I find many references to Thai's preoccupation with "Class" in my years in Thailand, I do not honestly remember ever hearing any reference to "Class" by my interacts with Thai's after my 13 years here in Thailand. also the same as the concept of RE: "saving face", maybe this is because I have never found that any discussion with my Thai friends about Thai politic's, Thai religious preference, or what may be perceived of the faults in their country is ever appropriate.

As I consider it more an opinion of the Farang's of what Thai's consider, to me it is more a non-Thai value that has been projected on to Thai's by the some TV posters..

Just my humble opinion

Cheers:

I find many references to Thai's preoccupation with "Class" in my years in Thailand, I do not honestly remember ever hearing any reference to "Class" by my interacts with Thai's after my 13 years here in Thailand. also the same as the concept of RE: "saving face", maybe this is because I have never found that any discussion with my Thai friends about Thai politic's, Thai religious preference, or what may be perceived of the faults in their country is ever appropriate.

As I consider it more an opinion of the Farang's of what Thai's consider, to me it is more a non-Thai value that has been projected on to Thai's by the some TV posters..

Just my humble opinion

Cheers:

I have heard the references to class often

I think there is some truth to the OP's claims. In fact I just had a conversation with my brother about how I feel like both the 'lower class' and the higher classes are more willing to just see you as a person, while the middle class seems to have a lot of predujice. It seems to me that the lower classes only have skin deep predujice while the higher classes are more concerned with associating with people who meet their standards for good conduct. Middle class Thais though seem to have quite a big chip on their shoulders when interacting with foreigners.

I think the men largely perceive foreign men as threaths to their access to their pool of women and the middle class women think people might think her low class. Yes, the Thai middle class does seem nuevo-rich and they like to show off with a car and nice clothes while living in a 20sqm box without hot water.

It's probably quite common though everywhere. The rich have always been international, while the poor as insensitive as they may be, generally deal with what they are dealt in life and have less to lose, so more willing to be open minded. The middle class however is always fearful of becoming lower class and aspires to keep up with the joneses.

Overall, I think it is largely the middle class men who make an effort to keep 'strangers' out of their dating pool.

I think there is some truth to the OP's claims. In fact I just had a conversation with my brother about how I feel like both the 'lower class' and the higher classes are more willing to just see you as a person, while the middle class seems to have a lot of predujice. It seems to me that the lower classes only have skin deep predujice while the higher classes are more concerned with associating with people who meet their standards for good conduct. Middle class Thais though seem to have quite a big chip on their shoulders when interacting with foreigners.

I think the men largely perceive foreign men as threaths to their access to their pool of women and the middle class women think people might think her low class. Yes, the Thai middle class does seem nuevo-rich and they like to show off with a car and nice clothes while living in a 20sqm box without hot water.

It's probably quite common though everywhere. The rich have always been international, while the poor as insensitive as they may be, generally deal with what they are dealt in life and have less to lose, so more willing to be open minded. The middle class however is always fearful of becoming lower class and aspires to keep up with the joneses.

Overall, I think it is largely the middle class men who make an effort to keep 'strangers' out of their dating pool.

Driving a Camry because you can't afford the latest 5 series can do that to you.

The Thai definition of middle class would be barely above minimum wage in the west. How many families in Thailand have a monthly income if 2000gbp, or 100k baht?

I've never really given a toss what anyone in Thailand thinks of what I do in Thailand and in fact it has never occurred to me to ask anyone what they think. Thais aren't exactly the most worldly people so I would imagine that thinking that a relationship with a farang is low class, or that there are ghosts floating around the Kingdom goes hand in hand.

Truth is that while there may be some Thais who think as the OP alleges, I'd say western tourists are much more judgmental towards farang/Thai relationships. So all these westerners aren't very "worldly people".....?

I have to actually agree with Berkshire on this one. I've encountered more than a few racist Thais and most of them were lower class men (not surprisingly) but the majority of these bad encounters have been with Europeans, especially women. Funny thing though never had this problem with North Americans... go figure.

If westerners are so much more educated and civilized than the Thais, then my question is this... why don't they behave like it then?

I wonder how will Thais feel if they see a Thai woman marrying an Asian (but not farang) man? Example thai woman marry Singapore man?

One of the three women at the very tip top of the class tree married an American.

So it can't be that much of a 'low-class' option.

One of the three women at the very tip top of the class tree married an American.

So it can't be that much of a 'low-class' option.

It was such a loved and respected idea, they tossed her out of the family.