For One To Love Thailand, Must We Hate Our Neighbours?

[bigbamboo]

'Thai with a Cambodian heart'....?

For a minute there I thought it was a message from BB himself.

[DRONGOH]

I love my neighbor but I hate his dogs (think they're his) because most of the time they're in the street in front of his house which I must pass every day!

[oldsailor35]

Where and when?

Many places and often - odd that you never encountered it. Perhaps I should read up on the definition of xenophobia.

Ok, looked it up and the meaning hasn't changed.

I take it you do not believe xenophobia to exist in Thailand

Xenophobia...............Fear or hatred of people from other countries. COLLINS

[Naam]

xenophobic outbreak

Where and when?

perhaps when a ladyboy got angry because his/her/its services were rejected?

[Sing_Sling]

Where and when?

Many places and often - odd that you never encountered it. Perhaps I should read up on the definition of xenophobia.

Ok, looked it up and the meaning hasn't changed.

I take it you do not believe xenophobia to exist in Thailand

Xenophobia...............Fear or hatred of people from other countries. COLLINS

Pretty much spot-on

[theblether]

Yes it is spot on...........

By the individual it can of itself be devastating and deadly........

By the masses it results in the worst depravities in human history........

[Sing_Sling]

Yes it is spot on...........

By the individual it can of itself be devastating and deadly........

By the masses it results in the worst depravities in human history........

Indeed and this can be seen quite widely in Thailand

[Pimay1]

Yes it is spot on...........

By the individual it can of itself be devastating and deadly........

By the masses it results in the worst depravities in human history........

Indeed and this can be seen quite widely in Thailand

The lyrics of Queen's "we are the champions" come to mind.

[Sing_Sling]

Yes it is spot on...........

By the individual it can of itself be devastating and deadly........

By the masses it results in the worst depravities in human history........

Indeed and this can be seen quite widely in Thailand

The lyrics of Queen's "we are the champions" come to mind.

Could this be another 'hub'?

[Exsexyman]

Thailand, the Hub of Xenophobia!

What a xenophobic remark!

[yourauntbob]

Waiting for someone here to tell him "if you dont like this, then leave Thailand"

[Ragzilb]

You can say a Racist is easy to counter, but a nationalist is the worst of them all, hard to understand because they will never admit you understand them. I live in Surin, Come from Denmark my wife is Isaan, and most of her family are from BKK.

In some way I understand Thai's the last 30 years have gone so fast with multinational people coming from all over the world that they are now starting to hold on to old values and standards, there are no country with more different nationalities than Thailand. and it makes them scared and in some point extremist.

With constant pressure from China, America and Europe, to become either capitalist or communist which none actually are, more Facist (Business power, money speaks louder ect.) and a rural class which still dominates most of Thailand a Thaksin who chooses to air only what he believes is right for him in TV.....it all makes a common Thai crazy and start to think back.

What about Sui the old Thai language most very old Thai speak it that is true Thailand, not BKK not Isaan not Khemeen.

Thailand is wonderful but very confused country and have lost their true values and the one person who can unite them all. God Bless his soul. I only hope for the best in the future. I love Surin and the Khemeen people there and all the others all have good a heart

[Theoutsider]

Waiting for someone here to tell him "if you dont like this, then leave Thailand"

You just said it.

[Wat dee]

Come on......Nationalism is a control technique, what better to divert the attention of the restless masses away from uncomfortable domestic policies than a manufactured dispute with another country?

The masses always fall for it. The North Koreans are starving but they sure hate America, the Palestinians are jobless but they can easily be roused into an anti-Israel rally, The Argentinians suffer continual bouts of economic catastrophe but mention the Falklands and away they go again, and here in Thailand, when things get a bit dodgy, go pick a fight with the Cambodians.

The masses always fall for it.............

The problem is though, you can't control Nationalism, it can easily tip over to Xenophobia, this country is playing with fire. There may be a day in the not too distant future where an event will unleash a Nationalist wave that no one can control.

That's a worry for many.

Exactly, and when American masses realize this there will be a revolution. I really wish that happens soon. Americans deserve better schools, healthcare, security etc. Instead of "protecting their freedom" around the globe, like there's a threat of invasion Put that money in good use in states. Cheney's, Bush's etc. are rich enough allready.

[attento]

come-on guys, deep in our hearts we know that its not about the land, nor is it about the temple, its about loosing face.

Is there any country which does accept "losing face" with equanimity?

Surely, self-pride is a part of what binds most national populations together.

A fact not lost on most politicians.

[attento]

You can say a Racist is easy to counter, but a nationalist is the worst of them all, hard to understand because they will never admit you understand them. I live in Surin, Come from Denmark my wife is Isaan, and most of her family are from BKK.

In some way I understand Thai's the last 30 years have gone so fast with multinational people coming from all over the world that they are now starting to hold on to old values and standards, there are no country with more different nationalities than Thailand. and it makes them scared and in some point extremist.

With constant pressure from China, America and Europe, to become either capitalist or communist which none actually are, more Facist (Business power, money speaks louder ect.) and a rural class which still dominates most of Thailand a Thaksin who chooses to air only what he believes is right for him in TV.....it all makes a common Thai crazy and start to think back.

What about Sui the old Thai language most very old Thai speak it that is true Thailand, not BKK not Isaan not Khemeen.

Thailand is wonderful but very confused country and have lost their true values and the one person who can unite them all. God Bless his soul. I only hope for the best in the future. I love Surin and the Khemeen people there and all the others all have good a heart

Maybe many different nationalities living in Thailand, but doubtful if it has more than some others. For example, London schools have children speaking more than 230 different languages. There are state schools in UK with no native English speaking pupils. (These comments are not meant to be racist, but informative)

[johna]

Patriotism is a virtue of the vicious - Oscar Wilde

patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel

Samuel Johnson

[Joe Mamma]

Well, Thailand has its border countries whose citizens want to live and work in Thailand. They don't bring in money to Thailand and take Thai's jobs and of course are looking for the new better life. Their countries do little for Thailand and they send and bring money and goods out of Thailand. So resentment is like the USA has for Mexico and the other latin countries that pick uncle sams bones. At least they are not jamming the schools and welfare lines and draining the freebies to breed like rabbits. The Cambodians,Burmese and Laos people all work and work hard for very little. I think Thai's are quite flexible in their stance.

The HIgh Society and other class distinctions of superiority are all steeped in the trendy western culture that is unfortunately popular here now.

So expect more racism and prejudices in the future.

[Tatsujin]

I thought all Thai's were ultra-nationalist anyway . . .

[90dayz]

Come on......Nationalism is a control technique, what better to divert the attention of the restless masses away from uncomfortable domestic policies than a manufactured dispute with another country?

The masses always fall for it. The North Koreans are starving but they sure hate America, the Palestinians are jobless but they can easily be roused into an anti-Israel rally, The Argentinians suffer continual bouts of economic catastrophe but mention the Falklands and away they go again, and here in Thailand, when things get a bit dodgy, go pick a fight with the Cambodians.

The masses always fall for it.............

The problem is though, you can't control Nationalism, it can easily tip over to Xenophobia, this country is playing with fire. There may be a day in the not too distant future where an event will unleash a Nationalist wave that no one can control.

That's a worry for many.

And what's there to be "nationalist" about that'll tip the flames? That Bangkokians are essential to human development and civilization? It's one thing for the Japanese to indulge in ultra-nationalism, but Thais?

Edited January 4, 2014 by 90dayz

[englishoak]

Yes Thais are xenophobic and yes they are nationalistic, they also dont accept responsibility very well let alone blame.Its always someone elses fault ............ maybe thats why Karma and superstition holds so much importance here, they need something to blame even when its invisible otherwise they have to look at themselves, and that they simply cannot face.

It is no surprise to hear blame on others its an old rhetoric used all over the world and most certainly here

[DMG333]

Yes Thais are xenophobic and yes they are nationalistic, they also dont accept responsibility very well let alone blame.Its always someone elses fault ............ maybe thats why Karma and superstition holds so much importance here, they need something to blame even when its invisible otherwise they have to look at themselves, and that they simply cannot face.

It is no surprise to hear blame on others its an old rhetoric used all over the world and most certainly here

I don't think that's how the karma concept works....and the way we think. Anyway, it is true Thais are proud and nationalistic, may be because we are lucky have most of the best essentials in this world in terms of food, entertainments and places etc. Thus we are self content and turn some into egoistic beings.

That's why even the concept of investments from Thailand to our neighbors are insignificant in terms of figures compared with other countries.

[beautifulthailand99]

Probably ultra-nationalists with heavy Buddhas around their necks ready to fight over a temple. And we farangs don't understand Thai culture - I think the problem is we understand too well or to use the local vernacular we know too much.

[beautifulthailand99]

Where and when?

Many places and often - odd that you never encountered it. Perhaps I should read up on the definition of xenophobia.

Ok, looked it up and the meaning hasn't changed.

I take it you do not believe xenophobia to exist in Thailand

We're at odds on scale only.......of course there are individuals ( many of them in many societies ) that are Xenophobic, and that applies to Thailand, I am referring to when it goes beyond the actions of the individual and becomes a mob action........

Rwanda being a prime example, but there are numerous examples.

They might not take to hacking each others arms off yet, but Thailand is to me one of the most regionally divided countries I have ever lived in.

Everyone looks down on isaan, Bangkok looks down on Chiangmai, and the south, well they are just kaeks.

And everybody looks down on Laos and the Laos on the hill tribes and so it goes - got to feel sorry for the poor amoeba ....

[retsdon]

The Thais are very specific in their xenophobia though. Some years ago when I taught English in Thailand - this was back before Air Asia and such - I schemed up this little speaking activity called 'The Bangkok Bus' . As anyone who's ever taught language in Asia will attest, the hardest thing is getting students to speak - they're all shy to do it - and the BB was a ploy to coax them into practicing their English.

Basically it worked like this. The chairs were moved into two double rows down the room like the seats on a bus. Then the kids were seated, and then I'd walk down the 'aisle' handing one of each pair a card with a name, a nationality, a city, a job, a family status, and some general info on it. The idea behind it was that one of the pair would be themselves from the town we were in, and the other one with the card would use the info on the card to play the fictitious foreigner, who of course couldn't speak Thai. On the word, they'd strike up a short conversation with each other exchanging personal info and stuff about their hometowns as you might with a stranger on the bus to Bangkok. And then, when it started to flag, I'd blow a whistle or whatever and the inside row would move back one seat, and they'd start over again with another stranger...and so on and so forth.

As an activity it worked pretty well. But here's where the xenophobia comes in. Once they were seated and I was handing out the cards, I'd walk down the line telling them 'You're names Willie and you're from Frankfurt in Germany', 'Your name's Susan and you're from Dublin in Ireland', And your name's Lee and you're from Singapore...and so forth and they'd mutter 'OK' or whatever.

But then I'd come to a kid (and it happened every time and was a joke ) and I'd say, "And your name's Moi and you come from Phnom Penh in Cambodia' And the kid would IMMEDIATELY jump up going 'NO! NO!. So then I'd say OK, and put the card to the back and say 'Right never mind, you can be Nan from Luang Prabang in Lao - OK?' and there'd be the exact same reaction as the Cambodian ID. When we got to Mandalay in Burma the whole class would be laughing, and eventually I'd tell the kid he was from Denmark or wherever and he'd be happy as Larry. But anywhere in Africa, or the immediate neighbours was a complete No no.

And they were quite shameless about it too - which strangely I found quite refreshing.

[DrTuner]

Yeah well. When every day at 6pm a video with fighter jets and ships launching missiles is shown, together with a military song from a WW2 dictators era, what do you expect ?