racism among expats in thailand

[Cypress Hill]

Exactly. The Europeans didn't just show up and kidnap Africans. Africans were the ones who sold them the slaves.

White slavers GLOBALIZED the black slavery trade.

Denying it is tantamount to trying to cast doubt that the Holocaust took place

[Gecko123]

I have a friend from Ghana who lives in Thailand and has also lived in several other countries. His experience is that Thais are the most racist people he has met.

Here in the provinces he apparently has no problem but down in Bangkok he says people look horrified at his presence and even wipe themselves if he accidentally brushes past them.

Why is it always a white guy saying this? I've yet to meet a black person in Thailand who's had any bad experiences. Even the black members on TV who comment from time to time have not mentioned being the target of racism by Thais. It's as if some white folks in Thailand feel a desperate need to convince everyone that Thais are racist against blacks. But reality is nothing like that.

My wife rents rooms for a living, many owners say no Indians and no Blacks.....this is NOT 1 or 2 owners this is many, make of it what u will............many also say NO children.

Kannot:

I'm surprised you haven't pressured your wife to refuse listings from people who practice housing discrimination.

Where are your often boasted about superior Western moral values when they're needed most?

[alex88]

I have a friend from Ghana who lives in Thailand and has also lived in several other countries. His experience is that Thais are the most racist people he has met.

Here in the provinces he apparently has no problem but down in Bangkok he says people look horrified at his presence and even wipe themselves if he accidentally brushes past them.

Why is it always a white guy saying this? I've yet to meet a black person in Thailand who's had any bad experiences. Even the black members on TV who comment from time to time have not mentioned being the target of racism by Thais. It's as if some white folks in Thailand feel a desperate need to convince everyone that Thais are racist against blacks. But reality is nothing like that.

My wife rents rooms for a living, many owners say no Indians and no Blacks.....this is NOT 1 or 2 owners this is many, make of it what u will............many also say NO children.

The same goes for when schools are hiring. A lot of schools specify 'no black teachers'. At my school the black teacher is constantly giving up his own personal time to help with school after hours and on weekends. He makes an amazing contribution and still gets paid less than the white teachers (and some of the white teachers are not native English speakers).

[Cypress Hill]

Anyway, this is not a discussion about slavery, it's a discussion about racism against non-white foreigners in Thailand

I read this somewhere and it made sense:

Thais tend to hate you for WHO you are meaning that, in most instances, they'll assess you on your manners, your appearance and perceived status

Yanks, Brits, Frogs etc tend to hate you for WHAT you are meaning that, regardless of whether you're a good person, well-presented and polite, just being born a certain race or colour is enough to despise you

Who would've thought that an ostensibly backward, poorly-educated people could teach the oh-so educated and cultured first-world such wisdom

[alex88]

Anyway, this is not a discussion about slavery, it's a discussion about racism against non-white foreigners in Thailand

I read this somewhere and it made sense:

Thais tend to hate you for WHO you are meaning that, in most instances, they'll assess you on your manners, your appearance and perceived status

Yanks, Brits, Frogs etc tend to hate you for WHAT you are meaning that, regardless of whether you're a good person, well-presented and polite, just being born a certain race or colour is enough to despise you

Who would've thought that an ostensibly backward, poorly-educated people could teach the oh-so educated and cultured first-world such wisdom

Wow, seriously.....

[alex88]

I love Thailand and wouldn't want to be anywhere else but some of the utopian views that some people have of Thai culture astound me.

[Cypress Hill]

Anyway, this is not a discussion about slavery, it's a discussion about racism against non-white foreigners in Thailand

I read this somewhere and it made sense:

Thais tend to hate you for WHO you are meaning that, in most instances, they'll assess you on your manners, your appearance and perceived status

Yanks, Brits, Frogs etc tend to hate you for WHAT you are meaning that, regardless of whether you're a good person, well-presented and polite, just being born a certain race or colour is enough to despise you

Who would've thought that an ostensibly backward, poorly-educated people could teach the oh-so educated and cultured first-world such wisdom

Wow, seriously.....

Yes, seriously

That is my perception after 8 years here.

But then again, I don't allow my perceptions to be clouded by the odd bit of dual pricing, the use of the word "farang" or the fact that the Thai beauty ideal favours fair skin.

None of that shit constitutes racism and only highly-strung, self-entitled, conceited people would believe that it does.

[alex88]

Anyway, this is not a discussion about slavery, it's a discussion about racism against non-white foreigners in Thailand

I read this somewhere and it made sense:

Thais tend to hate you for WHO you are meaning that, in most instances, they'll assess you on your manners, your appearance and perceived status

Yanks, Brits, Frogs etc tend to hate you for WHAT you are meaning that, regardless of whether you're a good person, well-presented and polite, just being born a certain race or colour is enough to despise you

Who would've thought that an ostensibly backward, poorly-educated people could teach the oh-so educated and cultured first-world such wisdom

Wow, seriously.....

Yes, seriously

That is my perception after 8 years here.

But then again, I don't allow my perceptions to be clouded by the odd bit of dual pricing, the use of the word "farang" or the fact that the Thai beauty ideal favours fair skin.

None of that shit constitutes racism and only highly-strung, self-entitled, conceited people would believe that it does.

I also don't consider those things racism but as a white person I have it relatively easy here. Others have more concerns.

[farang95]

I met many different nationality in Thailand ..traveler from around the world....and i love it .... this is phenomenal to be able to share a moment with another human being ..... different experience..Different language.... different culture...different age .... embrace the moment....there is good people .... and they ain't so hard to find ...

CHOK DEE

[Berkshire]

I have a friend from Ghana who lives in Thailand and has also lived in several other countries. His experience is that Thais are the most racist people he has met.

Here in the provinces he apparently has no problem but down in Bangkok he says people look horrified at his presence and even wipe themselves if he accidentally brushes past them.

Why is it always a white guy saying this? I've yet to meet a black person in Thailand who's had any bad experiences. Even the black members on TV who comment from time to time have not mentioned being the target of racism by Thais. It's as if some white folks in Thailand feel a desperate need to convince everyone that Thais are racist against blacks. But reality is nothing like that.

It's not a white guy saying this it's an African guy. And plenty of my Thai friends agree that they also don't like Africans, and would react in much the same way.

No, you're a white guy and you're saying it on TV. Your "African friend" is not saying it. That's the point, we get many white guys who say, "they've heard," or they know somebody who knows somebody, etc. If it's as bad as you say, my African-American friends would be telling me about it and none of them have.

I'm sure there are Thais who dislike certain kinds of foreigners in Thailand, farang included. But it's not nearly the same sort of vile racism as I've seen in America. Not even close.

[Gecko123]

I have a friend from Ghana who lives in Thailand and has also lived in several other countries. His experience is that Thais are the most racist people he has met.

Here in the provinces he apparently has no problem but down in Bangkok he says people look horrified at his presence and even wipe themselves if he accidentally brushes past them.

Why is it always a white guy saying this? I've yet to meet a black person in Thailand who's had any bad experiences. Even the black members on TV who comment from time to time have not mentioned being the target of racism by Thais. It's as if some white folks in Thailand feel a desperate need to convince everyone that Thais are racist against blacks. But reality is nothing like that.

And plenty of my Thai friends agree that they also don't like Africans, and would react in much the same way.

Alex88:

God bless, but your posts just don't ring true to me.

First of all, you're white, right? How is that you have all these African friends who are crying on your shoulder about what a racially oppressive and discriminatory society Thailand is? I don't see too many Africans hanging out with white guys down in Bangkok. Seems especially odd when said white guy has a "get over it, already!" attitude about the transatlantic slave trade.

Then you tell us, hey, not only do I have lots of African friends, but I've got all these Thai friends too, who, coincidentally enough, don't really like Africans. Where are all your Thai friends meeting Africans to formulate their strong opinions? It just seems to me that the average Thai person would have fairly limited contact with Africans, mainly because there aren't that many of them here.

Am I the only one who finds it just a tad bit implausible that a white guy here in Thailand has not only befriended a whole bunch of black Africans, but also a whole bunch of Thai people who curiously enough just happen to not like Africans either. That's quite a coincidence, I think most would agree. Do your Thai friends know you are hanging out with Africans? Do your African friends know that you are hanging out with Thais who don't like Africans? Your social life must require quite a bit of juggling.

I'm also curious about how feelings about Africans comes up in conversation with your Thai friends. Do you bring the subject up? Are you saying stuff like "Somchai, I gotta tell you, I really, really don't like Africans," and your Thai friends are sympathetically agreeing with you? Or are you saying that somehow out of the clear blue sky your Thai friends suddenly announce, 'I don't like Africans." I mean, how does that subject even come up? It's just that I've been coming here for 30 years now, and the subject's never come up. What's your secret?

Another thing you posted that just didn't make sense to me was that, while your Ghanaian friend had "no problem out in the countryside," he found Bangkok to be a hotbed of racism. I found that to be very curious for the simple reason that a significant percentage of the people in Bangkok at any given time are there temporarily or semi-permanently from the countryside. They're there for employment, commerce, medical care, visiting relatives, etc. Because of this constant ebb and flow of people, it doesn't make sense that there would be such a stark contrast in racial attitudes between rural Thailand and cosmopolitan Bangkok.

And just one last question: since you're so in tight with the African community here in Thailand, have you ever introduced any of your African friends to your Thai friends, so that your African-hating Thai friends can discover what great people all of your African friends are?

Edited February 10, 2016 by Gecko123

[JingerBen]

I have a friend from Ghana who lives in Thailand and has also lived in several other countries. His experience is that Thais are the most racist people he has met.

Here in the provinces he apparently has no problem but down in Bangkok he says people look horrified at his presence and even wipe themselves if he accidentally brushes past them.

Why is it always a white guy saying this? I've yet to meet a black person in Thailand who's had any bad experiences. Even the black members on TV who comment from time to time have not mentioned being the target of racism by Thais. It's as if some white folks in Thailand feel a desperate need to convince everyone that Thais are racist against blacks. But reality is nothing like that.

And plenty of my Thai friends agree that they also don't like Africans, and would react in much the same way.

Alex88:

God bless, but your posts just don't ring true to me.

First of all, you're white, right? How is that you have all these African friends who are crying on your shoulder about what a racially oppressive and discriminatory society Thailand is? I don't see too many Africans hanging out with white guys down in Bangkok. Seems especially odd when said white guy has a "get over it, already!" attitude about the transatlantic slave trade.

Then you tell us, hey, not only do I have lots of African friends, but I've got all these Thai friends too, and when I talk to them about Africans they admit they don't really like Africans. Where are all your Thai friends meeting Africans to formulate their strong opinions? It just seems to me that the average Thai person would have fairly limited contact with Africans, mainly because there aren't that many of them here.

Am I the only one who finds it just a tad bit implausible that a white guy here in Thailand has not only befriended a whole bunch of black Africans, but also a whole bunch of Thai people who curiously enough just happen to not like Africans either. That's quite a coincidence, I think most would agree. Do your Thai friends know you are hanging out with Africans? Do your African friends know that you are hanging out with Thais who don't like Africans? Your social life must require quite a bit of juggling.

I'm also curious about how their feelings about Africans comes up in conversation with your Thai friends. Do you bring the subject up? Are you saying stuff like "Somchai, I gotta tell you, I really, really don't like Africans," and your Thai friends are sympathetically agreeing with you? Or are you saying that somehow out of the clear blue sky your Thai friends suddenly announce, 'I don't like Africans." I mean, how does that subject even come up? It's just that I've been coming here for 30 years now, and the subject's never come up. What's your secret?

Another thing you posted that just didn't make sense to me was that, while your Ghanaian friend had "no problem out in the countryside," he found Bangkok to be a hotbed of racism. I found that to be very curious for the simple reason that a significant percentage of the people in Bangkok at any given time are there temporarily or semi-permanently from the countryside. They're there for employment, commerce, medical care, visiting relatives, etc. Because of this constant ebb and flow of people, it doesn't make sense that there would be such a stark contrast in racial attitudes between rural Thailand and cosmopolitan Bangkok.

And just one last question: since you're so in tight with the African community here in Thailand, have you ever introduced any of your African friends to your Thai friends, so that your African-hating Thai friends can discover what great people all of your African friends are?

Exceptionally good post.

You've refuted his points and assumptions one by one... with sound reasoning and without rancor.

Edited February 10, 2016 by JingerBen

[farang95]

i must admit.... i had a situation ...the first time i went to lao ...At the border checking .....

there were a man.... you probably saw him ...he look very very very scary.... he got the killer look .... i was very impress ...the eye contact was discreet but i feel like hmm you don't wanna make him angry......

Anyway i give the personal information with the passport...They close the windows and you wait for a minute or two .....

Nothing wrong.... but then he open the windows and ask if i was really french ...... i was like <deleted> you talking about i am .... .then he close the windows again...and talk to his assistant and they talk for at least 10 min...i was a bit confuse ..... then he open the window and ask if am not an african ..... i said am sorry but no am not lol ..am french as you see on passport..... ...they were talking again together...and looking at me like i was an alien from another planet ( am mixte ) anyway .... he said if you are really french pls talk in french with my assistant....i said ofc NO PROBLEM lol the assistant doesnt speak that well french but anyway i did talk to him and he did finally believe me that my passport was real .... (i guess for the time being they probably did an investigation .....so they apologies and give me the visa i needed and then everything went alright .........

Just been thinking of what were my option if they would have refuse the visa ...And i wouldnt have the possibility to return to thailand ? they would have put me to jail for further investigation right ?

Doesnt mean he is racist...cause i know some business been done in BKK .....easy to get everything you want -( passport , visa and etc etc money pay everything...... )

Sometimes people are sensitive..... they just don't like you..don't like the way you look....The way you talk...doesn't mean they are racist they just don't like you and show it that way.......... don't confuse everything.....

Racism is big word with plurals meanings ...... About the Thai people ...they are crazy about the white skins ....... but those who are darker .....they don't give a damn about it ....life goes on .... be you ..and no problem ...

SABAI SABAI spirit will allow you to be calm...And to handle the complicate situation in the best way possible !!!!

about the FARANG .... never had any Racist situation ..... maybe drunk people sometimes they can say rude words ..but blame it on the alcohol......

[seajae]

there are rednecks in every country unfortunately and they will never change their ways, to be honest I havent seen a lot of it here over the years. I also have never seen or heard anyone be racist towards dark skinned people at all, in Australia I had some great aboriginal mates I used to hang out with and never heard anyone say anything derogatory towards any of them but it does happen. As in all cultures you will get ones that give their brethren a bad name(happens here a lot too) and while a few might react to the drop kicks that do it I think most just tolerate it.

Mate if anyone calls you an offensive name let them know, as far as I am concerned the "n" word has been off limits for many years now, if they use it and your a solid sort of bloke smack the bastards out.

[Cypress Hill]

I have a friend from Ghana who lives in Thailand and has also lived in several other countries. His experience is that Thais are the most racist people he has met.

Here in the provinces he apparently has no problem but down in Bangkok he says people look horrified at his presence and even wipe themselves if he accidentally brushes past them.

Why is it always a white guy saying this? I've yet to meet a black person in Thailand who's had any bad experiences. Even the black members on TV who comment from time to time have not mentioned being the target of racism by Thais. It's as if some white folks in Thailand feel a desperate need to convince everyone that Thais are racist against blacks. But reality is nothing like that.

And plenty of my Thai friends agree that they also don't like Africans, and would react in much the same way.

Alex88:

God bless, but your posts just don't ring true to me.

First of all, you're white, right? How is that you have all these African friends who are crying on your shoulder about what a racially oppressive and discriminatory society Thailand is? I don't see too many Africans hanging out with white guys down in Bangkok. Seems especially odd when said white guy has a "get over it, already!" attitude about the transatlantic slave trade.

Then you tell us, hey, not only do I have lots of African friends, but I've got all these Thai friends too, who, coincidentally enough, don't really like Africans. Where are all your Thai friends meeting Africans to formulate their strong opinions? It just seems to me that the average Thai person would have fairly limited contact with Africans, mainly because there aren't that many of them here.

Am I the only one who finds it just a tad bit implausible that a white guy here in Thailand has not only befriended a whole bunch of black Africans, but also a whole bunch of Thai people who curiously enough just happen to not like Africans either. That's quite a coincidence, I think most would agree. Do your Thai friends know you are hanging out with Africans? Do your African friends know that you are hanging out with Thais who don't like Africans? Your social life must require quite a bit of juggling.

I'm also curious about how feelings about Africans comes up in conversation with your Thai friends. Do you bring the subject up? Are you saying stuff like "Somchai, I gotta tell you, I really, really don't like Africans," and your Thai friends are sympathetically agreeing with you? Or are you saying that somehow out of the clear blue sky your Thai friends suddenly announce, 'I don't like Africans." I mean, how does that subject even come up? It's just that I've been coming here for 30 years now, and the subject's never come up. What's your secret?

Another thing you posted that just didn't make sense to me was that, while your Ghanaian friend had "no problem out in the countryside," he found Bangkok to be a hotbed of racism. I found that to be very curious for the simple reason that a significant percentage of the people in Bangkok at any given time are there temporarily or semi-permanently from the countryside. They're there for employment, commerce, medical care, visiting relatives, etc. Because of this constant ebb and flow of people, it doesn't make sense that there would be such a stark contrast in racial attitudes between rural Thailand and cosmopolitan Bangkok.

And just one last question: since you're so in tight with the African community here in Thailand, have you ever introduced any of your African friends to your Thai friends, so that your African-hating Thai friends can discover what great people all of your African friends are?

Expertly deconstructed

[alex88]

I have a friend from Ghana who lives in Thailand and has also lived in several other countries. His experience is that Thais are the most racist people he has met.

Here in the provinces he apparently has no problem but down in Bangkok he says people look horrified at his presence and even wipe themselves if he accidentally brushes past them.

Why is it always a white guy saying this? I've yet to meet a black person in Thailand who's had any bad experiences. Even the black members on TV who comment from time to time have not mentioned being the target of racism by Thais. It's as if some white folks in Thailand feel a desperate need to convince everyone that Thais are racist against blacks. But reality is nothing like that.

And plenty of my Thai friends agree that they also don't like Africans, and would react in much the same way.

Alex88:

God bless, but your posts just don't ring true to me.

First of all, you're white, right? How is that you have all these African friends who are crying on your shoulder about what a racially oppressive and discriminatory society Thailand is? I don't see too many Africans hanging out with white guys down in Bangkok. Seems especially odd when said white guy has a "get over it, already!" attitude about the transatlantic slave trade.

Then you tell us, hey, not only do I have lots of African friends, but I've got all these Thai friends too, who, coincidentally enough, don't really like Africans. Where are all your Thai friends meeting Africans to formulate their strong opinions? It just seems to me that the average Thai person would have fairly limited contact with Africans, mainly because there aren't that many of them here.

Am I the only one who finds it just a tad bit implausible that a white guy here in Thailand has not only befriended a whole bunch of black Africans, but also a whole bunch of Thai people who curiously enough just happen to not like Africans either. That's quite a coincidence, I think most would agree. Do your Thai friends know you are hanging out with Africans? Do your African friends know that you are hanging out with Thais who don't like Africans? Your social life must require quite a bit of juggling.

I'm also curious about how feelings about Africans comes up in conversation with your Thai friends. Do you bring the subject up? Are you saying stuff like "Somchai, I gotta tell you, I really, really don't like Africans," and your Thai friends are sympathetically agreeing with you? Or are you saying that somehow out of the clear blue sky your Thai friends suddenly announce, 'I don't like Africans." I mean, how does that subject even come up? It's just that I've been coming here for 30 years now, and the subject's never come up. What's your secret?

Another thing you posted that just didn't make sense to me was that, while your Ghanaian friend had "no problem out in the countryside," he found Bangkok to be a hotbed of racism. I found that to be very curious for the simple reason that a significant percentage of the people in Bangkok at any given time are there temporarily or semi-permanently from the countryside. They're there for employment, commerce, medical care, visiting relatives, etc. Because of this constant ebb and flow of people, it doesn't make sense that there would be such a stark contrast in racial attitudes between rural Thailand and cosmopolitan Bangkok.

And just one last question: since you're so in tight with the African community here in Thailand, have you ever introduced any of your African friends to your Thai friends, so that your African-hating Thai friends can discover what great people all of your African friends are?

Well firstly I never said I have a multitude of African friends. I simply repeated what my Ghanaian friend (Co-worker) told me. He has had no problem working at this particular school but he had problems at other schools in other parts of Thailand. When he goes to Bangkok on the weekends he has problems with people there. He speaks Thai quite well so he asks them in Thai "what is your problem?!" and they get embarrassed and apologise to him.

You are right when you say my Thai friends would likely have limited experience with African people. That is usually where racism comes from. You will find the most racist people are usually the ones who have the least experience with the people who they are discriminating against. The only reason it came up is because I have asked my Thai friends because of what my African friend said. They are not aggressive about it but simply say that they consider African people to be criminally inclined, dirty, and untrustworthy.

I also never trivialised the transatlantic slave trade I simply mentioned that the African slaves were sold to the Europeans by African people. How is that trivial?

The Thais are often non-confrontational so their racism is perhaps not as aggressive as the racism you see in the West but Thailand has a lot of underlying racism and is not as heavily controlled by political correctness as you find in Western countries.

As for introducing my Thai friends to my African friend that is a great idea. However most of my Thai friends are gay and my African friend is extremely homophobic.

[Anonymous43]

expats speaking shit haha.. what do you think thai people say when they see you walking down the street hahah.

they don't like black people in this country! adapt or move..

I am Thai

No. I dont say anything behind them as long as they have decent manners. The most foreign targets for Thais are American I suppose, because they talk too loud, low graded attention draw. We cannot expect decency from them especially teens. Noisy in kinos, throw popcorns around, place their foot on front seat etc.

[GuestHouse]

You are right when you say my Thai friends would likely have limited experience with African people. That is usually where racism comes from. You will find the most racist people are usually the ones who have the least experience with the people who they are discriminating against.

Psychologists Gordon Hodson, Department of Psychology, Brock University, Ontario, Canada, seems to think there is a correlation between low IQ and racism.

http://pss.sagepub.com/content/23/2/187

The lack of sophistication in some of the arguments put forward by the 'whataboutary' faction in this thread suggests he might have a point.

[GuestHouse]

expats speaking shit haha.. what do you think thai people say when they see you walking down the street hahah.

they don't like black people in this country! adapt or move..

I am Thai

No. I dont say anything behind them as long as they have decent manners. The most foreign targets for Thais are American I suppose, because they talk too loud, low graded attention draw. We cannot expect decency from them especially teens. Noisy in kinos, throw popcorns around, place their foot on front seat etc.

You forgot the bit about squeezing zits and picking their noses.

[bendejo]

i must admit.... i had a situation ...the first time i went to lao ...At the border checking .....

For a while there were a lot Africans hanging around Vientiane, many up to no good, running the usual "give money to get more money" scams. At the time the Thai embassy in Vientiane was the best place in the region to get a multi-entry tourist visa. The main hangout was the Mango Tree Cafe on the river front. If you were a black tourist from a western country and one of the rascals spotted you they would hit you up with a scam and you would have a hard time shaking them off. There was a black US guy at my hotel I'd talk with at breakfast sometimes, he attracted one of these guys ("hey brudda!") who kept coming around. The American guy was the easy-going type and the con man found this encouraging. I told the lady who ran the hotel and she said she would take care of it, and neither me nor the American guy saw him again.

Then on one trip to Vientiane I didn't see any Africans: on the riverfront, at the embassy, no where. My guess is there was some sort of cleanup, I think this was around 2010.

And there is no shortage of African (or any kind of) rascals in Bangkok.

[zeichen]

expats speaking shit haha.. what do you think thai people say when they see you walking down the street hahah.

they don't like black people in this country! adapt or move..

I am Thai

No. I dont say anything behind them as long as they have decent manners. The most foreign targets for Thais are American I suppose, because they talk too loud, low graded attention draw. We cannot expect decency from them especially teens. Noisy in kinos, throw popcorns around, place their foot on front seat etc.

Wow, I have never met the spokesperson for an entire culture. It must be such a treat for you to know exactly how every single person in your country feels.

Perhaps creating an account here just to troll might not be the best use of your time.

First of all, most Thai's wouldn't know an American from a German. How would they know accents. Most likely they assume all white people are Americans as does most Asian countries.

[Anonymous43]

@zeichen At least I can tell apart Brit and American accent. And it seems other Thais see the same way. This is one of the complain.

http://m.pantip.com/topic/31143519?

Edited February 11, 2016 by Anonymous43

[Berkshire]

i must admit.... i had a situation ...the first time i went to lao ...At the border checking .....

there were a man.... you probably saw him ...he look very very very scary.... he got the killer look .... i was very impress ...the eye contact was discreet but i feel like hmm you don't wanna make him angry......

Anyway i give the personal information with the passport...They close the windows and you wait for a minute or two .....

Nothing wrong.... but then he open the windows and ask if i was really french ...... i was like <deleted> you talking about i am .... .then he close the windows again...and talk to his assistant and they talk for at least 10 min...i was a bit confuse ..... then he open the window and ask if am not an african ..... i said am sorry but no am not lol ..am french as you see on passport..... ...they were talking again together...and looking at me like i was an alien from another planet ( am mixte ) anyway .... he said if you are really french pls talk in french with my assistant....i said ofc NO PROBLEM lol the assistant doesnt speak that well french but anyway i did talk to him and he did finally believe me that my passport was real .... (i guess for the time being they probably did an investigation .....so they apologies and give me the visa i needed and then everything went alright .........

Just been thinking of what were my option if they would have refuse the visa ...And i wouldnt have the possibility to return to thailand ? they would have put me to jail for further investigation right ?

Doesnt mean he is racist...cause i know some business been done in BKK .....easy to get everything you want -( passport , visa and etc etc money pay everything...... )

If I understand you correctly (which I admit is not easy), you're saying the Thais thought you didn't look French....correct? Well I've heard/read French people themselves saying someone "didn't look French." This occurred on this very TV forum when a French-Muslim committed a terrorist act and the article said the perpetrator was a Frenchmen. Some French guy insisted that the individual "didn't look French" (read "white"). Happened with Aussies as well. So you can't blame the Thais when your very own people (i.e., French people) seem to have their own narrow idea of what French people are supposed to look like.

[farang000999]

Berkshire makes a fair point that white posters who point out that Thais are racist against blacks might themselves be racist and take pleasure in making this point.

However, with that said, I think it is quite likely that the lack of complaining from black posters can be explained to some extent by the fact that they know that Thai Visa is not a receptive audience to complaints about racism towards blacks. And to a lesser extent - denial, which we see straight across the farang spectrum:

"They like me! They really really like me!"

We know that Thais are ridiculously prejudiced when it comes to skin tone, the suggestion that this hatred is limited to only Thai skin tone is naive at best.

We also know that every teaching listing comes with the prerequisite of supplying a photo. Yet somehow computer programming job applications do not. Wonder what they are checking for...

Try going five television commercials without an advertisement for whitening products...

Edited February 11, 2016 by farang000999

[Gecko123]

Berkshire makes a fair point that white posters who point out that Thais are racist against blacks might themselves be racist and take pleasure in making this point.

However, with that said, I think it is quite likely that the lack of complaining from black posters can be explained to some extent by the fact that they know that Thai Visa is not a receptive audience to complaints about racism towards blacks. And to a lesser extent - denial, which we see straight across the farang spectrum:

"They like me! They really really like me!"

We know that Thais are ridiculously prejudiced when it comes to skin tone, the suggestion that this hatred is limited to only Thai skin tone is naive at best.

We also know that every teaching listing comes with the prerequisite of supplying a photo. Yet somehow computer programming job applications do not. Wonder what they are checking for...

Try going five television commercials without an advertisement for whitening products...

While I found your theories interesting, I don't think they stand up to scrutiny.

TVF not a receptive forum

Have a look at this thread: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/784616-bangkok-racism-and-snobbery/

In it you will find multiple examples of white posters who are positively delighted to agree with the black OP who complains that Bangkok Thais are racist. You can hardly describe these posters as "unreceptive" to such complaints. Quite the contrary; they welcome them, because it reinforces their contention that Thais are racist. By the way, the OP in the above thread later admitted that in hindsight he realized that what he had experienced in Bangkok was probably more a case of culture shock than racial discrimination. The thread had no other posts from people of color confirming the OP's experience, even though they were repeatedly encouraged to share their experiences.

If your theory about TVF being inhospitable was true, complaints about racial discrimination would surface on websites more sympathetic to or geared towards the African community. For example, there are numerous websites targeting the various Western African communities in Thailand. When you google keywords like "African", "African-American", "expatriate", "Thailand", "discrimination", and "racism", yes, you do find that the subject of racism in Thailand does come up and, yes, there are a smattering of complaints, but you really aren't left with the impression that it's an overwhelming problem which preoccupies the African expatriate community in Thailand.

They're in denial about racism

Again, an interesting theory, but I don't think it stands up to scrutiny. Most people of color that I've talked to have a certain sensitivity about how people react racially to them, call it a radar, if you will. It doesn't just get switched on when they're around white people; it's on all the time. If you interview a person of color who has travelled widely in SE Asia, they will likely have formulated an opinion about the racial climate of each country. If blacks were in denial about racism, wouldn't you find blacks living in Western countries, desperate to assimilate, denying that racism in the West is a problem as well? Yes, you can find people of color in the West who deny racism exists, but they are a tiny sliver of the population. I don't see any reason to feel that a tendency towards denial would be greater for blacks in Asia than blacks in the West.

Finally, if racism in Thailand was prevalent, short-time visitors and tourists would equally be exposed to such racism and discrimination, wouldn't they? But a short-time visitor or tourist has no psychological motive to "fit in" or deny that they suffered discrimination or racist treatment on their holiday, and would be quick to share their experiences on travel and other websites, wouldn't they? Again, I can't find much evidence that this is happening, which is why I question the validity of your theory that people are living in "denial."

Whitening creams prove Thais are racist

Part of the reason people talk past one another on this topic is because people are slinging terms like "racism" around without checking what this word really means. "Racism" means "the belief that all members of each race possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race, esp. so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races."

Having a cultural bias that assigns higher social status to those with lighter skin, i.e., belonging to the mercantile class rather than the peasant class, does not meet the definition of racism. Nor does having a cultural bias that aesthetically values lighter skin over darker skin necessarily meet the definition of racism. If a white person prefers a lighter northern European complexion over a Mediterranean olive complexion, this does not mean that this person is a racist.

I disagree strongly with your comment about Thais "hating" darker skin tones. I have observed how Thais interact with one another for 30 years, and taught here for many years. I have never observed rude or condescending behavior directed towards darker complected Thais, or preferential treatment of lighter complected Thais.

Photo required proves racism

Look, a school has an interest in the presentability of its teaching staff. A teacher is in front of students all day. They have to capture the attention and confidence of their students. A photo is useful to gauge a person's personal appearance and presentability.

Do some schools use a photo requirement to screen out blacks or other racial minorities? In all likelihood, yes. I've heard enough stories about schools ruling out from consideration non-white foreign nationals that I would be foolish to believe that it never happens.

On the other hand, in researching one of my earlier posts on this thread, I came across a website for Ghanaian expats in Thailand, and was struck by how many of the posters were employed as teachers here, so I don't think the suggestion that a person of African descent can't find a teaching job in Thailand to save his or her life is accurate. Finally, if job discrimination based on racial background was practiced across the board here in Thailand, wouldn't one expect to encounter it in all job fields, including computer programing?

Edited February 12, 2016 by Gecko123

[GuestHouse]

I'm struggling to understand what racism amongst Thais has to do with the opening post, racism amongst expats in Thailand.

[fey]

some real drivel above that i have not read...

the problem with racism is that you become racist fighting against it
racism is solved in the smallest daily interactions and everyday personal relationships. the street vendor, the maid etc, not with 'movements' and long winded book-like diatribes

[Gecko123]

some real drivel above that i have not read...

Do you ever proofread your posts?

the problem with racism is that you become racist fighting against it

racism is solved in the smallest daily interactions and everyday personal relationships. the street vendor, the maid etc, not with 'movements' and long winded book-like diatribes

This, from the same guy who posted this embarrassingly racist drivel a few pages back??????

blacks are not really admired anywhere as far as i know.
basically your seen as poor or criminal. that's just how it is.

in thailand, it would be even worse since most blacks here are nigerians.
the reputation precedes them.

Edited February 13, 2016 by Gecko123

[stuandjulie]

I would not want you teaching my kids my friend, not because of the colour of your skin.

It would be your bad English grammar and terrible grasp on history !

[djayz]

I'm not racist, I dislike everybody equally.

Joking aside, get on with your life mate. Life's too short to let idiots drag you down. For every racist you meet, there's probably 100 more people who aren't racist.