How prevalent is racism in Thailand?

[Gecko123]

There is a lot of racism in Thailand.

If you don't see it well you are blind or just stupid and living in a bubble.

Ask a thai person if they are racisist they will say no... then ask them what they really think of Indians? There is a thai saying you can trust a snake before you can trust an Indian..

Simple example was at a restaurant with Thai Staff from work 3 days ago.. a thai lady that was there had a daughter with an African man not sure which country.. The comments they were saying really were terrible about the thai wife and daughter and the Thais thought it was very funny. The wife was a little chunky not fat just had a booty. According to the thais she had a black husband as no thai would want her. The comments to the little kid I will not repeat.

If what you claim is true, why, then, are there not more people of color coming on travel and expat websites complaining about the racism here? It seems to me that almost 100% of the people posting on TVF that Thailand is racist are white. I find that rather ironic. I'm left wondering whether some (if not most) of the white people who are so adamant that Thais are racist aren't doing so in order to legitimize their own racial biases.

Most Thais outside of Bangkok probably couldn't pick an Indian out of a line up. In the Central Thailand province I live in, I have never seen an Indian person in 12 years of living here. As I pointed out in an earlier post, there are numerous Hindu temples in Bangkok (for example on Silom Rd) which seem to be integrated into their local neighborhoods just fine. How do you explain that?

When I google the expression "trust a snake before..." this phrase seems to have originated as an anti-Semitic phrase aimed at Jewish people. When I google the phrase "trust a snake before an Indian" most of the citations seem to trace back to Thai Visa forum-like websites. Aside from the supposedly derogatory use of the term Kaek to refer to Indians, and the supposedly Thai expression "trust a snake before an Indian" what other anecdotal evidence do you have to support the claim that Thais are racist towards Indians? This is, after all, Indo-China. Buddhism originated in India; Thai cooking is loaded with Indian influences, etc., etc.

You are not the first person to come on these forums claiming that they have overheard Thais speaking derogatorily about other races and ex-patriates, and of course, I can't positively prove that what you claim to have heard didn't really happen. I would like to say however that I have noticed that there are some people on this website who seem to thrive on reporting that they have overheard Thais saying this and that about foreigners, and if you listen to them it's ALWAYS something negative, NEVER anything positive. I would take these type of comments with a huge grain of salt. My Thai is very good, I'm definitely not in denial or living in a bubble, and I rarely hear Thais making derogatory or racist comments about people of other races. I also find it curious that the group of Thais you were with at dinner were so open and free in voicing their racist attitudes in your presence. Did they have any reason, perchance, to think beforehand that you shared these attitudes?

A final point -- if it were true, as you claim, that behind closed doors, or out of earshot of other races, Thais secretly harbored racist attitudes, Thai children would be exposed to this and would almost certainly naively parrot and regurgitate these backward attitudes whenever they were around other races. But Thai children are known for their openness and friendliness towards foreigners (regardless of their race). This would seem to support my contention as well that Thais are relatively racially tolerant.

[Jingthing]

My only "evidence" of Thai racism towards Indians is just casual comments from random Thais when the subject of Indian food and Indian people is brought up. It's common to get the word "SMELL" with the nose held at that time and if you dig just a little, the feeling about the food is often expressed about the people as well.

On the other hand, do some research about India. Indians have strong racist feelings as well, typically against factions WITHIN India.

Racism is UNIVERSAL.

I think many people are very confused about what is racism. It isn't only about lynching people. It can be a lot more minor. It can never be fully eliminated from human societies.

Also you don't have to have exposure to a group of people to be a hater. Some of the most ignorant antisemitic people you will ever met have never met a Jew or if they have they didn't recognize him because the Jew was lacking an extremely bulbous nose or HORNS. South Korea has a high rate of antisemitism yet almost no Jews living there.

Jokers acting like there is no racism in Thailand are fooling nobody. Of course there is. LOTS OF IT. Duh.

[Cypress Hill]

There is a lot of racism in Thailand.

If you don't see it well you are blind or just stupid and living in a bubble.

Ask a thai person if they are racisist they will say no... then ask them what they really think of Indians? There is a thai saying you can trust a snake before you can trust an Indian..

Simple example was at a restaurant with Thai Staff from work 3 days ago.. a thai lady that was there had a daughter with an African man not sure which country.. The comments they were saying really were terrible about the thai wife and daughter and the Thais thought it was very funny. The wife was a little chunky not fat just had a booty. According to the thais she had a black husband as no thai would want her. The comments to the little kid I will not repeat.

No blindness

No bubble

Only a moron would believe that a conversation between a few members of the rock-bottom peasantry class is representative of the feelings of an entire nation.

It would be the same as me overhearing a few white guys down the Dog and Handgun in Lewisham, S.E. London being nasty about blacks or Asians.

Would I deduce from their conversation that all whites are racist?

Seemingly, if my name was wow64, I suppose so

[Gecko123]

Racism is UNIVERSAL.

I strongly disagree with your assertion that this is a universally held belief.

Racism:

a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.

[Jingthing]

Racism is UNIVERSAL.

I strongly disagree with your assertion that this is a universally held belief.

Racism:

a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.

My statement works better in the context that it was written. Obviously different levels of racism are found in different countries but you will indeed find racism in every human society on the planet. Denial isn't helpful.

[Gecko123]

Racism is UNIVERSAL.

I strongly disagree with your assertion that this is a universally held belief.

Racism:

a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.

My statement works better in the context that it was written. Obviously different levels of racism are found in different countries but you will indeed find racism in every human society on the planet. Denial isn't helpful.

Nor is trying to legitimize it by claiming it's universal.

[Jingthing]

Racism is UNIVERSAL.

I strongly disagree with your assertion that this is a universally held belief.

Racism:

a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.

My statement works better in the context that it was written. Obviously different levels of racism are found in different countries but you will indeed find racism in every human society on the planet. Denial isn't helpful.

Nor is trying to legitimize it by claiming it's universal.

I think you're intentionally misunderstanding me. I never said every single person in the world is a rabid racist or most people either. BUT racism in varying degrees is easy to find in all human societies. I suppose if you encounter an isolated tribe that has never encountered another tribe you'd have an exception. Don't bother responding. I see the game you're playing and it is NOT interesting.

[harryfrompattaya]

Had a mate who was black married to a Thai. When the wife was asked why she was with him, after a while it would come out that he was American and they would all accept that as being okay.

So the perception would be that BAm good BAf bad.

I as a Black Man from American can say Thais like rich Blacks from American better than Cheap Charlies from America who watch electric meter and have no car

I have a White Honda Accord that is my color

[Gecko123]

Had a mate who was black married to a Thai. When the wife was asked why she was with him, after a while it would come out that he was American and they would all accept that as being okay.

So the perception would be that BAm good BAf bad.

I as a Black Man from American can say Thais like rich Blacks from American better than Cheap Charlies from America who watch electric meter and have no car

I have a White Honda Accord that is my color

Give 'em hell, Harry.

[David48]

Had a mate who was black married to a Thai. When the wife was asked why she was with him, after a while it would come out that he was American and they would all accept that as being okay.

So the perception would be that BAm good BAf bad.

I as a Black Man from American can say Thais like rich Blacks from American better than Cheap Charlies from America who watch electric meter and have no car

Since you bought that up ... do Thai's like your 'Blackness' or your 'Money'.

Do you think your appeal is unique just in Pattaya, or appeal has broader depth throughout Thailand?

Asking .. not telling.

.

[rgs2001uk]

There is a lot of racism in Thailand.

If you don't see it well you are blind or just stupid and living in a bubble.

Ask a thai person if they are racisist they will say no... then ask them what they really think of Indians? There is a thai saying you can trust a snake before you can trust an Indian..

Simple example was at a restaurant with Thai Staff from work 3 days ago.. a thai lady that was there had a daughter with an African man not sure which country.. The comments they were saying really were terrible about the thai wife and daughter and the Thais thought it was very funny. The wife was a little chunky not fat just had a booty. According to the thais she had a black husband as no thai would want her. The comments to the little kid I will not repeat.

If what you claim is true, why, then, are there not more people of color coming on travel and expat websites complaining about the racism here? It seems to me that almost 100% of the people posting on TVF that Thailand is racist are white. I find that rather ironic. I'm left wondering whether some (if not most) of the white people who are so adamant that Thais are racist aren't doing so in order to legitimize their own racial biases.

Most Thais outside of Bangkok probably couldn't pick an Indian out of a line up. In the Central Thailand province I live in, I have never seen an Indian person in 12 years of living here. As I pointed out in an earlier post, there are numerous Hindu temples in Bangkok (for example on Silom Rd) which seem to be integrated into their local neighborhoods just fine. How do you explain that?

When I google the expression "trust a snake before..." this phrase seems to have originated as an anti-Semitic phrase aimed at Jewish people. When I google the phrase "trust a snake before an Indian" most of the citations seem to trace back to Thai Visa forum-like websites. Aside from the supposedly derogatory use of the term Kaek to refer to Indians, and the supposedly Thai expression "trust a snake before an Indian" what other anecdotal evidence do you have to support the claim that Thais are racist towards Indians? This is, after all, Indo-China. Buddhism originated in India; Thai cooking is loaded with Indian influences, etc., etc.

You are not the first person to come on these forums claiming that they have overheard Thais speaking derogatorily about other races and ex-patriates, and of course, I can't positively prove that what you claim to have heard didn't really happen. I would like to say however that I have noticed that there are some people on this website who seem to thrive on reporting that they have overheard Thais saying this and that about foreigners, and if you listen to them it's ALWAYS something negative, NEVER anything positive. I would take these type of comments with a huge grain of salt. My Thai is very good, I'm definitely not in denial or living in a bubble, and I rarely hear Thais making derogatory or racist comments about people of other races. I also find it curious that the group of Thais you were with at dinner were so open and free in voicing their racist attitudes in your presence. Did they have any reason, perchance, to think beforehand that you shared these attitudes?

A final point -- if it were true, as you claim, that behind closed doors, or out of earshot of other races, Thais secretly harbored racist attitudes, Thai children would be exposed to this and would almost certainly naively parrot and regurgitate these backward attitudes whenever they were around other races. But Thai children are known for their openness and friendliness towards foreigners (regardless of their race). This would seem to support my contention as well that Thais are relatively racially tolerant.

Please explain the, ai jek and ee lao comments I hear.

The other night I was sat with a bunch of Thais, they trashed the Cambodians, one even said they were nothing more than "kaek".

The irony of it all, the guy would made the comment is an (ai) Mon from Praphradaeng.

[wow64]

There is a lot of racism in Thailand.

If you don't see it well you are blind or just stupid and living in a bubble.

Ask a thai person if they are racisist they will say no... then ask them what they really think of Indians? There is a thai saying you can trust a snake before you can trust an Indian..

Simple example was at a restaurant with Thai Staff from work 3 days ago.. a thai lady that was there had a daughter with an African man not sure which country.. The comments they were saying really were terrible about the thai wife and daughter and the Thais thought it was very funny. The wife was a little chunky not fat just had a booty. According to the thais she had a black husband as no thai would want her. The comments to the little kid I will not repeat.

No blindness

No bubble

Only a moron would believe that a conversation between a few members of the rock-bottom peasantry class is representative of the feelings of an entire nation.

It would be the same as me overhearing a few white guys down the Dog and Handgun in Lewisham, S.E. London being nasty about blacks or Asians.

Would I deduce from their conversation that all whites are racist?

Seemingly, if my name was wow64, I suppose so

Just 1 example and I would not exactly say they are pesants a couple of them probably earn more then you champ... But what ever you rekon i forgot you were there.. Now Go back to your bubble ki nook farang.

Sent from my c64

[fish fingers]

I didn't realise it until recently but many Thai's really are deeply racist. The scary thing is they don't realise it.

You can feel the attitude towards foreigner alot more now in BK, possibly as the economy has improved living standards etc. Foreigners were probably more welcome in the 80s and 90s because they brought money in. Now all that has changed.

[farang000999]

Had a mate who was black married to a Thai. When the wife was asked why she was with him, after a while it would come out that he was American and they would all accept that as being okay.

So the perception would be that BAm good BAf bad.

I as a Black Man from American can say Thais like rich Blacks from American better than Cheap Charlies from America who watch electric meter and have no car

Since you bought that up ... do Thai's like your 'Blackness' or your 'Money'.

Do you think your appeal is unique just in Pattaya, or appeal has broader depth throughout Thailand?

Asking .. not telling.

.

i think you are telling while pretending to asking. you have expressed your sentiment.

[benalibina]

There is a lot of racism in Thailand.

If you don't see it well you are blind or just stupid and living in a bubble.

Ask a thai person if they are racisist they will say no... then ask them what they really think of Indians? There is a thai saying you can trust a snake before you can trust an Indian..

Simple example was at a restaurant with Thai Staff from work 3 days ago.. a thai lady that was there had a daughter with an African man not sure which country.. The comments they were saying really were terrible about the thai wife and daughter and the Thais thought it was very funny. The wife was a little chunky not fat just had a booty. According to the thais she had a black husband as no thai would want her. The comments to the little kid I will not repeat.

No blindness

No bubble

Only a moron would believe that a conversation between a few members of the rock-bottom peasantry class is representative of the feelings of an entire nation.

It would be the same as me overhearing a few white guys down the Dog and Handgun in Lewisham, S.E. London being nasty about blacks or Asians.

Would I deduce from their conversation that all whites are racist?

Seemingly, if my name was wow64, I suppose so

Just 1 example and I would not exactly say they are pesants a couple of them probably earn more then you champ... But what ever you rekon i forgot you were there.. Now Go back to your bubble ki nook farang.

Sent from my c64

[David48]

Had a mate who was black married to a Thai. When the wife was asked why she was with him, after a while it would come out that he was American and they would all accept that as being okay.

So the perception would be that BAm good BAf bad.

I as a Black Man from American can say Thais like rich Blacks from American better than Cheap Charlies from America who watch electric meter and have no car

Since you bought that up ... do Thai's like your 'Blackness' or your 'Money'?

Do you think your appeal is unique just in Pattaya, or appeal has broader depth throughout Thailand?

Asking .. not telling..

i think you are telling while pretending to asking. you have expressed your sentiment.

Since you disagree ... then feel free to ask the question using harryfrompattaya's post.

I'd be interested to read your take on it.

Take that as a challenge, not a request.

.

[ultimate weapon]

Racism in thailand?

Asking the opinion of these hypocritical farangs who have no qualm making racist comments on chinese people especially people from china. So what's the deal on that?

Is it ok to stereotype chinese people?

Many farang love to play the victim but honestly farang are well protected even a black in the USA should watch himself from making racist remarks on farang but not chinese.

[David48]

Racism in thailand?

Asking the opinion of these hypocritical farangs who have no qualm making racist comments on chinese people especially people from china. So what's the deal on that?

Is it ok to stereotype chinese people?

Many farang love to play the victim but honestly farang are well protected even a black in the USA should watch himself from making racist remarks on farang but not chinese.

"on chinese people especially people from china" ...

.

[berybert]

Thailand is one of the most racist countries in the world. But then they don't get upset with calling a chalk board a black board or telling us Mary had a little lamb it's fleese was white as snow.

And they can still hope for a white Christmas.

[bunnydrops]

Locally, mid Essan, The Indians are called Kaek (Middle Easterners, guest). I don't feel that it is any different from them calling me Farang (Of European descent). I would say the Chinese are looked at with a bit of envy. My wife is afraid of black "men" in public but enjoys many men black actors. We all fear what we don't understand or is making un-wanted changes in the way they want things to be. .

[Kitsune]

OP:

What you have to realize here is that open racism is not just amongst some specific groups like the KKK in US or some nationalist parties in UK. Here it promoted by government: Farangs have been declared a national problem along with corruption and the Junta is in charged to solve it.

Most Thai people support this idea and unless you are strikingly good-looking or incredibly rich or both, you are likely to be exposed to it.

[Lucifer]

OP:

What you have to realize here is that open racism is not just amongst some specific groups like the KKK in US or some nationalist parties in UK. Here it promoted by government: Farangs have been declared a national problem along with corruption and the Junta is in charged to solve it.

Most Thai people support this idea and unless you are strikingly good-looking or incredibly rich or both, you are likely to be exposed to it.

Let me just get that for you...

OP:

What you have to realize here is that open racism is not just amongst some specific groups like the KKK in US or some nationalist parties in UK. Here, in the UK, it promoted by government: Foreigners have been declared a national problem along with corruption and the Govenment is in charged to solve it.

Most British people support this idea and unless you are strikingly good-looking or incredibly rich or both, you are likely to be exposed to it.

You're welcome.

[Kitsune]

Racism is UNIVERSAL.

Racism is more than universal, it's in each and everyone of us. It is only natural to fear the foreigner, the ones that does not shares our beliefs.

The HUGE difference here is that contrary to the rest of the world, the government is encouraging nationalism and racism.

That makes it out in the open and accepted by the vast majority of people and while people would say racist comment in private in Europe or US, here it's considered as a national duty to defend the nation from foreign invasion

[aneliane]

Racism?

What racism?

This is just Farangs negativity towards Thai people.

Thai are perfect remember?

[Jingthing]

Racism?

What racism?

This is just Farangs negativity towards Thai people.

Thai are perfect remember?

In Thai school systems, are Thai children taught explicitly that racism is wrong? If not, why not? I have seen public messages about tolerance towards religious minorities (Muslims) but haven't noticed any messages about anti-racism in general.

[aneliane]

Racism?

What racism?

This is just Farangs negativity towards Thai people.

Thai are perfect remember?

In Thai school systems, are Thai children taught explicitly that racism is wrong? If not, why not? I have seen public messages about tolerance towards religious minorities (Muslims) but haven't noticed any messages about anti-racism in general.

Lukrung (half thai/half farangs) are in the Thai army considered as Farangs and as such are punished twice as hard as the others.

Punition was standing in the blazing heat on sun: One Hour for Thai, 2 for Farangs

[Gecko123]

Farangs have been declared a national problem along with corruption and the Junta is in charged to solve it.

Ignorant distortion of the truth.

The government has talked about illegal immigration and foreigners who engage in criminal activity in Thailand, and cleaning up Thailand's image on the world stage as a haven for sex tourists and criminals. But the government has repeatedly gone out of its way to assure all foreigners who abide by Thailand's laws are welcome here.

By the way -- once again -- where, oh where, are all the people of color who think Thailand is racist?

(sound of crickets)

You want to know the truth?

If you really think Thailand is racist, shout it from the rooftops to your heart's content if that makes you feel better but -- newsflash -- no one really cares what a tiny bunch of whinny-ass narrow-minded chronic-malcontent neo-colonialist sex-tourists think anyway. The world's changing -- and you guys are in serious danger of getting left behind.

And another thing - - You really want to make the world a better place, and eliminate racism??? Start by taking a long look in the mirror. I've encountered a trillion times more racism on this website and from Westerners in Thailand, than I've ever experienced from Thais themselves.

[David48]

Racism?

What racism?

This is just Farangs negativity towards Thai people.

Thai are perfect remember?

OMG

OMG

OMG

My favourite, all time member of Thai Visa is back.

Man ... how I've missed you.

I will burn a Candle tonight ...

.

[Cheesekraft]

the racism against burmese, shan, and other immigrants is ubiquitous

[Jingthing]

the racism against burmese, shan, and other immigrants is ubiquitous

Obviously.

The mistake some expats are making is projecting the specific aspects of racism from their home country cultures onto Thailand.

The social construct of racism is quite different in different countries.

In Thailand, it is not a simple story of black and white.