Ikea Ad Upsets Thai Transgender Group: Bangkok

[seminomadic]

I don't see all that much 'derogatory' towards the transgender grouping in this brief vdo; slightly humorous perhaps,and at best.

On the subject of "transgender" have you seen this amazing vdo-clip:

Certainly blew me away !

Worth a look & listen.

Attention oppressed ladyboys: How is the contrived deceitfulness in this singer's performance any different from the deceitfulness you decry in the BTS ad?

[chooka]

I don't see all that much 'derogatory' towards the transgender grouping in this brief vdo; slightly humorous perhaps,and at best.

On the subject of "transgender" have you seen this amazing vdo-clip:

Certainly blew me away !

Worth a look & listen.

MaiThaiMai

Still a bloke nothing can change the fact.

[Soi Sauce]

Thought LBs would love IKEA products as they're pretty much the same as them.

They start off as flatpacks but, after a little time messing around with tools, become 3 dimensional.

[how241]

Watch any of these silly comedy shows or series and you'll see ladyboys being mocked.

+1....Yes, everyday.

[wilcopops]

Watch any of these silly comedy shows or series and you'll see ladyboys being mocked.

so that makes it OK?

[DocN]

Watch any of these silly comedy shows or series and you'll see ladyboys being mocked.

so that makes it OK?

Nope! Not one bit!

But they are on for...centuries and I never heard any 3rd -gender organisation speak up about them.

As I also never heard of any Isan- people- organisation, speak up about the constant mocking of their "kind".

Why not start with cleaning up your "own"mess, before attacking IKEA?

[bigbamboo]

I couldn't believe this either.... Swedes with a sense of humour?

[belg]

it is what it is no? why would a man otherwise dressup and get his genitals cut off in the first place?

man wanting to be a girl, to have sex with unknowing man ...

[dighambara]

Ikea is not getting it right in many ways here !

Warning !!

Ikea home delivery is overcharging big times !

Compared with their advertised rates on ikea.co.th di they want 8 times the price when i asked.

I was lucky that a good man in Ikea told me to check their delivery rates before i paied (a man employed by Ikea) and he was right !

So i kicked the wagon with goods for 35.000 back in the shop !!

They wanted to charge 7500 Baht for less then one M/3 to Khon Kaen, advertised rate is 900 Baht.

So take care !!!

Off topic...

900 THB is base rate. No other delivery to your area and the truck goes for you alone and that adds another 6400 THB as advertised. Sometimes it's better to read more than the first page. They are actually straight forward with their pricing and all is available as PDF file for download.

Sorry - it was on topic - IKEA.

Most furniture stores deliver for free, so why buy at a store that chages for delivery..??

[TackyToo]

Jesus. Someone needs to tell them about Thai culture and Thai humor. And lighten the #$( up. She's a pretty chick in a funny ad. Get over it.

Do you mean the Thai culture and Thai humor in those stupid comedy shows?

[jpippy]

"Lighten up, Frances."

Funny advertisement. I like how the real Thai man ran away in the opposite direction. That's how I usually feel if asked to assemble crappy furniture.

[meadish_sweetball]

Go through the names in the transgender person protest group and see if somebody is a shareholder in Index Living Mall.

[lineofentry]

The bloke is gay. As if he didn't know already.

[gbswales]

Why have we lost our ability to accept being laughed at. There will soon be no group, not even the "normal" (whatever normal is) majority who you are allowed to poke fun at. Worry more about the serious discrimination because this is far more often fuelled by religion than anything else. Hardly anyone complains when jokes about abuse are made towards catholic priests - The majority of priests who are not by any means abusers (well other than inflicting their ridiculous beliefs!) don't jump up and complain about it - they know that the jokes are not INTENDED to hurt anyone priests or victims but are just making humour from real life as it is. There is a joke in almost any aspect of life, even criminal behaviour, why cant we just live with that. In many cases jokes actually help to heighten awareness and understanding even though the text of the joke may not look as if it does.

For goodness sake everyone develop more of a sense of humour and learn instead to grow thicker skins.

[Westaurel]

Ikea is not getting it right in many ways here !

Warning !!

Ikea home delivery is overcharging big times !

Compared with their advertised rates on ikea.co.th di they want 8 times the price when i asked.

I was lucky that a good man in Ikea told me to check their delivery rates before i paied (a man employed by Ikea) and he was right !

So i kicked the wagon with goods for 35.000 back in the shop !!

They wanted to charge 7500 Baht for less then one M/3 to Khon Kaen, advertised rate is 900 Baht.

So take care !!!

I bought my furnitures at Index Living Mall not IKEA ! http://www.indexlivingmall.com/

It a nice big shopping home complex ! No extra charge, all is paid before, no surprise THB 1'000.- for delivery !

Edited January 24, 2013 by Westaurel

[silent]

And another "stereotype" that becomes painfully obvious over this non-issue: Thai transgender people have no sense of humour. As the saying goes, "humour is if you can have a laugh about yourself".

Ah yes, stereotypical. What a way for Ikea Thailand to get free advertising among what is probably one of its most lucrative marketplaces in the country. (What happened to all our conspiracy theorists?)

[technologybytes]

This is a non-event, it's not even worthy of discussion. Just another public joke making fun of a ladyboy.. or is it?

However, the mere discussion of ladyboys brings no end of idiots on Thaivisa stating that ladyboys are deceitful, that they rob and steal etc etc.

It's true that there are deceitful Ladyboys, there are Ladyboys who rob and steal, but how stupid do you have to be to not understand that this is a tiny minority.

It's incredibly sad that so many people form opinions about hundreds of thousands of ladyboys based upon nothing more than the bad behaviour of a handful of ladyboys who hang around certain spots in Bangkok and Pattaya.

Ladyboys are no more, or less, prone to be dishonest than anyone else. The vast majority of ladyboys in Thailand are just getting on with their lives and trying to be happy like anyone else. It must be hard enough given that they have limited employment opportunities thanks to narrow minded people, without being labeled as theives and liars.

I can't say if its right or wrong for some ladyboys to be offended at being used as a joke in an advert, or on TV, or anywhere else for that matter.

The vast majority of Ladyboys deserve respect, and it doesnt seem to me that they get much of that on Thaivisa forum!

[BradinAsia]

they are not over sensitive when are alleged to rob tourists

This may be true -- IF WE CAN ASSUME somehow that "they" (millions of Thai

ladyboys) are a monolithic group with a singular synchronized mindset.

Otherwise this statement could be seen as stereotyping of the most flagrant kind.

Edited January 24, 2013 by BradinAsia

[Jim walker]

Absolutely outrageous and scandalous advert never seen anything so shocking in all my life, what a load of crap even to be discussing it, we must have very sad lives to be on this forum.

Edited January 24, 2013 by metisdead
: Font Arial size 14

[Totster]

Absolutely outrageous and scandalous advert never seen anything so shocking in all my life, what a load of crap even to be discussing it, we must have very sad lives to be on this forum.

He says... discussing it..

totster

[templedog]

The ad is creative and fun - what IS the problem? There are far worse, far more 'sensitive' ads out there.

There is no problem. This is simply a lucky break for some special interest group that got media attention from some bored reporters. I mean; who gives a shit about this? The curious thing here is that it is the media who choose this sort of material to present to the public.

It's simply a letter of protest sent to the ones who made the author of the letter feel compelled to do so; nothing more, nothing less.

Tomorrow it could be a story of how the Hmong Hilltribe people are upset that Ikea does not represent their ethnic culture near enough in their ads. Who knows? It doesn't even have to be a letter with these dumb-ass reporters. I have found that they will actually go out ind interview anyone they like and twist what the interviewee says just so they can get a story written. Yes! That is exactly how ignorant and stupid these reporters are.

It really all comes down to the reporters, and what they choose to write and what their editors choose to send to print. That does not, however, necessarily make it newsworthy to you and me.

There is no problem. (No problem for you because you probably don't suffer from transgender ignorance or discrimination, or do you?)

(Some people seem to have the definitve word as if they know everything)

This is simply a lucky break for some special interest group (worded to make the offended group sound selfish, "special interest")

that got media attention from some bored reporters. (speculation)

I mean; who gives a shit about this? (You obviously do)

The curious thing here is that it is the media who choose this sort of material to present to the public. (media chooses what people will read, it's called supply and demand....still curious?)

It's simply a letter of protest sent to the ones who made the author of the letter feel compelled to do so; nothing more, nothing less. (still scratching my head on this sentence)

Tomorrow it could be a story of how the Hmong Hilltribe people are upset that Ikea does not represent their ethnic culture near enough in their ads. (paranoia)

Who knows? It doesn't even have to be a letter with these dumb-ass reporters. (then what could it be?)

I have found that they will actually go out ind interview anyone they like and twist what the interviewee says just so they can get a story written. Yes! That is exactly how ignorant and stupid these reporters are. (and....is this what happened here....more speculation)

It really all comes down to the reporters, and what they choose to write and what their editors choose to send to print. That does not, however, necessarily make it newsworthy to you and me. (but you and I are reading it)

[templedog]

blah blah blah

Edited January 24, 2013 by templedog

[Payboy]

What's surprising is that anybody watches that crap showing on the BTS!

Edited January 24, 2013 by Payboy

[noitom]

This lady boy thing is a novelty attraction of Thailand made into a circus level spectacle sport. It always amazes how Thais and many others are preoccupied with this.

[Sayonarax]

funny ad.

[endure]

The topic is about Ikea and transvestites.

[mcnad]

If this was a Thai company, bank, restaurant this would this be considered cute. Ikea's mistake was to use Thai marketing tactics because they aren't Thai and should not pretend to be.

Exactly. Thai soaps, Thai comedy shows, Thai commercials ALL have poked fun at ladyboys at one point or another without so much as a peep from anyone. IKEA does it and they get an army full of angry ladyboys on their <deleted>.

But I think this is normal. It's follows the philosophy "I can make fun of/beat up on my brother or sister cuz we are family, but boy if you do it be prepared for a good walloping!"

Edited January 24, 2013 by mcnad

[Yahooka]

I don't see all that much 'derogatory' towards the transgender grouping in this brief vdo; slightly humorous perhaps,and at best.

On the subject of "transgender" have you seen this amazing vdo-clip:

Certainly blew me away !

Worth a look & listen.

What a beauty !!!!

[KuhnPaen]

Wait, there's an Ikea in Thailand? Wow, can't wait for Walmart and Bestbuy next.

[katana]

Reminds me of this Thai advert for the Mobile phone shop, M-Shop:

"Want to avoid fakes/counterfeits? Come to M-Shop. You can be sure of all our brands. You can be sure of everything in M-Shop."