Cultural exchange is a two-way street

[Lite Beer]

EDITORIAL
Cultural exchange is a two-way street

BANGKOK: -- The Prayut government should review efforts of the Surayud regime, which were welcomed in the far South

A few days ago a group of retired and active Army generals got together to preside over the opening of the 22nd batch of students taking part in a cultural exchange project that allows them to stay with families in the Central region for up to two months.

At the launch were Privy Council President General Prem Tinsulanonda, the de facto head of the "San Jai Thai Su Jai Tai Project", General Surayud Chulanont, a Privy Council member who was the PM of a military-appointed government following the 2006 coup, and the recently appointed Army chief General Udomdej Sitabutr. The project was launched at the Army Club.

General Pradit Boonkerd, a member of the project committee, said the project has been organised in the hope of enhancing mutual understanding between Thai Muslims in the Central region and the 240 visiting students from the deep South.

During their stay, the students can learn ways of life that are different from their own. Moreover, they will be given knowledge on how to avoid drug dependence, live with others with different cultural backgrounds and solve problems in a non-violent way, he said.

On the surface it sounds good - getting young people from a conflict affected area to see the world outside. After all, who doesn't like a free vacation?

Along the way, the host will give them a pep talk about how they have a shared destiny with the rest of the population.

At the end of the day, the hosts feel good about themselves. After all, they have good intentions, right?

Sadly, after a decade of conflict and 6,000 deaths - most of them Malay Muslims - Thai leaders still can't distinguish between good policy and good intention.

First of all, cultural exchange is a two-way street. Has there been any effort to try to understand the Malay people of the South, their cultural and historical narrative, how it is different from ours and how to bridge this historical trust gap?

The 60,000-plus security officials manning checkpoints and chasing after separatist militants are not exactly ideal representatives, although our officials often referred to the trigger happy rangers as "ambassadors".

In our heads we seem to have this rigid dichotomy between good khaeks and bad khaeks, a Thai word meaning "guest", which is used when referring to Muslims regardless of where they come from.

We might not mean anything by it. But for the Malays of Patani, to suggest that they are outsiders in their own home is nothing less than an insult.

In our mind, a good khaeks are Muslims who don't question their Thai identity and the state-constructed identity that comes with a set of heroes and heroines that the Malays of Patani can't relate to.

We never stop and ask ourselves why young Malay Muslims in the five southernmost provinces decided to take up arms to call for a separate homeland and why the locals support them and why they continue to resist the state's attempt to assimilate them.

During the Surayud government, serious efforts were made to address the Malays' historical grievances. He laid the groundwork for a secret talk with the separatists but deep down inside he knew a comprehensive non-military effort was needed to bring about peace. In other words, he had to negotiate with the people of Patani.

Surayud apologised for the Tak Bai killings and other atrocities committed against the Malays and asked them to move forward together as a nation. But Thai bureaucrats and society were indifferent to the Malays' plight and Surayud's plea. Sadly, it was an opportunity missed.

Today, a reset button has been pushed in the form of a coup. The military did not use the handling of the deep South as an excuse this time around. But there is no reason why the junta can't look back and study the efforts made by the previous military-appointed government. They might just learn something.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/Cultural-exchange-is-a-two-way-street-30245760.html

-- The Nation 2014-10-19

[noitom]

Thais in Paris and New York refer to Parisiens and New Yorkers as "farang." It's a derogatory expression and term that illustrates full well the disdain that Thais have for non Thais.

[Suriya4]

Thailand is a Buddhist country. These aliens should be converted if they want to be Thai people.

[Orac]

Thailand is a Buddhist country. These aliens should be converted if they want to be Thai people.

I thought the problem was that some of them didn't want to be 'Thai people'. Also your acknowledgement that they are not 'Thai people' pretty much makes their case for some form of independence.

[thailiketoo]

Thais in Paris and New York refer to Parisiens and New Yorkers as "farang." It's a derogatory expression and term that illustrates full well the disdain that Thais have for non Thais.

Farang is basically a neutral word according to the official Thai Visa definition. You must be in error. Only the newbiest of noobs would disagree with an official ThaiVisa definition.

http://www.thaivisa.com/558-0.html

Edited October 19, 2014 by thailiketoo

[Ricardo]

Thailand is a Buddhist country. These aliens should be converted if they want to be Thai people.

And should all of Thailand's farang 'guests' similarly be forced to convert ?

I was always taught that 'thai' meant 'free', is freedom-of-choice about religion not included ?

Turning your statement around, if certain small areas of Thailand are not Buddhist, should those areas be considered to not be part of Thailand after all, and be given to the neighbouring country instead ? Interesting thought, that.

Perhaps more tolerance might be helpful.

[rickirs]

"... the host will give them a pep talk about how they have a shared destiny with the rest of the population."

At this time the only shared destiny the Malay Thais have with the rest of Thai citizens is subjugation by the military Junta. Beyond that I believe Malay Thais would be happy not to be Thais and not have to share their destiny with Thais.

[IMA_FARANG]

Thailand is a Buddhist country. These aliens should be converted if they want to be Thai people.

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

That is exactly the kind of racist and ignorant statement that the article refers to.

If you call yourself "Buddhist", as I do, you should be ashamed to make such a statement as it is against Buddhist tradition of tolerance and compassion for other views.

"Thailand" was not in existence until 1952, before that it was known as The Kingdom of Siam.

We do not have time for me to give you a history of the last 200 years or so here in this post, but be assured their are enough missteps and stupid decisions made by both sides in the history of the current problems in the Moslem area.

For one thing, jus as an example of Thai misunderstanding of the different cultural norms consider the Thai military procedure of allowing MALE Thai soldiers to do security searches, including body searches, of young unmarried Thai Moslem schoolgirls.

That procedure is deeply offensive to even moderate Moslem parents and male relatives of these Thai Moslem schoolgirls and causes needless offense to even peaceful Moslems.

It is one thing that should be stopped now, use FEMALE Thai military personnel to do security searches of these women.

Just a simple thing like that would be a start to showing some "cultural understanding" of other cultures in the southern Thai provinces.

"Cultural exchange" starts from such small things as changing that procedure.

[thailiketoo]

That is exactly the kind of racist and ignorant statement that the article refers to.

If you call yourself "Buddhist", as I do, you should be ashamed to make such a statement as it is against Buddhist tradition of tolerance and compassion for other views.

"Thailand" was not in existence until 1952, before that it was known as The Kingdom of Siam.

We do not have time for me to give you a history of the last 200 years or so here in this post, but be assured their are enough missteps and stupid decisions made by both sides in the history of the current problems in the Moslem area.

For one thing, jus as an example of Thai misunderstanding of the different cultural norms consider the Thai military procedure of allowing MALE Thai soldiers to do security searches, including body searches, of young unmarried Thai Moslem schoolgirls.

That procedure is deeply offensive to even moderate Moslem parents and male relatives of these Thai Moslem schoolgirls and causes needless offense to even peaceful Moslems.

It is one thing that should be stopped now, use FEMALE Thai military personnel to do security searches of these women.

Just a simple thing like that would be a start to showing some "cultural understanding" of other cultures in the southern Thai provinces.

"Cultural exchange" starts from such small things as changing that procedure.

You wrote, ""Thailand" was not in existence until 1952, before that it was known as The Kingdom of Siam."

On July 20th, 1948, the Siamese constituent assembly voted to change the name of Siam to Thailand, the change to come into effect the following year. Muang Thai or Thailand means ‘land of the free’ and the name had been changed before, in 1939 under the fascist military dictatorship of Field Marshal Luang Phibunsongkhram.

http://www.historytoday.com/richard-cavendish/siam-officially-renamed-thailand

The change was part of Phibun’s determination to bring his people into the modern world and at the same time to emphasise their unique identity. It was an anti-Chinese move with the slogan ‘Thailand for the Thai’. There were many Chinese in the country and many prosperous Chinese businesses, but Phibun cut down immigration from China and government-backed Thai businesses were set up, while the use of Mandarin in Chinese schools was limited to two hours a week. Thailand adopted the western calendar, a new flag was created and a new national anthem, while Phibun demanded that Thais wore western-style clothes, including hats.

http://www.historytoday.com/richard-cavendish/siam-becomes-thailand

[soalbundy]

Thais in Paris and New York refer to Parisiens and New Yorkers as "farang." It's a derogatory expression and term that illustrates full well the disdain that Thais have for non Thais.

I think it's just an expression which has come into general use, many farangs in Thailand refer to themselves or their ilk as farang, no difference to calling an American a yank or Germans krauts

[soalbundy]

Thailand is a Buddhist country. These aliens should be converted if they want to be Thai people.

you are Thai and have the mindset of your third world country. There are many in the south who don't consider being Thai is desirable, it hasn't been part of Thailand for that long, the south was politically glued to Thailand without the consent of the people living there.

[Ozziepat]

Thais see the world in terms of hierarchy and relationships between people and classes. "Farangs" exists in that hierarchy not just below all (true) Thais, but also below other Asians - who are not farangs but also slot into the class structure on a level below all Thais. This is an integral part of "Thai-ness", the belief system taught from early childhood that Thailand and Thais (especially Bangkok Thais) are simply superior to other cultures and peoples, so naturally there is no incentive to solicit or respect non-Thai knowledge, experience or ideas unless no other choice exists. I don't know if this is racism exactly, but it comes very close and handicaps the country in unfortunate ways.

[thailiketoo]

Thais see the world in terms of hierarchy and relationships between people and classes. "Farangs" exists in that hierarchy not just below all (true) Thais, but also below other Asians - who are not farangs but also slot into the class structure on a level below all Thais. This is an integral part of "Thai-ness", the belief system taught from early childhood that Thailand and Thais (especially Bangkok Thais) are simply superior to other cultures and peoples, so naturally there is no incentive to solicit or respect non-Thai knowledge, experience or ideas unless no other choice exists. I don't know if this is racism exactly, but it comes very close and handicaps the country in unfortunate ways.

I guess that's why rich Thais send their children to school in the UK and USA and of course one would assume given that they are all taught this that Thais built the new airport, skytrain and it will be a Thai firm that gets the contract for the high speed train?

[dru2]

Thais see the world in terms of hierarchy and relationships between people and classes. "Farangs" exists in that hierarchy not just below all (true) Thais, but also below other Asians - who are not farangs but also slot into the class structure on a level below all Thais. This is an integral part of "Thai-ness", the belief system taught from early childhood that Thailand and Thais (especially Bangkok Thais) are simply superior to other cultures and peoples, so naturally there is no incentive to solicit or respect non-Thai knowledge, experience or ideas unless no other choice exists. I don't know if this is racism exactly, but it comes very close and handicaps the country in unfortunate ways.

What complete nonsense. So Thais consider Burmese superior to British and Bangladeshis superior to Americans? Go away and learn something before you post.

[Thai at Heart]

Thailand is a Buddhist country. These aliens should be converted if they want to be Thai people.

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

That is exactly the kind of racist and ignorant statement that the article refers to.

If you call yourself "Buddhist", as I do, you should be ashamed to make such a statement as it is against Buddhist tradition of tolerance and compassion for other views.

"Thailand" was not in existence until 1952, before that it was known as The Kingdom of Siam.

We do not have time for me to give you a history of the last 200 years or so here in this post, but be assured their are enough missteps and stupid decisions made by both sides in the history of the current problems in the Moslem area.

For one thing, jus as an example of Thai misunderstanding of the different cultural norms consider the Thai military procedure of allowing MALE Thai soldiers to do security searches, including body searches, of young unmarried Thai Moslem schoolgirls.

That procedure is deeply offensive to even moderate Moslem parents and male relatives of these Thai Moslem schoolgirls and causes needless offense to even peaceful Moslems.

It is one thing that should be stopped now, use FEMALE Thai military personnel to do security searches of these women.

Just a simple thing like that would be a start to showing some "cultural understanding" of other cultures in the southern Thai provinces.

"Cultural exchange" starts from such small things as changing that procedure.

I don't think someone would have to be Muslim to find it offensive for a male soldier to.body search any female.

Thais are fundamentally racist. Often I'm a jocular and playful way without even noticing it. However, when pushed they can become rabidly nationalistic and racist very easily. So solving the southern problem comes from the thais first. They have to accept that these people are thai and start from there.

Yes there are terrorists, but that comes from a backdrop of historical discrimination. Thais are not some innocents being put upon here.

[Briggsy]

This is what happens when you push a monoethnic, single religion, monolinguistic, nationalistic, tribal identity as the central point of the school syllabus for three generations. Other ethnicities, religious groups, linguistic groups are quickly dehumanised and treated with no respect.

You don't just see this in Thailand but throughout history in all countries where difference and diversity is seen as foreign and bad.

[razer]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Thais in Paris and New York refer to Parisiens and New Yorkers as "farang." It's a derogatory expression and term that illustrates full well the disdain that Thais have for non Thais.

Farang is basically a neutral word according to the official Thai Visa definition. You must be in error. Only the newbiest of noobs would disagree with an official ThaiVisa definition.

http://www.thaivisa.com/558-0.html

Any word that has no human or national context in describing a group of people is used to dehumanize the target group and generate fears and suspicions. Farang falls into the category of words like "gook", "wop", "mick", "slope head", "frog", "chink", "greaser" etc.

You selectively did not mention from ThaiVisa "Farang is basically a neutral word, but people who respect you (or who should respect you) will not use it.

Some foreigners seem to perpetuate corruption and the use of words like farang. It is the Raj mentality I think and they don't particularly want to See the Thais progress culturally. It is certainly no way to each young Thai business people to communicate internationally just as slipping a few hundred baht to get special service at immigration is no way to improve Thai culture.

[selftaopath]

Thailand is a Buddhist country. These aliens should be converted if they want to be Thai people.

"Thailand is a Buddhist country." In name only. Actions speak louder than claims. I don't see many devout. Are they on the highways, business, politics, etc.?

[willyumiii]

And yet another example of how religions are the most evil thing on the planet.

People are people if they have an invisible friend or not.

It may sound funny, but not all invisible friends look alike!

A great example of this evil is when the Catholic Pope sent missionaries to the then "New World" North America, and other continents, with instructions to kill all of those who wold not convert to Christianity.

( not a very "christian thing to do huh? )

Too bad they did not cook and eat more missionaries than they did!

More people have died because of foolish superstitions than any other reason.

If religions were removed from local and world politics...it would be a pretty peaceful world!

Edited October 19, 2014 by willyumiii

[Don Aleman]

I wonder how I will look with an unkempt beard .turban, male dress and will I get used to pray 12 or 13 times a day? Lately, diversify, which used to mean something like "merge" now means do whatever your opposite wants or he/she will kill you !

[thailiketoo]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Thais in Paris and New York refer to Parisiens and New Yorkers as "farang." It's a derogatory expression and term that illustrates full well the disdain that Thais have for non Thais.

Farang is basically a neutral word according to the official Thai Visa definition. You must be in error. Only the newbiest of noobs would disagree with an official ThaiVisa definition.

http://www.thaivisa.com/558-0.html

Any word that has no human or national context in describing a group of people is used to dehumanize the target group and generate fears and suspicions. Farang falls into the category of words like "gook", "wop", "mick", "slope head", "frog", "chink", "greaser" etc.

You selectively did not mention from ThaiVisa "Farang is basically a neutral word, but people who respect you (or who should respect you) will not use it.

Some foreigners seem to perpetuate corruption and the use of words like farang. It is the Raj mentality I think and they don't particularly want to See the Thais progress culturally. It is certainly no way to each young Thai business people to communicate internationally just as slipping a few hundred baht to get special service at immigration is no way to improve Thai culture.

You wrote, "Farang falls into the category of words like "gook", "wop", "mick", "slope head", "frog", "chink", "greaser" etc." No it doesn't. Farang is a neutral word. If a person you know calls you Farang it is a personal insult to you and not the word that is insulting.

Farang is only an insult if the person knows your name. The words above are always insulting.

Only the newest of newbies does not know this.

[thailiketoo]

And yet another example of how religions are the most evil thing on the planet.

People are people if they have an invisible friend or not.

It may sound funny, but not all invisible friends look alike!

A great example of this evil is when the Catholic Pope sent missionaries to the then "New World" North America, and other continents, with instructions to kill all of those who wold not convert to Christianity.

( not a very "christian thing to do huh? )

Too bad they did not cook and eat more missionaries than they did!

More people have died because of foolish superstitions than any other reason.

If religions were removed from local and world politics...it would be a pretty peaceful world!

Buddhists don't believe in invisible friends. They don't believe The Buddha was a God.

Buddhists did not cook and eat missionaries, they are vegetarians.

Edited October 19, 2014 by thailiketoo

[englishoak]

And yet another example of how religions are the most evil thing on the planet.

People are people if they have an invisible friend or not.

It may sound funny, but not all invisible friends look alike!

A great example of this evil is when the Catholic Pope sent missionaries to the then "New World" North America, and other continents, with instructions to kill all of those who wold not convert to Christianity.

( not a very "christian thing to do huh? )

Too bad they did not cook and eat more missionaries than they did!

More people have died because of foolish superstitions than any other reason.

If religions were removed from local and world politics...it would be a pretty peaceful world!

Buddhists don't believe in invisible friends. They don't believe The Buddha was a God.

Buddhists did not cook and eat missionaries, they are vegetarians.

What a joke...Thailand isnt really Buddhist, thats made up along with most everything else, its a front, an excuse, an image that no one really believes in practise, they all believe in theory... which isnt the same thing

They do believe in ghosts and the invisible man and spirits, its also always the invisible man thats to blame and never them.

They do believe Buddha is a god, they pray all the time to him,just like they believe there are other gods they also worship half the Indian Gods just in case here.

Perhaps they dont cook and eat missionaries but they sure do spend enough time scamming, drinking, whoring and doing pretty much everything they arnt supposed to as a Buddhist

They arnt vegetarians, in fact Thailand is a huge meat eater in the region.

In short Buddhism in Thailand ( on the whole but not 100% ) is like most other things, all superficial and a front to make money or other selfish reasons.

[thailiketoo]

And yet another example of how religions are the most evil thing on the planet.

People are people if they have an invisible friend or not.

It may sound funny, but not all invisible friends look alike!

A great example of this evil is when the Catholic Pope sent missionaries to the then "New World" North America, and other continents, with instructions to kill all of those who wold not convert to Christianity.

( not a very "christian thing to do huh? )

Too bad they did not cook and eat more missionaries than they did!

More people have died because of foolish superstitions than any other reason.

If religions were removed from local and world politics...it would be a pretty peaceful world!

Buddhists don't believe in invisible friends. They don't believe The Buddha was a God.

Buddhists did not cook and eat missionaries, they are vegetarians.

What a joke...Thailand isnt really Buddhist, thats made up along with most everything else, its a front, an excuse, an image that no one really believes in practise, they all believe in theory... which isnt the same thing

They do believe in ghosts and the invisible man and spirits, its also always the invisible man thats to blame and never them.

They do believe Buddha is a god, they pray all the time to him,just like they believe there are other gods they also worship half the Indian Gods just in case here.

Perhaps they dont cook and eat missionaries but they sure do spend enough time scamming, drinking, whoring and doing pretty much everything they arnt supposed to as a Buddhist

They arnt vegetarians, in fact Thailand is a huge meat eater in the region.

In short Buddhism in Thailand ( on the whole but not 100% ) is like most other things, all superficial and a front to make money or other selfish reasons.

You find what you are looking for.

http://forestsangha.org/history/

[willyumiii]

And yet another example of how religions are the most evil thing on the planet.

People are people if they have an invisible friend or not.

It may sound funny, but not all invisible friends look alike!

A great example of this evil is when the Catholic Pope sent missionaries to the then "New World" North America, and other continents, with instructions to kill all of those who wold not convert to Christianity.

( not a very "christian thing to do huh? )

Too bad they did not cook and eat more missionaries than they did!

More people have died because of foolish superstitions than any other reason.

If religions were removed from local and world politics...it would be a pretty peaceful world!

Buddhists don't believe in invisible friends. They don't believe The Buddha was a God.

Buddhists did not cook and eat missionaries, they are vegetarians.

What a joke...Thailand isnt really Buddhist, thats made up along with most everything else, its a front, an excuse, an image that no one really believes in practise, they all believe in theory... which isnt the same thing

They do believe in ghosts and the invisible man and spirits, its also always the invisible man thats to blame and never them.

They do believe Buddha is a god, they pray all the time to him,just like they believe there are other gods they also worship half the Indian Gods just in case here.

Perhaps they dont cook and eat missionaries but they sure do spend enough time scamming, drinking, whoring and doing pretty much everything they arnt supposed to as a Buddhist

They arnt vegetarians, in fact Thailand is a huge meat eater in the region.

In short Buddhism in Thailand ( on the whole but not 100% ) is like most other things, all superficial and a front to make money or other selfish reasons.

I need to agree with Thailiketoo on this one...and that hasn't happened much of late!

The Buddha was and is not a god, just an enlightened man.

Buddhism is not a religion, it is a philosophy, a way of life.

Ghosts are not part of Buddhism.

Many Thais are Buddhist and also believe in Animism.

Animism is a belief that everything including animals, rocks and even the earth itself have spirits.

This is why there are so many spirit houses in Thailand.

But, Animism has nothing to do with Buddhism.

I do agree that many bad do use Buddhism as a excuse to make money.

But sleazy people all over the world use anything they can to get money from others.

" Your rich uncle in Nigeria has passed away and left you 3 million dollars!"

A huge part of Buddhism is understanding and acceptance.

I hope you understand!