Nation editorial

[Flashermac]

THE NATION

23 March 2007

 

 

Tribune' reporter's fallacy: Thai anti-foreigner sentiment

 

by Thanong Khanthong

 

 

 

During an interview yesterday, a German executive working in Bangkok told me he was rather concerned about a front-page article on Thailand published the other day by The International Herald Tribune.

 

The article, "Famed Thai hospitality showing signs of strain: Foreigner-driven growth is re-evaluated" (March 21, 2007), painted a rather gloomy picture on what it perceived to be a shifting sentiment inside Thailand. It portrayed a changing Thailand, which was not only embracing economic nationalism but was also expressing its suspicions toward foreigners.

 

Thomas Fuller, the correspondent who wrote the article, interviewed several Thais and his subjects all expressed their doubts toward foreigners in one way or another. I am quite amazed by the thrust of this article, which claims that the Thai people have become anti-foreigner only seven months after the coup. This is rather funny. How can the interim government and military leadership persuade the general Thai public to change their feelings toward foreigners in such a short time?

 

However, the German executive said that when this kind of article is published and read internationally, the people who read it no longer feel confident enough to visit or do business in Thailand. Now Thailand is not only competing against neighbouring countries for investment and tourism, it also has to be aware that countries in the Middle East - Dubai, Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates - are opening up their countries and attracting visitors from Europe and elsewhere. It also takes less time to fly from Europe to the Middle East than it does to the Far East.

 

Thailand needs to do a lot of explaining. The German executive told me that contrary to the prevailing negative perception, it is still easy to do business in Thailand.

 

Let me say this. Thais in general welcome foreigners. They welcomed foreigners in the past, they welcome them now and they will continue to welcome them in the future. Foreigners have contributed to Thailand's economic growth, though some of them have tried to take advantage of us - child sexual abuse or unfair labour treatment, for instance. This should not be unexpected.

 

Unfortunately, I must say that it is far more convenient for foreigners to visit Thailand and do business here than it is for Thais to travel abroad and do business in other countries. It is not easy for the average Thai citizen to get a visa to the United States, Europe or Japan, but we can't complain because nobody is listening to us. Our voice is not loud enough.

 

Even now, it is definitely easier to do business in Thailand than it is in China. But I guess China knows what it is doing and writes its own rules, so no foreigner would dare complain. Besides, they dare not bash China because they know how the Chinese can respond in kind.

 

Probably, it is convenient for them to bash Thailand. The Thais do have a high level of tolerance toward foreigners.

 

I have never read an article in any foreign media outlet calling for Vietnam or China to set a timetable for a return to democracy. Most foreign articles now praise the economic opportunities in Vietnam and China. Is Singapore now enjoying more democracy than Thailand? Several foreign articles have been attacking the process to draft the new constitution in Thailand, but they have hardly reported on China's charter. Has anybody cared to read the Chinese or the Singaporean constitutions?

 

It is difficult to compare the different political systems of the countries in this region. Yes, Thailand is in a big transitional mess, but over the medium term, it should emerge all right. But in the meantime, can we fully claim that countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Burma, Brunei, Hong Kong, China are enjoying more democracy than Thailand?

 

The Surayud government and the military leadership might have shot themselves in the foot by introducing a series of bad policies or by giving some stupid interviews. However, I don't think they have been able to influence the average Thai to become anti-foreigner like the International Herald Tribune tried to suggest. And I don't think they are deliberately drawing up policies to go after foreigners. They are just incompetent. And they have an agenda to go after the remnants of the Thaksin regime. That's all.

 

The Bank of Thailand erred on the 30 per cent capital controls, but this technical measure has nothing to do with the Surayud government. Yet this measure was the start of the downfall in its confidence index. The Commerce Ministry has to revise the Foreign Business Act because of the political ramifications of the Temasek-Shin Corp deal. One of the reasons that the Thaksin government was toppled was because the Shinawatra family sold off Shin Corp to Singapore. Shin Corp also held sensitive assets such as iTV and Shin Satellite. To prove that Thaksin Shinawatra was wrong in selling off iTV or Shin Satellite to Singapore, the military leadership, for political reasons, has to build up a case against it.

 

When Singapore learnt that the Surayud government might move against the Shin Corp deal, its authorities sent out a message that Singapore should not be singled out. They also signalled that there should be a level playing field in Thai business law.

 

This led the Commerce Ministry to work on the amendments of the Foreign Business Act to create this level playing field, although the amendments were not a priority policy in the first place. When the Cabinet approved the draft amendments, foreign investors and foreign businessmen were scared off. And they characterised the 30-per cent reserve requirement and the amendments to the foreign business law as being Thailand's attempt to turn inward.

 

If Temasek had announced that it would dispose of iTV and Shin Satellite from the outset, it would have helped reduce the pressure on the Surayud government since Temasek had made it known that its original intention was to acquire Advanced Info Services.

 

I am writing this column because I feel sick and tired of the growing Thailand bashing. Yes, we are in a mess. Yes, we are living in the aftermath of a coup. Yes, we make lots of mistakes. Yes, we need time to resolve our problems. But we don't deserve this bashing because the country has yet to overcome the political divide, which is the root of all the uncertainty.

 

 

 

 

[limbo]

Did the writer of this article ever consider how sick and tired the average westerner/foreigner feels about the constant insecurity the current govmt is causing and dealing out to said foreigners?

 

Get your house in order rather than whinge! Look inside to see what a mess is being created rather than blaming something/somebody else.

 

 

[Nervous_Dog]

While playing the "Well, no one else is a democracy" card, the article shows how little democracy is valued.

 

If my daughter has been getting straight "A"s at school then gets a "D", am I upset, or do I say, well, all her friends get "D"s, so who cares?

 

Maybe Thais think that?

 

DGO

[limbo]

This article really brings home a few points.

 

 

[HeartThais]

Ummm...... I don't think this guy is whining. I think he is politely telling foreigners to back off because regardless of what Thailand is going through, it's his country and foreigners should stop acting like it is theirs. He's saying they will fix their problems on their own schedule and in their own fashion and in the meantime foreigners should STFU. He's also saying that Westerners are abusing Thai hospitality by openly criticizing the country as if they somehow have a right to do so.

 

He does make a good point. We complain about Thai government's attitude towards foreigners when most of our countries make it tough as hell for Thais to visit let alone do business in our countries.

 

Does it cross any of your minds that Thailand's primary objective isn't to make foreigners feel comfortable? This is the only country in the region that resisted western colonization. Don't you think Thais take great pride in their independence? If there is a backlash from Thais against foreigners it's because a lot of you act like you own the country rather than staying here and doing business here as guests.

 

I wholeheartedly agree with him. The reason we criticize Thais and not China or Vietnam is because Thailand has been so welcoming of us while China and Vietnam have not. Many of us have forgotten how to show the respect they deserve. We should not abuse the hospitality.

[..]

 

Cheers,

SD

[limbo]

Ummm...... I don't think this guy is whining. I think he is politely telling foreigners to back off because regardless of what Thailand is going through, it's his country and foreigners should stop acting like it is theirs. He's saying they will fix their problems on their own schedule and in their own fashion and in the meantime foreigners should STFU. He's also saying that Westerners are abusing Thai hospitality by openly criticizing the country as if they somehow have a right to do so.

 

He does make a good point. We complain about Thai government's attitude towards foreigners when most of our countries make it tough as hell for Thais to visit let alone do business in our countries.

 

Does it cross any of your minds that Thailand's primary objective isn't to make foreigners feel comfortable? This is the only country in the region that resisted western colonization. Don't you think Thais take great pride in their independence? If there is a backlash from Thais against foreigners it's because a lot of you act like you own the country rather than staying here and doing business here as guests.

 

I wholeheartedly agree with him. The reason we criticize Thais and not China or Vietnam is because Thailand has been so welcoming of us while China and Vietnam have not. Many of us have forgotten how to show the respect they deserve. We should not abuse the hospitality.

 

HT,

 

I don't really feel I'm abusing the hospitality here in this country and I'm showing the respect it deserves.

However, having two children with a Thai national, it's not that the Thai govnmt is accomodating me in too many ways to make it easy to support my Thai family, rather on the contrast. For instance, if I would like to open a small company, the financial burden is just too much for me to deal with. Don't get me wrong, I'm already here, fully legal and have a workpermit with visa, it's just not through my own company.

 

Although I do agree about the injustice of the difference in being able to obtain visa's for Thais, let's say in Europe, compared for us getting a visa here, but just for the hell of it, go and have a look at the Dutch, German or English Embassy in Bangkok and tell me what kind of profession about half of the visa attendees have according to you.

 

It's not too long ago that it was one of the easiest thing in the world for Thais to obtain long term visas in Holland. It's changed, but it didn't change just for Thais, it changed all over the board for all nationalities. Now it's very hard to obtain a long term visa in Holland.

 

On a side note, ever walked the red light district in A*dam, the whorehouses in Germany, what % of working girls is Thai there? Unfortunately a very high %. In genral, it's very unfortunate but Thailand does not necessary have a good rep from that point of view in the eye of the general public.

 

Furthermore, if Thailand wants to deal with the current problems in it's own way and on it's own time schedule, why should I sit back and STFU and swallow everything being dished out? Is that your idea of democrazy?

 

Where the f*ck does this come from. Once more, I've got a family to feed and this current Thai govnmt is not making that easy at all and some Thais tell me to STFU. (although to a certain degree for personal health reason and avoiding lead poisining, sometimes not a bad idea, but in a different context.)

 

Just for the record, I have no problems with tightening visa regulations in Thailand for foreigners, but give credit to the folks that have been here since a long time on a legal base and help them, rather than make life more difficult.

A lot of people probably would go legal if it wouldn't be so damn hard to do so.

[HeartThais]

I'm pretty liberal and consider myself to be a libertarian socialist. I don't really believe in borders or separate nationalities. For that matter, I don't really believe in authority. I think we're all citizens of the same planet and hope that one day we act as such and live as equals by consensus. So actually, I agree with you in the larger context.

 

Most people don't share my views. Most people have a strong sense of national identity and they don't take kindly to outsiders openly criticizing them no matter how long the outsider has been a resident in the country. Is it rational? No. But you shouldn't be surprised that the locals get pissed off when you do. And if they do, the lack of patience isn't anything specifically Thai. It's an affliction the world over.

[Flashermac]

It is obvious from letters to the editor in the Post and Nation that plenty of Thais have the idea that Farangs are all extremely well paid and have it unbelievably easy here. One bunghole a couple of years ago demanded that the government charge something like 100,000 baht a year for a WP. Yeah, that will show those teachers and uni profs working for 30,000 a month a thing or two.

 

p.s. Government university base pay for foreign lecturers has not increased since 1992!

 

 

[Guest lazyphil]

<>

 

You sound more like an anarchist!