Can a Western Person ever become an "Insider" in T

[beej]

I think you'd have to live here full time for 3-5 years and make your own decisions and judgments on this matter.

Personally, I wouldn't let my Children anywhere near politics or any real position of power in Thailand, I'd not want to burden them with the bullshit and criminality of it all.

Is there something wrong with having a discussion or being curious about a subject?

I really don't understand why people have such a huge problem with openly discussing something on a forum that was created for the purpose of having an open discussion.

Of course, I will have to live there in order to form my own opinion. What I'm seeking now is information and the opinions of those who might actually have an informed opinion.

Responses like yours are mind boggling to me.

It's like I ask the opinion of people who own a Ford F150 and someone gets on here and tells me that I should buy one myself and operate it for a few years to form my own opinion.

No sh*t. :wink:

But one can gain valuable insight into situation by listening to the experiences of others.

It's funny. On the LDR thread, you complain that I won't listen to the sage advice of those who have lived in Thailand for 4 or 5 years. Here in this thread, you are basically telling me that I need to live there and the advice and experiences those who have lived there are worthless.

Make up your mind. Are you the sages of the ages or not.

Its a touchy forum topic this, and now you've bought your mrs and future kids into the equation, anything bad we say you'd probably jump on like a rapist.

Everyone has different levels of tolerance to where they live, and asking a bunch of childless divorcees about having kids in Thailand and bringing them up in a Thai society is a bit mad in my opinion.

With something as personal and life changing as what you want to do here, its best if you make your own judgments and gather your own opinions over the next few years, I look forward to your moan free journals and posts on this subject :wink:

[Ngairo]

In this lifetime it's impossible. We just aren't fully accepted here as one of the people. The USA is completely different as it is a huge melting pot of different races and cultures, and most everyone there wants to be known as an American.

I don't know many foreigners here that would want to be known as a Thai. Even if they have lived here their whole lives, they get laughed at if they say they are Thai. It's just the way it is here, and it won't change much in our lifetime.

Do you seriously believe so?

I seriously believe so.

Of course. Most countries succeed in making their people believe their country is the best.

Even if I ever lived there for my whole life, I dont think I would want to be called "American", oh well, thats probably just me then :roll:

And me.....

[CiaranM]

I think you'd have to live here full time for 3-5 years and make your own decisions and judgments on this matter.

Personally, I wouldn't let my Children anywhere near politics or any real position of power in Thailand, I'd not want to burden them with the bullshit and criminality of it all.

Is there something wrong with having a discussion or being curious about a subject?

I really don't understand why people have such a huge problem with openly discussing something on a forum that was created for the purpose of having an open discussion.

Of course, I will have to live there in order to form my own opinion. What I'm seeking now is information and the opinions of those who might actually have an informed opinion.

Responses like yours are mind boggling to me.

It's like I ask the opinion of people who own a Ford F150 and someone gets on here and tells me that I should buy one myself and operate it for a few years to form my own opinion.

No sh*t. :wink:

But one can gain valuable insight into situation by listening to the experiences of others.

It's funny. On the LDR thread, you complain that I won't listen to the sage advice of those who have lived in Thailand for 4 or 5 years. Here in this thread, you are basically telling me that I need to live there and the advice and experiences those who have lived there are worthless.

Make up your mind. Are you the sages of the ages or not.

i would guess different ppl would have different perspectives or thoughts on how integrated or accepted they r in thai (or any foreign) culture/community !! so while some ppl feel they r integrated and accepted, others may feel they r looking at the situation through rose coloured specs and that farangs will never be truly accepted here !!

IMO most thais tolerate farangs here rather than fully accept them .... although having spent a weekend in pattaya that may be the fault of the farangs rather than the thais !!! :roll: :roll:

[English_Bob]

I have a white friend who was born and raised in Thailand.

He has dual nationality. Carries a Thai ID card, holds a Thai passport, speaks, reads and writes Thai better than most 'real' Thais.

There are two anecdotes I want to relay...

1) My friend, his (white) wife and I were checking into the Marriott Hotel in Hua Hin. He was in the bathroom....

Reception: May I see some ID for Mr_____ please?

(Wife hands over Thai ID card and passport)

Reception: Hmmm and what is Mr______'s nationality please?

Wife: He's Thai. That's a Thai passport.

Reception: Sorry I mean, where was he born?

Wife: Thailand

Reception: I mean, which country is he from.

Wife: Thailand

Reception: Please wait a moment... I will get the duty manager...

Manager: Please excuse her. What is Mr__________'s nationality please?

Wife: Thai

Manager: Sorry, I mean what is his country of origin?

Wife: (sigh) Thailand

Manager: Errrm, please wait, I need to speak to the general manager.

(Continue ad infinitum...)

2) On walking to the entrance to Grand Palace with his sister-in-law (Asian-American).

Ticket seller: 200 baht

My Friend: (in Thai) Actually I'm a Thai citizen, here's my ID card.

Ticket seller: 200 baht... you must speak Thai for free entry.

My Friend: I can speak Thai.... errm we're speaking Thai now.

Ticket seller: No, I mean you have to read Thai.

My Friend: OK... (reads sign) Thai citizens eligible for free entrance, foreign visitors' entry price 200 baht.

Ticket seller: And write Thai too...

My Friend: OK give me a pen... what do you want me to write?

Ticket seller: No... you must LOOK Thai!

My Friend: OK now you have offended me... what is your boss's name. I want to speak to him personally.

Ticket seller: Oh sorry, sorry. Please - free for you and your friend.

My Friend: She's not Thai... she's American. She couldn't pass any of your tests except she has black hair and brown skin.

For some people, acceptance is impossible.

[PeeMarc]

I have a white friend who was born and raised in Thailand.

He has dual nationality. Carries a Thai ID card, holds a Thai passport, speaks, reads and writes Thai better than most 'real' Thais.

There are two anecdotes I want to relay...

1) My friend, his (white) wife and I were checking into the Marriott Hotel in Hua Hin. He was in the bathroom....

Reception: May I see some ID for Mr_____ please?

(Wife hands over Thai ID card and passport)

Reception: Hmmm and what is Mr______'s nationality please?

Wife: He's Thai. That's a Thai passport.

Reception: Sorry I mean, where was he born?

Wife: Thailand

Reception: I mean, which country is he from.

Wife: Thailand

Reception: Please wait a moment... I will get the duty manager...

Manager: Please excuse her. What is Mr__________'s nationality please?

Wife: Thai

Manager: Sorry, I mean what is his country of origin?

Wife: (sigh) Thailand

Manager: Errrm, please wait, I need to speak to the general manager.

(Continue ad infinitum...)

2) On walking to the entrance to Grand Palace with his sister-in-law (Asian-American).

Ticket seller: 200 baht

My Friend: (in Thai) Actually I'm a Thai citizen, here's my ID card.

Ticket seller: 200 baht... you must speak Thai for free entry.

My Friend: I can speak Thai.... errm we're speaking Thai now.

Ticket seller: No, I mean you have to read Thai.

My Friend: OK... (reads sign) Thai citizens eligible for free entrance, foreign visitors' entry price 200 baht.

Ticket seller: And write Thai too...

My Friend: OK give me a pen... what do you want me to write?

Ticket seller: No... you must LOOK Thai!

My Friend: OK now you have offended me... what is your boss's name. I want to speak to him personally.

Ticket seller: Oh sorry, sorry. Please - free for you and your friend.

My Friend: She's not Thai... she's American. She couldn't pass any of your tests except she has black hair and brown skin.

For some people, acceptance is impossible.

for MOST Thai... i would say.

[Mister Moobs]

Look at the % of Black/Asian US passport holders and citizens.

Now look at the number of White/Black people who hold Thai passports and citizenship.

America is different as in it has little history, cut from colonialism, a nation of immigrants.

Still there runs a deep rooted 'if you're not white you don't belong' across the nation.

You must have lived in America for 4-5 years and now think that you are an expert on American culture. :roll:

That's all hogwash.

There are race problems in America. There have been since the beginning and like the rest of the world, there always will be.

But they are mild as compared to most of the world.

Racism in America is 99% limited to minor forms of discrimination.

Every once in a while something gets blown up and makes the news for 5 months and people like you with their anti-American agenda trumps it up as proof of how horrible America is.

It's bullshit.

I grew up in a racially mixed environment and have worked in a racially mixed environment all of my adult life. It has been an American life. I've lived a fairly unique American life. But the uniqueness of it stems from locale not from the racial make up of the people with whom I have worked.

America has always been racially mixed. There have always been mini-revolutions with each injection of race or nationality that has come to America. Over time, each people has been accepted and assimilated by the whole. Of course, there are throwbacks and minorities pockets of ignorance, but, this exists in every society.

To judge the whole based upon the actions of the few is as simply ignorant, bigoted and arrogant as the lie with which you attempt to paint American society.

If you were as enlightened as you attempt to pose, you would recognize this. You can throw your red paint on a Shell sign and call it art. Painting a whole people with your broad bruch is simple ignorance and dogmatic bigotry. No different than the taliban, Jim Crow southerners, the KKK, the BNP, Apartheid or the Dutch in the late 1800s in Africa. Ignorance is ignorance. Even yours.

This is not anger speaking. It is passion. Something that too few ex-pats around here seem to have. Except the oft displayed passionate dislike/hatred of so much.

[pandorea]

Unless they do a 'Chinese and Indian immigration to Thailand' n us where we give up our passports and take on Thai names. BIG long Thai names.

and it took gernarations for those Chinese& Indian immigration to become insiders. For exp. in my father generation, those who have Chinese last name can not join the army and my friends who have Chinese last name had to changed their last name.

It's just the way it is!

[yamahacrasher]

I have a white friend who was born and raised in Thailand.

He has dual nationality. Carries a Thai ID card, holds a Thai passport, speaks, reads and writes Thai better than most 'real' Thais.

There are two anecdotes I want to relay...

1) My friend, his (white) wife and I were checking into the Marriott Hotel in Hua Hin. He was in the bathroom....

Reception: May I see some ID for Mr_____ please?

(Wife hands over Thai ID card and passport)

Reception: Hmmm and what is Mr______'s nationality please?

Wife: He's Thai. That's a Thai passport.

Reception: Sorry I mean, where was he born?

Wife: Thailand

Reception: I mean, which country is he from.

Wife: Thailand

Reception: Please wait a moment... I will get the duty manager...

Manager: Please excuse her. What is Mr__________'s nationality please?

Wife: Thai

Manager: Sorry, I mean what is his country of origin?

Wife: (sigh) Thailand

Manager: Errrm, please wait, I need to speak to the general manager.

(Continue ad infinitum...)

2) On walking to the entrance to Grand Palace with his sister-in-law (Asian-American).

Ticket seller: 200 baht

My Friend: (in Thai) Actually I'm a Thai citizen, here's my ID card.

Ticket seller: 200 baht... you must speak Thai for free entry.

My Friend: I can speak Thai.... errm we're speaking Thai now.

Ticket seller: No, I mean you have to read Thai.

My Friend: OK... (reads sign) Thai citizens eligible for free entrance, foreign visitors' entry price 200 baht.

Ticket seller: And write Thai too...

My Friend: OK give me a pen... what do you want me to write?

Ticket seller: No... you must LOOK Thai!

My Friend: OK now you have offended me... what is your boss's name. I want to speak to him personally.

Ticket seller: Oh sorry, sorry. Please - free for you and your friend.

My Friend: She's not Thai... she's American. She couldn't pass any of your tests except she has black hair and brown skin.

For some people, acceptance is impossible.

Haha splendid. To get some Thai's to comprehend the unusual or unexpected is sometimes hard. Thanks for sharing this.

[Mister Moobs]

Its a touchy forum topic this, and now you've bought your mrs and future kids into the equation, anything bad we say you'd probably jump on like a rapist.

Everyone has different levels of tolerance to where they live, and asking a bunch of childless divorcees about having kids in Thailand and bringing them up in a Thai society is a bit mad in my opinion.

With something as personal and life changing as what you want to do here, its best if you make your own judgments and gather your own opinions over the next few years, I look forward to your moan free journals and posts on this subject :wink:

It's a simple discussion.

I don't necessarily want to live in Thailand with my children and Mrs.

I'm curious as to what people think of the possibility. I'm cureious at to other peoples opinions and experiences.

I know your opinion. I know PeeMarcs opinion. Everything is impossible and nothing will work and that's just the way it is because you two have lived there for 4 or 5 years.

My experience in life is that there are possibilities out there. That life is a chance to be taken. Rewards equal the risks taken. Failure is inevitable but not life ended or debilitating. One can recover and bounce back. One should never give up and certainly not so easy as some on here seem to think we should.

For all I know, I will die tomorrow in a rocket attack.

Is it possible that this is not about me or my intentions but merely a gathering of opinions and a conversation about something that is of interest to many people aside from myself. A conversation about possibilities.

Why should it be sensitive? There are many levels of acceptance in all countries and in all societies and levels of society.

I might be accepted by her family and that be enough for me. Or I might be accepted in Thai business circles and that be enough for me.

I really have no idea exactly what I want to do. It's an exploration of ideas and possibilities.

Why the adamant nay saying by you?

You always tell me that things are not personal and then you assume that all things are personal with any post or question that any given persons asks. How about opening yourself, your mind and thinking outside the box. As an artist, isn't that supposed to be your area of expertise. So many closed minds around here.

Stop thinking that anyone who disagrees with you is angry. Perhaps, they are simply disagreeing with you and have had different experiences in life and are expressing those differences.

I only get touchy when you guys start in on your insults and start assuming that everyone except you are angry. It's pretty stale. It's the same old same old every time. You're right. Everyone else is wrong. You've lived here for this or that many years and you know everything. OK. I get it. Now get past it and share your opinion. A real opinion.

OR GET THE HELL OUT OF THE WAY AND LET SoMEoNE WHO WANTS TO DISCUSS THE TOPIC DO SO.

In the Army, they have a saying. The Infantry Motto

Lead, Follow or Get Out of the Way

Please do so.

[Mister Moobs]

i would guess different ppl would have different perspectives or thoughts on how integrated or accepted they r in thai (or any foreign) culture/community !!

care to share yours...

[beej]

Look at the % of Black/Asian US passport holders and citizens.

Now look at the number of White/Black people who hold Thai passports and citizenship.

America is different as in it has little history, cut from colonialism, a nation of immigrants.

Still there runs a deep rooted 'if you're not white you don't belong' across the nation.

You must have lived in America for 4-5 years and now think that you are an expert on American culture. :roll:

That's all hogwash.

There are race problems in America. There have been since the beginning and like the rest of the world, there always will be.

But they are mild as compared to most of the world.

Racism in America is 99% limited to minor forms of discrimination.

Every once in a while something gets blown up and makes the news for 5 months and people like you with their anti-American agenda trumps it up as proof of how horrible America is.

It's bullshit.

I grew up in a racially mixed environment and have worked in a racially mixed environment all of my adult life. It has been an American life. I've lived a fairly unique American life. But the uniqueness of it stems from locale not from the racial make up of the people with whom I have worked.

America has always been racially mixed. There have always been mini-revolutions with each injection of race or nationality that has come to America. Over time, each people has been accepted and assimilated by the whole. Of course, there are throwbacks and minorities pockets of ignorance, but, this exists in every society.

To judge the whole based upon the actions of the few is as simply ignorant, bigoted and arrogant as the lie with which you attempt to paint American society.

If you were as enlightened as you attempt to pose, you would recognize this. You can throw your red paint on a Shell sign and call it art. Painting a whole people with your broad bruch is simple ignorance and dogmatic bigotry. No different than the taliban, Jim Crow southerners, the KKK, the BNP, Apartheid or the Dutch in the late 1800s in Africa. Ignorance is ignorance. Even yours.

This is not anger speaking. It is passion. Something that too few ex-pats around here seem to have. Except the oft displayed passionate dislike/hatred of so much.

I'm confused, are you saying there is.

1. no racial discrimination.

2. little to no racial discrimination.

3. some racial discrimination.

4. a fair amount of racial discrimination.

5. a huge amount of racial discrimination

Across the United States as a whole.

[beej]

I'm sorry Dave, but you are actually as mad as a box of frogs.

I'm out of this thread, you don't know who you are, what you want, where you're going, if its about you, not about you, about everyone, you don't even if you want a **** or a hair cut.

[Mister Moobs]

For some people, acceptance is impossible.

for MOST Thai... i would say.

Do you believe that this will always be the case?

Less than a year ago, many folks considered it an act of faith, a binding and universal truth that there would never be a Black President of the United States of America.

People held that belief adamantly. I spoke with many a person across Southeast Asia and China about this. Not one believed that Obama would be elected.

Yet, there he is.

They're reasoning was much the same as Chris'. America is too racist.

A sea change created by a single act.

Before that, America was seen in a terrible light.

With that single election, some say that America is not Brand Number One with the World.

You'll have to google that yourself if you want to believe it or deny it.

Nothing in life is constant except change.

So do you believe that there will never come a day of enlightenment or acceptance in the Land of Smiles.

That is a harsh judgment. Harsh indeed.

[Mister Moobs]

if its about you, not about you,

You and a few others assume that you know the state of mind of person's posting on these forums. You assume that a person who holds an opposing opinion is taking things personally or that said person(s) think a given comment or subject is about them.

It could never be as simple as someone offering an opinion based on their experiences. It could never be that some think that your statement(s) are insulting in general. That would preclude the over-reaction and insult throwing. That would preclude the arrogant attitude of "we know better because we have lived here all of 4 or 5 whole years."

We couldn't have that. Now could we. :wink:

I've never said that it's about me. I never said that I was considering having a child and living in Thailand to raise said child. You simply assumed that this was the reasoning behind my question.

You always assume that it is personal and then get all excited when you assume that folks are taking things personally.

It's like a group of baby sharks circling a barbie doll and fake blood in a bathtub. All meaningless and impotent but we certainly think it's all that and a bag of chips.

Fuckin' cracks me up.

[Mister Moobs]

I'm confused, are you saying there is.

1. no racial discrimination.

2. little to no racial discrimination.

3. some racial discrimination.

4. a fair amount of racial discrimination.

5. a huge amount of racial discrimination

Across the United States as a whole.

Of course, you are confused. You want to believe the worst. It's the only way to support your angst towards America.

[drlovelife8]

Its a race issue.

Across boarders around the world, the colour of your skin determines who you are and if you belong.

S I M P L E

I dont agree with that 100% in the context you are using it.

I am as white as snow as are many top fight Thais but I will never be as accepted as a dark skinned isan type

You look for race at evey chance............ USA is very mixed, they have a mixed race president who people often describe as black.

Look at the % of Black/Asian US passport holders and citizens.

Now look at the number of White/Black people who hold Thai passports and citizenship.

America is different as in it has little history, cut from colonialism, a nation of immigrants.

Still there runs a deep rooted 'if you're not white you don't belong' across the nation. In Thailand its worse.

Its a race issue, it always will be.

NO BEEJ,

You are a race issue and always will be.

So am I right in thinking that you are saying the colour of your skin plays no part in your acceptance into every day Thai culture?

No, you would be wrong.

[beej]

Its a race issue.

Across boarders around the world, the colour of your skin determines who you are and if you belong.

S I M P L E

I dont agree with that 100% in the context you are using it.

I am as white as snow as are many top fight Thais but I will never be as accepted as a dark skinned isan type

You look for race at evey chance............ USA is very mixed, they have a mixed race president who people often describe as black.

Look at the % of Black/Asian US passport holders and citizens.

Now look at the number of White/Black people who hold Thai passports and citizenship.

America is different as in it has little history, cut from colonialism, a nation of immigrants.

Still there runs a deep rooted 'if you're not white you don't belong' across the nation. In Thailand its worse.

Its a race issue, it always will be.

NO BEEJ,

You are a race issue and always will be.

So am I right in thinking that you are saying the colour of your skin plays no part in your acceptance into every day Thai culture?

No, you would be wrong.

Wrong as in I'm right or wrong as in I'm wrong and the colour of your skin has nothing to do with it?

[Mister Moobs]

Light skinned folks are held in higher regard throughout China and Asia as a whole. The same can be said of the Middle East as well.

I do not know about Africa on whole, but, in those parts of Africa that were Colonized light skin can mean both preferential treatment and death.

[CiaranM]

i would guess different ppl would have different perspectives or thoughts on how integrated or accepted they r in thai (or any foreign) culture/community !!

care to share yours...

well to be perfectly honest .... i don't care. basically i came to asia (sri lanka firstly and then thailand) for work, not because i loved the culture or community here. now don't get me wrong, having lived in asia for nearly 13 years now i do love the place (for all it's faults), but that was NOT my primary reason for moving here in the first place. i'd like to stay here for as long as possible, but if (when) the work dries up i'll have to move some place else.

i'm not thai, i'm not buddhist and i've no plans to marry or have kids here. my thai language still sucks (and there's no excuse for that), but i have no wish to fully integrate into the thai culture or community. however, IF i was planning to marry and/or have kids here i would like to think i would want to become more part of the community here, but getting married or having kids is NOT in my plans at present or any time soon !!

[Mister Moobs]

that sounds fair to me

[drlovelife8]

In this lifetime it's impossible. We just aren't fully accepted here as one of the people. The USA is completely different as it is a huge melting pot of different races and cultures, and most everyone there wants to be known as an American.

I don't know many foreigners here that would want to be known as a Thai. Even if they have lived here their whole lives, they get laughed at if they say they are Thai. It's just the way it is here, and it won't change much in our lifetime.

Do you seriously believe so?

It probably accounts for the fact that they try to get green cards for legal residence and have a sucessfull immo policy.

I would say most Americans do wish to be called Americans but distanced from the Bush family.

[beej]

Its a race issue.

Across boarders around the world, the colour of your skin determines who you are and if you belong.

S I M P L E

I dont agree with that 100% in the context you are using it.

I am as white as snow as are many top fight Thais but I will never be as accepted as a dark skinned isan type

You look for race at evey chance............ USA is very mixed, they have a mixed race president who people often describe as black.

Look at the % of Black/Asian US passport holders and citizens.

Now look at the number of White/Black people who hold Thai passports and citizenship.

America is different as in it has little history, cut from colonialism, a nation of immigrants.

Still there runs a deep rooted 'if you're not white you don't belong' across the nation. In Thailand its worse.

Its a race issue, it always will be.

NO BEEJ,

You are a race issue and always will be.

So am I right in thinking that you are saying the colour of your skin plays no part in your acceptance into every day Thai culture?

No, you would be wrong.

In my personal experience the colour of your skin plays a HUGE part in every day Thai society, not just with black or white people but also within Thai Thai culture.

Issue one, a road accident, all four below will be treated differently.

White

Black

Dark Skinned village looking thai

Light Skinned Chinese looking Thai

Issue two

Immigration and customs, all 4 will be treated differently.

Issue 3

Marriage and ''meeting the parents'' all 4 will be treated differently.

blah blah blah blah and so on, its just how it is, and if you think its not how it is, you can explain to the Black guys in the post office 30 minutes ago, who were just getting ignored because they were black.

[drlovelife8]

I aint only talking about the States in particular though, I mean, if I ever lived in one particular country for almost my whole life, I would still class myself as Thai. The passport might belong to that particular country but I could never forget the fact that I AM Thai :roll:[/quote

Most Americans I have met haven't lost there identity. Even Thai Americans. My boss was born in Bangkok, grew up in America, says he is Amaerican-Thai.

Lots of Americans in small talk with new american friends discuss there background and culture. African American, Hispanic/Latino/Italian/Irish.... But they still love to be Americans. My family are from Ireland. I was born in Enland. I think I am English but of Irish decent.

[drlovelife8]

Its a race issue.

Across boarders around the world, the colour of your skin determines who you are and if you belong.

S I M P L E

I dont agree with that 100% in the context you are using it.

I am as white as snow as are many top fight Thais but I will never be as accepted as a dark skinned isan type

You look for race at evey chance............ USA is very mixed, they have a mixed race president who people often describe as black.

Look at the % of Black/Asian US passport holders and citizens.

Now look at the number of White/Black people who hold Thai passports and citizenship.

America is different as in it has little history, cut from colonialism, a nation of immigrants.

Still there runs a deep rooted 'if you're not white you don't belong' across the nation. In Thailand its worse.

Its a race issue, it always will be.

NO BEEJ,

You are a race issue and always will be.

So am I right in thinking that you are saying the colour of your skin plays no part in your acceptance into every day Thai culture?

No, you would be wrong.

Wrong as in I'm right or wrong as in I'm wrong and the colour of your skin has nothing to do with it?

You are an excellent row starter (although today you seem at peace with yourself), but you won't catch me by trying to hijack the direction of my words. They are quite clear.

If you want some real racism to moan about go to Saudi Arabia and see how light skinned Arabs treat Black Arabs.

[beej]

You are an excellent row starter (although today you seem at peace with yourself), but you won't catch me by trying to hijack the direction of my words. They are quite clear.

If you want some real racism to moan about go to Saudi Arabia and see how light skinned Arabs treat Black Arabs.

I'm not trying to start a row, I'm just saying that the colour of your skin DOES effect how you're treated in Thailand.

You'd be mad/blind to say other wise.

Yes some other countries are worse, but a lot of countries are better.