It’s great to be Thai, isn’t it? We’re known around the world for our hospitality and graciousness. We’re peaceful people: we’ve never been colonized, and we don’t fight wars with our neighbors. Life is good, sabai sabai. We’re rightly proud to be Thai, and proud of our stature in the world—and of course we’re all proud of our fellow countrymen and women.
But, sometimes, we wonder. Read on and see if any of these stories sound familiar to you....
No Room For You
When Tasanee, a successful 30-something professional who attended top schools and has worked for several international companies, and her boyfriend were looking for a new place to live, she called House by the Pond, a serviced apartment in Sukhumvit, to inquire about rates. They told her something along the lines of, “Sorry, but we don’t rent to Thais.” Wondering if there might have been a misunderstanding (this is a conspicuous property, after all), we called House by the Pond and got the same answer. The representative on the phone was only willing to explain that this was simply their “policy.” So we asked if it would be all right for our Thai friend to live there with a farang boyfriend. The answer: “Usually girls don’t stay here on their own, but it’s OK if their foreign boyfriends would like to rent. Koreans, too.”
According to attorney Ekkapol Apinun, who heads up a corporate law office, while the landlord has the right to accept or reject potential tenants, the constitution prohibits discrimination based on race or nationality. “It would be possible to sue in this case. There are probably lawyers who would accept the case, and you might actually win,” he says. “But people will wonder why you have nothing better to do. It’s sad for the country. Thai people are too nice, or maybe too lazy, to fight for their rights.”
He adds, “There are no legal precedents for this kind of case in Thailand because no one has yet bothered to spend their time and money to sue for bad service or discriminatory treatment.” In other words, while probably not the best thing for their reputation, the management of House By the Pond could probably continue to get away with what they did to Tasanee.
On the other side of the coin, Sukanya’s family operates a four-star resort in a popular seaside area. “It’s not official, but we would rather rent to foreigners than Thais,” she explains. “This is because we have more problems with Thais: there are scam artists who leave without paying, and just in general Thais complain more and always try to get things for free or at discounts. They’re louder, have worse manners and generally are just more trouble.”
This is not to say that Sukanya is entirely comfortable with this. “Do I think it’s kind of strange saying this about my fellow Thais? Of course. But we can’t deny our experience, and this is a business.”
Those Downward Looks
Pang is in her late 20s and studying in the US. She grew up in Bangkok but has dark skin and features that cause some people to believe she is from Isaan. During a recent school break she went to visit an American friend who was staying at the Royal City Hotel. When she asked for his room number at the front desk, she was treated with skepticism by the hotel staff, who informed her that she was not permitted on the guest floors unaccompanied. This was not the first time this has happened to Pang. “I’m so tired of this, getting judged by my looks and treated like I’m a prostitute,” she seethes. At one point she even contemplated plastic surgery to make her look closer to the popular conception of beauty in Thailand.
Someone who knows what it’s like to be viewed negatively by her countrymen is former supermodel Rojjana “Yui” Phetkanha. Once the face of Chanel’s perfume Allure and a Vogue covergirl, the native of Ubon Ratchathani got her big break when she won a beauty pageant organized by an international modeling firm. She looked nothing like the other girls in the model search, and the general feeling was that she shouldn’t have even been there. Her skin was too dark, her nose too flat and she was nothing but “a farm girl.” But, Yui explains, “Channel thought I was a perfect—only not for Thailand.” After her she was selected, there were experts and celebrities here who said Yui wasn’t at all “beautiful” and questioned the decision. To date, Yui is Thailand’s most successful model on the international stage.
So lighter skin is more beautiful, and white skin—or even a mix—even better. Heavy media exposure is often blamed for our perception of what is beautiful. Billboards and magazines feature a relatively high number of farang and luk kreung models in their advertisements. Oat, 24, a freelance model, says he gives up hope if he goes to auditions where there are luk krueng candidates. “Clients usually prefer farang, luk krueng and, especially, Korean models,” says Oat. But how do advertisers choose who to use as a model? Is it based on their preferences or on those of the public?
Freelance casting director Beauburry tell us, “It’s not that Thai models don’t stand a chance. It all depends on the brand and the target audience. Thai models are used in advertisements that target a Thai audience, particularly outside of Bangkok. Luk kruengs are often used to target teen audiences and farangs are employed to promote high profile international brands.” Farangs and luk kruengs are taller and have more toned physiques, and this is what appeals to the public, he adds.
I Can, Like, Totally Phoot Thai
Thai may not be the easiest language in the world to learn (but it’s certainly less complicated than English!), and we realize there are many Thais, especially in Bangkok, who were raised or educated abroad or attended international schools here and may not have the most, say, “authentic” accent. “I think my Thai is better than my English, but to be honest, I feel like I don’t have a language at all. I can’t even write Thai,” says Champ, 25, who spent a few years in Singapore as a child before studying in Bangkok exclusively in international schools. But there’s nothing more annoying than Thais who purposely speak Thai with a farang accent. Even more common is the tendency of young(er) people to communicate in English instead of their mother tongue because they think it’s a badge of coolness.
Jaew, 26, is appalled at the use (and misuse) of English for no real reason. “I recently attended a DudeSweet party and it was 90 percent Thai, but all you heard was, ‘Hello, darling,’ ‘Wassup!’ and ‘I love this song, ching ching,’ all night long,” she bristles. “And the other night at Brick Bar a guy in the band kept saying, ‘Thank you!’ We wanted to go up to the stage and tell him it would be OK to say the same thing IN THAI.”
Dr. Ubolwanna Pavakanun, head of Thammasat’s Psychology department explains, “It’s over-acting if people who have studied abroad for four or five years come back and phoot Thai mai chad.” But for some, it could be genuine disconnection from their native tongue. “If a person studied in international schools or went abroad at elementary school age and stayed away for 10 or 20 years, of course they will speak ‘mai chad.’ But some people just want to show off, and boost their own self-esteem by making it clear to everyone that they have had the opportunity to pai muang nok [go abroad].”
Second-Class Service
“Second Class Citizen” is a BK reader who took a cruise on the Chao Phraya River with his Thai friends. “We were initially allocated a seat with a nice view along the side of the boat. But once we got onboard, our seats were changed to the center section, where the tour guides sat, and our seats were given to farangs,” he writes. “I used to think that ‘Thais Love Thais.’ What happened? Did I miss something?”
We received another letter from “Black Head,” who recounted an experience she had at one of Bangkok’s five-star hotels. While waiting for her smoothie to melt, Black Head decided to give her eyes a break and leaned back in one of the comfortable chairs. Soon she was approached by a waitress who told her that she was not allowed to sleep in the area. “‘Hey, where’s the sign?’ I thought to myself and instinctively forced a smile to abate embarrassment. Meanwhile, patrons with differently colored hair and eyes were allowed to do whatever they wanted, including to smoke indoors. The waitress simply smiled on,” she says.
Remember Apinun, the lawyer? He is like many Thais who avoid the national carrier whenever possible because he feels Thais receive inferior service on TG. “I just don’t fly THAI Airways anymore because when I ask for something the stewardess will say, ‘One minute, sir,’ without even glancing at me, while turning to the farang across the aisle to say, ‘Sawasdee. How are you today, sir?’ with a broad smile.”
Santi, 39, while only half-Thai, has had similar experiences and also chooses other airlines. “I remember one time I was trying to speaking to one of the cabin crew—who answered me in English, by the way, even though I was speaking Thai—and suddenly this kii nok European in trashy clothes comes in and she just stops mid-sentence to fawn over this guy,” Santi complains. “They’re often really curt with Thai passengers but super-sweet when it comes to foreigners. It’s not the same on Singapore or Cathay.”
Real or perceived, Thais are definitely getting the feeling that they’re sometimes not getting the same treatment farangs get. According to Suriyapa Bunnag, director of PR at Siam Niramit and a hotel industry veteran, “Usually it’s not the fault of the organizations themselves. When I was in charge of training programs, I emphasized that everyone should receive the same level of service. F&B outlets, Sunday brunches, niche dinners and wine tastings all depend on money from local consumers—and hotels know it. It is the attitudes of individual staff members that can sometimes be a problem. You know, many Thais think farangs are gods.”
“Maybe it is the way we treat other people,” says Sukontip, founding director of La Lanta Gallery. “Even though we try to treat all of our customers the same, Thais usually ignore us, while farangs smile back and say hello. It’s understandable that we would feel more positively toward those who smile back, regardless of their nationality.”
We at BK are, of course, sensitive to this issue, as we’ve been accused of pandering to Thais who read English-language publications just to show off. We’re a Thai magazine produced primarily by Thais (90 percent) primarily for Thais (70 percent), so why don’t we write in Thai? What, do we think we’re cooler than all the Thai magazines? No, but we’re a business and advertisers give us money because we can promise them a select group of readers who are university educated and international in their outlook. It also makes more sense for us to use English because we share content with our sister publications in Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Shanghai.
Reflections
So where does all this leave us? What can we do for Tasanee, Pang, “Second Class Citizen” and “Black Head”? The last thing we need is more divisions in our society. Sharing their stories and gripes won’t solve the problems, but, hopefully, it’s a start. So that’s the first thing. The second might be for us to take a long, hard look in the mirror....
If you have something to add, or a story to tell, we’d love to hear from you. Please email us at editorial@asia-city.co.th.
