Ladyboys and mixing with other races...

[kahuna]

Yes and Yes...

And they certainly have an obsession with being white...
They spend a fortune on concoctions to make their skin
white...None of them work...They would do better and
save money with a can of white spray paint...

[Snick]

If anyone gives you a hard time tell them your name is James Obama and you are going to call your cousin Barack.

[razrman]

I suspect it's the same as in Singapore. It's the colour of your money rather than your skin. But good point about making it clear you're from the U.K. or U.S. the guys from Africa haven't exactly got a good reception over here too.

[Road Runner]

(kahuna @ Jan. 26 2009,08:51) And they certainly have an obsession with being white...
They spend a fortune on concoctions to make their skin
white...None of them work...They would do better and
save money with a can of white spray paint...

I offered to give Herself a coat of white paint as it would be more effective than the whitening cream.

For some reason she never took me up on the offer.

RR.

[petesie]

I've only once witnessed racist abuse from a bargirl which shocked me and caused my friend to leave....the owner was informed and the bad lady was chastised not only by him but also the other girls.......

This was 12 years ago and having been to Pattaya recently did not witness anything untoward when walking around with a black friend..........though I did hear one say "where Chocolate friend tonight?"

There was no abuse intended as pointed out before, just their expression.......

A few days later one said," where your friend same same head you?"

I'm shaven so I knew what she meant...................

[donnnnnny]

if you have money in your pocket they will go with you.

[kahuna]

That's not true...

I know several girls who have told me that they will not go with certain customers
for unknown reasons...

There are girls who will not go with you James...the same as there are girls who will
not go with me or girls who will not go with Donny...

In fact Donny has posted many times that Mint has turned down offers of gobs of baht...

This evening I made the rounds with 2 other BMs to several Pattaya bars...I was asked by at least 6 girls  in 3 different bars to take them back to my room...
I didn't for several reasons...First, I was and still am a bit drunk...Second, I really did want any of the girls despite the fact that several are very very hot...
Third, I wanted to be with another girl whose bar I didn't visit but who I sense really doesn't want to be with me...

Thailand and it's people is what Thailand is...ineffable in many ways to us farangs...Just as we and our cultures are to them...

But don't fear...there are many many many girls who will go with you...

You'll have a great time...

[ciobha]

(petesie @ Jan. 26 2009,18:24) A few days later one said," where your friend same same head you?"

I'm shaven so I knew what she meant...................

That's the politically correct term for "baldy bastard"

[Stogie]

[Rebel_ins]

Being a black American myself, and having lived in Asia for about 10 years I've learned that most Asians only know what they've seen on TV or movies, so be ready for the stereotyping. As the other BMs have said, your money and your general attitude are more important than your color over there once you've shown that you aren't some gangster or whatever.

[Bicycle Pump]

(Rebel_ins @ Jan. 27 2009,06:26) Being a black American myself, and having lived in Asia for about 10 years I've learned that most Asians only know what they've seen on TV or movies...

Substitute the words 'most Asians' for 'most humans.'

I saw on telly that black Americans eat there young. Is this true?

FFS!

[dummy_plug]

(Stogie @ Jan. 26 2009,11:20)  So long as you aren't Indian or Arabic! These guys get the worst treatment.

For good reason? Haha...pulling your leg!

[doug]

I've had lots of Thais tell me that "they don't like black people", but when questioned further, that opinion is based solely on how blacks are portrayed in American media. Loud, brash, overly-sexualized, ignorant, violent, etc... You get the idea.

Watch the average Martin Lawrence movie or hip-hop video and you get the idea. Hollywood definitely does not flatter black-Americans, and you guys probably have a worldwide reputation as thugs and pimps as a result.

I don't think Thais are openly racist towards blacks, but they are definitely ignorant. You can get pissed off about it (and thus play right into verifying their stereotypes), or you can roll with it.

One thing you can take heart in is that being white isn't exactly a big advantage over here either. On the surface, it appears that since Thais are obsessed with having white skin, the must therefore like white people too. But that's a misunderstanding of their mindset. They want white skin for the same reason that old European nobles valued white skin (because it means you spent more time indoors, that equals status, and puts you above the ignorant hicks working in the fields). So it's similar reasoning, but that doesn't mean that they actually LIKE white people.

Anyone who's spent some time living in Thailand (or opened a business here), knows that this country is grossly unfair to ALL non-Thais. I can honestly say that living here has given me a better idea of what some black-Americans experience in America when they go into "white neighborhoods". Granted, it's not the same kind of discrimination, but it's still there, all the same.

I recently had an experience that should give you an idea of what I'm talking about:

I was hanging out with my girlfriend the other day in my village. The village was having a New Year party and giving away gifts, so everyone threw their ID-cards into a bowl and the village president pulled them out. First pick got first choice of the gifts on the table, etc...

When I walked up to toss my ID into the bowl, the village "big man" gave me a look and then I overheard him mutter to someone, "Can a farang enter this?" (he didn't know I can speak Thai).

When it came time to draw out the cards, he wasn't even remotely fair about it. Several times I saw him pull out my ID, look at it, and toss it back into the mix. This went on for about an hour (we live in a big village), and it became more and more obvious what he was doing.

Finally, other people in the village came up to me and started to offer me their numbers and when they did that, the "big man" noticed, and my ID was suddenly, "magically" drawn out.

I didn't make a big stink out of it (I could have, after all, I pay fees to the village just like everyone else and some of that money was used to buy the gifts), but it's not something I'm going to waste steam on. It is, however, a very good example of how "Thailand is for Thais" and if you can't accept it, then don't consider settling down here because you'll be permanently unhappy.

That said, money talks in the p4p scene, so don't sweat it. You'll have exactly the same amount of fun as anyone else, white, black, green or purple. Just don't be put off by the occassional "racist" comment. For most Thai people, their "experience" with black people is based solely on Hollywood stereotypes, and in Thailand appearance = reality. They aren't intentionally being "racist", but rather they're just parroting what they see on TV/movies. If you take the bait, you're playing right into their assumptions. If you try to "educate" them, they'll just get bored and you'll lose their attention quickly. Stereotypes are the bread-and-butter of Thai society, so just develop a thick skin to it.

I could get annoyed every time a waitress sets a beer down on my table (assuming that since I'm white, I MUST want to drink beer with EVERY meal). I could scold her and try to educate her that not every white man drinks beer before noon. But why bother? She's happy in her small, little world, and if I try to rock her boat or open her eyes, she's just going to get annoyed.

Likewise, I could get annoyed with the village headman and call him out for blatantly discriminating against me even though I've been an upstanding resident for years. But why bother? Nobody is going to thank me for trying to drag Thai culture into the 21st Century. They'll stop dragging their knuckles and learn to walk upright in their own time and in their own way. It's not my problem.

Taxi drivers, however, can all go to fucking hell, as far as I'm concerned. I hate those motherfuckers. Back in the States, my friends would always complain about taxi drivers not picking them up because they were black. I now know EXACTLY how that feels. Even worse are the guys who zoom past other people to pick me up BECAUSE I'm white. Those fuckers can all die with a hot pike up their asses.

Just because I'm white doesn't mean I want to take an off-meter tour of the city every time I get in a cab. Shockingly, sometimes I actually want to go in a straight-line to my exact destination.

You're a tourist, though, so 90% of the bullshit I deal with every day, you won't ever see when you come here. You'll be safely coccooned up in the tourist areas where people only want to fleece you for every dime you've got (just like every other tourist area in the world).

But if you do encounter any racism while here, don't get stewed about it. It's not directed at you because you're "black". It's directed at you because you're "not-Thai". So in that regard, we're all in the same boat together.

That said, clarifying that you're not African will definitely smooth things over. Africans have a bad rep over here because they a) don't have money, and b) are not Thai. That's two strikes against them already.

Come, have fun, and don't take it too seriously. You'll be fine.

[petesie]

In a nutshell, "Not Thai,"

end of story.........enjoy!

[dummy_plug]

Thais can be said to be ignorant, but I think few have the chance or opportunity to know any better. It's not like Europe or America where there is a good smattering of races and cultures (which I think that even some European countries do to varying degrees, some more and others way less). It's not really a good excuse, but it's probably the main reason. Honestly, I saw just a handful of African people in BKK in the three weeks I was there. From their accents when they tried to speak to me they were all from Africa and from the topics they asked me, all up to no good. Also, all smelly, loud, and obnoxious. Fortunately, I live in the USA where I have many friends of African ancestry who are the exact opposite of those guys. However, if you take my experience in BKK and those are the crowd most Thais probably see, it's easy to see how those stereotypes get started. Mostly because they are true!