Matthew

thanks jelly

Gipkik

Who? The kids or the parents?

I did say she was nice looking though. Stand tall, no matter how tall you are.

robitusson

It's the uniformity of opinion that's worrying about it. These beliefs seem to be pervasive in Thai society. Even educated, higher class Thais seem very rooted in these provincial views.
Raciest? Racy?

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Unwell

like the english view of pakistanis...

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"...ever wonder why they kill the weak ones, baby?"

Matthew

But the ones who are in your life...what about them? How bad are they?

They're the important ones anyway.

If you recognize this inherited ignorance in the people you care about, do you just complain this way or do you share your love and knowledge?

That's the important thing in all of this.

Unwell

my wife ain't racist.

neither are her family.


you're right, of course, matthew. and none of our societies are any better, when generalisations are to be made.

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"...ever wonder why they kill the weak ones, baby?"

russellsimpson

Or the Canadian view of Mississappianes to be fair.


(just kidding of course. No need for the usual suspects to react)

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Unwell

how do mississipianes (did you make that up?) feel about canucks?

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"...ever wonder why they kill the weak ones, baby?"

robitusson

What view is that?

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Unwell

that they're paki scum...

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"...ever wonder why they kill the weak ones, baby?"

ahriman

We are all racist to one degree or another, it is the remnants of tribalism which was a survival mechanism way back when. It isnt only limited to races either, check the rivalry and distrust between football team supporter; you instinctively feel a slight bond with someone who supports the same team and a slight antipathy to someone who supports and opposing team. There is nothing wrong or abnormal about being judgmental in these ways, it is one way we try to ensure we survive.

However.

It is a feature of civilised society that citizens are forbidden to exercise these preferences in ways that disadvantage other people. This is not longer only a racist issue but a discrimination issue, which rightly includes religion and sexual orientation.

We are all at least a little bit racist, it comes with how we learn about and how we view the world. Not PC perhaps, but true. But we should not disadvantage anothe rperson or demean his human rights or dignity just because we have learned to have prejudices.

By these definitions, Thailand is a deeply racist society. Foreigners are tolerated here but they are never going to be equal. Thais charge us more, rip us off more and make life much more awkward with their incessant and obsessive bureaucracy and 'legulations'. Plenty of evidence for this, but of course, the sweeping characterisations that are perfectly reasonable for populations as a whole, collapse when we get down to individuals and how they behave when not acting unconsciously. There are group characteristics at work here, even though young Geranium doesnt like to agree and roundly abused me for saying so before. We all know it even if it isnt PC to say it. Once we realise this, the whole huge contrast between how we instinctively feel about our treatment as foreigners by Thais, and how we know we are treated individually as individuals becomes understandable and ought therefore to make us feel less uncomfortable and confused by the apparent dichotomy.

No flames please...

MisterStretch

I won't flame you ahri, but the OP was talking about the racism that Thais display to their geographical neighbors. I don't think the 'farang pricing system' is what he meant.

Granted the double-price fleecing many farang get subjected to is racist in nature, it is more opportunism than demeaning, is it not?

My lady is intelligent, educated, employed and well-respected within her own community, but even she doesn't want to be any 'blacker', though I've mentioned countless times how it doesn't matter to me her skin color or the color of the kids' skin. It is about how she would be looked down upon by her fellow countrymen.

I'm not saying it's right or correct. I know I can't change the entire society...that is an impossibility. I do hope, over time, to influence the family I have here, though.

Think globally, act locally

peelieorion

I live on the Laos border. everyone here speaks Laos, Isaan and Thai on both sides in reasonable happyness. Thais are nationalistic but they are certainly not fed racism at school, for one thing they're probably not listening anyway. Thailand like everywhere has a few races that they like to stereotype but I don't think its overplayed. In North East Isaan Laotians and Thais need each other to survive and so they get on

Matthew

Great comment. Easy, in all this abstraction, to lump all kind of things under the banner of supposed racism when there's a lot else going on simultaneously expressing other less contemptable parts of human nature and behavior.