Racism In Thailand - The Ugly Side Of The Land Of Smiles

Thailand is often referred to as "The Land Of Smiles", as first time travelers are often captivated by the friendly smiles of the local Thais. Little known to tourists, more often than not there is something more behind the smile than just a welcoming gesture. A more sinister side to Thailand that is not advertised in the travel brochures, and most tourists may never experience this during their short visits. For the most part, tourists are treated quite well in Thailand, aside from falling victim to two tier pricing that can have foreigners expected to pay as much as five times greater fees than Thais.

The practice of two tier pricing is widespread in Thailand, that seems to be endorsed by the government and the Tourism Authority Of Thailand. Most of the country's national parks, zoos and museums have a separate price for foreigners that is far greater than the fees charged to Thais. As a foreigner with a half Thai son, if I want to take my son to the zoo, I will have to pay as much as five times more than my neighbor. This practice is also common in many restaurants, where foreigners will be given a separate menu written in English, with inflated prices for the same dishes that appear on the Thai menu.

In the ten years that I have lived in Thailand, I have noticed that many Thais have a particular distaste for foreigners. There is a common stereotype that Caucasians are dirty, barbaric and uncivilized, and this a a belief shared by many Thais. This became ever so clear to me just the other day, when I was swimming at a public pool with my son. I was wearing a pair of board shorts, and the lady who worked at the clubhouse approached me and told me that I would have to wear proper swimwear when I am using the pool. So I attempted to explain to her that in my culture, board shorts are considered to be adequate swimwear, and that the sight of my overweight and unnaturally hairy, pale white body in a pair of speedos would undoubtedly be far more offensive to everyone than my board shorts. She answered by saying in plain English "Yes but Thai people like to be clean". A clear indication that she somehow feels that foreigners are not particularly interested in personal hygiene?

Violence against foreigners is on the rise in Thailand, recently there have been reports of acid attacks targeting foreigners on the Bangkok subway. It is a sad truth that local law enforcement doesn't normally investigate crimes against foreigners, seemingly suggesting that they feel that when a foreigner is beaten, robbed, raped or even killed, it is not as important as an incident involving a Thai victim. In the Beach Resort Island of Phuket, the local taxi mafia conduct routine beatings of foreign tourists, and the police officially have said that they will gladly act as a mediator, in order to resolve the situation. The authorities refuse to arrest these taxi drivers for committing crimes against foreigners, instead they only offer to "talk to them".

Despite the fact that my son is not allowed to attend some of Thailand's most prestigious schools based on his mixed Caucasian race, and all the negative experiences I have had that make me feel as though I have been a victim of racism, I am happy in Thailand. I am treated quite well by most of my friends and neighbors, however I will never truly feel welcome, I will always be on the outside looking in. Of course nobody will feel sorry for me, and I am sure to be blasted for complaining about an issue that most people feel shouldn't be discussed. Many people will say that foreigners only have themselves to blame, as the despicable behavior of many western tourists justifies the feelings of hatred towards foreigners.

Even worse than the way some people feel about western tourists, is how Thais treat the Burmese and migrant workers from around Southeast Asia. Smuggled into the country by Thais to work in construction jobs that Thai people refuse to take, Thailand is dependant on these people. In Thailand the life of a Burmese worker is worth less than that of a dog, the way the Burmese are treated is truly shocking. At one trip to the immigration office in Phuket Town, I saw dozens of Burmese men, women and children, sweating in a ten foot by ten foot concrete cell, with no food, no water, no toilet. In the heat of the day there wasn't as much as a fan. I thought to myself, if only the tourists could see this shocking sight .. then what would they say about the land of smiles?

Another case that comes to mind is a high profile case of a serial rapist in Phuket. A local Thai man posing as a police officer, kidnapped several Nepalese women and raped them repeatedly. The courts refused to try him for rape, saying that the evidence suggested that the women had not made any reasonable attempt to escape. The Nepalese community protested that the women believed the man was a police officer, and that any attempt to escape would result in more severe punishment. When I hear stories like this, It makes me realize that my personal experiences of racism in Thailand pale in comparison. The fact is that these are issues that need to be discussed, as much as people want to believe that Thailand is truly the land of smiles, they need to know that not everyone is smiling.