cavanami Posted January 3, 2009 Report Share Posted January 3, 2009 ...and with the Thai thinking that the Foreigners are "always" to blame...Thailand will always be a third world country. At some point to progress and move ahead you have to acknowledge and learn from ones' mistakes, but TIT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wonderlust Posted January 3, 2009 Report Share Posted January 3, 2009 It seems the common folk have already decided and judged. I don't see any evidence at all that "the common folk" have already decided and judged. Some farangs seem to have an "Iz it coz I iz black?" type attitude and see racism everywhere even when it's not really there. Some idiots may be blaming farangs but I don't see any evidence that this is a very widely held belief. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faustian Posted January 3, 2009 Report Share Posted January 3, 2009 Ok WL, I'm wrong then. You are right. Why do I bother commenting upon anything? Other folks always know more than me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gadfly Posted January 3, 2009 Report Share Posted January 3, 2009 Some idiots may be blaming farangs but I don't see any evidence that this is a very widely held belief. When the tragedy originally made press and when my neighbours heard about, there was a great deal of talk about how Farangs were responsible for the tragedy. Now, as more facts become available, I see less of this. In fact, I don't see anything along this lines in the press now (recall the Thai Rath story originally linked here) and I don't hear it among my neighbors (notwithstanding one particular neighbors efforts to capitalize on this). It is probably unfair to say this is commonly accepted belief, but there is a disturbingly large group (hopefully a minority) of Thais that seize on events like this and instinctively blame Westerners. And they are very vocal. We see above a post about Thai comedians taking the claim about foreigners causing the tragedy seriously. One of my neighbours, albeit unscrupulous and not at all respected by most of the Thais in my condo building, went to trouble to post a note blaming foreigners in our building. Several of my neighbours really did lose relatives in the tragedy, and that's what this sort of opportunistic racism scary for me. I have seen it before, and its pretty ugly. Having said all that, I will grant that I don't think (well, I certainly hope) it is widely held view. But it is tremendously irresponsible for Thai papers to publish articles blaming or suggesting foreigners were to blame when there isn't a shred of evidence to support that claim. And its troubling that other Thai journalists don't call them on it. Let's look at the US for example. Rush Limbaugh will say stupid things, but other US journalists are quick to call him a big fat liar when he does it. Where are the Thai journalists and comedians now calling their nationalistic brethern for what they truely are - racist liars. As I see it, that is a big part of the problem. No one stands up to racist bullies and opportunistic politicians that use xenophobia to advance their interests. OK, I will step off my soap box for a moment, but this is one aspect of Thailand that really bothers me. And what I find even more bothering is that it is considered impolite - improper for a "guest" - to bring up. It make's me sick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khun_Kong Posted January 3, 2009 Report Share Posted January 3, 2009 Some things mentioned in a news report on Thai TV just now... * A paper may have floated to the flood lights and touched them and burst into flame, starting the fire * Santika was built on a Muslim burial ground * The cross and crypt-like structure inside were a sign of trouble to come * the print ad featured with black tears coming from his eyes, thus foreshadowing the mascara running down the faces of the girls escaping the club * again, the print ad, something about the "ka" in Santika being highlighted, and "ka" can be translated as "kill" So, the responsibility falls on either farangs or ghosts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waerth Posted January 3, 2009 Report Share Posted January 3, 2009 And they are very vocal. We see above a post about Thai comedians taking the claim about foreigners causing the tragedy seriously. Fortunately most Thai comedians never progressed beyond Matayom 3, so I usually take their comments with a bucket load of salt. But I was pissed of. When they noticed that one of them said .... do not worry you are considered Thai anyway .... I wonder if I should take that as a good sign, an insult or whatever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waerth Posted January 3, 2009 Report Share Posted January 3, 2009 I don't see any evidence at all that "the common folk" have already decided and judged. Some farangs seem to have an "Iz it coz I iz black?" type attitude and see racism everywhere even when it's not really there. Some idiots may be blaming farangs but I don't see any evidence that this is a very widely held belief. Wonderlust, I do not know about your personal situation so I do not know what your experiences living in Thailand are. To be honest it is not just in Thailand that blaming the farangs is becoming a habit. When I read newspaper comments on Dutch websites I get appalled by the anti-foreigner statements many people make. Blaming all that is wrong on the Foreigner. It is also not the first time in my life to be on the receiving end. In Suriname I was on the receiving end being white and Dutch. When I got back to the Netherlands I had a very good tan and spoke Dutch with a Surinamese accent. I have had some remarks then. Unfortunately the better my Thai gets the more you hear. Sometimes I feel it would be nice to simply not understand what someone else is saying ...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faustian Posted January 3, 2009 Report Share Posted January 3, 2009 And they are very vocal. We see above a post about Thai comedians taking the claim about foreigners causing the tragedy seriously. Fortunately most Thai comedians never progressed beyond Matayom 3' date=' so I usually take their comments with a bucket load of salt. But I was pissed of. When they noticed that one of them said .... do not worry you are considered Thai anyway .... I wonder if I should take that as a good sign, an insult or whatever. [/quote'] I'd be worried! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gadfly Posted January 3, 2009 Report Share Posted January 3, 2009 Xenophobia is not specific to Thailand. But we are entering troubled economic times where it is all so convenient to blame outsiders. Let's hope that policy makers in all countries, including Thailand, understand the lessons of prior economic down turns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavanami Posted January 3, 2009 Report Share Posted January 3, 2009 These "vocal Thais" are the ones that closed the airport. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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