Are People Here Racist?

[Tchooptip]

There is no racism on ThaiVisa because it is against the rules:

"7) Not to post slurs or degrading comments directed towards any group on the basis of race, nationality, religion, gender or sexual orientation.

"8) Not to post extremely negative views of Thailand or derogatory comments directed towards all Thais."

Number 8 ... subject to personal interpretation by a few one

[Jingthing]

Do what? align a discrepancy to a particular race....I don't...and certainly not 'instinctively' I think one has to have experience on which to base such an 'opinion'....in my experience I have met good and a little bad in every race I have encountered, none strike me as being that different from another.....I can't speak for others....

Sure you do. We all do.

I can see you have no clue as to the crux of the discussion here......so please stop trolling.......I can't admit to following you and jings train of thought because I don't......am I not entitled to disagree based on my experiences, and lifestyle, or is that too much for you to comprehend, that we do not all fit conveniently into compartments...when you are able to accept this you may gain a little insight

I hear what you're saying but I'm still skeptical. I think that's allowed.

[rene123]

I contend if you dig deep enough you will find some kind of racism in all people, including blind people. Sure there are exceptions, perhaps people with severe Down's syndrome?

I believe there are many out there who just get on with their lives, and really do not give a jot about race or colour, but treat people as they find them....not that difficult really

Good post, geo. I take every single person as an individual. I make allowances for their possible lack of a worldly education. That is just stating a fact and is not racist. If a certain ethnic group lacks a worldly education, then pointing it out in a rational discussion is not racism. It is just stating facts. However, if you attribute the failings of a few in any particular ethnic group and use it to paint the entire ethnic group, then that IS racism. In my early years I thought Australian men were all boors because all the ones I came in contact with in Canada WERE boors. But, I was only seeing one particular group of Australian men. They were the back packer group who came to Canada on a one way ticket and very little money. They were shiftless, miserly, untrustworthy and not particularly pleasant to be around. But, they were just trying to survive. When I visited Australia I met an entirely different group of people who completely changed my original opinion.

[473geo]

Do what? align a discrepancy to a particular race....I don't...and certainly not 'instinctively' I think one has to have experience on which to base such an 'opinion'....in my experience I have met good and a little bad in every race I have encountered, none strike me as being that different from another.....I can't speak for others....

Sure you do. We all do.

I can see you have no clue as to the crux of the discussion here......so please stop trolling.......I can't admit to following you and jings train of thought because I don't......am I not entitled to disagree based on my experiences, and lifestyle, or is that too much for you to comprehend, that we do not all fit conveniently into compartments...when you are able to accept this you may gain a little insight

I hear what you're saying but I'm still skeptical. I think that's allowed.

Jing in my line of work I must have communicated on a regular basis with just about every nationality in the world at a personal level. Never once have I found the need to vary my approach according to race or nationality, showing them the respect they deserve appears to have been sound judgement and built solid rewarding relationships..........yes you are allowed to be skeptical....just don't understand on what basis

[metisdead]

An admittedly off topic post has been removed as well as a reply.

Edit: A post using overly large and bold font has been removed. That is the same as shouting and there is no need for that!

[MrRealDeal]

I contend if you dig deep enough you will find some kind of racism in all people, including blind people. Sure there are exceptions, perhaps people with severe Down's syndrome?

Is that because it's true or because you can't imagine anyone might be further ahead on the evolutionary ladder than you over an issue that actually really important to you ?

I guess that thought came to me because rather than commenting that that person or persons might be of Steven Hawking intelect and possibly smarter than you, you chose to say they must be mentally handicaped instead. A bit odd.

I don't know the answer just somehting to think about , but I seriously doubt with a the differences in people, that their are no people on the planet who are not Racist without being disabled to accomplish it.

It actually took me a few seconds of thinking before I realised what the "G" word was myself ...... I haven't heard that term is at least a decade

[Jingthing]

I am really talking about SOCIAL CONSTRUCTS of reactions to more general otherness, not literally race or really limited to race (Races don't actually exist anyway.)

Here is another perspective on that:

...

Evolution seems to have inclined us to readily define whole groups of people as the enemy, after which we can find their suffering, even death, very easy to countenance and even facilitate.

But when it comes to defining this enemy--defining the "out group"--people are very flexible. The out group can be defined by its language, its religion, its skin color, its jersey color. (And jersey color can trump skin color--just watch a brawl between one racially integrated sports team and another.) It all depends on which group we consider (rightly or wrongly) in some sense threatening to our interests.

It's in this sense that race is a "social construct." It's not a category that's inherently correlated with our patterns of fear or mistrust or hatred, though, obviously, it can become one. So it's within our power to construct a society in which race isn't a meaningful construct.

I know of no such society. But remember I come from America, a country that is highly racialized, and yes I think Thailand is as well, in different ways. I've also never experienced a country that isn't racialized to some degree during my world travels.

http://www.theatlant...natural/263785/

[Bhayden2012]

I am really talking about SOCIAL CONSTRUCTS of reactions to more general otherness, not literally race or really limited to race (Races don't actually exist anyway.)

Here is another perspective on that:

...

Evolution seems to have inclined us to readily define whole groups of people as the enemy, after which we can find their suffering, even death, very easy to countenance and even facilitate.

But when it comes to defining this enemy--defining the "out group"--people are very flexible. The out group can be defined by its language, its religion, its skin color, its jersey color. (And jersey color can trump skin color--just watch a brawl between one racially integrated sports team and another.) It all depends on which group we consider (rightly or wrongly) in some sense threatening to our interests.

It's in this sense that race is a "social construct." It's not a category that's inherently correlated with our patterns of fear or mistrust or hatred, though, obviously, it can become one. So it's within our power to construct a society in which race isn't a meaningful construct.

I know of no such society. But remember I come from America, a country that is highly racialized, and yes I think Thailand is as well, in different ways. I've also never experienced a country that isn't racialized to some degree during my world travels.

http://www.theatlant...natural/263785/

I stand strongly by the belief that everyone is entitled to their opinion, racist or not. Everyone's got a right to free speech and shouldn't have to care if what they say offends anyone. I certainly don't.

[Dancealot]

I am really talking about SOCIAL CONSTRUCTS of reactions to more general otherness, not literally race or really limited to race (Races don't actually exist anyway.)

Here is another perspective on that:

...

Evolution seems to have inclined us to readily define whole groups of people as the enemy, after which we can find their suffering, even death, very easy to countenance and even facilitate.

But when it comes to defining this enemy--defining the "out group"--people are very flexible. The out group can be defined by its language, its religion, its skin color, its jersey color. (And jersey color can trump skin color--just watch a brawl between one racially integrated sports team and another.) It all depends on which group we consider (rightly or wrongly) in some sense threatening to our interests.

It's in this sense that race is a "social construct." It's not a category that's inherently correlated with our patterns of fear or mistrust or hatred, though, obviously, it can become one. So it's within our power to construct a society in which race isn't a meaningful construct.

I know of no such society. But remember I come from America, a country that is highly racialized, and yes I think Thailand is as well, in different ways. I've also never experienced a country that isn't racialized to some degree during my world travels.

http://www.theatlant...natural/263785/

I stand strongly by the belief that everyone is entitled to their opinion, racist or not. Everyone's got a right to free speech and shouldn't have to care if what they say offends anyone. I certainly don't.

Thanks for coming back from the closed thread. Just want to let you know i have read your OP with much interest. But i will not give you my opinion on it. Thanks for posting.

[473geo]

I stand strongly by the belief that everyone is entitled to their opinion, racist or not. Everyone's got a right to free speech and shouldn't have to care if what they say offends anyone. I certainly don't.

Not an unusual or unique stance.........unfortunately as life progresses you may just find this belief to be a tad impracticable on occasion

[MrRealDeal]

It depends on the degree that one is being offensive , you have the right to as offensive an opinion you want to have , you only have the right to offend people to a certian degree. Freedom of speech doesn't include intentionally offending people just for the sake of being rude and offensive. It's really just an argument of how big a douchebag someone can be before the other person rights to not have their peace disturbed are infringed upon.

[Neeps]

I am sure about 90% of all posters here were never racist or seen racism in an ugly form in their own country. Where I was brought up in the north of Scotland there were very little non-jocks (1 Chinese family, 1 Indian family and 1 African family) were in my class and theŷ did never suffer any racism. They were as handsome and popular as everyone else. They are still very good friends.

It was when I stared working overseas that my eyes opened about racism. Try running away in the jungle when armed Nigerian militants are after you. Even when you seek help from the Nigerian authorities they still want money. Been banged up, safe, but still had to get someone to fly in with a big envelope to get me back.

Is Thailand or any country racist. Yes of course they are.

[Bhayden2012]

I am sure about 90% of all posters here were never racist or seen racism in an ugly form in their own country. Where I was brought up in the north of Scotland there were very little non-jocks (1 Chinese family, 1 Indian family and 1 African family) were in my class and theŷ did never suffer any racism. They were as handsome and popular as everyone else. They are still very good friends.

It was when I stared working overseas that my eyes opened about racism. Try running away in the jungle when armed Nigerian militants are after you. Even when you seek help from the Nigerian authorities they still want money. Been banged up, safe, but still had to get someone to fly in with a big envelope to get me back.

Is Thailand or any country racist. Yes of course they are.

What happens in those third world countries like Nigeria and other countries like that is just their way of life. It's sad but true. I can't see the point in getting upset about it, as that's just how it is, and is unlikely to change.

[Dancealot]

I am sure about 90% of all posters here were never racist or seen racism in an ugly form in their own country. Where I was brought up in the north of Scotland there were very little non-jocks (1 Chinese family, 1 Indian family and 1 African family) were in my class and theŷ did never suffer any racism. They were as handsome and popular as everyone else. They are still very good friends.

It was when I stared working overseas that my eyes opened about racism. Try running away in the jungle when armed Nigerian militants are after you. Even when you seek help from the Nigerian authorities they still want money. Been banged up, safe, but still had to get someone to fly in with a big envelope to get me back.

Is Thailand or any country racist. Yes of course they are.

What happens in those third world countries like Nigeria and other countries like that is just their way of life. It's sad but true. I can't see the point in getting upset about it, as that's just how it is, and is unlikely to change.

And if you spoke those words in your OP in "Holidaying in Thailand" there would be more 'positive' responds.

[MrRealDeal]

I know what you mean .... my wife is constantly mentioning all the bad stuff in the world ..... I just tell her if I was going to worry about all the bad stuff in the world I can't change, I would be a grumpy old man before my time.

[Bhayden2012]

I am sure about 90% of all posters here were never racist or seen racism in an ugly form in their own country. Where I was brought up in the north of Scotland there were very little non-jocks (1 Chinese family, 1 Indian family and 1 African family) were in my class and theŷ did never suffer any racism. They were as handsome and popular as everyone else. They are still very good friends.

It was when I stared working overseas that my eyes opened about racism. Try running away in the jungle when armed Nigerian militants are after you. Even when you seek help from the Nigerian authorities they still want money. Been banged up, safe, but still had to get someone to fly in with a big envelope to get me back.

Is Thailand or any country racist. Yes of course they are.

What happens in those third world countries like Nigeria and other countries like that is just their way of life. It's sad but true. I can't see the point in getting upset about it, as that's just how it is, and is unlikely to change.

And if you spoke those words in your OP in "Holidaying in Thailand" there would be more 'positive' responds.

I'm a little upset about some of those comments people made on my submission about Holidaying in Thailand. I wasn't posting it to provoke - That was simply my opinion of my time there. Maybe I went a little too far with the racism, and for that I apologize. ,

[Dancealot]

Apologies not necessary for me.

Thanks for the reply Bhayden.

The word racism invokes the conception of racism itself and this thread is a clear example..

Mr. Bhayden if i would post a negative rant about Cambodia and some of it' s people in the Khmer 440(TV's Khmer equivalent) i would expect a defensive reaction(to put it mildly). Therefore in this case i would be provoking especially when the title was similar like yours..

You cannot fool me into saying you weren't expecting that kind of reaction when writing the piece... But i understand you needed to relieve yourself. That is ok.

For me your OP was an objective view on having a holiday on Thailand and for me that was an eye-opener after talking to so many people who have adapted to live here and never were so negative like you. People complain but not so much as you did..

Sorry things did not work out for you but i hope you can open your mind to understand the millions of people who holiday here and of course the 'westerners' who have chosen this beautiful country as their place to live their lives.

One more thing. If you had a different mind-set when you landed in Bangkok your holiday would be totally different. I am grateful that i have been able to adapt to this mind-set. A whole new world opened for me!

[losgrad]

In the OP, i would replace the concept of 'racism' with 'prejudice.' I believe we are born prejudiced from our environment (mother's womb onward) and then it develops from there as we look in the mirror and experience people around us - experiences irregardless of formal education, but literally on 'second thoughts' one can rationalize before sharing our perspective.

One's nationality (Thai, Aussie, Canadian, USA, English, Chinese, etc..) is but one characteristic in describing a person. Oftentimes, this 'nationality' characteristic gets more attention, but sometimes it's just lazy reporting rather than a conscious attack and sometimes not

[MrRealDeal]

If you do some research about if races even exist or the everything is a social construct argument , or if Race is a biological thing or not the truth lies someplace in between , but whats interesting to me is that the main determining factor in the opinions of Scientists seems to be what kind of Scientist they are ..... The American Anthropology Asoc has their version and the Stanford Medical School people have theirs , The Biomedical people have theirs and the cultural Anthropologist another. It really seems more motivated by people wanting to protect thier field of study and beliefs than a desire for any of them to really seek out some correct answer.

Even both Physical Anthropologists and Cultural Anthropoligsts are split pretty close down the middle on the question of "Are their are biological races within the species of Homo Sapiens" ...... with the majority in both groups siding with their field of study in a manner consistant with my premise. According to wiki , ( which if you go there note the question is asking if they disagree not if they agree )

If you look at the Forensic Anthropogist discussion it would start out with the obvious question of .... If races don't exist why are we so good at determining them ? ...... And the discussion ends up with the PC people making their case and the not so PC people pointing out the biological inaccuracys of the others. Making somewhat absurd arguments along the way such as their Science can determine location through boilogical liniage but somehow even though Caucation people come from a location , the Caucaus Mountian region , And Asians from the location of Asia , that they are really just finding out a location based on biological differences and Races don't really exist ..... they don't argue that their are not biological differences just weather or not Asian is a Race or a Location.

It would seem that the situation amoung both laymen and Scientists ...... Is people are looking for and using the facts to fit their opinion rather than getting their opinions from the facts and the answer you would get from a given person is the one you would expect to get based more of their personal beliefs or field of study than on weighing all the considerations.

But the Statement that Races don't exist is not held by any large majority of Anthropoligsts as I pointed out, and the majority gets slimmer and slimmer as you go from that to Forensic Scientists to Bio Medicine people who create drugs that are more effective for people based on Race.

I think that the truth is that Races are a biological reality however they are slowly becoming intermingled and more and more people are part this and part that so less people can be accuratly identified as one race or another because they simply are not ..... that doesnt mean others are not and that races don't exist only that their are less people in them. IMO

Their are a zillion arguments from both sides and I didn't pick out a bunch of them to support my opinion because for every one one side uses their is just as sensible of one on the other rendering whatever one's conclution is an opinion rather than some strictly speaking fact as Jingthing would maintain.

When 2 people who can trace their ancestory back 6000 years as being from ANY one race have a baby from another different Race ....... I will admit Races don't exist in biology but are only a social construct

[culicine]

No, no more than any other country. Perhaps they don't like the idea of multiculturalism and see that it doesn't always work (apart from letting all the Chinese in, though:)

[Newguy70]

I remember when most Ladies in Soi Cowboy and Nana Plaza wouldn't go with an Asian, as the bars were loaded with white faces. Now it is quite the opposite. Almost all of the bars are full of Koreans and some Chinese.

Thai ladies just follow the money, like most women in the WORLD!

Don't even get me started about American women

[MrRealDeal]

Pretty much everything follows the "money" ......... I dare say a sensible Squirrel finds a home near an acorn tree and a sensible mate for him or her finds the one who collects the most acorns from the tree.

[cdnvic]

Lets not start with bashing or stereotyping women.

[qdinthailand]

My view is that all humans are racist. Everywhere. It's a matter of degree and severity and harm done, if any. I think we are hard wired for racism as a species. So the answer: simply yes.

Yes there it plenty of overt racist expression here but I would say the majority of communication here is not overtly racist and the average/typical level of racism of foreigners in Thailand regarding Thai people is moderate and not very toxic.

Foreigners aren't necessarily living in Thailand because they are especially fond of Thai people in general. Is that an immigration requirement?

Children aren't racist, so its not hard wired. They learn to be racist as they grow older - influenced by those around them.

[MrRealDeal]

That depends on your defenition of children, their was a recent study done on "children" of 5 years old ...... they were shown pictures of black and white cartoon looking pictures and asked questions like who is the mean one , or who is more likely to go to jail , and things like that ..... all the kids white and black answered in what could be called a racist way and the parents and people doing the study were shocked . However your point that they learned it from someplace would be somewhat true , it was attributed to the media not "those" or people around them.

[muythai2013]

Lets not start with bashing or stereotyping women.

this woman bashing never ends, pretty obvious a few to many have been burned and will now take it out on all woman.

[submaniac]

I for one can do without comments which insinuate that Thai women are bar girls hookers or chasing after money. Just because this is the kind of woman that some people on this board seem to spend their time chasing doesn't mean the rest of us on this board are real happy reading it or putting up with what is really an insult to our loved ones.

[MrRealDeal]

I for one can do without comments which insinuate that Thai women are bar girls hookers or chasing after money. Just because this is the kind of woman that some people on this board seem to spend their time chasing doesn't mean the rest of us on this board are real happy reading it or putting up with what is really an insult to our loved ones.

Well different strokes I guess ..... I am not insulted when people claim incorrectly as it might be that the girls are mostly hookers , I figure since my wife was not it must be a complement to her and me.

I don't see it as an insult to Thai people or myself but an insult to themselves , since they are basicly claiming that the majority of women they meet are hookers and can't find anyone else.

Their perspective comes from their experiences so who are they really insulting ? It's obviously absurd factually to say most Thai women are hookers , what they are saying is that most Thai women they associate with are hookers ...... but somehow it's the hookers who are the bad people and not them !

Like I always say .... If you don't like the low class people you are constantly around go someplace else, or stop complaining you are hanging out with people just like yourself.

[StreetCowboy]

If we're not allowed to flaunt our stupidity and ignorance, and make ill-founded statements, then surely the same restrictions should apply to our better-educated and more intelligent peers as well, who should be prevented from exhibiting their common sense. Why should only racists and bigots be denied freedom of speech?

SC

[JurgenG]

people are calling me stupid amongst other things for starting this thread, did notice some deleted post's yesterday for derogatory and racist comments towards thai people.

And other posts were deleted for derogatory and racist comments towards farangs.

Fair enough