorities. I just don't believe that it is in anyone's best interest to put stray animals ahead of themselves. This calls for an analogy: How do you save a drowning person is you are a poor swimmer or a non-swimmer? Do you jump in to save the person? Admirable? yes. Stupid? Probably. Maybe you should stay on the land. Look for something to throw to the person: a rope, a stick. Or flag down help. If the person drowns -- it's tragic! If you both drown, it's doubly tragic!! You take care of yourself first, so that you maintain the ability to help other beings. If you end up drowning yourself, what did you gain?

The best solution to most of the dog and cat issues in Thailand is spay and neuter. But it cost money. The way the Thais take care of it -- take the animals to the local Wat where the will enjoy a steady supply of food at least, and the compassion of the monks.

[connda]

Its the old story - the lowest need to understand that they are 'pricing themselves out of a job' whereas those at the top need to be paid ever higher salaries 'to attract the right staff'. Amazingly, despite being paid those higher salaries, the UK is going down the drain...

It's a truth universally acknowledged that every country has been 'going down the drain' throughout history. This must be a very long drain.

And yet, curiously, people's living standards around the world have never been better. The industrial world's working classes and unemployed live lives that few could have dreamt of decades ago, and while progress could always be quicker, poverty levels are shrinking even in the developing world.

If the world is, in fact, going down the drain, I welcome it.

What planet do you live on. In my "developed" home country, the unemployment rate for kids 18 to 24 is around 40%. College grads are increasingly having problems finding work in their chosen fields. The "fastest growing" employment sector is in retail sales with a disproportionate number of jobs in the part-time and temporary categories. The time period that I grew up in was significantly better than the present day. My kids and my grand kids are having a hell of a time finding prosperity. Why? Because the vast majority of "wealth" is being diverted to the people who need it the least.

By the way -- this is all way off-topic.

[arthurwait]

An interesting thread has turned into a 'bash fest'.

Of course most Thais are racist - as are most people in other nations!

Read the anti-immigration comments in UK newspapers... And, before anyone says this is 'cos the UK is being 'swamped' (which to a certain extent I agree with - they are certainly pushing wages down), those racist sentiments were there a couple of decades ago - if not longer.

The racists in the UK do not make up the majority. The Daily hate and racist portion of Sun readers don't make up the majority of the population and Uk wages ( along with most the wests ) and land prices need to go down if the UK ever wants to compete with where the jobs are going.

Edit: but that's another thread.

In my experience most in the UK are racist. Even though they declare otherwise they are more than happy to enjoy a racist joke.

You think UK wages need to go down? That has been happening for a long time for the bottom and middle, only the top percentile has been increasing - hence the gap between rich and poor getting larger....

Do you not think that companies are outsourcing their work and moving/moved overseas due to lower wages, cheaper land and now graduates graduating in the subjects needed, where as the UK has high land costs, wages many times the countries that companies are moving to and a generation of graduates qualified for naff all of use and a generation with very little practical skills. While India, China etc are producing Engineers, scientists etc. expecting a small percentage of the wage. How many companies that came to Thailand for the low costs will move to neighbouring countires if the wages keep being put up ? And what is the UK going to compete with while pushing it's wages up ?

If you think the majority of people in the UK, Thailand or any country are racist then I feel sorry for you. Comments on media articles that are aimed at racists don't represent the majority of a country. A bad economy will always bring out anger in people which leads people to say stupid things they don't really mean.

[StreetCowboy]

...A bad economy will always bring out anger in people which leads people to say stupid things they don't really mean.

I blame it on the drink, romantic lighting and sentimental songs on the wireless

SC

[arthurwait]

...A bad economy will always bring out anger in people which leads people to say stupid things they don't really mean.

I blame it on the drink, romantic lighting and sentimental songs on the wireless

SC

Not the boogie ?

[bendix]

Its the old story - the lowest need to understand that they are 'pricing themselves out of a job' whereas those at the top need to be paid ever higher salaries 'to attract the right staff'. Amazingly, despite being paid those higher salaries, the UK is going down the drain...

It's a truth universally acknowledged that every country has been 'going down the drain' throughout history. This must be a very long drain.

And yet, curiously, people's living standards around the world have never been better. The industrial world's working classes and unemployed live lives that few could have dreamt of decades ago, and while progress could always be quicker, poverty levels are shrinking even in the developing world.

If the world is, in fact, going down the drain, I welcome it.

What planet do you live on. In my "developed" home country, the unemployment rate for kids 18 to 24 is around 40%. College grads are increasingly having problems finding work in their chosen fields. The "fastest growing" employment sector is in retail sales with a disproportionate number of jobs in the part-time and temporary categories. The time period that I grew up in was significantly better than the present day. My kids and my grand kids are having a hell of a time finding prosperity. Why? Because the vast majority of "wealth" is being diverted to the people who need it the least.

By the way -- this is all way off-topic.

It is very easy to point to specific weak points - youth employment in Ireland or Spain or some such place - and say it is going down the drain. These are short-term aberrations.

It cannot be argued that over the long term, people's lives are considerably better now than at any point in history. The very fact that you and I are killing a few moments debating the issue through the wonder of the internet is living proof of that.

Now, if you don't mind, I'm off to blow a small fortune on a ridiculously overpriced coffee drink in a shop with lovely music and comfy chair and free wifi and pretty waitresses, while flirting with my wife (in another country) on a small handheld piece of genius technology.

All of whicih is something even my dear old dad couldn't have dreamed of, yet is easily within reach of hundreds of millions of people around this world that is going down the drain.

[StreetCowboy]

...A bad economy will always bring out anger in people which leads people to say stupid things they don't really mean.

I blame it on the drink, romantic lighting and sentimental songs on the wireless

SC

Not the boogie ?

I have a handkerchief.

[theblether]

...A bad economy will always bring out anger in people which leads people to say stupid things they don't really mean.

I blame it on the drink, romantic lighting and sentimental songs on the wireless

SC

Not the boogie ?

It's usually me that get's the blame

Don't blame it on the sunshine, don't blame it on the moonlight, don't blame it on the good times, blame it on theblether

[StreetCowboy]

...A bad economy will always bring out anger in people which leads people to say stupid things they don't really mean.

I blame it on the drink, romantic lighting and sentimental songs on the wireless

SC

Not the boogie ?

It's usually me that get's the blame

Don't blame it on the sunshine, don't blame it on the moonlight, don't blame it on the good times, blame it on theblether

Blame it on the Guinness, blame it on the beans, blame it on the dog... just don't strike a light

Edited March 29, 2012 by StreetCowboy

[David48]

For those who are interested, dear ole Uncle Geoff (91) had a fall in hospital and the grey matter got knocked around a fair bit.

I'd hate to be a lost baby on the streets of Scotland, a lame Soi Dog in Bangkok ... but most of all I fear growing old and being alone. Not knowing that people cared about me ... or even worse that no-one cared about me.

Now I have a point of empathy with the OP ... I sense that she feels lonely, and maybe that feeling is manifested through a feeling of racism.

Edited March 29, 2012 by David48

[kerryk]

By the way, and right on topic, I have an acute sense of empathy, I have an even more acute sense of who deserves empathy.

The OP apparently thinks that soi dogs are more worthy of help than humans.

We are all in the main animal lovers, but we can tell the difference between animal and pest.

Misplaced empathy makes problems worse.

The OP should consider as suggested earlier, spending more on humans than on pests.

The truly humane know when it!s right to put a dog down.

Quite, which is why I posted earlier that animal lovers can understand those that put people first - whereas others cannot understand the opposite.

Some of us have an innate sympathy for animals and children that have no power.

I personally really have an affection for animals. And I feel bad for the Soi dogs that are infected with mange and suffer daily with intense inching. I feed animals around my home. Some are friendly, some are scared and skiddish. I just try to show compassion. I've taken animals to the vets before, but here's the limit: I do things within my power and within my budget. The humans in my family come first. Actually, once I decide to take an animal into our family unit, it will receive all the care that I can afford. I simply have priorities. I just don't believe that it is in anyone's best interest to put stray animals ahead of themselves. This calls for an analogy: How do you save a drowning person is you are a poor swimmer or a non-swimmer? Do you jump in to save the person? Admirable? yes. Stupid? Probably. Maybe you should stay on the land. Look for something to throw to the person: a rope, a stick. Or flag down help. If the person drowns -- it's tragic! If you both drown, it's doubly tragic!! You take care of yourself first, so that you maintain the ability to help other beings. If you end up drowning yourself, what did you gain?

The best solution to most of the dog and cat issues in Thailand is spay and neuter. But it cost money. The way the Thais take care of it -- take the animals to the local Wat where the will enjoy a steady supply of food at least, and the compassion of the monks.

My local Wat poisons the dogs every few years. Last time I helped save a couple.

[GarryP]

By the way, and right on topic, I have an acute sense of empathy, I have an even more acute sense of who deserves empathy.

The OP apparently thinks that soi dogs are more worthy of help than humans.

We are all in the main animal lovers, but we can tell the difference between animal and pest.

Misplaced empathy makes problems worse.

The OP should consider as suggested earlier, spending more on humans than on pests.

The truly humane know when it!s right to put a dog down.

Quite, which is why I posted earlier that animal lovers can understand those that put people first - whereas others cannot understand the opposite.

Some of us have an innate sympathy for animals and children that have no power.

I personally really have an affection for animals. And I feel bad for the Soi dogs that are infected with mange and suffer daily with intense inching. I feed animals around my home. Some are friendly, some are scared and skiddish. I just try to show compassion. I've taken animals to the vets before, but here's the limit: I do things within my power and within my budget. The humans in my family come first. Actually, once I decide to take an animal into our family unit, it will receive all the care that I can afford. I simply have priorities. I just don't believe that it is in anyone's best interest to put stray animals ahead of themselves. This calls for an analogy: How do you save a drowning person is you are a poor swimmer or a non-swimmer? Do you jump in to save the person? Admirable? yes. Stupid? Probably. Maybe you should stay on the land. Look for something to throw to the person: a rope, a stick. Or flag down help. If the person drowns -- it's tragic! If you both drown, it's doubly tragic!! You take care of yourself first, so that you maintain the ability to help other beings. If you end up drowning yourself, what did you gain?

The best solution to most of the dog and cat issues in Thailand is spay and neuter. But it cost money. The way the Thais take care of it -- take the animals to the local Wat where the will enjoy a steady supply of food at least, and the compassion of the monks.

My local Wat poisons the dogs every few years. Last time I helped save a couple.

I often wondered what temples did when they became overrun with dumped dogs. Some temples become so overrun that people stop going to give alms and make donations for fear of being bitten. Perhaps, instead of dropping your unwanted pooches off with the local temple we could dispose of them with the OP. She would appear to get on better with dogs than people anyway.

[Slip]

By the way, and right on topic, I have an acute sense of empathy, I have an even more acute sense of who deserves empathy.

The OP apparently thinks that soi dogs are more worthy of help than humans.

We are all in the main animal lovers, but we can tell the difference between animal and pest.

Misplaced empathy makes problems worse.

The OP should consider as suggested earlier, spending more on humans than on pests.

The truly humane know when it!s right to put a dog down.

Quite, which is why I posted earlier that animal lovers can understand those that put people first - whereas others cannot understand the opposite.

Some of us have an innate sympathy for animals and children that have no power.

I personally really have an affection for animals. And I feel bad for the Soi dogs that are infected with mange and suffer daily with intense inching. I feed animals around my home. Some are friendly, some are scared and skiddish. I just try to show compassion. I've taken animals to the vets before, but here's the limit: I do things within my power and within my budget. The humans in my family come first. Actually, once I decide to take an animal into our family unit, it will receive all the care that I can afford. I simply have priorities. I just don't believe that it is in anyone's best interest to put stray animals ahead of themselves. This calls for an analogy: How do you save a drowning person is you are a poor swimmer or a non-swimmer? Do you jump in to save the person? Admirable? yes. Stupid? Probably. Maybe you should stay on the land. Look for something to throw to the person: a rope, a stick. Or flag down help. If the person drowns -- it's tragic! If you both drown, it's doubly tragic!! You take care of yourself first, so that you maintain the ability to help other beings. If you end up drowning yourself, what did you gain?

The best solution to most of the dog and cat issues in Thailand is spay and neuter. But it cost money. The way the Thais take care of it -- take the animals to the local Wat where the will enjoy a steady supply of food at least, and the compassion of the monks.

My local Wat poisons the dogs every few years. Last time I helped save a couple.

Wow, that abbot is going to be in a whole heap of trouble next time around...

To the OP- get out of the city and into the sticks. There is a reason that the English hate Cockneys, the French Parisiens etc...

[theblether]

You know, I was surprised the OP lived in BKK, I pictured her living somewhere like Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, that kind of area. I think she would do better there.

She could be a Mother Theresa of the Dog Kingdom, maybe in years to come they will build Temples in her memory and have annual days of prayer for Aneliane............then we'll all look stupid huh?

Just sayin'

[HardenedSoul]

Racism in Thailand?

Absolutely . . .

. . . but very, VERY rarely from the Thais.

On the few occasions I've experienced racism in this country, it has almost always been from white people. I can only put it down to the fact that many who complain about what they see as "political-correctness-gone-wild" in their homelands regard Thailand as a free-for-all, no-holds barred environment in which they can express and practice their bigotry to their heart's content and without fear of reprisal from the "establishment".

Typically, these individuals will vehemently deny being racist by virtue of the fact that they regularly engage the "services" of the local dark-skinned females but one only has to read the comments in threads that deal with subjects like immigration in the West or drugs or Lower Sukhumvit to get an insight into the mentality of a dam_n sight more than a few white people in Thailand.

If white people feel they're racially discriminated against in this country, maybe that's a good thing since, by getting a little taste of what it's like to be on the receiving end, they might appreciate what people of colour have had to deal with for generations in the US, UK and Europe.

[kerryk]

Racism in Thailand?

Absolutely . . .

. . . but very, VERY rarely from the Thais.

On the few occasions I've experienced racism in this country, it has almost always been from white people. I can only put it down to the fact that many who complain about what they see as "political-correctness-gone-wild" in their homelands regard Thailand as a free-for-all, no-holds barred environment in which they can express and practice their bigotry to their heart's content and without fear of reprisal from the "establishment".

Typically, these individuals will vehemently deny being racist by virtue of the fact that they regularly engage the "services" of the local dark-skinned females but one only has to read the comments in threads that deal with subjects like immigration in the West or drugs or Lower Sukhumvit to get an insight into the mentality of a dam_n sight more than a few white people in Thailand.

If white people feel they're racially discriminated against in this country, maybe that's a good thing since, by getting a little taste of what it's like to be on the receiving end, they might appreciate what people of colour have had to deal with for generations in the US, UK and Europe.

White males are discriminated against in Thailand??? I think the last time was in 1945 before VJ day.

[connda]

Its the old story - the lowest need to understand that they are 'pricing themselves out of a job' whereas those at the top need to be paid ever higher salaries 'to attract the right staff'. Amazingly, despite being paid those higher salaries, the UK is going down the drain...

It's a truth universally acknowledged that every country has been 'going down the drain' throughout history. This must be a very long drain.

And yet, curiously, people's living standards around the world have never been better. The industrial world's working classes and unemployed live lives that few could have dreamt of decades ago, and while progress could always be quicker, poverty levels are shrinking even in the developing world.

If the world is, in fact, going down the drain, I welcome it.

What planet do you live on. In my "developed" home country, the unemployment rate for kids 18 to 24 is around 40%. College grads are increasingly having problems finding work in their chosen fields. The "fastest growing" employment sector is in retail sales with a disproportionate number of jobs in the part-time and temporary categories. The time period that I grew up in was significantly better than the present day. My kids and my grand kids are having a hell of a time finding prosperity. Why? Because the vast majority of "wealth" is being diverted to the people who need it the least.

By the way -- this is all way off-topic.

It is very easy to point to specific weak points - youth employment in Ireland or Spain or some such place - and say it is going down the drain. These are short-term aberrations.

It cannot be argued that over the long term, people's lives are considerably better now than at any point in history. The very fact that you and I are killing a few moments debating the issue through the wonder of the internet is living proof of that.

Now, if you don't mind, I'm off to blow a small fortune on a ridiculously overpriced coffee drink in a shop with lovely music and comfy chair and free wifi and pretty waitresses, while flirting with my wife (in another country) on a small handheld piece of genius technology.

All of whicih is something even my dear old dad couldn't have dreamed of, yet is easily within reach of hundreds of millions of people around this world that is going down the drain.

I can't fault you on you optimism. Time will tell.

[Crushdepth]

While there is no shortage of racism against "farangs" in Thailand, I found most your examples a bit strange. I don't normally have a problem in hospitals, restaurants or shops. Taxis are annoying but mostly in an overly inquisitive way.

The only area I would agree is catching a public bus, especially a non-aircon one. I frequently encounter an air of disblelief, to which I respond with a 'yeah so I'm catching the bus but you *work* here" kind of thing.

[connda]

Racism in Thailand?

Absolutely . . .

. . . but very, VERY rarely from the Thais.

On the few occasions I've experienced racism in this country, it has almost always been from white people. I can only put it down to the fact that many who complain about what they see as "political-correctness-gone-wild" in their homelands regard Thailand as a free-for-all, no-holds barred environment in which they can express and practice their bigotry to their heart's content and without fear of reprisal from the "establishment".

Typically, these individuals will vehemently deny being racist by virtue of the fact that they regularly engage the "services" of the local dark-skinned females but one only has to read the comments in threads that deal with subjects like immigration in the West or drugs or Lower Sukhumvit to get an insight into the mentality of a dam_n sight more than a few white people in Thailand.

If white people feel they're racially discriminated against in this country, maybe that's a good thing since, by getting a little taste of what it's like to be on the receiving end, they might appreciate what people of colour have had to deal with for generations in the US, UK and Europe.

I've found that the worst racists tend to come from the minorities and their apologists who rant the loudest about racism. And they all seem to be victimize by "white people". And they are -- in their own mind -- victims! And "white racists" are painted with a broad, broad brush. According to those ranting the loudest, by virtue of being born from European decent -- I am now a racist! Me and my family -- nothing but "Whitey" "White devils". "Honkey" "Gringo" "Cracker" We're not quite humans anymore due to the unfortunate lack of pigment in our skin. And that lack of pigment somehow effects our moral character and creates racists out of the lot of us.

And now you make the comment (which I've been waiting for) about "getting a little taste of what it's like to be on the receiving end". But I personally don't give a rip about what an individual or a segment of society thinks about me. I'm not a victim. I don't have a "victim" mentality. How can you disparage me when I don't care. "White devils". "Honkey" "Gringo" "Cracker" "Howlee" "Farang" If you're like me, I let that name calling nonsense roll right off me. I can't change what is in the heart of another human being whether that person is white, black, brown, green or Telly-Tubby purple. If your heart is that full of hate, you do have a problem.

Sorry to break it to you, but all that pent up anger in the hearts of those who banter racial slurs -- any racial slur -- doesn't have anything to do with race. Racism gives you an excuse to direct all that anger and hate at someone else -- in your case white people. You ought to take a deeper introspective look into yourself to find out what is really going on in there.

Edited March 29, 2012 by connda

[marstons]

Starts at the top as the picture gives as an example, Forieners go buy ticket.

2 days ago i had my car washed next to wash place was a hair salon, advertising man 60 baht, i asked in thai how much, 80 baht, i asked why 20 baht more, well you farang, so i said yes why more. Well in Pattaya its 100 so you pay me 80 baht. actually in Pattaya its 60 in air con salon which is where i go from now on. so she screwed me over for 20 baht, but lost all my future one monthly hair cuts.

i am at the stage now i go out of my way to buy only from Western or Western franchises. Makro, Tesco, Big C 7/11 etc.

the dual pricing mom and pops can keep there dual pricing racist bigatory ways.

Edited March 29, 2012 by marstons