Thailand has a new popular sensation - Hitler

[Buckaroo]

History education in Thailand is appalling, even in the foreign schools here. This is one part of the problem. Added to that Thais in general do not like to read unless there are plenty of pictures. Why this is I don't know. I can only put it down to their insular mindset and a lack of desire to learn from the outside world.

Mongkut, Thailand's genius king, would be horrified.

Had he really been a genius, then it would not be a problem

[Thailand]

I have an elderly Japanese as a friend who I met in HK some years ago.

We were walking through a park in Central one day and a gentleman was promoting a book related to his experiences as a Japanese POW. She had seen some Japanese characters on the book so intrigued she went over to talk with the guy. After some minutes she returned to me asking if the Japanese had really done such terrible things, she had no idea!

[bigbamboo]

History education in Thailand is appalling, even in the foreign schools here. This is one part of the problem. Added to that Thais in general do not like to read unless there are plenty of pictures. Why this is I don't know. I can only put it down to their insular mindset and a lack of desire to learn from the outside world.

Mongkut, Thailand's genius king, would be horrified.

Had he really been a genius, then it would not be a problem

He was the closest thing to it I've seen in Thailand.

But the problem would still exist.

[asupeartea]

Thailand has a new popular sensation - Hitler[

“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.

As a teacher here, I can attest to the poor education in general, not just world history.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Morakot]

It's been happening from at least the 80's off and on.

Thanks for this historical perspective, which the author of the article clearly doesn't have!

E.g. "SS style bike helmets"

[Thaddeus]

A country full of children who care for nothing other than what they want, who will then throw a tantrum at the rest of the world when they don't get it.

Some serious growing up is needed.

Attention seekers and petulant, nothing more.

[Sheppo]

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

I am an Australian that lost 2 uncles to Hitlers regime. I am a regular visitor to Thailand and in particular, Chonburi where I find too many bloooy Germans trying to ruin the Thail lifestyle. Stop this bloody rubbish please!!!

[Suradit69]

...

It's written by a Jew also. you can easily download the book in a minute.

...

So it's more special because a Jew wrote it? Interesting. Do people imagine Jews are a big blob of sameness or something?

If this forum is to be used a reference, then it can easily be assumed that people have far more imagination than intelligence.

Well said.

I guess we have to have a bi-weekly Hitler thread now on Thai Visa.

Treating Hitler and the Nazis as a joke, however deplorable and tasteless that might be, has been going on in the US and Europe for a long time. As usual whenever something happens in Thailand people here start acting like such things never go on in the enlightened west.

And those parodies of the Nazi era were created and performed by people who should have a very good knowledge of what went on in the concentration camps etc because it was "fresh history" and relentless presented in the media.

How many enlightened westerners know about what happened with the Khmer Rouge & Pol Pot or Idi Amin in Uganda or genocide in Bosnia or Rwanda? To expect young Thais to be super sensitive to something that happened long ago and far away is unrealistic and bombastically ego-centric.

[mylk]

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.

Where do you get this idea?

Hitler hated blacks...no evidence that he hated Asians.He teamed with the Japanese and he had enormous respect for Tibetan culture, for starters.

Hitler was/is demonized because he threw a huge monkey wrench into the world order of his time.

...and the victors wrote the history.

The only reason he teamed with the Japanese was more to do with not having to cross paths with them at any point. Better to side with them rather than their enemy.

[Suradit69]

A country full of children who care for nothing other than what they want, who will then throw a tantrum at the rest of the world when they don't get it.

Some serious growing up is needed.

Attention seekers and petulant, nothing more.

Sounds like you're describing the all too common Thai Visa hissy-fitter.

[Suradit69]

...

It's written by a Jew also. you can easily download the book in a minute.

...

So it's more special because a Jew wrote it? Interesting. Do people imagine Jews are a big blob of sameness or something?

People on TV certainly seem to think that Thais are a big blob of sameness ... or something.

But since one of the complaints is that Thais are IGNORANT about the world outside Thailand, I think it's fair to say that most Jews have a better understanding of what happened under Hitler, so when they participate in and laugh at comedies regarding the Nazis, as I have pointed out before, it's unlikely they're behavior is because of ignorance. Why should young Thais be more informed or more sensitive than well educated, both formally and informally on this topic, Jews in the west?

Edited July 14, 2013 by Suradit69

[Baerboxer]

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.

Thailand welcomed Japanese troops into their country and allowed them to run pow camps in kanchanaburi. Then, they later sided with the Americans to stop the spread of communism. They join the money, wherever that comes from

You are partially correct, I know that now but I did not learn of it in my 64 years in North America. It was not an Item it was always the Japanese against the Americans. A friend of mine grew up in Canada and he was telling me that all his knowledge in school was the same as mine as they were using American history books.

When I said partially correct I was referring to the POW camps. For the building of the railroad to Burma the camps were run by Koreans and on completion turned over to the Japanese.

There is a plaque in one of the cemeteries there telling about this it also said the living conditions improved when the rail road was done and /the Japanese took over the POW camps.

Ever talked with any WW2 veterans who were prisoners of the Japanese? I have known many. Koreans were used as the guards and low ranks. The Japanese officers and NCO's treated the Koreans with contempt and of course the Koreans took it out on the prisoners. The Japanese committed wicked viscious attrocities against the Chinese people, the peoples of all the nations they invaded and Prisoners of War. This was as deliberate, well planned and systematic as the horrors perputrated by their Nazi allies.

The comment that "living conditions improved when the Japanese took over is nonsense and simply untrue. Japan did not delegate responsibility or authority to Korea. Sounds like an example of a Thai "white lie" to please their Japanese friends who just happen to be the biggest investor in Thailand.

What is sad is that the justice meted out to the Nazis was not replicated to their Japanese counterparts, due to American foreign policy and scheming. Go figure that one.

Edited July 14, 2013 by Baerboxer

[Thaddeus]

A country full of children who care for nothing other than what they want, who will then throw a tantrum at the rest of the world when they don't get it.

Some serious growing up is needed.

Attention seekers and petulant, nothing more.

Sounds like you're describing the all too common Thai Visa hissy-fitter.

And it sounds like you are trying to defend the indefensible.

Which means we are both wasting our time.

[Baerboxer]

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.

Where do you get this idea?

Hitler hated blacks...no evidence that he hated Asians.He teamed with the Japanese and he had enormous respect for Tibetan culture, for starters.

Hitler was/is demonized because he threw a huge monkey wrench into the world order of his time.

...and the victors wrote the history.

The only reason he teamed with the Japanese was more to do with not having to cross paths with them at any point. Better to side with them rather than their enemy.

Google German Japanese anti-comitern pact. You might learn something.

[CodyB]

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.

Where do you get this idea?

Hitler hated blacks...no evidence that he hated Asians.He teamed with the Japanese and he had enormous respect for Tibetan culture, for starters.

Hitler was/is demonized because he threw a huge monkey wrench into the world order of his time.

...and the victors wrote the history.

Damn that's just wrong.

When people die for political reasons, it's horrible. When people die due to a mans hate, justifying it by taking advantage of the latent racism within a struggling german population, that's the most insidious evil that has ever existed. Hitler wanted to make certain people no longer exist. Cut it any way you like, he is clearly the most horrible person to ever have the oppurtunity to abuse power.

[jago25]

I'd like to know a bit more about what's going on here.

You say that it's due to ignorance, but is it? Plenty of Brits (embarrassingly I have to add - it makes me wince it really does) joke with this. John Cleese's famous goose step in faulty towers of course. Later, was it Prince Harry who also got caught trying to get mileage out of the taboo with his Nazi costume (such is art, everybody's interpretation is different... I thought it was either a brilliant political comment or a fascinating insight into the insecurities of a young king-to-be...)

Terribly insensitive for gypsies and jews of course. The Che parallel was a point well made even if it's not quite the same situation it dies highlight the ignorance of the young in particular.

Personally I am trying not to find it hilarious. If you see this, need to reprimand these kids and tell them why.

[bigbamboo]

...

It's written by a Jew also. you can easily download the book in a minute.

...

So it's more special because a Jew wrote it? Interesting. Do people imagine Jews are a big blob of sameness or something?

If this forum is to be used a reference, then it can easily be assumed that people have far more imagination than intelligence.

Intelligent people don't assume.

[Baerboxer]

I have an elderly Japanese as a friend who I met in HK some years ago.

We were walking through a park in Central one day and a gentleman was promoting a book related to his experiences as a Japanese POW. She had seen some Japanese characters on the book so intrigued she went over to talk with the guy. After some minutes she returned to me asking if the Japanese had really done such terrible things, she had no idea!

Germany was made to educate its populace and successive generations about the horrors and crimes committed by the Nazis. The swastika, nazi salute and Horst Wessel song are all illegal in Germany. I have many German friends and all of them still hang their heads and feel embarrased when discussing WW2 or the Nazis - even ones in their early 20's.

Japan presents a very different view of its part in WW2 to its populace. A much sanitised whitewashed version of history, ignoring the war crimes and concentraing on the heros who sacrificed their lives for the Emperor. Mention the "rape of Nanking" or the 'death railway" to Japanese and they have no idea what you're talking about. They have no embarasment or shame about their countries in-human behaviour.

Read the accounts of the Japanese occupation of Nanking. Even German Nazis based their were horrifed - and that says everything.

[Maggusoil]

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.

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.

Is there a world outside of Thailand for Thais?

Ever meet a Jew in Thailand?

Its a learning curve thing. We can't all get an education at once. As a Jewish heritage type in Thailand, I say . .. let them learn, I think the Jews (my mob) make too much of it. There were millions of Polish and Christians slaughtered by the Nazis. Lest we forget. Hitler was broader than we remember.

Man's inhumanity to man is a common thing here. . . and the post is right about Che Guevera. What a lot of misplaced adulation he gets for nothing. A violent opportunistic scumbag. Here's a quote from the great man " . . a revolutionary must become a cold killing machine motivated by pure hate." Nice type eh?

Some here on TV really get off on the high ground . . .

[Baerboxer]

I'd like to know a bit more about what's going on here.

You say that it's due to ignorance, but is it? Plenty of Brits (embarrassingly I have to add - it makes me wince it really does) joke with this. John Cleese's famous goose step in faulty towers of course. Later, was it Prince Harry who also got caught trying to get mileage out of the taboo with his Nazi costume (such is art, everybody's interpretation is different... I thought it was either a brilliant political comment or a fascinating insight into the insecurities of a young king-to-be...)

Terribly insensitive for gypsies and jews of course. The Che parallel was a point well made even if it's not quite the same situation it dies highlight the ignorance of the young in particular.

Personally I am trying not to find it hilarious. If you see this, need to reprimand these kids and tell them why.

Harry's brother is the young king to be.

[GAZZPA]

Is this part of the "promoting Thainess" to the world compaign? This will be deeply offensive to many people around the world and I am surprised that it is allowed to continue. For example, Russians now make up a large percentage of tourists, they also bore the brunt of the highest amount of casualties whilst fighting back Hitlers army, millions lost their lives. Perhaps Russia should put a few pictures of this in their tourist brochures and see what happens to the visitor numbers,, if indeed it is misplaced humour then it should not be a problem, right?

[hansnl]

Great Public Relations moment for Thailand.

Indeed, it is very nicely going around outside Thailand.

If one might say it, a huge loss of face for Thailand, the Thai people and the Thai government.

[mamypoko]

What's next...Che burgers? Pol "Hot"Pots?

Bush tacos? Strike my laster....those are everywhere!

[slipperylobster]

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.

Could not positively verify the above. I checked some historical sites such as this one...

http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/ancientart/f/swastika.htm

para 5 and 6....

A difference however can be noticed: the orientation of the arms is clockwise in the Buddhist swastika and anti-clockwise in the one adapted by the Nazis. Unfortunately I don't know how this change occurred or its significance.

-The swastika... has nothing to do with the swastika used as the symbol in Nazi Germany. That symbol is from Nordic runes and was used in Nordic tribes' pagan culture. Later it was also used by the Teutonic Knights formed in the 12th century. From this source the Nazis got a lot of their symbols, like the SS rune.

1. -GUENTERHB

[jamhar]

I think the most relevant thing about this article is the origin itself

Read More: http://www.csmonitor...ensation-Hitler

--The Christian Science Monitor 2013-07-13

CSM is by no means some no named source.

This line of stories may be getting press on more major carriers.

At some point, it will reach critical mass,

and may affect Thai Tourism.

[ABCer]

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.

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.

Many Thais do not consider them selves, Asian. Cambodians, Loations and Myanmar are Asian

Thais are Thai and only ever fly on THAI

You are all right to some extent, gentlemen. But I think that arguing about finer points, you seem to be overlooking a huge difference.

True, Neo-Nazis can be found in any country, including even Israel. But only in Thailand they are mass produced by the country's #1 University !

Ponder over this fact, please. All the condescending excuses like 'Education or lack of it' just fly out the window.

I have been called an extremist for this once, so let me repeat it again: "Thailand is a Nazi Germany of the East".

Luckily for us all these Nazis tend to be chicken militarily...

[Maseratimartin]

Honesty...I give a shit!

....and more annoying is what some jews think of it.

[GAZZPA]

I think the most relevant thing about this article is the origin itself

Read More: http://www.csmonitor...ensation-Hitler

--The Christian Science Monitor 2013-07-13

CSM is by no means some no named source.

This line of stories may be getting press on more major carriers.

At some point, it will reach critical mass,

and may affect Thai Tourism.

If it grows further and becomes more common place and the government continue with their "misplaced humor" excuses it will absolutely effect tourism.

[sprq]

Has this reporter never heard of World War II? Or does she think that the Holocaust includes World War II? It's the other way round. The Holocaust, as just about any non-Thai fool knows, but not this reporter apparently, was a part of the war and -- even with six million fatalities -- was a minor element of that war in which it's estimated that 50 million people were killed. It seems to me that the Christian Science Monitor needs to get an education too.

[Beetlejuice]

I think the most relevant thing about this article is the origin itself

Read More: http://www.csmonitor...ensation-Hitler

--The Christian Science Monitor 2013-07-13

CSM is by no means some no named source.

This line of stories may be getting press on more major carriers.

At some point, it will reach critical mass,

and may affect Thai Tourism.

That`s it.

Something will only be done when this starts affecting tour companies and other businesses in their pockets.

Hitler's reaction to the Thai general election 2011: