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Tiger is Thai


flinca
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Hi Flinca,

Welcome to TF. I think everyone in Thailand knows Tiger is half-Thai, although I think Tiger himself would say he's part Thai, as his mom was Sino-Thai. Actually, he refers to himself as a Cablinasian. Most early stories about Tiger in the Western press referred to him as half-Thai or made mention of his Thai mother.

Strangely, though, on the three occasions he's come to play here, he's received a fair amount of negative press mixed in with the good. Complaints about him not being Thai enough. I don't think it was very fair.

But I think the majority of people here think highly of him. However, I think they're prouder of Paradorn Srichapan, the tennis star, because he's 100 percent Thai and actually lives here.

And the one knock I have on Tiger and his professed affinity for Thailand is that he has never lowered his appearance fee to play in Thailand, which has made it very difficult for organizers to get him to come here. Yes, he's been here three times in seven years, but I think he should play here once a year.

Just my two baht.

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Tiger has 50% Thai blood by his mother but I think he didn't think he is American-Thai but 100% American. Many years ago when he came to Thailand first time as the best golf player and he got a grand welcome from thai people but he seemed unpleasant about that.

His mother told the press that he came to Thailand a few times when he was young. He used to learn to speak Thai and tried Thai food but he got headache when he tried so he stopped learning Thai and don't like Thai food too.

My opinion about why he didn't consider as he is half American-Asian because in the past as his father is a black American so he must be named ***** (Black people are called ***** in Thailand) and some local Thai people from his mother's place might be racialism but after he became very famous as the best world golf player everyone tried to figure out that he is a Thai-American. I maybe wrong about this but this is the fact if he didn't famous how would people knows that he's Thai-American?

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Tiger has 50% Thai blood by his mother but I think he didn't think he is American-Thai but 100% American. Many years ago when he came to Thailand first time as the best golf player and he got a grand welcome from thai people but he seemed unpleasant about that.

Hi Sunee,

I think you're right about Tiger regarding hmself as American. After all, that's where he grew up, so that would make sense.

I remember when Tiger came here the first time. The reception was on the whole pretty grand, but I also remember a few people, including sports officials, making comments like "what's the fuss? he's not really Thai. Only his mother is Thai." It was a small minority, but it was very vocal.

I also remember his arrival. There was a television crew, that was broadcasting live on several Thai channels, that burst into the airplane and stuck a microphone in his face before he even got out of his seat. He had just finished a 20-hour flight from LA and was obviously pretty jet lagged. The TV reporter never took the mike out of his face and kept asking him questions in barely understandable English the entire time as he gathered his stuff and walked out into the terminal. Tiger was obviously pretty tired and annoyed and kept telling the reporter to wait until later. I really don't think he was aware that he was on live national television. I thought it was a bit unfair to him.

When he's here, people also besiege him with requests for meetings and appearances. But he's here for a very short time to play a golf tournament he's trying to win, and has little free time. As his mother says, "everyone is tryng to get a piece of him."

I've seen him up close all three times he's been here. And when he's playing, which is his work, he's very guarded in talking to people and quite a bit standoffish. He rarely shows emotion. Other players are friendlier, but they aren't constantly swarmed by the public and press every step they take. Tiger is.

I also saw a very different side of him a couple of times when he gave golf clinics for kids. Then he dropped his guard and opened up and was incredibly warm, friendly and charming. The kids, and everyone else, loved him.

When he comes here, he really needs a "handler" with local knowledge to control everyone trying to get to him. He's made some bad decisions, like takign that degree from the rector of Ramkamhaeng in his hotel room. He didn't really want it. And he got a ton of bad publicity for it. The Nation was all over him. I think he should basically say no to everyone, politicians included, and choose one charity event to appear at.

I think you're probably right about him having experienced some degree or racism here when he was younger, even though his mother denies it. I remember asking people the first time he came if they thought he was handsome. Ninety percent of the women I asked said no, he's too dark.

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  • 1 month later...

Record breaking pro golfer Eldrick "Tiger" Woods was born on the 30th of December, 1975, the only child to parents Earl, retired lieutenant, and Kultida, of Thai descent. Earl Woods gave his son Eldrick the nickname "Tiger", after a soldier and friend of his father who was also nicknamed Tiger in his days as a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army.

saw it...read it...still couldnt beleive it :shock:

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  • 3 months later...
People all the world wanna b thai .... !!!!!

really?

we all want to be thai ?? really ?? why ??

maybe this should be in politics sexion! :twisted:

yes i want to go back there... move it!

nah we all wanna be thai to be better athletes so its' sports.

except for me but it's because i'm a thai lesbian trapped in a white man's body, but um..... diving is a sport....

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  • 3 months later...

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