SweetieBabie Posted October 20, 2009 Report Share Posted October 20, 2009 " The distinctly undiplomatic remarks have been gleaned from the valedictory letters traditionally sent by Foreign Office mandarins on retirement or as they leave an overseas posting. Marked ?confidential? or ?restricted?, the missives were meant to provide an honest insight for the foreign secretary of the day and other senior civil servants. Although some of the letters are witty, others verge on racism and risk causing offence. The Thais came out poorly too, in the eyes of Sir Anthony Rumbold, who served in Bangkok from 1965-67. ?They have no literature, no painting and only a very odd kind of music; their sculpture, ceramics and dancing are borrowed from others, and their architecture is monotonous and interior decoration hideous,? he recalled. ?Nobody can deny that gambling and golf are the chief pleasures of the rich, and that licentiousness is the main pleasure of them all.? " http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6879550.ece Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eagle Posted October 20, 2009 Report Share Posted October 20, 2009 what a few thought in 65-67 you mean ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Posted October 20, 2009 Report Share Posted October 20, 2009 Eh? Since when was licentiousness a negative? :wink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeeMarc Posted October 20, 2009 Report Share Posted October 20, 2009 IMHO I doubt anything any of these individuals could say would be anything compared to what I have heard and/or seen what many Thai (deep down) really think of "farang".. or anyone 'foreign' for that matter. The Thai smile, 'kreng jai' and outward gentleness often belies a passive/aggressive nature at best... and viciousness at worst... that lurks below the surface of many. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digitalcat Posted October 20, 2009 Report Share Posted October 20, 2009 the people of Thailand are sex-crazed philistines those meantioned please give me a call asap. ty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stramash Posted October 20, 2009 Report Share Posted October 20, 2009 the opinion of someone, from an extremely privileged background, who listed their hobbies while at school as 'cricket'. 'toasting crumpets' and 'group buggery' is hardly the opinion of many, let alone the majority. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeusbheld Posted October 20, 2009 Report Share Posted October 20, 2009 the opinion of someone, from an extremely privileged background, who listed their hobbies while at school as 'cricket'. 'toasting crumpets' and 'group buggery' is hardly the opinion of many, let alone the majority. i don't know have you taken a good look at shophouses? they really ARE monotonous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crustyjuggler Posted October 20, 2009 Report Share Posted October 20, 2009 So Thailand was like that in the 60s also? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterMatlock Posted October 20, 2009 Report Share Posted October 20, 2009 Oh come on... What was said about the Thais PALED in comparison to what was said about us much maligned Canadians. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LakeGeneve Posted October 20, 2009 Report Share Posted October 20, 2009 the people of Thailand are sex-crazed philistines those meantioned please give me a call asap. ty Given that the comments refer to activities from over 40 yrs ago then you'll be getting calls from Thais aged about 60-80! But if oldies are your thing then go for it....... :shock: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fedor Posted October 22, 2009 Report Share Posted October 22, 2009 Fair comment from the Ambassador. Causing offence can be a good thing if a society is a feudal kleptocracy. Folks like Sarit Thanarat and Thanom Kittikachorn were not good for Thailand. my 2p's worth, anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stramash Posted October 22, 2009 Report Share Posted October 22, 2009 Oh come on... What was said about the Thais PALED in comparison to what was said about us much maligned Canadians. "Even our Commonwealth neighbours take a hit. Lord Moran, who ended a 39-year diplomatic career in 1984 as high commissioner to Ottawa, summed up Canada with a dismissive tone. ?One does not encounter here the ferocious competition of talent that takes place in the United Kingdom,? he wrote. ?Anyone who is even moderately good at what they do ? in literature, the theatre, skiing or whatever ? tends to become a national figure. And anyone who stands out at all from the crowd tends to be praised to the skies and given the Order of Canada at once.? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Treborz Posted October 22, 2009 Report Share Posted October 22, 2009 How does one become British Ambassador to Thailand? I'm up for it! Maybe i could be the Channel Island Ambassador to Thailand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugo Posted October 24, 2009 Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LakeGeneve Posted October 27, 2009 Report Share Posted October 27, 2009 Quite rightly Sir Rumbold has been canned for most of his departing comments in his report. However the summery line, "Unwillingness to assume responsibility and endemic corruption" rings true today as his perception of it did back then. Interestingly, if you read the well known Thailand based academic Chris Baker's extensive writings on corruption, he has stated a number of times that the most corrupt institution in the world in the late 60s, so at the time of Rumbolds report, was the British Police. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugo Posted November 11, 2009 Report Share Posted November 11, 2009 Sunday , November 8 , 2009 That controversial letter Posted by redandwhitestripes , Reader : 549 , 14:15:19 So I've finally had time to peruse that controversial letter from Sir Anthony Rumbold to his successor at the British Embassy in Bangkok, and what a remarkable letter it is! There are two particularly striking aspects of the letter. The first is its tone. If anybody ever asked me for an example of the stereotype English attitude and approach towards not only Thais but foreigners in general, I would show them this letter. Its attitude is both arrogant yet accurate, somewhat dismissive but good natured, comical yet deep. The letter was penned during a time when Britain's fall from prominence was in process but not yet complete and that status shines through in Sir Rumbold's tone, yet I believe most English people would take a fairly similar tone to this day. The recent statement by Queintin Quayle was a necessary PR move. The second striking aspect of the letter is just how accurate it is. Over forty years after it was produced, I'd say about seventy or eighty percent of its observations remain true to this day, almost to the point of being comically static. The attitude of "peasants" towards Bangkokians, Thailand's attitude towards foreign military operations, the despair felt by ex-patriots when trying to understand certain parts of Thai culture, the education system and more are summarised very well today by that letter forty years ago. Although the outgoing ambassador was thinking in context of the Vietnam War, I do believe that his observations on Thai attitudes towards China are still partly true, despite the end of the war and the collapse of Communism. Even when prediciting, Sir Rumbold was often on target. It was not hard to guess that Bangkok's population growth would make the city uglier, but Rumbold was correct in observing that many Thais would continue to behave in traditional ways despite the urban explosion going on around them. But the black comedy in the letter must surely come from his commentary on Thai politics. The ambassador's talk of dictators and constitutional drafting assemblies surely need no further observations on heir relevance to this present day. But it's not all negative, the ambassador was equally accurate in his praise for the Thai people in the warmth, friendliness, acceptance of foreigners, love of fun and ability to enjoy and endure. In all, it's an interesting letter that probably would never have been allowed to be penned today in the British age of political correctness. The Englishman in me finds the letter most interesting, and comforting in some bizarre way. But as someone who has ties and affections towards Thailand, there is sadness both in the amount of truth in the letter and the clearly lack of progress that has been made since. I can only wonder what a Thai would make of the ambassador's observations. http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/reallifethailand/2009/11/08/entry-1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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