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Answered6 years ago

Why have Thai people become fearful of farangs since the COVID-19 pandemic?

Anthony ********
asked Jul 30, 2020
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Something I've just realized! I go for 1 beer to a local bar come restaurant near me before home for dinner. Been going for many years. However since they've been allowed to reopen I've noticed thai people enter sit near to me and, once they realize I'm a farang, quickly depart to the furthest table possible. At first I thought I was being paranoid. After discussing with my thai wife I now know that thai people are shit scared of farang and corvids. This is what Europe has shown to the thai people, we are not careful, responsible law abiding citizens who follow the law. I don't blame them!!
Answer summary
The post reflects on the perceived fear Thai people have developed towards farangs (foreigners) since the COVID-19 pandemic. The author shares personal experiences of noticing locals quickly distancing themselves once they recognize him as a foreigner. Discussions in the comments reveal sentiments of xenophobia, the role of official statements in shaping public perception, and frustrations with the general fear associated with foreigners amidst the ongoing pandemic. Contributors collectively express various opinions, including the idea that ignorance and misinformation, particularly from authorities, contribute to this fear.
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Robin **********
Robin **********
Having an immigrant populace that are stupid and ignorant enough to call themselves by their Thai slang name doesn't exactly boost their social standing in Thai eyes ...BUT the last time I was over the December b4 this all started.. going down sukamvit, older people on buses would move seats to avoid sitting next/near to me...small minded Ignorant twats basically....
Terary **********
Terary **********
Perhaps try using a question mark '?' to clearly delineate your question?
Anthony ********
Anthony ********
OP
Jenn **********
Jenn **********
smelly farangs all of themm!
Anthony *******
Anthony *******
Yep. I pulled out a trolley for a woman at Makro the other day. She pushed it to one side and got the next one. Not the first time someone won't use my trolley.
Kraig *******
Kraig *******
My wife is Thai and returned to our home in Krabi from our place in Dubai with my 7yr old daughter,

For the first 3-4 weeks none of the Thai parents would let their children play with my Thai daughter because she had been living in Dubai!

It's not foreigners they are scared of, it's Covid!
Anthony ********
Anthony ********
OP
@Kraig ******
yes but you can't assume. Until detection who's to know?
Kraig *******
Kraig *******
@Anthony *******
exactly, just highlighting that my wife and daughter were both shunned because the local village were scared of Covid
Nick ************
Nick ************
I have not experienced this anywhere in my current locality. I was singled out as a foreigner when visiting a temple but I was the only one. Once I told them I had been in Thailand since November 2019 there was no further problem from anyone. The Thai people here could not be more friendly and supportive. I am very grateful to them.
Gene **********
Gene **********
Yes
Anthony *********
Anthony *********
Thai people can't catch covid from Thai people didn't you know that??? Only from falang 😂😂😂
Andrew *********
Andrew *********
Andrew *********
Andrew *********
Have personally not had a problem but I have always worn a mask and earlier on only the farang were the only ones without one, a lot of the Thais I know could not understand it, they didn't help the situation, some of the older farang are so arrogant and usually miserable.
Anthony ********
Anthony ********
OP
@Andrew ********
yes but young farang here too early on didn't bother to wear one.
David **********
David **********
I've noticed it a bit when I travelled to another province recently. But I've been in the same place since December and everyone knows me there so no problems.
Steve **********
Steve **********
Haha, while I was shopping at Makro I had some lady scream at me, "you're going to kill us all!" presumably because I came within 2.1 meters of her on the escalator. Nutty bitch.
Bobby ********
Bobby ********
@Steve *********
. Should have told her to relax, that she's a long way down on your list
Darren *******
Darren *******
@Steve *********
should've given her a big smile and a thumbs up
Steve **********
Steve **********
@Darren ******
It was all I could muster to zip my lip and walk away after she started grilling me in the parking lot screaming at me and asking where I come from and why don't I go home.

At first I was pissed. Then I felt deep pity for her and her ignorance.
Darren *******
Darren *******
@Steve *********
I had similar with a taxi driver recently, then when I walked away and he realised he'd lost a potential fare he suddenly changed his tune. Too late for that, buddy.
David *********
David *********
Must admit we work our shop nobody says anything glad I don’t understand but Chinese I am like a whippet gone so I understand
Paul *********
Paul *********
I think it shows a lot more. If you believe in this covid lie. It just shows how gullible the country folk are
Darren *******
Darren *******
I wish they did this on the BTS
Richard **********
Richard **********
Local dentist wouldn't accept me as a client because I was from the US even though I have been here since March 2019. Seriously watching too much chinese news and cnn.
David **********
David **********
@Richard *********
I wondered why my dentist acted very peculiar this last visit. Usually she's very pleasant and I've been going to her for three years. Always gentle and a good visit. This time it was very painful and she was not happy
Andrew *********
Andrew *********
@Richard *********
Where are you, brilliant one in Pattaya ?
Richard **********
Richard **********
@Andrew ********
no. Isaan.
Ellen *******
Ellen *******
Jeff *******
Jeff *******
i kinda do blame them, because if you're here, you've either been here since before the lockdown, or you've been quarantined for 2 weeks. either way you're no more likely to be infectious than they are.
Anthony ********
Anthony ********
OP
@Jeff ******
absolutely right! But they haven't grasped that.
Dani ******
Dani ******
@Jeff ******
I agree. Was on the bus and they came on just to check my temperature and not the rest of 100 other people 😂
Ivan ************
Ivan ************
@Da**
what was the reading?
Dianne *****
Dianne *****
@Ivan ***********
ha ha me too. I usually measure 35.6 or there abouts
Ivan ************
Ivan ************
@Da**
You must have been safe so. They often show me the reading, often wonder how I am not dead from hypothermia
Dani ******
Dani ******
@Ivan ***********
no idea! Just scanned and left
Jeff *******
Jeff *******
@Dani *****
I need a note from a doctor to access certain data centers. My Thai staff don't.

Last time the doc didn't even listen to my lungs he was more interested in telling me about his stock market predictions
Dianne *****
Dianne *****
@Dani *****
Oh dear, sorry for laughing, but that is hilarious, if a little embarrassing to be singled out like that. You just have to be thick skinned and roll with it I guess. At least the other passengers would have been reassured and stopped treating you with suspicion
John ********
John ********
I have had this for months conclusion you cant cure stupid.
Anthony ********
Anthony ********
OP
@John *******
they will believe anything they are told its a thai mentality
Dianne *****
Dianne *****
Yeah, I think many of us are experiencing this right now. A couple of evenings ago I was eating at my favourite foodstall, a middle aged Thai woman pointedly glared at me throughout my meal. I pretended not to notice and ignored her. The stall holders welcome my business and make pleasant small talk with me. They know that I supported them through the lockdown period and came everyday to buy takeaway (even when I didn't really want to) to try to help keep them open, likewise the local coffee shop where I developed a caffeine addiction during lockdown, buying two coffees a day as there were hardly any customers. I think you just have to be a bit thick skinned and ignore it. Keep reminding yourself that those who have gotten to know you, care about you and in the end that's all that matters
Ken ***********
Ken ***********
@Dianne ****
yes. It is the individual's ignorance, not reality
Anthony ********
Anthony ********
OP
@Dianne ****
very same situation. The business owners no problem because they know we have been through it together.
James ******
James ******
Maybe if people stopped referring to it as a “Pandemic” things would lighten up.

No concrete evidence has been produced and the msm “experts” change their minds more than a bar girls knickers hit her ankles!
Ivan ************
Ivan ************
Exactly. All the dead people are crisis actors. If you want the truth you need to do your own research at YouTube University
Наталья ***********
Наталья ***********
And the same im hell scared of Chinese, when i see them i run away) so i understand thai people also
Anne ********
Anne ********
@Наталья **********
when you see Chinese people you run away? 😂😂😂😂😂 How old are you? This is also such a racist view. It’s like me saying when I see Russian athletes participating in an event, that they are all drug-enhanced cheats.
Fernanda *****************
Fernanda *****************
@Наталья **********
all I have to say to this ridiculous comment is that I’ve lived in China for 2 years and haven’t been sick once... what you are expressing is a big prejudice with no justifiable reason.
Наталья ***********
Наталья ***********
Brian ********
Brian ********
Public Health England's exaggerated death statistics are a scandal that has fed fear. Woefully misleading figures have only made it harder to tackle the pandemic and to get the country moving again.

the reality is that most deaths occur to over 65’s with previous health condition, The fatality rate in healthy under 75’s is negligible. Children virtually zero . Age is a factor , obesity is a factor and previous health conditions are factor. And this apples in all countries
Andrew *********
Andrew *********
Worrying development is sometimes patients who recover suffer long term health problems some of them serious
Lars *******
Lars *******
So if you are not young and healthy f...k them?
Pietro *******
Pietro *******
I see this like a blessing, i love having no one around
Steve *********
Steve *********
Corvids scare most people ... ewww crows! (Couldn't resist)
Andrew *********
Andrew *********
Unfortunately people believe officialdom and when a Minister comes out with pronouncements like that you can understand why. Majority of older Thais especially seem to be stuck in feudal times which the monarchy helped to perpetuate to maintain the status quo, also education here does not necessarily teach people to think for themselves.
Anthony ********
Anthony ********
OP
@Andrew ********
well thinking for yourself here can land you in prison
Andrew *********
Andrew *********
@Anthony *******
Exactly, the youngsters though seem to be protesting but I doubt it will last. It will probably take a civil war to radically change things, and the army will ultimately always decide the fate of this country especially since the junta has "legitimised" its hold on power.Don't think the Thais really have the stomach for any conflict.
Steve *********
Steve *********
Very sad, and given that it’s virtually impossible to get into the country completely unjustified. There are also many many more people in the world that don’t have the virus than do.
Kirstin *****************
Kirstin *****************
Wayne ********
Wayne ********
yes we are dirty farangs xx even though if u check deaths here we are very few xx i was in a shop the other day and some old thai lady grabbed her bag and left her seat to move away from me xx lovely
Petri ********
Petri ********
Sorry, but little difficult to read 4 so long text without any full stop or comma
Petri ********
Petri ********
xx?
John ******
John ******
Armpit problem perhaps ?
Dayumay **********
Dayumay **********
Scared of farangs? I have never experienced that here. They should be scared of the Chinese, the virus was made in China, but they don't dear to upset them.
Anthony ********
Anthony ********
OP
@Dayumay *********
they see Chinese wearing masks and getting beaten up by the police. That's fine! No problem with them
Roy ***********
Roy ***********
@Dayumay *********
I noticed it the day after the Minister said all Farang are dirty and dangerous.

I walked in a car park at Central, and I saw one kid in a small group get out of my way very fast, whispering "Farang!".

Many Thai people believe everything said by people with some sort of authority. I don't blame the kid for being scared, but the teachers, parents and government that keep xenophobia alive with terrible arguments.
Anthony ********
Anthony ********
OP
@Roy **********
always a problem here. You see how they treat black people
Dayumay **********
Dayumay **********
@Anthony *******
they have learned it by the Chinese, there are places in China that bans black people to enter, Thailand have become little China, that's the result when you let idiots run the country.
Michael ********
Michael ********
Dont blame them for being stupid 555
Jim ************
Jim ************
Do not worry
Roy ***********
Roy ***********
Maybe you can explain to them that all Farang staying here now, have been here ever since there is no Covid problem in this country. So the Farang they see, have no Covid.

It is not difficult to understand this, but many don't. It is either Xenophobic or very stupid. If you have another option, please fill me in. And you still don't blame them and understand their way of thinking. Thais are not the problem, only people from outside are a problem, nasty foreigners.

Do you ever go on the roads in Thailand? How many law abiding citizens do you see there?
Anthony ********
Anthony ********
OP
@Roy **********
yes we all know the facts but as you know thai people are willing to believe anything on social media. In some places my wife has pointed out that I've been here a long time. As for any racism that's normal in Thailand

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