Thailand has a new popular sensation - Hitler

[Lite Beer]

Thailand has a new popular sensation - Hitler

By Flora Bagenal

In Bangkok, grinning kids pose for photos next to cartoon effigies of the man responsible for the deaths of 12 million people during the Holocaust.

It started as a craze for T-shirts printed with cartoon images of Hitler’s face. This dubious trend among teenagers in Thailand soon moved on to include SS style bike helmets, temporary swastika tattoos, and pictures of cute teddy bears doing the Nazi salute.

Soon, kids were seen on the streets of Bangkok posing for photos, grinning next to cartoon effigies of the man responsible for the deaths of 12 million people during the Holocaust. Then it emerged other incidents had taken place including a Nazi themed school fashion show and a sports day parade in the northern city of Chang Mai in which a group of students dressed up as SS soldiers as a surprise for their teachers.

“Hitler Chic,” as it was dubbed in the media last year, has quickly snowballed in Thailand, revealing a lack of historical education and awareness in a country that was left largely untouched by World War II.

Unsurprisingly, the new craze has prompted confusion among foreign tourists and outrage among several international organisations, including Itzhak Shoham, the Israeli ambassador to Thailand, who said the trend “hurts the feelings of every Jew and every civilized person.”

The complaints elicited bemused responses from Thailand’s cultural elite, who brushed it off as misplaced humor, stemming from kids who aren’t taught about the history of the Holocaust in school. One blogger said they thought the world had lost its sense of humor. “Why is this different from the West’s obsession with Che Guevara?” he wrote.

Interest in the trend seemed to be dropping off until last week when pictures on Twitter started circulating of a fried chicken joint in Bangkok allegedly named Hitler. Modeled after Kentucky Fried Chicken, the restaurant's logo features the face of the Fuhrer plastered onto the body of bow-tie wearing Colonel Sanders, the founder of KFC. The images prompted a renewed outburst of anger, followed by a heavily worded statement from Kentucky Fried Chicken saying they were considering suing the restaurant.

"We find it extremely distasteful and are considering legal action since it is an infringement of our brand trademark and has nothing to do with us," a spokesperson for Yum!, KFC’s parent company said.

It was later pointed out that the pictures of the restaurant may be old and that the chicken joint in question has since changed its name.

Read More: http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-News/2013/0713/Thailand-has-a-new-popular-sensation-Hitler

--The Christian Science Monitor 2013-07-13

[yooper2001]

I think this is a lack of teaching history in the schools. who is next hero to kids stalin? pol pot? edi amin?

Edited July 14, 2013 by metisdead
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[Payboy]

“Hitler Chic,”

I think I've met her.

[Mampara]

Let this be a lesson to the world, about the true mentality and the lack of respect many Thais have for foreigners, countries and cultures. However, this is an excellent opportunity for business investment as one can see, simple minds can easily be manipulated.

[chainarong]

One has to question how this popular sensation has taken off, do these youngsters really know who , what or why about Hitler, supporting , promoting this evil person has to be discouraged, with the standard of education in Thailand , they all probably think Hitler is the current leader of some country, generally these sort of events are public denounced by the leaders of the country concerned , not much action from the leaders of Thailand , this includes the Major opposition party ,the democrats, the silence is deafening

[slipperylobster]

Let this be a lesson to the world, about the true mentality and the lack of respect many Thais have for foreigners, countries and cultures. However, this is an excellent opportunity for business investment as one can see, simple minds can easily be manipulated.

Agreed. In Thailand, we foreigners are expected to respect things that are sensitive to Thais....such as the Monarchy, Temples, dress codes and behavior. When it comes to marriage, we dump tons of money on the family of the bride for the honor. In return we should expect similar courtesies/respect for issues that are sensitive to us. Hitler was a dog, no doubt about that. Nothing was ever funny or fashionable about his sadistic methods. As for Che, although an enemy to capitalism, he had a certain aura to him that might seem fashionable to some people (not to me!) But please stop with the Hitler/Nazi Fad.

[baboon]

Against stupidity, the gods themselves fail to contend...

[swifty5x5]

I just don't get it. Do Thai's not know he was a very extreme white supremest. He would not think of Thai's a human.

[lemonjelly]

This topic was milked dry last week….. I think one may find thread fatigue on this one…. nice try Lite Beer….

[trainman34014]

Kind of weird that Thai's see this Monster as 'Trendy'. Shows a shocking lack of knowledge and understanding that this man would have had all Thai's exterminated as 'Sub-Humans', or worked them to death as slave labour.

Education, education, education.

[LomSak27]

Great Public Relations moment for Thailand.

[NongKhaiKid]

Fits the personna of so many Thais, power, control and all the rest but they won't understand that as they don't know who he was.

[redroo]

Most thai girls are white supremist,

just look at how much whitening cream they use.

[Loptr]

I wonder if Thais would be so willfully ignorant of how this appears had Emperor Hirohito ordered the mass murder of Thais for their version of Buddhism? I think not.

[Tywais]

It's been happening from at least the 80's off and on. Some examples, but seems they still haven't learned:

In 1998, a commercial for potato chips depicted Hitler giving a Nazi salute and then showed a woman who cast a spell on him as he ate the chips, hoping to change his evil ways. A Nazi swastika morphed into the product logo as the transformation was complete. The ad campaign by the Thai office of the U.S.-based Leo Burnett agency was ended shortly after it began.

Also, a “Nazi Bar” opened in downtown Bangkok in the late 1980s, featuring photos of Nazi storm troopers and waiters wearing swastika armbands. The bar’s manager said the theme had a “powerful, catchy and emotive appeal.” The bar changed its name to “No Name Bar” after bad publicity in Thailand and abroad.

Billboard with Hitler causes diplomatic flap

Chiang Mai Mail

Lots of examples - Google Images

[Pib]

So, so many Thais are just clueless about history and perceptions beyond the borders of their little Thailand universe.

[jackr]

I think this is a lack of teaching history in the schools.

A lack of brain cells may also have something to do with it.

[soi41]

I just don't get it. Do Thai's not know he was a very extreme white supremest. He would not think of Thai's a human.

Well, well, well !!

NO, today I am going to be Mr Nice Poster, so no comment!

[Chao Lao Beach]

So, so many Thais are just clueless about history and perceptions beyond the borders of their little Thailand universe.

Planet Thailand

[willyumiii]

Is there a world outside of Thailand for Thais?

Ever meet a Jew in Thailand?

[Spalpeen]

Not many people know that 'Swastika' and 'Sawas Dee Ka' come from the same root. The Nazi's had a strange obsession with Hindu mythology. Contrary to popular belief, 'Aryans' are not blonde haired and blue eyed people, but are in fact the natives of Iran and Afghanistan. 'Iran' is even derived from 'Aryan'.

Of course the average Thai doesn't know any of this. They just see a guy with a funny moustache sticking his arm up.

[Pib]

So, so many Thais are just clueless about history and perceptions beyond the borders of their little Thailand universe.

Planet Thailand

No, Thailand would never accept only being a Planet. Well, maybe they would accept it if they were the "Hub" planet and all other planets revolved around them. But I'm thinking universe status is definitely their self-perception.

[baboon]

Is there a world outside of Thailand for Thais?

Ever meet a Jew in Thailand?

I thought JT was Jewish. Where is he, anyway?

[Rust Never Sleeps]

Thailand is not the only country with a lack knowlegde in regards to history.

As i posted in a previous thread,western countries are also severely lacking of history.I had been looking for a poll in the Der Spiegel newspaper in regards to

Germans lack of history of WW11 but could not find it.

What I did find was this article,www.haaretz.com/news/hitler-was-a-german-soccer-coach-kids-tell-u-k-poll-1.4621

I also came across this article,although this article is a reflection on geographical knowledge,I think it can also reflect on the failings of western education.

www.kuro5hin.org/?op=displaystory;sid=2002/11/21/1472/6928

Thailand is not alone in its lack of history

[aguy30]

Is there a world outside of Thailand for Thais?

Ever meet a Jew in Thailand?

Yes, but they weren't Thai nationals. What else would you expect in a country that is about 95% Buddhist? Most other religions are not followed by Thais. Btw, I have also met some really stupid farang.

[Jingthing]

Neo-Nazis, especially in Russia who directly associate themselves with Hitler and the Nazi symbols, hate Asians. They target them for random attacks on the streets, even murder. In the white dominated parts of Russia such as Moscow, non-whites must stay indoors during the anniversary of Hitler's birthday. Anyone who is not white is a potential target. More than half of the active Neo-Nazis in the world are in Russia.

Are Thai people not Asians?

Hitler and Nazis are not a joke.

They are not fashion.

Edited July 14, 2013 by Jingthing

[hellodolly]

Let this be a lesson to the world, about the true mentality and the lack of respect many Thais have for foreigners, countries and cultures. However, this is an excellent opportunity for business investment as one can see, simple minds can easily be manipulated.

If any one knows any thing at all about The Thai education system they will realize it has nothing to do with the Thai mentality,

That is just out and out Thai bashing.

It is more to do with their education system.

How much knowledge did you have of the Thai's role in WW2 in your foreign education.

In mine American I had none.

[edwardandtubs]

This journalist criticises the ignorance of Thais yet he himself reveals his own ignorance of history. Where does this "12 million people during the Holocaust" come from? The Holocaust is a reference to the Jewish victims of WW2. Everyone knows the true number as its repeated ad nauseam in the western media. The forgotten victims of Hitler include 20-30 million Russians, 13,684,692 civilian losses according to Wikipedia. How can he be so careless with the facts and then criticise others for ignorance?

[pisico]

Let this be a lesson to the world, about the true mentality and the lack of respect many Thais have for foreigners, countries and cultures. However, this is an excellent opportunity for business investment as one can see, simple minds can easily be manipulated.

Add to that: Thai people, albeit not evil, are ignorant, self centered and xenophobic.

[edwardandtubs]

Neo-Nazis, especially in Russia who directly associate themselves with Hitler and the Nazi symbols, hate Asians. They target them for random attacks on the streets, even murder. In the white dominated parts of Russia such as Moscow, non-whites must stay indoors during the anniversary of Hitler's birthday. Anyone who is not white is a potential target. More than half of the active Neo-Nazis in the world are in Russia.

Are Thai people not Asians?

Hitler and Nazis are not a joke.

They are not fashion.

You seem obsessed with Russian neo-Nazis for some reason. Maybe you've been in Pattaya for too long? Russians were Hitler's biggest victims. His plan was to murder 50-60% of them and subject the others to enslavement and deportation to Siberia (google Generalplan Ost). Don't believe everything you read in the media. There are also neo-Nazis in Israel.