Ali dead but Thai TV makes "The Greatest" howler yet

[Khun Paul]

regardless of the fact that many Thais do not know what the outside world is like, to show another picture of a world famous person and then attempt to apologise and say it was a mistake is inexcusable.

Thailand can say what they like BUT the rest of the world will see it as another blatant ignorant and iditotic event caused by Thais who then expect the world to understand their mistakes........Sorry NO understand .

[thai3]

The rest of the world are just so much smarter than Thais, er not really

[tuanku]

No wonder TV watchers here have a job distinguishing between fiction and reality. Doesn't just apply to foreigners either. Some of their own national icons are myths.

[djayz]

Most to them know absolutely NOTHING about the world outside Thai boarders.

I was teaching a class of adults yesterday evening.

Me: Who was Mozart?

Student: I don't know.

Me: Who was Shakespeare?

Student: I don't know.

etc. etc.

[FredNL]

Thailand is the center of the universe, don't you guys know that ???

What's happening outside the center of the universe is not important to the Thai.

That they even mentioned the death of Mohammed Ali (Cassius Clay) on Thai TV 3 is a wonder itself.

BTW: It's what I've heard many times. All American movie stars, can speak Thai !!!

According to them, Thai is the world's #1 language. You see on television that almost everyone can speak Thai. Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indian, English, Russian, American movie stars all speak Thai. Even Rambo speaks Thai...

Edited June 7, 2016 by FredNL

[scorecard]

are you surprised? when Mandela died I mentioned it to a Thai teacher (Masters Degree in English) who said "who's he"?

they simply know very, very little outside of their 'bubble' and they are trained to stay that way

Mostly comes back to the fact that world history / international history is not on the curriculum and no school would dare change or adjust the curriculum.

[skildpadden]

It just shows the people behind the show is too lazy to do any research - but this is certainly not contained to Thailand only.

Question is whether they would know who he was in the first place? Many of them even don't know of the Khmer Rouge killings next door, so how would they know an American boxing champ (although he was indeed great) that retired 35 years ago?

[wabothai]

Can't really blame them, they know nothing of the outside world.

And carefully kept that way

[thai3]

Of course all American actors speak Thai, how else can they talk in the films? My mrs asked me after watching Planet of the apes if they were real monkeys or actors. She still believes some of them were real monkeys, even though they spoke English, sometimes you just have to give up. My mates gf asked him if planet of the apes was a real story

Edited June 7, 2016 by thai3

[hdkane]

Ali was the greatest, yet Thai tv insults his memory by showing another mans photo !!DISGUSTING !!

Maybe the greatest boxer...but as a man he was bereft of integrity...I'm always bewildered why athletes are bestowed such adoration and reward...but that has been the case for thousands of years...

[wabothai]

and this from worldchampion in kick boxing. very strange.

[Shiver]

Well, Thai thing aside, at least it's a reference to what is the same about people of the world rather than opposition about differences.

I'm kind of surprised nobody really went to town on Ali's choice of faith. Not a terrorist, but an American boxer.

What have blacks and whites got in common? - you've got it - they're not Thais!

[TEFLKrabi]

are you surprised? when Mandela died I mentioned it to a Thai teacher (Masters Degree in English) who said "who's he"?

they simply know very, very little outside of their 'bubble' and they are trained to stay that way

Thais are not taught about the world outside and have little interest in it as it doesn't affect their lives. I'm pretty sure if you showed a photo of Ban Ki Moon or Aun San Suu Kyi to UK and US people most wouldn't have a clue either.

[Dustdevil]

Asians do NOT look all the same to me. Neither should others to Thais.

[Sydebolle]

Banharn Silpa-Archa with his epic greeting "Queen Elizabeth Taylor" springs to mind ............

Ripley's "Believe it or not" at the Royal Garden showing Hilter in their wax museum springs to mind; after intervention by the German ambassador the operator claimed, that this is not the real Hitler lifted the other arm for greetings

School kids in Khon Kaen running around in army gear with Hilter greetings once a month

.......... and now Will Smith substituting for Cassius Clay/Mohammed Ali

The list is endless and I - for one - could live with it IF the Thais would be more tolerant about what can be done/interpreted wrong by the "alien" crowd here in the Land .............

[Minnehaha]

I have been asking Thais if they know who Muhammad Ali was, in the days after he passed away. I have asked this of many Thais. Many older generation did in fact know who he was. All the men who spoke English well knew who Ali was. They had some sense of him as a boxer. But only only one or 2 knew that he was 'influential for other things' and both of those guys could not say what - but they could say they knew he was well known. They gave the sense that they felt he was someone of importance and that one 'should' know who he was and why. Of the 8 women I asked, only one knew his name and that he was a boxer. She had no other information. Of the Thais who could not speak English, which included about 20 people! , only 4 knew he was a boxer. These included taxi drivers, shop owners, motorcycle drivers, and a couple neighbors in my building, who are well educated and make about 150,000 or 200,000 Baht a month.

Conclusion: Thais don't know who he was. They don't know who Hitler was either, so one can see how well the education system works and how well informed Thais are in general.

This is one of the most ill-informed and ignorant countries on the planet, at least of the many I have visited across Asia, N America, Europe, Africa, Central America. I always thought mainland Chinese who live in the hinterland were the least informed, but in todays world I would bet Thais can beat them. It really is a testament to both the education system in Thailand and the news media. One might also add the absence of an inquisitive mind, but I posit that this follows the other two points.

It is like there is a ruling class who controls everything and is remarkably successful in keeping the bottom 95% of the people ignorant, poor, and believing in a benevolent god who is one of them and who will always provide for their welfare. Their unique culture and people are just that - special and cared for. And they should remain eternally grateful and compete to show affection to the god in order to stay in good graces. It really is like a playbook from Orwell 1984.

[thai3]

well at least they know who mr Bean is, so all is not lost

[kamahele]

It's just sloppy work. They've apologized and vowed it won't happen again. I doubt Ali's family is tuned in to our local news so no one had their feelings hurt.

[Thaddeus]

Sad thing is, most Thais probably don't even know who Ali was and/or think Smith is him since they saw him more recently. It is a product of inward-looking, of not being all that interested in what goes on outside of one's sphere.

You are right, but try asking if they know Casius Clay?

I had 4 or 5 Thais (not young generation) yesterday who didn't know Mohamed Ali but when I said that he started as Casius Clay they all knew who he was.

That must have been a very long post lunch nap.

[exalll]

A two second Google in the news backroom would have shown a zillion photos of the guy...

As for the "funny" comment, if it were YOUR dead famous father would it still be funny..?

He was just a brain damaged boxer few had heard of in Thailand, not a world leader or great scientist. At least Ali had a sense of humor, when he could still laugh.

Here's an bit of info about the man who was "just a brain-damaged boxer" :

Continuing a mission that he began during his boxing career by holding fights in such countries as Zahir and the Philippines, Ali has done extensive charity work to champion the causes of developing nations. He has also done much to support charities in the United States, visiting soup kitchens and hospitals, helping such organizations as the Make-a-Wish-Foundation and the Special Olympics, and advocating laws to help protect children. Ever the controversial figure, Ali has made goodwill missions to such pariah nations as Afghanistan, North Korea, and Cuba, and during the Gulf War traveled to Iraq to negotiate the release of American hostages.

For both his achievements as an athlete and his charitable work since his retirement, Muhammad Ali has received countless honors and awards. During the opening ceremonies of the 1996 Olympics he was chosen to light the Olympic flame; in 1998 he received the United Nations Messenger of Peace award; in 1999 Sports Illustrated and the BBC named him Sportsman of the Century; and in 2005 he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 1999, decades after Muhammad Ali won his first heavyweight title...

Not sure where your quote is from but I guess the people of DR Congo will be upset that whoever wrote it got the former name of their country wrong. Zahir?

[Shiver]

Not a big deal, western media will show a photo of Yul Brynner when......

Ooh, sailing close to the wind there . Remember that sometime they'll suss out how to track your inside legs measurement(s) via internet algorithms and determine if a new visa will be issued or PNG'd.

[Bluespunk]

I'm surprised I'm the first to say this and there's possibly some posters who may not like it but consider the outrage if the roles had been reversed and the wrong photo of a Thai screened.

I'm sure the diplomatic mission of the ' offending ' country would have had almost instant protests outside with Thai nationalists demanding all sorts of retribution.

I very much doubt it. Since when did Thai people start giving a shit about how things are reported outside Thailand? Who protests over a simple photo mix up, anyway?

Don't be silly.

I'm sorry but it is much more than a simple photo mix up.

[Jimbo2014]

To be fair to thai people, how many Americans could pick Tanakorn Posayanon, Wanchana Sawatdee, or Jesdaporn Pholdee out of a lineup. But if one of these people died tomorrow it would be headlines for days here. There is no doubt that thailand is a very insular country but so is America. How many Americans could even recognise Ho Chi Minh, Chairman Mao or Pol Pot (then again how many thais could LOL).

[Thaddeus]

When Margaret Thatcher died they showed a photo of Meryl Streep.

And when Trump dies, they'll have a picture of a goat wearing a shredded wheat.

[IMA_FARANG]

A Thai cook working in the U.S. embessy in Iran sheltered one of the American officials in Tehran, Iran after the storming of the U.S. embessy there.

The official was later brought back to the U.S. by American agents.

The Thai was later congratualted by the then U.S.pesident for his actions in hiding and helping to get the American out of Iran.

The U.S news media showed the picture of the Thai cook, and described him as being a person from Taiwan.

True story.

[aslimversgwm]

I have been asking Thais if they know who Muhammad Ali was, in the days after he passed away. I have asked this of many Thais. Many older generation did in fact know who he was. All the men who spoke English well knew who Ali was. They had some sense of him as a boxer. But only only one or 2 knew that he was 'influential for other things' and both of those guys could not say what - but they could say they knew he was well known. They gave the sense that they felt he was someone of importance and that one 'should' know who he was and why. Of the 8 women I asked, only one knew his name and that he was a boxer. She had no other information. Of the Thais who could not speak English, which included about 20 people! , only 4 knew he was a boxer. These included taxi drivers, shop owners, motorcycle drivers, and a couple neighbors in my building, who are well educated and make about 150,000 or 200,000 Baht a month.

Conclusion: Thais don't know who he was. They don't know who Hitler was either, so one can see how well the education system works and how well informed Thais are in general.

This is one of the most ill-informed and ignorant countries on the planet, at least of the many I have visited across Asia, N America, Europe, Africa, Central America. I always thought mainland Chinese who live in the hinterland were the least informed, but in todays world I would bet Thais can beat them. It really is a testament to both the education system in Thailand and the news media. One might also add the absence of an inquisitive mind, but I posit that this follows the other two points.

It is like there is a ruling class who controls everything and is remarkably successful in keeping the bottom 95% of the people ignorant, poor, and believing in a benevolent god who is one of them and who will always provide for their welfare. Their unique culture and people are just that - special and cared for. And they should remain eternally grateful and compete to show affection to the god in order to stay in good graces. It really is like a playbook from Orwell 1984.

Very well stated Minnehaha. But I still love it here! Don't you - really?!!

[tezzainthailand]

Lets all be honest,Thais neither know shit or care shit about anything not Thai

That's what I thought, but what about their infatuation with the English Premier League and Korean (pap) pop? Or is that as far as it goes in showing interest in anything outside their own culture?

[Chicog]

Back in the day the Guardian did a hit piece on a football commentator who said that one of the problems for a commentator was distinguishing black players from a distance, because their facial features aren't as obvious as caucasians.

Of course the lefty Grauniad (as it's known for its frequent typos) got in a snit and got some outraged black players to give some quotes talking about how disappointed they were.

And the Grauniad got the names under their pictures the wrong way round.

[sanukjim]

You can not explain this mistake away, you just dont do your jobs , lazy idiots.

In a pole taken only about ten years ago Ali was shown to be second only to the Pope as the most reconized person in the world.

[The Deerhunter]

Very funny, no big deal is it

Now if he had been a Thai game show host or soap opera star, Khun Thai would recognize, no problem.

Now that would be translated as "Mai me pompam!" wouldn't it?

To be honest it is an understandable mistake. Some one was told to find an image and Googled "Ali" and That came up. Now Wikipedia would be a smarter search than Google for a pic of a famous western dead guy.

Edited June 7, 2016 by The Deerhunter