Well by nature – I am very open to other cultures and would pretty much be non-judgmental about their pattern of thinking! But I am ANTI – in any way to prejudice, indifference and disrespectful behaviour towards Indians, especially since in India – we go out of our way to be friendly to any person visiting our country.
I am currently undergoing the WORST vacation of my life at Bangkok, Thailand. Our passports were stolen at the market a on Friday (8th June 2012) and after retracing our steps and several unsuccessful attempts over the weekend and unfriendly responses from wax-doll faced Thai people, on Monday – we got in touch with our Embassy and started out on the regular process to fly back as soon as possible.
Stuck in a foreign country is no fun – when you do not feel safe. Very frequently Thai people on the streets come up to you – smile a fake smile and ask you where you come from. The same goes with taxi drivers, the tuk-tuk fellows (I will write a separate blog on the tuk-tuk buggers too!) The minute they know you are from India – people smirk in groups, they have a demeaning attitude (whether you come from the North or the South), shopkeepers refuse to give your discount or bargain, waiters at the hotels refuse to give you fingerbowls ( all the time bowing and placing finger bowls to a group of Westerners at the next table). The only thing that the one-track minded Thai people understand are :-
1. The colour of your skin
2. The language of the ‘Baht’
The Thai women are increasingly greedy – and the expression in their eyes, change from being extremely friendly and flirtatious to being downright rude and cruel depending on the wad of notes you flash before them. I went to a shop – where the owner and the saleswomen (all Thais) asked my sister and me the cost of the watch I was wearing,the T-shirts we wore, the areas we went shopping to, the hotel we stayed in – and a lot of uneasy and probing questions, so that they can weigh you as a customer. The minute they figure out you might probably be a window-shopper, their demeanor towards you changes – they stop short of asking you to ‘get out’.
The worst experience I have had is that of physical assault in a market AFTER purchasing a couple of wallets at Indra square, Prathunam. AFTER I paid the woman the amount due – we wanted to check the pieces she had given us. She started abusing us – saying that we were ‘just Indians’ and should NOT check the pieces that we had already purchased! On more heated discussions – the Thai saleswoman threw wallets at me, in a fit of rage – asking me to get out of her shop, and hit my aged Father with a stick- telling him “to GO TO INDIA” ! If this is not racism, what is!
I refuse to spend any of my hard-earned money in this place filled with pimps, prostitutes and disgustingly behaved people. My expectations of this wonderful country – and its history have definitely come crashing down. The self -centered, manipulative and avaricious Thai people have sure lost my respect. And I will most definitely boycott Thailand-made products as much as I can!
P.S. Still in Bangkok and waiting to leave as soon as possible
Well by nature – I am very open to other cultures and would pretty much be non-judgmental about their pattern of thinking! But I am ANTI – in any way to prejudice, indifference and disrespectful behaviour towards Indians, especially since in India – we go out of our way to be friendly to any person visiting our country.I am currently undergoing the WORST vacation of my life at Bangkok, Thailand. Our passports were stolen at the market a on Friday (8th June 2012) and after retracing our steps and several unsuccessful attempts over the weekend and unfriendly responses from wax-doll faced Thai people, on Monday – we got in touch with our Embassy and started out on the regular process to fly back as soon as possible.Stuck in a foreign country is no fun – when you do not feel safe. Very frequently Thai people on the streets come up to you – smile a fake smile and ask you where you come from. The same goes with taxi drivers, the tuk-tuk fellows (I will write a separate blog on the tuk-tuk buggers too!) The minute they know you are from India – people smirk in groups, they have a demeaning attitude (whether you come from the North or the South), shopkeepers refuse to give your discount or bargain, waiters at the hotels refuse to give you fingerbowls ( all the time bowing and placing finger bowls to a group of Westerners at the next table). The only thing that the one-track minded Thai people understand are :-1. The colour of your skin2. The language of the ‘Baht’The Thai women are increasingly greedy – and the expression in their eyes, change from being extremely friendly and flirtatious to being downright rude and cruel depending on the wad of notes you flash before them. I went to a shop – where the owner and the saleswomen (all Thais) asked my sister and me the cost of the watch I was wearing,the T-shirts we wore, the areas we went shopping to, the hotel we stayed in – and a lot of uneasy and probing questions, so that they can weigh you as a customer. The minute they figure out you might probably be a window-shopper, their demeanor towards you changes – they stop short of asking you to ‘get out’.The worst experience I have had is that of physical assault in a market AFTER purchasing a couple of wallets at Indra square, Prathunam. AFTER I paid the woman the amount due – we wanted to check the pieces she had given us. She started abusing us – saying that we were ‘just Indians’ and should NOT check the pieces that we had already purchased! On more heated discussions – the Thai saleswoman threw wallets at me, in a fit of rage – asking me to get out of her shop, and hit my aged Father with a stick- telling him “to GO TO INDIA” ! If this is not racism, what is!I refuse to spend any of my hard-earned money in this place filled with pimps, prostitutes and disgustingly behaved people. My expectations of this wonderful country – and its history have definitely come crashing down. The self -centered, manipulative and avaricious Thai people have sure lost my respect. And I will most definitely boycott Thailand-made products as much as I can!P.S. Still in Bangkok and waiting to leave as soon as possible
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