Discriminatoin in Thailand
Read the article this discussion is about
- Snead
- yhongee
- Snead
- CBJ
- yhongee
- Tello25
This archived discussion is "read only".
» Snead - Falong' or Falang'
The Buddhists have different ideas about people and what is important. They rank body parts according to distance from the ground. The head is revered and the feet are not to be pointed or used to touch anything that might be due a certain amount of respect. One example would be stepping on a coin with the likeness of their King on it. You can be challenged by local authority for that and they don't have civil rights law like we do. The best thing to do is go along with the "program" or stay out of their country.The Thais don't mean anything derogatory about the word they freely use to describe a "light complected man" from the west. It was never any different to me than any other descriptive term. I was revered and honored. When I spoke their language it was the highest compliment and they loved it. When I went into the countryside, the children were mesmerized and amazed when they stared and smiled. They had never seen anyone or anything like me. I am very light complected with eyes to match. They loved it and "ate it up". They would bend over backwards to please.
That is the other perspective from this point of view. They treated blacks with respect and you could not tell if some of them felt they were "different", although some of them did, of course. They are not all brainwashed. Some of them were smarter, in that respect, than most of the people over here. A lot of them saw us as a financial opportunity of a lifetime. They have been around for a long time and have their own culture that will not change easily.
-- posted by Snead
» yhongee - Re: Falong' or Falang'
Hello Snead,I do agree 100% with you that Thai's don't equate any derogatory meaning when they call a white person "farang." The word is no doubt a sign of admiration for one's "unusual" physical appearance. Good for those who fit the description.
Unfortunately though, the opposite is true for those who are black. Instead of being "revered," they are feared because of their color. We once had a afro-american teacher in the school where I teach. The first time they saw him, the students told me they definitely didn't want to be his students as they were afraid of him. A perception purely based on his color. The good news is though, they eventually liked him.
Don't get me wrong. But this is happening in this city of smiles.
Till next.
Aimee
Editor
Living and Teaching English in Thailand
-- posted by yhongee
» CBJ - Likewise in Japan
Very good article, Aimee.I have had some similar experiences in Japan. There is a word in Japanese, 'gaijin,' which is a shortened form of the term 'gaikoku jin,' meaning 'foreign person.' The Japanese throw this term around left and right and, while it doesn't in and of itself have a negative meaning, it conveys a bad feeling to a lot of foreigners. There is a fair bit of racial discrimination here. You can see a lot of bars and pubs in Tokyo with signs on the doors that say “No Foreigners.”
You mentioned that in Thailand some schools would rather hire a German who speaks English as a second language rather than a native speaker who has dark skin. I work in the publishing industry, and the companies I have worked for want to hire foreigners as advertising executives because we publish English-language magazines. But they don’t want to hire Africans or African-Americans because the Japanese business execs they would be selling ads to tend to not take those with dark skin seriously.
As for gender discrimination, until just a year or so ago The Japan Times classified ad listings -- the primary source of job leads for foreigners here -- were divided into two sections: women and men & women. And age discrimination is also a factor with many ads stating that they will only consider applicants below the age of 35.
In addition, there is language discrimination in which Japanese assume that because you aren’t Japanese you can’t speak their language. I often have to repeat orders in fast food restaurants because they simply don’t listen the first time, thinking they wouldn’t be able to understand me. When I go to a restaurant with my wife, who is Japanese, the waiters always speak to her and ignore me, as if I wouldn’t be able to communicate.
Every country is guilty of its own form of discrimination, so I don’t mean to single out Japan. This is just my experience living here as an expat, and it’s interesting how similar the situation in Thailand is.
Thanks for sharing your experiences in your article!
-- posted by CBJ
» yhongee - Rings a Bell
It's funny what you said about Japanese assuming they won't understand you when ordering in restaurants.I look very much like a Thai and my boyfriend is English. His Thai is excellent and mine is terrrible. I can barely carry on a simple conversation.
However, when my boyfriend and I go to a restaurant and he makes an order, or when he tells a taxi driver the directions, they almost always look at me and ask for the same piece of information.
Of course, I always end up staring at them, not understanding a word and they'd look at me as if I'm some crazy snooty Thai person who refuses to speak to them.
We end up in a good laugh most of the time after I've said one of the few phrases I know in Thai: "Mai Chai Pen Con Thai" (I'm not Thai.) But it always always annoys my boyfriend because when I'm not around everybody understands him.
-- posted by yhongee
» Tello25 - Living in Thailand
I am of Spanish origin and have been living and working in Thailand for over 3 years. To be balanced there are many positive aspects that ultimately lead me to settle in Thailand however after having lived in Canada, USA, Mexico, France and Switzerland I can say without hesitation that it is Thailand where I have been discriminated the most because of the way I look and speak.Concrete examples:
I went with my wife (Thai) to ChiangMai hot springs. The fee 100 for her and 300Bath due to my appearance.
I went with my brother in law to Royal Palace he gets in for free I pay 500Bath. He had never worked and I have been paying taxes in Thailand for 3 years.
I bought an apartment and after 6 months I still cannot put my name in the property registration. I have been to the registration office 6 times, every time I am asked to bring a new document. I also need to pay a lawyer. There are no guidelines or list of documents. Thai people can do it in one stop.
I requested a quotation for windows from an established company by phone and received a fax quote for 70,000Bath. I asked my secretary to request quotation with another name and fax number she got it for 40,000 Bath. If you have an accent you need to pay 60% more.
OK, You wont be lynch in a Bangkok street but discrimination to other races in Thailand its an everyday experience. Thai people thinks it is funny or even anecdotal. My Father in law tells me “you move to Thailand you need to accept”. I will not accept if Thai people are discriminated when they go to other countries because of their looks or their accent it is just wrong. Thai people should be aware the discrimination is not humorous and it is unacceptable. Widespread and open discrimination not only affect “farangs” but it also alienate other “different” Thai people.
-- posted by Tello25
Please follow the guidelines set forth in the Suite101 Posting Etiquette when adding to the discussion.