Guest Posted July 12, 2002 Report Share Posted July 12, 2002 thank you all for your comments and i apologise to the board for "flogging a dead horse" However the dead horse seems to have genrated a large response. i dont think the issue is wealth as i am sure a thai guy pulling into a site in his mercedes will not be charged a higher rate. where does the idea of thai politenes and respect occur if they deem people from issan to be of a lower class and therefore obliged to pay more? i agree that racisim exists in all countries and that tourists get ripped off eveywhere. but what nobody has commented on was the statment made by my thai friend who agreed that it was wrong. i will enlage the topic bysaying that when i metioned to my thai lawyer friend that the plice rip me off for the occasional 200 -500 baht ,he said "i know this goes on in my country and i lose my face" is this just a face saving statement or sincere? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattaya127 Posted July 12, 2002 Report Share Posted July 12, 2002 It is sincere, no doubt. But it's hardly thai. It's a feature of every 3rd world country that their police is corrupted and used to bribes or payments. Quite aware of double -pricing in some spots, but one thing i am adamant about is that i have rarely been over-charged by normal merchants, the type you deal with everyday. On the contrary, many thais being excited to buy something will often be "seen coming" by the sales(wo)man. It is not a practice that involves the farang only. I wonder how much is the credit for a motorbike or car as compared to US? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 12, 2002 Report Share Posted July 12, 2002 Quote: "but what nobody has commented on was the statment made by my thai friend who agreed that it was wrong. i will enlage the topic bysaying that when i metioned to my thai lawyer friend that the plice rip me off for the occasional 200 -500 baht ,he said "i know this goes on in my country and i lose my face" is this just a face saving statement or sincere?" I don't think there is any way for any of us to realistically make any judgement, good or bad, about your Thai lawyer friend. We certainly can say anything specific. We can only make generalizations. One generalization I can make is that Thais that have been educated in countries such as the U.S., U.K. or Australia are more likely to be genuinely shamed by racist practices and corruption. They have been exposed to other cultures where racism is criticized by the educated classes and corruption is generally not tolerated, and embarrassed when Westerners encounter this ugly underbelly of Thai society. This, of course, is a generalization, and there are plenty of exceptions, but not knowing your Thai lawyer friend, such generalizations are the best guidance that can be provided. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 12, 2002 Report Share Posted July 12, 2002 "That's reducing the definition of racism etc" I agree with your post but the original post is more about the double charging of farangs issue than racism as you defined it. So does it come down to economic racism, Farangs are charged more than Thais because they have more money? Say you and Mr. Yontrakit both rock up at the entrance of Khao Yai National Park. Who's going to pay the most money? You because of the colour of your skin or him because he has more money? Say you and Bill Gates both rock up at the entrance of Khao Yai National Park. Who's going to pay the most money? Him because he has more money or will you both pay the same because of the cloour of your skin? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 12, 2002 Report Share Posted July 12, 2002 how about signs like the one down in a bar in the middle walking street, south pattaya stating something like: "arab people not to sit at his bar 'cos we don't like them discriminating and molesting innocent thai girls. we do respect your belief in islam though"? if that is not pure racism(desriminating purely on race) then I don't know what. haven't seen stuff like that in other countries, but that doesn't mean they don't exist though... any thoughts or similar signs around? Try going to an Arab country then, especially Saudi Arabia and you'll know why those signs are there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattaya127 Posted July 12, 2002 Report Share Posted July 12, 2002 Someone, i think Orandodes said, tourists, not farangs. Someone else said chinese, other asian tourists i guess too, are charged tourist price too. And i say again that thais are also victims of unscrupulous rip-offs too. the day this planet will only see racism when one is being charged tourists or farang prices at the entrance of national parks, will be a wonderful day.what i mean is that it is quite benign behaviour as far as racism goes. When one thinks of the hatred that killed millions from Rwanda to Kososo, cambodia, Timor, etc... it is hard to feel the unfair practice of double charging as nothing but inconsequential in the scheme of things. Come to think of it, every temple with a spire and a couple Buddhas in Burma has an entrance fee of 2 to 5 $ for foreigners. Angkor is free for natives, 20$ a day for tourists. Moreover, you can always recoup your double charged ticket by screwing a thai girl for around 20$ that night! Now, isn't that bargain basement prices? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chilli13 Posted July 12, 2002 Report Share Posted July 12, 2002 so you're saying no single arab can treat a lady nicely & that no single non arab ever haress ladies in bars? just curious... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adikgede Posted July 13, 2002 Report Share Posted July 13, 2002 Try going to an Arab country then, especially Saudi Arabia and you'll know why those signs are there Dare we ask what your position on prejudice is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattaya127 Posted July 13, 2002 Report Share Posted July 13, 2002 IN SF, a few bars will indeed warn: " WE CHEAT TOURISTS AND DRUNKS" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adikgede Posted July 13, 2002 Report Share Posted July 13, 2002 I think Specs may have had one of those signs. Considering the very small number of people in San Francisco who are actually from San Francisco, 1 in 8 I have been told. it would be hard to call such a policy exclusionary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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