'Hitler' Fried Chicken: KFC may sue restaurant in Thailand

[RickBradford]

Hahaha...yeah, right. You can't sue people in a nation with no basic concept of law, morals, intellectual property, etc. Like trying to fine a tiger or elephant for shitting in the jungle.

And why does any of this surprise anyone? Thailand sided with the Nazis (and Japan, more to the point) in the Second World War...case closed.

What a depressing view of humanity you have. No room for progress and development in your worldview.

Thailand was invaded in 1941 by overwhelming Japanese forces in pursuit of the 'New Order in Asia'. It got a deal rather like the Vichy French, although with an added clause saying Thailand should provide troops to the Japanese army.

One notable Thai response was by the Thai ambassador to the US -- ordered to deliver a declaration of war to his US counterpart, he refused, and instead started up a new political party (Free Thai).

Some might call the Thai accommodation with the Japanese forces a clever piece of diplomacy which spared the Thai population more misery, but you see it as wilful siding with Fascism then, now, and presumably forever.

As I said, a very depressing worldview.

[aechzen]

please dont use austrian names, maybe his nephew want money because they use his name !! Hitler name is copyright called the shops george bush or pol pot or sieg heil chicken would be better

same with the name Mozart nobody can use. (can , but never works long )

Edited July 9, 2013 by aechzen

[antfish]

Jesus.. this story is ancient. The restaurant was in Ubon, and has since changed names. Even the original story in teh English tabloid was stale when it appeared.

Excuse me for not reading the past 7 pages of inevitable drivel.

On the larger topic though, there is this: (Not mine) :

-------------------

"The principal reasons why this seems bizarre can be located in western cultural prejudices and ideologies, rather than in any Thai failing or disability. A highly educated Thai once expressed surprise to me when he heard that there were no statues of Hitler in Germany. After all, China is full of Mao images, he reasoned, and Mao murdered millions of his own people, yet is still officially venerated. A more pertinent example that almost fully justifies his surprise is the statue of King Leopold in Belgium which still stands today, a man responsible for an estimated ten million deaths in the Congo, and whose massive crimes are largely unknown in the west.

Hitler (as well as the notion of 'genocide') has been the subject of systematic demonisation in the west for a variety of political reasons that exceed simply the crimes committed by his regime. His empire-building, based as it was on national supremacy and a fundamentally racist worldview, was consistent with British, European and American colonial projects, all of which involved piracy, mass-slavery and acts that would qualify today as genocide. The fact that this is not formerly acknowledged in the contemporary political culture of these latter, and yet Hitler's one-dimensional, cartoon image as a demonic and exceptional example of 'evil' is presented as popular history, and in some European countries, even prohibited from debate by law, is testimony to the meaning and application of Hitler in the west.

However appalling, the crimes of the Third Reich were not exceptional or anomalous when examined in the context of European colonial endeavour. These crimes did however mark the end of that style of colonialism in Europe, and of the ideas about race that were its foundation (except in at least some parts of the US), and as such have conveniently eclipsed comparable atrocities in the national memories of other European countries who were not on the losing side in the Second World War. So it is not surprising that a Thai, or any other non-colonising Asian, may not be as susceptible to the demonisation of Hitler, or even current ideas about racism, as we in the west are. Nazi kitsch, and the use of Hitler's image in a playful context, is as unremarkable as the use of Chinese revolutionary propaganda and pictures of Mao in theme-bars and chic souvenir shops in the west, which rarely raises an eyebrow.

To qualify this, as others have mentioned here, Thai education encourages the veneration of founding fathers and traditional institutions of power, in line with nationalist political interests. It is maybe fair to say that many Thais assume that other countries have a comparable or similar political landscape, within which a nation would naturally be reticent to demonise its own statesmen, regardless of the 'facts' of history. With the US as Thailand's principal basis for comparison, such an assumption can hardly be blamed.

Interesting thoughs, why don't give the original thinker credit?

but the last paragraph is somewhat odd. "the US as Thailand's principal basis for comparison,"???

[mrdome]

Looks like Pepsi doesn't mind their logo plastered on the signboard though.

I don't think Pepsi knows or approves. I suspect these blank signs are available for free for any restaurant and the actual name of the establishment is affixed by the owner and not Pepsi.

Needless to say, this is the ultimate in bad taste but having lived in the land of blissful ignorance, I am not the least bit surprised.

[BahBahBoBo]

Personally, I think it is humerous,

and in a political sense, if it stirs outrage... GOOD!

Maybe then people can focus on the fact that Israel treats its neighbors in the same manners the Nazi's treated the Jews...

Both wrong.

Maybe then people can focus on the attrocities being carried out in Guatanamo Bay.

Or the massacre by western bombs of millions of humans in the middle east these last two decades?

Or the hundreds of thousands imprisoned all over the middle east without trial or charge?

The wrongdoings of western powers all over south-east asia?

The growing police state in America beating down the rights and freedoms of American Citizens?

WHY focus on ONE atrocity for SO LONG and avoid all the others?

Convenience?

[Thai at Heart]

Hahaha...yeah, right. You can't sue people in a nation with no basic concept of law, morals, intellectual property, etc. Like trying to fine a tiger or elephant for shitting in the jungle.

And why does any of this surprise anyone? Thailand sided with the Nazis (and Japan, more to the point) in the Second World War...case closed.

What a depressing view of humanity you have. No room for progress and development in your worldview.

Thailand was invaded in 1941 by overwhelming Japanese forces in pursuit of the 'New Order in Asia'. It got a deal rather like the Vichy French, although with an added clause saying Thailand should provide troops to the Japanese army.

One notable Thai response was by the Thai ambassador to the US -- ordered to deliver a declaration of war to his US counterpart, he refused, and instead started up a new political party (Free Thai).

Some might call the Thai accommodation with the Japanese forces a clever piece of diplomacy which spared the Thai population more misery, but you see it as wilful siding with Fascism then, now, and presumably forever.

As I said, a very depressing worldview.

As distasteful as surrendering may have been, having known what the Japanese got up to in the Philippines and China, I can't really blame them.

The horrors that could have been visited on the civilian population don't bear thinking about.

[Angeledge777]

It is similar. However, it is not a replica of the trademark and I seriously don't know why KFC is doing a case with this. Is that because they made a chicken genocide?

[charmonman]

Perhaps they will sue them for just not being kosher.

But honestly I don't know what all the fuss is about, perhaps the owners of Hitler just dint know the history, or perhaps he is actually their hero, as he was and still is to millions of people around the world.

Or most likely its the fact the "logo" is too similar to their registered logo (no one is allowed to replace the colonel and the could not care less about the politics.

Perhaps someone should open a competing restaurant over the road and call it "The Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg"

Any way this is not new, the Thais have only copied the idea from Korea, see the pix:

I would expect nothing less from the country that gave us K-Pop.

[BahBahBoBo]

KFC and the Thai government must close them up. It is an infringement of intellectual property and its use in the most heinous and egregious form with this Thai Hitler/Nazi thing.

Everyone should be locked up for everything.

How many things do you do in your life other do-gooders would be opposed to.

Freedom and Democracy my arse.

Lock everyone up, eveyone,

when you take your mindset, are you not just a little Hitler yourself?

How about giving them the freedom to do what they like and accepting that 'Hey! Maybe the noise and contreversy will awaken people to a part of history they were completely unaware of, and the atrocities man is capable of... THE ATROCITIES THAT ARE BEING COMMITTED TODAY ALL AROUND THE WORLD.'

[charmonman]

My favorite Thai fast food franchise was Ho'burger. Much more fitting to the cultural environment. Anyone know whatever happened to them? Haven't seen them for many years.

[BahBahBoBo]

Hahaha...yeah, right. You can't sue people in a nation with no basic concept of law, morals, intellectual property, etc. Like trying to fine a tiger or elephant for shitting in the jungle.

And why does any of this surprise anyone? Thailand sided with the Nazis (and Japan, more to the point) in the Second World War...case closed.hahahah... if its so bad.... GO HOME!

[Briggsy]

An interesting story which shows how inconsequential in the literal meaning of the word foreigners are.

Farang who ordered the death of millions of other farang are a comic figure here. Bin Laden, another comic figure. But mention the name of a Thai general, senior police officer, politician or godfather and you will be met with a frown and told to not talk about such people. Needless to say you would not be allowed to register a fried chicken joint called Jor Por Sarit Fried Chicken.

Anything outside of the Thai pyramid of power is unreal. That in itself is rather unreal.

[Rumblecat]

This story is two years old. The restaurant changed it's name a long time ago. And it wasn't even in Bangkok, it was in Ubon Ratchathan. But, hey, why bother being a proper journalist and doing five minutes research when you can just slap an article together with made-up quotes and have gullible websites and forums link to it.

[metisdead]

Off topic posts as well as inflammatory posts and replies have been removed.

[techboy]

Then again, in a way it is a putdown on that loathsome megalomaniac monster Hitler. The lousy little turd would probably go apoplectic at seeing a characacher of himself being used to sell fastfood chicken or for that matter 'Happy Meals.'

[Pui]

Why are Thai's ignorant for not knowing about Adolf Hilter?

Their news corporation isn't completely Jewish owned. As a westerner a lot of what you know about the world was learned from TV and a company called Associated Press. They have a complete monopoly on ALL international news. AP are owned by Reuters a news group that has been in the Rothschild family for 200yrs. Rothschild are the biggest donors Israel. Hence imbalance on that story. The amount of holocaust stuff rammed down our necks on a weekly basis by western media just goes to show you whos in charge of UK/US media. Stalin and Mao killed many many times more in the same period but the general population hardly hear about it.

In the states the anti defamation league is a very powerful force of lawyers who I can guarantee will be reading this.

So please don't complain/criticize Thai's for not wanting to get involved in our "his-story" becuase its questionable at best.

That's the same old shit that propelled Hitler to power in the first place.

Really, I disagree. How often do you hear people say they hate Muslims these days. Its almost become acceptable but can you imagine the outcry if anyone said anything about Jews, or made any sort of connection between Jews and the banking community?

Whats going on in Israel is outrageous and we do not get objective news coverage, why?

This is modern problem of Media manipulation.

What propelled Hitler in the first place was a massively wealthy mysterious financier. German was completely broke at the time. Who financed it and who has a history of financing war?

As westerners we're taught to ask questions and I now question a lot of what I see on TV.

[mervyn yap]

 

They can change the name to Taksin,than they don't have to change the mascot.

They have Taksin noodle soup in Singapore.

 

Is it delicious?

It tasted like Taksin:-)

Sent from my GT-P6200 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[RickBradford]

@lostmebike

You may well be right.

My real issue is with the poster above who stated that because of what happened between Thailand and Japan 70 years ago, Thailand must today therefore inevitably have no concept of law or morality, and that the case against Thailand as a supporter of Fascism is "case closed".

It's quite possible that many of the elites in Thailand at that time were sympathetic to the idea of an Asian protector, given what they knew of the Western colonialists literally surrounding Thailand on all sides.

[runningfree73]

A good way to get some free publicity.

[Jingthing]

Why are Thai's ignorant for not knowing about Adolf Hilter?

Their news corporation isn't completely Jewish owned. As a westerner a lot of what you know about the world was learned from TV and a company called Associated Press. They have a complete monopoly on ALL international news. AP are owned by Reuters a news group that has been in the Rothschild family for 200yrs. Rothschild are the biggest donors Israel. Hence imbalance on that story. The amount of holocaust stuff rammed down our necks on a weekly basis by western media just goes to show you whos in charge of UK/US media. Stalin and Mao killed many many times more in the same period but the general population hardly hear about it.

In the states the anti defamation league is a very powerful force of lawyers who I can guarantee will be reading this.

So please don't complain/criticize Thai's for not wanting to get involved in our "his-story" becuase its questionable at best.

That's the same old shit that propelled Hitler to power in the first place.

Really, I disagree. How often do you hear people say they hate Muslims these days. Its almost become acceptable but can you imagine the outcry if anyone said anything about Jews, or made any sort of connection between Jews and the banking community?

Whats going on in Israel is outrageous and we do not get objective news coverage, why?

This is modern problem of Media manipulation.

What propelled Hitler in the first place was a massively wealthy mysterious financier. German was completely broke at the time. Who financed it and who has a history of financing war?

As westerners we're taught to ask questions and I now question a lot of what I see on TV.

Good God man, have the power of your convictions. If your buddies knew that you were trying to cloak your hatred of Jews with righteous anger over the treatment of present day Muslims they would stomp the shit out of you.

Speaking as one JEW, I think the Hitler fried chicken in Thailand is not such a big deal because it's clearly done for crass commercial promotional motivations and is clearly well divorced from any actual understanding of what Hitler represents; but the trumpeting of hate inspiring anti-Jewish conspiracy theories is 1000 times worse. I realize many Jews do get worked up over Hitler chicken type incidents. Jews are quite DIVERSE so not all Jews have the same opinions. The case in India was kind of different because there was an established Indian Jewish community in that city. Also that store sported Nazi swastikas (real Nazi ones) unlike the Thai Hitler chicken. Thailand doesn't really have any Thai Jews. Understandably complaints from THAI citizens would carry more weight here in Thailand, and also understandably Jews who were the obsession of Hitler (his final solution wasn't a soda recipe) are the group generally most sensitive to any kind of promotion of Hitler and Nazis.

Edited July 9, 2013 by Jingthing

[DannyApneaMartens]

You think that Thais think an issue like this makes them look backward and stupid. 90% don't have a clue what Hitler did.

They are largely oblivious to what the outside world thinks, and their outrage that anyone dare to criticise shows this perfectly. Criticism is only reserved for Thais.

A Hitler restaurant is greeted with "so what?"

...............and your point is?

His point is that not everywhere in the world Hitler is being looked at as a nightmare for millions of people.

There's countries who couldn't care less about his existence in the past, others praise him as a "god" for exterminating the evil jews who now are doing the same crimes to other countries as the nazis did and others demonize him for his cruelties.

Most likely the one who opened this shop didn't see hitler as such an insult and many other thais wouldn't even care about this entire story.

Reason for it, live and let live, a very thai way of thinking.

KFC shouldn't even sue this place. THEY are the ones intoxicating people with their so called chicken which is stuffed with hormones, genetically modified, full of chemicals and toxins to make it taste like chicken and major reason for obese and unhealthy people.

They are the ones not caring about humans, and abolishing the real values of life, but instead doing everything for a maximum profit, just like Mc Do, Burger King and many others.

If I were Thailand, I'd follow up the example of Bolivia, kick those US Multinationals out of the country and ban them for being a threat to public health and just have a good laugh when they want to sue someone for so called copying their logo.

[Markaew]

Looks like Pepsi doesn't mind their logo plastered on the signboard though.

Pepsi went through something similar but without Hitler.

The Thai dealer that was supplying Pepsi in Thailand demanded the Pepsi recipe and of course Pepsi declined.

Then this dealer decided to try to copy Pepsi with no success. He copied the Pepsi logo and called it, I believe, "Best".

What's funny is the Thais hate the taste.

What a joy is must be to do business in Thailand.

Not quite.

Pepsi tried to buy out its Thai bottler. By a very narrow margin, the stockholders turned down the offer. The Thai company then decided not to renew its contract with Pepsi, and taking in a very large Thai partner, came out with the Est brand line of drinks.

Maybe so, but it still sucks.

[Markaew]

Looks like Pepsi doesn't mind their logo plastered on the signboard though.

Pepsi went through something similar but without Hitler.

The Thai dealer that was supplying Pepsi in Thailand demanded the Pepsi recipe and of course Pepsi declined.

Then this dealer decided to try to copy Pepsi with no success. He copied the Pepsi logo and called it, I believe, "Best".

What's funny is the Thais hate the taste.

What a joy is must be to do business in Thailand.

Actually, the rift came about from Pepsi demanding the controling interest in the Thai business.

The "copy" is called "est". It seems to be holding its own.

How can you say they are holding their own?

They sell it for almost less than water and Thais don't like it. I see Thais buying carts full of Pepsi but I never see Thais buying this Est.

[Exsexyman]

Ridicule is probably the most potent weapon against the memory of Hitler and his ilk. Considering the appalling treatment meted out to gay people by the Nazis, this is quite an effective way of doing it!

[Larry001]

Thailand is almost already a total embarrassment and they do not care. But they will one day when their economy totally falls in a hole. I just returned from Cambodia which is moving forward in leaps and bounds. They are the country of smiles; not Thailand anymore

[chiang mai]

Looks like Pepsi doesn't mind their logo plastered on the signboard though.

I don't think Pepsi knows or approves. I suspect these blank signs are available for free for any restaurant and the actual name of the establishment is affixed by the owner and not Pepsi.

Needless to say, this is the ultimate in bad taste but having lived in the land of blissful ignorance, I am not the least bit surprised.

Pepsi Co doesn't give a toss, they don't own KFC, Yum Group does!

[pizzachang]

A little bit funny. I've seen municipality vehicles with "Che Guevara " picture mud flaps. I believe that there is a completely different perception of 'social consciousness' in Thailand and in Asia in general. Likely, very few Thais knew or cared if a 'positive' Hitler sign means something to a Westerner. We generation tend to think such things should only be used in a negative way. I'm guessing that KFC just didn't like someone copying their logo and the 'Hitler' part is kinda secondary.

[chiang mai]

A little bit funny. I've seen municipality vehicles with "Che Guevara " picture mud flaps. I believe that there is a completely different perception of 'social consciousness' in Thailand and in Asia in general. Likely, very few Thais knew or cared if a 'positive' Hitler sign means something to a Westerner. We generation tend to think such things should only be used in a negative way. I'm guessing that KFC just didn't like someone copying their logo and the 'Hitler' part is kinda secondary.

I disagree, the largest age groups in many western countries currently is the "boomers" and they have very strong memories/links to WWII, it's bad news for anyone who tries to use an Adolph form of marketing.

Also, the use of "Che"" on posters and tee-shirts in the West was seen as a rebellion thing rather than anything else, mostly acceptable by all age groups everywhere except possibly in Cuba and the US (at the time).

[andrewrooney]

A brief google search will show that the picture of the "Hitler" chicken restaurant in Ubon is about two years old, they've long since changed their name. Maybe somebody ought to let KFC know?

[AngelsLariat]

Really, I disagree. How often do you hear people say they hate Muslims these days. Its almost become acceptable but can you imagine the outcry if anyone said anything about Jews, or made any sort of connection between Jews and the banking community?

Whats going on in Israel is outrageous and we do not get objective news coverage, why?

This is modern problem of Media manipulation.

What propelled Hitler in the first place was a massively wealthy mysterious financier. German was completely broke at the time. Who financed it and who has a history of financing war?

As westerners we're taught to ask questions and I now question a lot of what I see on TV.

Good God man, have the power of your convictions. If your buddies knew that you were trying to cloak your hatred of Jews with righteous anger over the treatment of present day Muslims they would stomp the shit out of you.

Speaking as one JEW, I think the Hitler fried chicken in Thailand is not such a big deal because it's clearly done for crass commercial promotional motivations and is clearly well divorced from any actual understanding of what Hitler represents; but the trumpeting of hate inspiring anti-Jewish conspiracy theories is 1000 times worse. I realize many Jews do get worked up over Hitler chicken type incidents. Jews are quite DIVERSE so not all Jews have the same opinions. The case in India was kind of different because there was an established Indian Jewish community in that city. Also that store sported Nazi swastikas (real Nazi ones) unlike the Thai Hitler chicken. Thailand doesn't really have any Thai Jews. Understandably complaints from THAI citizens would carry more weight here in Thailand, and also understandably Jews who were the obsession of Hitler (his final solution wasn't a soda recipe) are the group generally most sensitive to any kind of promotion of Hitler and Nazis.

I don't think that this chicken shack is something to get your panties all up in a bunch about either, but I think that it's quite absurd to try to justify it on the basis that Jews control the world or that KFC has murdered more chickens than Hitler did Jews. If one is to go with that train of logic, one must assume that this restaurant was created in order to make a political point. I don't believe that it was.